The Great War - Tartaria

By: Martinus Martini
Year: 1654

In which it is narrated how the Tartars in our time invaded the Chinese Empire and almost completely occupied it, and their customs are briefly described.

The TARTARS (the most ancient of the Tartars,
a people in Asia, and the enemy of many
nations' princes, now for four thousand years hostile to the Chinese Empire) often waged fierce wars with the Chinese, and
although they were sometimes defeated, they more often emerged as victors. By Tartars, I refer to that people who are located to the
northern parts, beyond the famous
wall of China, stretching from West to East,
from which, for three hundred and many
German miles, it continues almost built to keep them out, so they would not invade the Chinese Empire. These people, whom the Chinese themselves have called Tata due to the absence of the letter 'R' in ancient times, inhabit what was once known as Tartary, both the Eastern part hitherto unknown to Europeans, and the Western part, where are the kingdoms of the people such as Samahania, Tanyu, Niuche, Niulhan, and similar, from Lesser Tartary and the Empire of the Caesar, extending to the Eastern Sea above Japan, where they are separated by the Anian Strait from America's Quivira, if indeed there is such a strait and not a land bridge. However, it is not my intention to describe all their wars with the Chinese here; but only those which have been enacted in recent years in our presence; the rest can be found in my Epitome of the History of China. But to proceed in due order as to where and how these events originated, we must delve a little deeper.

Therefore, it should be known that the Tartars of Western Tartary (about whom Marco Polo Venetus, Antonio Martinius, and others have written concerning Asia and the adjoining regions they brought the empire under their control, even waging war against the Chinese (whom Marco Polo Venetus calls Cathay and Mangi, and Aytomius also names) before the times of the great Tamerlane, who never occupied China, as some have incorrectly written.

For he recoiled after the Tartars had already been expelled from China, indeed around the year of the Lord 1406, during which time Taichang, the second emperor of the Taiming family, peacefully ruled over all of China, specifically all the provinces enclosed by the great wall; however, the war with the Tartars that Venetus mentions, clearly emerges from Chinese history and chronology; it began in the year of Christ 1206 and lasted for 72 years; after which the Tartars finally emerged as victors over the entire most powerful empire, having extinguished the Sunga imperial family, they took possession in the year 1277, and so they ruled quite peacefully for 80 years. Tartars
emperors in China. However, Marco Polo entered China during the unfinished Sino-Tartar war, specifically in the year 1285, as is evident from his writings. Meanwhile, the Chinese, enfeebled by luxuries, adopted Sinic customs, and gradually losing their Tartaric fortitude, weakened by excessive peace, prevailed in China. Thereupon, a very lowly man named Zhu rose up; he was a servant of idol sacrificers. This man, pitying the strong spirit of the Chinese and touched by the ambition to rule, first played the role of a bandit. Since he was naturally noble, bold, and quick in action and thought, and he lacked neither courage, nor skill, nor location, nor fortune, he gradually grew in power, assembling huge armies. Thus, leaving the mountains and the guise of a bandit, now made a leader, he dared to openly engage the Tartars in battle, and after many wars, achieved remarkable victories over them. Finally, he completely expelled them from the entire Chinese Empire, and as a reward for his victories, he took over the entire empire, in the year of our Lord 1368. This was the Taiming family established the Imperial dynasty, and the first emperor wished to be called Hungwu, which sounds like 'great warrior'.

Thus, he was easily recognized as the savior of the country by all the provinces, and was embraced by both the highest and the lowest as their unifier of China. For the Chinese people do not pursue and despise foreigners with more hatred than they love and value their own. Therefore, he established his royal seat in the greatest city of Nanking, on the bank of the great Kiang river (which the Chinese call the 'Son of the Sea' due to its size and volume of water); and having quickly stabilized the affairs of the empire, feeling secure about his own Chinese, not content with merely expelling the Tartars from China, he invaded Tartary itself and continued to pursue victory; he inflicted various defeats on them and laid waste to the land most foully: finally reducing the Eastern Tartars to such straits that they were forced to lay down their arms and, under a promise of tribute, seek peace. This was especially done by the Niuche Tartars; to whose lands a part of the Tartars expelled from China had fled. Therefore, in the following years each individually into the neighboring Leaotung lands, the Chinese entered as if admitted as subjects or friends for trade; they, however, did not contemplate war, as they had been reduced almost to destitution. They brought ginseng, that root so highly valued by the Chinese; skins of all kinds of animals, including those of castrated animals, foxes, martens, and very precious sables; and finally, horsehair, from which the Chinese make their nets; and with which the men adorned the fringes of their hair, in which respect, they are as extravagant as in a splendid ornament. Gradually, however, they grew into seven Hordes of their Dynasty; and finally, fighting among themselves, they fell into one Kingdom around the year of the Lord 1600, which they called the Niuche Kingdom.

