Thus we are told by
Rashiduddin in his History of Cathay: "In the reign of Din-Wang, the 20th
king of this (the 11th) Dynasty, TAI SHANG LAI KUN, was born. This person
is stated to have been accounted a prophet by the people of Khita; his
father's name was Han; like Shak-muni he is said to have been conceived by
light, and it is related that his mother bore him in her womb no less a
period than 80 years. The people who embraced his doctrine were called
[Arabic] (Shan-shan or Shinshin)." This is a correct epitome of the
Chinese story of Laokiun or Lao-tse, born in the reign of Ting Wang
of the Cheu Dynasty. The whole title used by Rashiduddin, Tai Shang Lao
Kiun, "The Great Supreme Venerable Ruler," is that formerly applied by
the Chinese to this philosopher.
Further, in a Mongol [and Chinese] inscription of the year 1314 from the
department of Si-ngan fu, which has been interpreted and published by Mr.
Wylie, the Taosse priests are termed Senshing. [See Deveria, Notes
d'Epigraphie, pp. 39-43, and Prince R. Bonaparte's Recueil, Pl. xii.
No. 3. - H. C.]
Seeing then that the very term used by Polo is that applied by both Mongol
and Persian authorities of the period to the Taosse, we can have no doubt
that the latter are indicated, whether the facts stated about them be
correct or not.
