Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/470

 458 CHINA Great Wall of China. who in the old legend appears also as a demi- god, became the founder of the Chinese empire (2852). He is said to have taught the people cat- tle-raising and writing ; to have introduced the divisions of the year, the institution of marriage, &c. ; and to have died at the age of 200 years, after a reign of 115 or, as some accounts say, 164 years. His successor, Shin-nung, during a reign of 140 years, introduced agriculture and medical science. The next emperor, Hwang-ti, is believed to have invented weapons, wagons, ships, clocks, and musical instruments, and to have introduced coins, weights, and measures. His third successor, Ti-ku, established schools, and was the first to practise polygamy. In 2357 his son Yau ascended the throne, and it is from his reign that the regular histori- cal records (Shu-king) begin. A great flood which occurred in his reign has been consider- ed synchronous and identical with the Noachic deluge, and to Yau is ascribed the merit of having successfully battled against the waters. His reign lasted from 2357 to 2258, during which time he organized the political system of the country on a firm basis, fostered agri- culture, industry, and commerce, built canals, roads, &c. His son and successor, Shun (2255- 2207), ruled in the same spirit. So far, if the old traditions are to be relied upon, China en- joyed a golden age of national felicity. The be- ginning of the later history of China inaugurates a series of internal broils, revolutions, wars, and changes of dynasty. The immobility which is generally supposed to be the prominent char- acteristic of China does not appear in the his- tory of her dynasties. The dynasty of Hia (2207-1767) was founded by Yu the Great, who was the first to unite supreme ecclesiastical power to the temporal authority. His grand- son was dethroned by a popular revolution in favor of his brother Chung-kang, who held the reins of government with a vigorous hand. Shan-kang succeeded to the throne after a pe- riod of war, and by him and his son Ti-chu the country is said to have been well governed. Thereafter the dynasty degenerated until it was expelled by a popular movement, and replaced by the dynasty of Shang or Yin, which gave 28 rulers to the country (1766-1122), most of them vicious and cruel. The last one, Chowsin, terminated his miserable career in the same way as Sardanapalus. Wu-wang, the general who had succeeded in overthrowing him, became the founder of the dynasty of Chow and the re- generator of the empire. His dynasty ruled for a period of 873 years, the history of which is an almost uninterrupted catalogue of feuds, rev- olutions, wars with the Tartars, usurpations of princes and provincial governors. During the reign of Li-wang (571-544), the principal dis- ciple and expounder of Confucius, Meng-tse (Mencius) was born. The dynasty of Tsin (249-202) restored the unity of the empire by resubjecting the vassal states which had ob- tained independence under the preceding weak rulers. Ching-wang (246-210) erected the great wall for the protection of the empire against the incursions of the Tartars, and as- sumed the title of hwang or emperor. Under the name of Tsin-chi hwang-ti, he is celebrated as the national hero of China. In order to destroy all traditions of the former political in- stitutions, he decreed that all books treating of them should be burned. The writings of Confucius and Mencius were among them, a few fragments of which only could be found afterward. The dynasty of the Han (206 B. C. to A. D. 220) gave to the country the em- perors Wen-ti (180 B. C.), the restorer of the ancient literature ; Wu-ti (141), a great patron of