from the power of Umcan, to whom they refused the
accustomed tribute. After continuing in the north
for some time, they chose a king among themselves,
named Zingis-khan, who was a wise and valiant man,
and reigned with such justice, that he was beloved
and feared of all as a god rather than as a prince,
so that by his fame and prowess, he soon reduced all
the Tartars in these parts under his authority.
Seeing himself at the head of so many valiant men,
he determined to leave the northern deserts; and commanding
his people to provide themselves with bows and other
weapons, he began to reduce the neighbouring cities
and provinces under his dominion, in which conquests
he placed such just governors, that the people were
perfectly reconciled to his authority. In all
his conquests he carried the chief persons along with
him, bestowing upon them provisions and other gifts,
and by that means attached them to his person, and
continually augmented his power. After sometime,
finding himself advanced to power and glory, he sent
ambassadors to Umcan, to entreat that he would bestow
his daughter upon him for a wife. Umcan received
this message with the utmost indignation, saying to
the messengers; “Does my servant presume to
demand my daughter? Begone, and tell your master,
that if ever he dare to repeat so insolent a proposal,
I will make him die a miserable death.”
Zingis seems only to have wanted a reasonable pretence
to justify him in the estimation of his nobles for
entering into war against Umcan; he therefore immediately
levied a great army, with which he marched boldly
against Umcan, and encamped in a great plain named
Tanduc[4], sending a message to Umcan to defend himself.
Upon this Umcan collected a vast army, with which
he advanced into the plains, and pitched his camp within
ten miles of that of the Tartars. Zingis commanded
his astrologers to shew him what was to be the event
of the approaching battle; on which they split a reed
into two pieces, on one of which they wrote the name
of Zingis, and the name of Umcan on the other, and
struck them separately into the ground, saying to
Zingis: “While we read in our holy books,
it shall come to pass through the power of the idol,
that these two pieces of reed shall fight together,
and whose part shall get the better, to that king shall
the victory be given.” The astrologers
began to mumble their prayers and incantations, while
the multitude stood around to observe the result; and
after some time, the two pieces of reed seemed spontaneously
to fight together, and the portion inscribed with
the name of Zingis got the mastery over that of Umcan;
and the Tartars being encouraged by this prodigy, went
into the battle fully assured of victory, which they
actually obtained. By this battle, in which Umcan
was slain, the sovereignty of all Tangut was transferred
to Zingis, who took to wife the daughter of Umcan.
Zingis reigned six years after this, and conquered
many provinces: But at last, while he endeavoured
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