MANCHURIA
By the Rev. James W. Inglis, M.A., United Free Church of Scotland.
The country known to foreigners as Manchuria is called by the Chinese Kwantung ("East of the Barrier") or The Three Eastern Provinces. Under pressure, however, of recent events the new school of Chinese writers is learning to use the name Man-chou with reference to the whole territory, though this is hardly true to history.
The names of the three provinces are: Fengtien or Shengking, Kirin, and Heilungkiang.
The population is estimated by recent authorities at 20,000,000, and the total area is about 370,000 square miles.
History. — According to the Chinese historian, the northern coast of the Gulf of Liaotung was in ancient times inhabited by barbarous tribes, among whom civilisation was introduced in 1122 B.C. by the brother of Wu Wang. After this we find the kingdom of Chaosien embracing the southern part of Shengking and the west of Corea as far as Pingyang. In 112 B.C. this kingdom was overthrown by the Han dynasty, and the country became a vassal of China. In the confused wars that followed the downfall of the Han, the lands adjoining the coast became the prey of invaders from the north. A tribe inhabiting the hilly country in the basin of the Taling Ho
possessed itself of all Liaohsi, including under this name Eastern Chihli (Yungping Fu), for the Great Wall did not then extend so far east. At the same time the Kaoli
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