Emperor Taizu of Liao
Encyclopedia
The Emperor Taizu of Liao was the first emperor of the Liao Dynasty
(907–926). His given name was Abaoji (阿保機). Some sources also suggest that the surname Yelü (耶律) was adopted during his lifetime, though there is no unanimity on this point.
He was born in 872 and died in 926 in China
. He had a turbulent childhood. His grandfather was killed in a conflict between tribes, and his father and uncles fled. Yelü Abaoji was hidden by his grandmother for his safety.
tribes since the 750s. They maintained good relations with the Tang Dynasty
of China
to the south. However, by the end of the ninth century, leaders of the powerful Yila Tribe were expressing dissatisfaction with the Yaolian khans. Abaoji’s father had been the elected chieftain of the Yila Tribe. As surnames were considered a marker of Chinese culture, they were not used by the Khitan people outside of the Yaolian imperial clan.
Abaoji became chieftain of the Yila tribe in 901 and in 903, was named the Yuyue, Commander of all Khitan military forces. This had the effect of making him second only to the great khan in the hierarchy of the Khitan nation. In 907, he appeared at the triennial council and demanded to be named the khaghan, the Khan of khans. His successes against the Chinese in the north led to receiving the support of seven tribal chiefs and even the acquiescence of the last Yaolian Great Khan himself.
and north China
would be governed by a civil bureaucracy
drawn largely on Chinese methods. While this did not receive universal support from tribal leaders due to the erosion of their own powers, this became the model that later steppe peoples would use to govern their diverse empires.
Two more important innovations were introduced in 916. He adopted Chinese court formalities in which he declared himself Celestial Emperor in the Chinese-style and adopted a reign name, also in the Chinese manner of ruling. The second was to name his son, Prince Bei
, heir apparent, also a first in Khitan society and something that directly contrasted with Khitan notions of rule by merit. This second innovation did not take hold so easily as few of his successors experienced simple successions.
In 918, Abaoji had a new walled city built. A Chinese city (漢城) was built adjacent to this city in which artisan’s shops, commercial shops, and warehouses were constructed.
Later, five capital cities would be built, including a Supreme Capital (上京), that served as the base of Khitan administration.
Abaoji ordered the development of a Khitan large script
in 920. This script looks superficially like Chinese writing, however, it bears little resemblance to Chinese writing, and the two were mutually unintelligible. Five years later, the arrival of a Uyghur
delegation led Abaoji to order his younger brother Diela
to develop a new script
on more syllabic principles. Unlike the Japanese and Koreans, the Khitan managed to adopt the cultural and administrative tool of writing without the baggage of Chinese culture and grammar that came with the wholesale adoption of Chinese characters.
was a Shatuo Turk who was in the service of the Tang Dynasty
until its fall in 907. In 905, Abaoji went to Li Keyong
’s stronghold in present-day Shanxi Province and swore blood-brotherhood.
Li
’s son, Li Cunxu
founded the Later Tang Dynasty
on the ashes of the Later Liang Dynasty
in 923. On his death, though relations between the two had soured, the proper forms were followed and an emissary was sent to the Khitan capital.
court to meet with Abaoji in 926. He caught up with the Khitan ruler in Manchuria
while he was on campaign against the Balhae
kingdom while he was encamped at Fuyu in present-day Jilin Province. Abaoji demanded that the Later Tang Dynasty
surrender the Sixteen Prefectures
. If they were given up, there would be no more cause for invading China. Yao Kun stated that this was not in his authority. This response landed him in prison, where he still was when Abaoji died from illness on September 6, 926.
In 936 Emperor Taizu of Liao helped Gaozu of Later Jin
to hurl from the throne his brother-in-law Li Congke
and found the Later Jin Dynasty.
was designated heir apparent in 916, the empress dowager
Yingtian
did not consider him to be worthy and managed to have her second son Deguang succeed to the throne. Deguang became known to history as Emperor Taizong
and he reigned from 926 to 947.
Liao Dynasty
The Liao Dynasty , also known as the Khitan Empire was an empire in East Asia that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper between 9071125...
(907–926). His given name was Abaoji (阿保機). Some sources also suggest that the surname Yelü (耶律) was adopted during his lifetime, though there is no unanimity on this point.
He was born in 872 and died in 926 in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He had a turbulent childhood. His grandfather was killed in a conflict between tribes, and his father and uncles fled. Yelü Abaoji was hidden by his grandmother for his safety.
Legends surrounding Abaoji’s birth
Later generations of Chinese historians record a variety of legends that surrounded the birth of Abaoji. According to the legends, his mother dreamed that the sun fell from the sky and into her bosom, from which pregnancy followed. When she gave birth, the room is said to have become filled with a mysterious light and extraordinary fragrance. As a newborn, his body was that of a three-year-old, and the legends go on to say that he was walking at the age of three months. He is even recorded as being able to see events before they passed.Rise to power
The Yaolian clan had dominated the leadership of the KhitanKhitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
tribes since the 750s. They maintained good relations with the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to the south. However, by the end of the ninth century, leaders of the powerful Yila Tribe were expressing dissatisfaction with the Yaolian khans. Abaoji’s father had been the elected chieftain of the Yila Tribe. As surnames were considered a marker of Chinese culture, they were not used by the Khitan people outside of the Yaolian imperial clan.
