n recognised to be an
extraordinary child. We need not linger over his dragon face, his phoenix
eye, or even over his large, drooping ears, which have always been
associated by the Chinese with intellectual ability. He first came into
prominence in 1583, when, at twenty-four years of age, he took up arms,
at the head of only one hundred and thirty men, in connection with the
treacherous murder by a rival chieftain of his father and grandfather,
who had ruled over a petty principality of almost infinitesimal extent;
and he finally succeeded three years later in securing from the
Chinese, who had been arrayed against him, not only the surrender of
the murderer, but also a sum of money and some robes of honour. He was
further successful in negotiating a treaty, under the terms of which
Manchu furs could be exchanged at certain points for such Chinese
commodities as cotton, sugar, and grain.

In 1587, Nurhachu built a walled city, and established an administration
in his tiny principality, the even-handed justice and purity of which
soon attracted a large number of settlers, and before very long he had
succeeded in amalgamating five Manchu States under his personal rule.
Extension of territory by annexation after victories over neighbouring
States followed as a matter of course, the result being that his growing
power came to be regarded with suspicion, and even dread. At length,
a joint attempt on the part of seven States, aided by two Mongol
chieftains, was made to crush him; but, although numerical superiority
was overpoweringly against him, he managed to turn the enemy's attack
into a rout, killed four thousand men, and captured three thousand
horses, besides other booty. Following up this victory by further
annexations, he now began to present a bold front to the Chinese,
declaring himself independent, and refusing any longer to pay tribute.
In 1604, he built himself a new capital, Hingking, which he placed not
very far east of the modern Mukden, and there he received envoys from
the Mongolian chieftains, sent to congratulate him on his triumph.

At this period the Manchus, whose spoken words were polysyllabic, and
not monosyllabic like Chinese, had no written language beyond certain
rude attempts at alphabetic writing, formed from Chinese characters, and
found to be of little practical value. The necessity for something more
convenient soon appealed to the prescient and active mind of Nurhachu;
accordingly, in 1599,