However, to the Tartars of the western Tanyu Kingdom, the Chinese Emperor would send tributes or gifts every year once peace was initiated so that they would remain at rest from arms. The Chinese do not consider it beneath their dignity to avert war, which they find most unbecoming according to the teachings of their philosophers, and only to be undertaken with all the rest being devoted to the peace and preservation of the Provinces.

In the meantime, the meticulous Chinese, little worried about their ancient enemies of their wealth, never left that great wall without a substantial garrison, continuously maintaining a force of one million soldiers (as they say) for its protection, which stretches far from the East to the West.

Thus, the Chinese empire, stabilized and secured under the Taiming family, enjoyed constant peace and tranquility for about two hundred and fifty years. However, during the time when the seven Tartar Dynasties were fighting amongst themselves, the most fortunate Emperor Wanli, the thirteenth from the Taiming family, was bestowing laws upon the entire empire. He assumed the reign of the empire in the year of the Virgin's birth 1573 and ruled very well until 1620, with great wisdom and a dedication to fairness and justice. Meanwhile, the Tartars of the Niuche Kingdom were so tormented, from the time they united they united into a Kingdom, becoming increasingly formidable to the Chinese; hence, the Chinese Prefects held secret councils among themselves on how to contain and devastate them. Such is the authority and power vested in Chinese Prefects that, although they live at the beck and call of their King as if they were his servants, they act with the utmost autonomy in carrying out the duties entrusted to them for the public good, unless possibly hindered by the Emperor or by higher authorities.

Therefore, first the Tartar traders were badly treated in the Leaotung Province, which borders the Niuche Kingdom, and were initially deprived of their goods. Soon after, when the King of the Niuche Kingdom wanted to give his daughter in marriage to another Tartar King, led by political reasons, the State thwarted this plan; eventually, they deceitfully captured the Niuche King, who suspected nothing from his friends, and treacherously killed him. His son, however, aggrieved by these deep injuries, gathered a strong force of soldiers and suddenly overcame the great wall, through the cold marshalling his own forces and with the same impetus, attacked and captured the very close city of Kaiyuen, also called Tuxun by others, in the year 1616.

From this city, through an idolatrous priest (called Lama), he sent a letter to the Chinese Emperor, written in Tartar script but not in barbaric language. In it, with very humble words and full of submission, he warned the Emperor that indeed he had initiated war because of the injuries received from the Chinese Prefects, but he promised to return the city and to lay down arms completely if he were heard and received satisfaction for the wrongs. Having received this letter, Emperor Wanli, though generally possessing great wisdom and distinguished by experience in handling affairs, seemed in this case, now an old man, to have acted less prudently: for considering the matter of little importance to be dealt with in the royal court, he entrusted the case to the highest Prefects. But they, puffed up with their usual arrogance, did not even give a response to the Tartar King, they greatly feared the ballistas, an unfamiliar type of weapon, but they deceived [the enemy] with a stratagem: for the Tartar King gave the front-line soldiers a beam to use as a shield, behind which the protected and compact cavalry followed, carrying ladders to scale the walls; the strongest of the cavalry occupied the rear.

Thus, from four sides, they attacked the city; the first volleys of ballista bolts were caught by beams against the wall: then ladders were swiftly applied all around, the walls were overcome, and finally the City was occupied. Such was the speed of the Tartars (in which they excel and place their main strength) that they did not give the Chinese time to reload their artillery: nor did the Chinese's minimal skill in the art of artillery help, from which, suddenly struck by calamity and astonished, they fled through the gate that was given; but they were caught by the swiftest of the Tartar cavalry and many were killed. Having captured the City without much delay, the Tartar King with the same impetus subdued other cities of lesser name into his power; among which also were no he captured the very wealthy Quangning. Then, swiftly progressing and having overcome the Leaotung Province, he attacked the vicinity of Peking but, being only about seven or so miles away from the royal City, he feared to advance further, lest he be cut off: for already from all sides vast armies of the Chinese were gathering. Such great fear had seized the inhabitants and soldiers of the Region through which the Tartars roamed, that most of them, leaving the walls unmanned, fled. For the Tartar, when encountering resistance, not only plundered the Cities and towns of all goods but also utterly devastated them with fire and sword; however, those which admitted him without force, he treated more leniently, merely taking the City, and leaving the inhabitants unharmed. Thus, after having gathered many and remaining victor for a longer time, he returned to the metropolis of Leaotung, encircled it with new walls, and fortified it, destroying the old ones that he had heard were easily assaulted; and there he ordered himself to be called the Emperor of the Chinese: and although he had not seized anything from the Chinese Empire except for that last Eastern appendage in the Leaotung Province;

