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650

^ ^ ^ ^f ^ commentary on Sstt-ma Eaang*8 Mirror cj

History.

1705 Shih CU-lung :g ^ ft. Died A.D. 363. Nephew of Shih Lo, who gave him a high military command and ennobled him at Prince. In 335 he deposed Shih Hang and took his place, proclaim- ing himself king of Chao in 837 and canonising hie anoeetors. He then killed his eldest son, the -Heir Apparent, because he was dissolute, and appointed his second son to that dignity. Bnt when the latter killed his next brother, his father cnt off the murderer*! hands and feet and roasted him to death, besides slaying his wife and seven children. In 349 he assumed the Imperial title, and was canonised by ^ ^ Shih Tsun, who held the throne for 183 days only, as ^ ^ *j^, with the temple name of ^ fjf^. He was a devout Buddhist, and under his reign people were permitted for the first time in China to take the vows of the Buddhist priesthood. [His personal name is also given as ^ Hu, with Chi-lung st his style].

1706 Shih Ching-t^ang ;g !$(: ^ . A.D. 892-942. A distinguished general, of Turkic descent, who' became son-in-law to the Emperor Ming Ti of the Later T'ang dynasty. Quarrelling with Li Ts^ong-k'o, he bribed the Eitan Tartars with a promise of half of Chihli and Shansi to help him to the throne^ and besieged the former in his capital. When that fell in 936 he proclaimed himself first Emperor of the Later Chin dynasty, styling himself j^ ^ ^ Child-Emperor, and his ally ^ ^ *j^ Father- Emperor, and paying to the Tartars an annual tribute of 300,000 pieces of silk. He moved his capital to Pien-chou in Honan^ dying six years later of disgust, so it was alleged, at his subordinate position. Canonised as ]^ jJB.* See Sang Wei'han.

1707 Shih Chou ^ |g. 9th cent. B.C. The reputed inventor of the Greater Seal character, a form of writing which remained in use