saw that the French were as unwilling as the Spaniards to restore the
Valtellina to the Grisons (which had seized it in 1512). So he became a
Romanist (1635), and negotiated secretly with the Spaniards and
Austrians. He was the leader of the conspiracy which broke out in 1637,
and resulted in the expulsion of Rohan and the French from the Grisons.
This treachery on Jenatsch's part did not, however, lead to the freeing
of the Valtellina from the Spaniards, and once more he tried to get
French support. But on the 24th of January 1639 he was assassinated at
Coire by the Plantas; later in the same year the much coveted valley was
restored by Spain to the Grisons, which held it till 1797. Jenatsch's
career is of general historical importance by reason of the long
conflict between France and Spain for the possession of the Valtellina,
which forms one of the most bloody episodes in the Thirty Years' War.
(W. A. B. C.)
See biography by E. Haffter (Davos, 1894).
JENGHIZ KHAN (1162-1227), Mongol emperor, was born in a tent on the
banks of the river Onon. His father Yesukai was absent at the time of
his birth, in a campaign against a Tatar chieftain named Temuchin. The
fortune of war favoured Yesukai, who having slain his enemy returned to
his encampment in triumph. Here he was met by the news that his wife
Yulun had given birth to a son. On examining the child he observed in
its clenched fist a clot of coagulated blood like a red stone. In the
eyes of the superstitious Mongol this circumstance referred to his
victory over the Tatar chieftain, and he therefore named the infant
Temuchin. The death of Yesukai, which placed Temuchin at the age of
thirteen on the Mongol throne, was the signal also for the dispersal of
several tribes whose allegiance the old chieftain had retained by his
iron rule. When remonstrated with by Temuchin, the rebels replied: "The
deepest wells are sometimes dry, and the hardest stone is sometimes
broken; why should we cling to thee?" But Yulun was by no means willing
to see her son's power melt away; she led those retainers who remained
faithful against the deserters, and succeeded in bringing back fully one
half to their allegiance. With this doubtful material, Temuchin
succeeded in holding his ground against the plots and open hostilities
of the neighbouring tribes, more especially of the Naimans, Keraits and
Merkits. With one or other of these he maintained an almost unceasing
warfare until 1206, when he felt strong enough to proclaim himself the
ruler of an empire. He therefore summoned the notables of his kingdom
to an assembly on the banks of the Onon, and at their unanimous request
adopted the name and title of Jenghiz Khan (Chinese, Chêng-sze, or
"perfect warrior"). At this time there remained to him but one open
enemy on the Mongolian steppes, Polo the Naiman khan. Against this chief
he now led his troops, and in one battle so completely shattered his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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