however, he had already adorned the entire empire. Thus, he was called by the Chinese name Thienmingus, in the third year of his reign, which was in the year of our Lord 1618.

In the same year, Emperor Wanli, after being repeatedly asked by some to expel the Fathers, the propagators of the Christian faith, from the Kingdom, and having often refused (for he pursued the Christian cause and the Fathers of the Society of Jesus with love), finally yielded to the insistence of a certain great Prefect, known as Xinkio, who had long been an enemy of the Christian religion, and decreed that all the Fathers, who were fostering the Christian cause in China, should be expelled. The Fathers were scattered throughout various Provinces; hence some were secretly saved by Christian Prefects, others were locked in caves, sent to Macau; on the way, they suffered unbelievable things, even at night locked in caves; some were even cruelly beaten by the Prefects, not without joy, for having been deemed worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus. Furthermore, Wanli forbade the Christian religion in his lands. On this occasion, the Chinese who had turned from idols to the Lord's pastures gave beautiful examples of their faith and constancy; but the detailed account of this persecution is for another place. However, I wanted to touch briefly upon it here to admire Divine Providence, which then stirred up a fierce war for the Chinese when they were neglecting Christian peace; and in that year, it caused the Tartars to plant roots in the Chinese Empire, from which they later grew so much that they uprooted the Taiming family and nearly took over the entire Chinese Empire; when they were thinking of utterly extirpating the Christian matter from China. But, as often happens, the Christian cause grew in magnitude through this kind of persecution, about which the Church today rejoices; and the Chinese Empire almost lost it, unless God helps in their afflicted affairs.

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"The tribute of Αυώμυτο and Οτέο, Ούσκ of the place, Star of night Δ, Gates of the Sun and my Earth of Λείρω. God Αλμψς who leads beside, new world of Αμαλ and Υβα. The entities Τέλες Αιέλαυ Υσκ."
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Explanation:
Tribute of Αυώμυτο and Οτέο: This suggests that the text might be referring to offerings or dedications made to or by these figures.

Ούσκ of the place: Indicates a specific location associated with Ούσκ.

Star of night Δ: A celestial reference, possibly to a significant star or astronomical event.

Gates of the Sun and my Earth of Λείρω: Mythological or symbolic references to celestial and terrestrial domains.

God Αλμψς who leads beside: Suggests the guidance or presence of a deity.

New world of Αμαλ and Υβα: Refers to a new or renewed world associated with these entities.

The entities Τέλες Αιέλαυ Υσκ: Likely names or significant figures in this context.

1.Φόρος (Phoros) -Tribute
-Greek Connection: No direct deity but commonly used in religious contexts as a tribute to gods.

2.Αυώμυτο (Aumuto)
-Possible Egyptian Connection: Potential link to Amun (Amon) or an Egyptian deity hybrid

3.Οτέο (Oteo)
-Possible Anatolian Connection: Consider links to Hittite or Phrygian deities, possibly a local or regional deity.

4.Ούσκ (Ousk)
-Possible Mesopotamian Connection: Could be linked to a deity like Ushumgal (dragon-like figure).

5.Αλμψς (Almps)
-Greek Connection: Possible sea deity, similar to Poseidon or local variations.

6.Αμαλ (Amal)
-Greek Connection: Linked to Amalthea, the nurturing figure, or possibly a fertility deity.

7.Υβα (Yva)
-Near Eastern Connection: Check for connections with earth deities, could be linked to fertility or earth.

8.Τέλες (Teles)
-Greek/Roman Connection: Linked to Terminus, the god of boundaries.

9.Αιέλαυ (Aielau)
-Possible Anatolian or Phrygian Connection: Might be a local deity or variant of a known name.

10. Λείρω (Leiro)
-Greek Connection: Possibly related to purity or fertility, linked to the lily s