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| Qiu Chuji; Changchun (1148 – 1227) |
During the wars in north China Genghis Khan had his attention drawn to a Taoist scholar, the monk Ch'ang-ch'un, who was highly regarded in the imperial courts of the Chin and the Sung. Taoism had developed in China from the old scholars of the magicians; although it was later developed into a lofty system of metaphysics, it had succeeded in liberating itself from its mysterious origins. Taoist alchemy sought for the elixir of life, which would confer immortality; it was an alchemy that exerted great fascination. Ch'ang-ch'un, however, was a philosopher and poet who had nothing of the vulgar magican about him; the intellectual asceticism of the Taoist won for him widespread and deep regard.
The illiterate Mongol world conqueror, who was interested in 'the philosopher's stone' with its secret of immortality, wished to employ the magic powers of the famous monk - in whom he presumably saw a worker of miracles - for his own purposes. He wanted to know if Ch'ang-ch'un really possesed the medicine of immortality, and if so he intended to compel the heavenly forces, who had the power of life and death, to do his bidding.
At the moment in 1219 when Genghis Khan was preparing his army on the Kara Irtish River for the assault on Khwarasm, he asked Ch'ang-ch'un, who was then living in the province of Shantung, to come and visit him. The 71-year-old Taoist, realizing that to refuse was not possible, resolved to go to the world conquerer. Genghis Khan had a special escort of 20 men send to accompany Ch'ang-ch'un from Shantung. Chinqai, one of the Mongol conqueror's advisers, was appointed to fetch the monk and to look atfer him during the journey. On the day of his departure the aged Taoist told his disciples that he would be away for three years.
During their campaign the Mongol army regularly chose concubines from the defeated nations for Genghis Khan and his generals. The learned ascetic was highly indegnant when he discovered that he would have to travel in the company of a number of 'harem girls'. His protests were successful and the concubines had to stay behind.
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| Wang Chongyang and the Seven Immortals |
In Peking the monk was told that Genghis Khan had in the meantime departed for Khwarazm. In March 1221 Ch'ang-ch'un began his difficult journey accross Asia to his new destination. One of his companions, Li Chih-ch'ang, kept a detailed diary, which became an important historical source. It did not, however, contain only historical facts. The information it gives about the geography, ethnography, climatology, and about the flora and fauna of Central Asia is of great value. Via Dolon Nor the company travelled to the camp of Genghis Khan's youngest brother, Temuge-otchigin, which lay on the River Kalka. On 30 April Ch'ang-ch'un was received by Temuge. They journeyed through the Kerulen Valley to the upper Orkhon, where, in spite of the summer season it was very cold. Even the strongest members of the party suffered acutely from the climate. The journey continued via the Altai mountains, north along the Tien Shan mountains, Sairam Nor and Almalig to Samarkand, where the travellers arrived on 3 December 1221.
Because of the wintry weather Ch'ang-ch'un remained for some months in Samarkand. In the middle of April 1222 he received a request from Genghis Khan to call upon him, and on 26 April the Taoist master set off with an escort from Samarkand. He went via Balkh to Genghis Khan's camp, which lay south of the Hindu Kush. The aged Chinese scholar arrived on 15 May. He was most warmly received by the world conqueror and thanked for the fact that, in order to make this visit, he had travelled a distance of 10,000 li (one li being 573 metres). Ch'ang-ch'un replied that Genghis Khan's command had been the will of heaven and that as a 'mountain savage' he had no choice but to obey. (As a token of his hermit's humility the monk had given himself the name mountain savage) Genghis Khan invited the Taoist to sit down, and came straight to the point by asking the old monk if he really possessed the medicine of immortality. Ch'ang-ch'un answered that there were many ways of prolonging life, but that no medicine of immortality existed. Genghis Khan was undoubtedly deeply disappointed; he had hoped to be able to conquer death itself. However, he gave no sign of his feelings, but congratulated the monk for his honest answer. The world conqueror ordered that two tents should be erected east of his own headquarters for the master and his companions.
It was the intention that Ch'ang-ch'un should also give an account of the Taoist philosophy, but enemy activity in Afganistan demanded all Genghis Khan's attention. At his own request Ch'ang-ch'un therefore returned to Samarkand, arriving there in mid-June 1222. When Genghis Khan invited the monk to call on him for the second time in September 1222, his camp had meanwhile moved to a place south-east of Balkh. Ch'ang-ch'un arrived there on 28 September, almost immediately moving north with the imperial household. It was not until October that Genghis Khan was able to hear the master give his exposition of Taoism. In an impressive pavilion specially erected for the purpose, Ch'an-ch'un was once again received by Genghis Khan with great courtesy. The conquerer listened with close attention to Ch'ang-ch'un's words, which were translated by an interpreter. The old monk returned after this to Samarkand, but subsequently accompanied Genghis Khan for a time on his moves. The Mongol conquerer wanted Ch'ang-ch'un to travel back with him on the return journey to Mongolia, but the master asked permission to leave earlier; he had promised his friends in China to be back after three years.
Before the journey to China began, the monk found an opportunity to warn Genghis Khan to look after himself more carefully. In March 1223, during a hunt Genghis Khan shot a boar, but at the same moment his horse stumbled and the world conquerer fell. The boar, which had been wounded, stood still and did not attack, so that the attendants were able to rescue their prostrate sovereign. The master took advantage of this incident to point out to Genghis Khan that life was precious and to suggest that in view of his age he should not hunt so much. Genghis Khan could not agree to abondon his Mongol way of life. He admitted that the monk was right, but added that the Mongol learned to ride and to use the bow and arrow as children - it was difficult to give up these habits. He promised Ch'ang-ch'un, however, that he would bear his advise in mind.
In April 1223 Ch'ang-ch'un at last obtained permission to leave. The return journey followed more or less the same route as the journey out. In January 1224 the company reached Peking. Five months later the master received a message from Genghis Khan saying that the sender had not forgotten his old friend; the world conquerer hoped that he would also be remembered by the monk. Ch'ang-ch'un died in 1227, the same year that Genghis Khan died.
source: http://books.google.com/books?id=a4p9C6J35XYC
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