12

THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE

one  another  in  rapid  succession.  It  was  really  a  period  of
military  despotism.  The  generals  prominent  in  the  struggles
with  the  northern  tribes  became  the  most  powerful  men  in
the  Empire,  and,  like  the  Roman  generals  during  the  later
period  of  the  Roman  Empire,  used  their  power  to  usurp  the
throne  and  to  invest  themselves  in  the  Imperial  robes.
With  the  establishment  of

The  Sung  Dynasty  (a.d.  960-1280)
the  period  of  disunion  was  temporarily  brought  to  a  close,
but  before  long  a  more  formidable  danger  threatened  the
Empire.  This  was  the  growing  power  of  the  Kin  or  Nii-Chen
  Tartars.  From  the  meaning  of  the  word  Kin,  they
are  sometimes  referred  to  as  “  the  Golden  Horde.”  They
began  their  attacks  upon  the  Empire  in  a.d.  1125,  and
succeeded  in  gaining  possession  of  the  capital,  at  that  time
situated  at  Kaifeng  in  Honan,  and  in  forcing  the  Emperor
to  pay  tribute.  Before  long  the  whole  of  the  northern  part
of  the  Empire  had  passed  into  their  hands,  and  just  as  before
in  a.d.  424  there  had  been  a  division  of  the  Imperial  territory
between  the  Chinese  and  the  Tartars,  so  now  the  Empire
was  broken  up  into  two  parts,  the  Sung  Dynasty  only  retaining ­
  the  south.  The  capital  was  removed  to  Nanking
and  afterwards  to  Hangchow,  and  incessant  war  was  waged
between  the  North  and  South.  The  Kin  were  never  able
to  effect  a  complete  conquest  of  the  Empire,  but  they  reduced ­
  the  Southern  Empire  to  the  direst  extremities.
In  the  year  1135,  the  Mongols,  destined  to  accomplish
that  which  the  Kin  attempted  but  failed  to  do,  made  their
appearance  on  the  northern  frontiers.  Their  original  home
was  a  strip  of  territory  between  the  Onon  and  Kerulon
Rivers  in  the  district  south-east  of  Lake  Baikal.
Under  Genghis  Khan  (a.d.  1162)  they  began  their
marvellous  career  of  conquest.  This  remarkable  man  first
consolidated  the  Mongol  Confederacy,  and  then  proceeded
to  overrun  the  north  of  China,  completely  defeating  the
Kin  and  the  other  Tartar  tribes  who  opposed  his  progress.
In  1213  three  expeditions  were  dispatched  for  the  purpose