Page:Mongolia, the Tangut country, and the solitudes of northern Tibet vol 1 (1876).djvu/158

 princes, nobles (tai-tsi), clergy, and common people. The first three enjoy all civil rights; the last are semi-independent military settlers, who are not liable to a land tax or to military service. Their laws are embodied in a separate code published by the Chinese Government, to which the princes must conform in their administration; proceedings of minor importance are, however, decided according to traditional usage. The punishments are fines and banishment, and for crimes and robberies with violence, in some instances, death. Corporal punishment is inflicted on the common people as well as on nobles and officials judicially degraded. Bribery, corruption, and every kind of abuse in the administration and judicial proceedings are most prevalent.

The people only pay a cattle tax to their princes; but on extraordinary occasions, such as when the latter travel to Peking or to the assembly, on the marriage of their children, or on removal of camp, special collections are levied. The Mongols pay no tax whatever to China, and are only liable to military service, from which, however, the clergy are exempt. The army is exclusively cavalry; one hundred and fifty families form a squadron; six squadrons a regiment, the regiments of one koshung a banner. The people defray the cost of military equipments, but government provides arms. If the whole nation were called out for military duty, Mongolia ought to supply 284,000 men, but less than