202 the northeast
Soon thereafter, an important kingdom came into being in Manchu-
ria. It was founded by the former Koguryo general Ta Tso-jung. After
the destruction of Koguryo in 668, he and other refugees from that
state had moved to Manchuria, where he defeated Chinese forces in
696 or 697. Between 698 and 700, he proclaimed himself king of the
Chen State^10 and sent envoys to the Turks (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:11b;
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6680; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:57b). At its height,
this state was to comprise the Liao-tung Peninsula and eastern Man-
churia to the upper Sungari River, bordering in the east on the Sea
of Japan. Its subject people were chiefly the Mo-ho, except the hostile
Black River Mo-ho at the Amur River, and some of the Jurchen.
Emperor Chung-tsung (r.705-710) of T’ang sent an Attending Sec-
retary as an envoy to Tso-jung, and the latter sent a son to the T’ang
court (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:11b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6680).
In the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 712) of the Chinese year 711, Mo-ho
envoys offered regional objects (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5026).^11
In 712, Emperor Jui-tsung sent a General of the Gentlemen
[-of-the-Household] to appoint Tso-jung as [General-in-chief of the]
Resolute Guards of the Left and Supernumerary General-in-chief, and
recognize him as king of Po-hai commandery. His territory was made
into the fictitious Hu-han Area Command, and he was appointed its
nominal Military Governor (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:11b; Tzu-chih t’ung-
chien p.6680; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 326:57b).^12
In the 12th month (Dec./Jan., 714) of the Chinese year 713, a son
of the Mo-ho king (i.e. of Ta Tso-jung of Po-hai) was received at the
T’ang court He wished to engage in private trade, which was allowed
(Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5027).
In the 2nd month (Feb./May) of 714 and in the intercalary month
(^10) The Empress Wu had earlier enfeoffed his father as duke of Chen (Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’ao 326:57b). Chiu T’ang shu and Tzu-chih t’ung-chien write the phonetic of the
name with radical 64,Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao with radical 173.
(^11) All sources distinguish between the Mo-ho (occasionally with the tribal prefixes
T’ieh-li or Yüeh-hsi) and the Black River Mo-ho. One must therefore assume that
the former, although subjects of the new state, still had their own chiefs and, at times,
sent envoys of their own. 12
Chiu T’ang shu and Tzu-chih t’ung-chien date the mission 713, which is repeated
by some Western historians. But Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao states explicitly that the envoy
was sent by Jui-tsung. That emperor abdicated in the 8th month (Sep./Oct.) of 712,
so that 713 must be wrong.