A Chinese Biographical Dictionary 241

of the Mongols. Bora on the banks of the Onon, his father j^ Yesukai, a Mongol chieftain, named him ^ ^ Temnchin, after a Tartar rival whom he had recently vanquished. Yesnkai died when he was only thirteen years old; whereapon ▼arions tribes threw off their allegiance. Bat Temachin and his mother took the field against their enemies, and soon asserted their ascendency. Afker offering his services to the Chins^, who then ruled over the north of China, he conducted a series of saccessfdl campaigas agaiast various Tartar tribes; and at length in 1206 he felt himself powerful enough to assume aa Imperial title. Oa the spot where he was bora, he took the title of Genghis {or Jeaghiz, or Chingiz) Khan, and forthwith began to make arrangements for a projected invasion of northern China. In 1209 he captured a pass of the Great Wall and gained possession of ^ ^ Ning-hsia in Eansuh. By 1214 he was able to say that he was master of all the enemy's territory north of the Yellow River,* except Peking; and at this juncture he made peace with the Chin^ Emperor, retiring once more beyond the Qreat Wall. The latter immediately transferred his capital to Pien-liaug in Honan, which created such suspicion in the mind of Genghis that hostilities were renewed. After several successful campaigns, including the submission of Korea, he turned his attention to Central Asia, where by 1221 he was master of Tashkend, Bokhara, Samarcand, and other cities. From this time forwards, until his death at the age of sixty-six, his career was one of slaughter aud coaquest. He died of sickaess oa the baaks of the river Sale ia Eaasuh, aad was caaonised as l^^l^t ^^^^ ^^^ temple name of "^ jj^.

Great Yü, The. See Ta Yü.