JIistory.—Before and at the beginning of our era this part of Central Asia formed a portion of the powerful empire of the Iliongnu, a Turkish race, which for more than two centuries made war on China, and sometimes laid waste the northern provinces; but In the first century after Christ was overthrown by the dynasty of the Han emperors. The Chinese soon afterwards extended their conquests to the Caspian Sea. But in the 5th century after Christ the Chinese were dispossessed of this country by the Tang-hiang, a Tibetan race; and this and other races of the same origin continued to govern Thiau Shan Nanlu up to the time of Gengis Kirna. From the 10th to the 13th century it formed a part of the empire of Tangut [TANour], the overthrow of which, in 1227, was the lent of the numerous exploits of the Mongol conqueror. As the Mongols soon afterwards got poseession of China, Thian Shan was again united to that country, and remained so as long a; tho descendants of 0 engis Khan were masters of China. But when the Yuan dynasty was overthrown, in the 14th century (1366), by the Ming dynasty, and the Mongol empire was split into several states, Thian Shan became independent, and several small sovereignties arose under ohiefa of Turkish Tamerlane, towards the end of the 14th century, brought it under his dominion. After his death the Turkish chiefs gradually resumed
their independent station, and preserved it to the middle of the 16th century, when the GaIdnn or emperor of the 018th Kelinueks made Thian Shan Nulls' tributary. When the Galdan had been defeated by the Chinese (1697), the country was subjected to the Songares, who kept it till 1756, when they were conquered by the Chinese. The most powerful of the Turkish princes, the Kodjas of Yarkiang and Kaehgar, now made an effort to gain their independence, and refused to submit to the authority of the Mantchoo emperor. But the emperor sent two armies from Ill over the Thiess Shan Nanla Monntains, which subjected the whole of the country, and in 1750 the Kodjas were obliged to retire to Badakshan. In 1826 the deseend• ants of the Kodjas obtained from the Khan of Khokand the support of a small army, entered Thian Shan by the Terek Pass, and eno ceeded in taking Kashgar, Akeu, Yarkiang, and Khotan ; but a Chinese army of 60,000 men being sent against them, they were defeated in three battles, and again retired to Badakshan.
(Du Heide; Klaproth; Ritter; Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. lv.; Wood, Journey to the Source of the Oxus.)