Abaoji became chieftain of the Yila tribe in 901 and in 903, was named the Yuyue, Commander of all Khitan military forces. This had the effect of making him second only to the great khan in the hierarchy of the Khitan nation. In 907, he appeared at the triennial council and demanded to be named the khaghan, the Khan of khans. His successes against the Chinese in the north led to receiving the support of seven tribal chiefs and even the acquiescence of the last Yaolian Great Khan himself.
Innovations
Abaoji’s success was in his ability to introduce innovations to Khitan society. Arguably the most important was the introduction of a dual administrative system in which nomadic steppe peoples would be governed by steppe traditions and sedentary populations in conquered BalhaeBalhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
and north China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
would be governed by a civil bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
drawn largely on Chinese methods. While this did not receive universal support from tribal leaders due to the erosion of their own powers, this became the model that later steppe peoples would use to govern their diverse empires.
Two more important innovations were introduced in 916. He adopted Chinese court formalities in which he declared himself Celestial Emperor in the Chinese-style and adopted a reign name, also in the Chinese manner of ruling. The second was to name his son, Prince Bei
Prince Bei
Prince Bei, fully Yelü Bei , officially Emperor Yizong of Liao , was the eldest son of Abaoji, the founder of the Liao Dynasty. He was declared successor to the first emperor of the Liao Empire in 916, but never succeeded to the throne...
, heir apparent, also a first in Khitan society and something that directly contrasted with Khitan notions of rule by merit. This second innovation did not take hold so easily as few of his successors experienced simple successions.
In 918, Abaoji had a new walled city built. A Chinese city (漢城) was built adjacent to this city in which artisan’s shops, commercial shops, and warehouses were constructed.
Later, five capital cities would be built, including a Supreme Capital (上京), that served as the base of Khitan administration.
Abaoji ordered the development of a Khitan large script
Khitan large script
The Khitan large script was one of two writing systems used for the now-extinct Khitan language. It was used during the 10th-12th centuries by the Khitan people, who had created the Liao Empire in north-eastern China. In addition to the large script, the Khitans simultaneously also used a...
in 920. This script looks superficially like Chinese writing, however, it bears little resemblance to Chinese writing, and the two were mutually unintelligible. Five years later, the arrival of a Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
delegation led Abaoji to order his younger brother Diela
Diela
Yelü Diela , younger brother of Khitan Emperor Yelü Abaoji, invented the "Khitan small script" to accommodate the more agglutinative Khitan language about 925 — based partly on the earlier "Khitan large script" or Chinese-like logographic writing, but also after having been inspired by the...
to develop a new script
Khitan small script
The Khitan small script was one of two writing systems used for the now-extinct Khitan language. It was used during the 10th-12th century by the Khitan people, who had created the Liao Empire in north-eastern China. In addition to the small script, the Khitans simultaneously also used a...
on more syllabic principles. Unlike the Japanese and Koreans, the Khitan managed to adopt the cultural and administrative tool of writing without the baggage of Chinese culture and grammar that came with the wholesale adoption of Chinese characters.
Relationship with the Later Tang
Li KeyongLi Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
was a Shatuo Turk who was in the service of the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
until its fall in 907. In 905, Abaoji went to Li Keyong
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
’s stronghold in present-day Shanxi Province and swore blood-brotherhood.
Li
Li Keyong
Li Keyong was a Shatuo military governor during the late Tang Dynasty and was key to developing a base of power for the Shatuo in what is today Shanxi Province in China...
’s son, Li Cunxu
Li Cunxu
Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang , personal name Li Cunxu , nickname Yazi , was the Prince of Jin and later became Emperor of Later Tang...
founded the Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
on the ashes of the Later Liang Dynasty
Later Liang Dynasty
The Later Liang was one of the Five Dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period in China. It was founded by Zhu Wen, posthumously known as Taizu of Later Liang, after he forced the last emperor of the Tang dynasty to abdicate in his favour...
in 923. On his death, though relations between the two had soured, the proper forms were followed and an emissary was sent to the Khitan capital.
Yao Kun
Yao Kun was sent by the Later TangLater Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
court to meet with Abaoji in 926. He caught up with the Khitan ruler in Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
while he was on campaign against the Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
kingdom while he was encamped at Fuyu in present-day Jilin Province. Abaoji demanded that the Later Tang Dynasty
Later Tang Dynasty
The Later Tang Dynasty was a short-lived dynasty that lasted from 923 to 937 one of the five dynasties during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was also the first in a series of three dynasties ruled by the Shatuo Turks...
surrender the Sixteen Prefectures
Sixteen Prefectures
The Sixteen Prefectures are a region in northern China stretching from present-day Beijing westward to Datong. In most areas, it is approximately seventy to one hundred miles in width...
. If they were given up, there would be no more cause for invading China. Yao Kun stated that this was not in his authority. This response landed him in prison, where he still was when Abaoji died from illness on September 6, 926.
In 936 Emperor Taizu of Liao helped Gaozu of Later Jin
Gaozu of Later Jin
Shi Jingtang was the founder of the Later Jin Dynasty , the third of the Five Dynasties that controlled much of northern China from 907 to 960. The Later Jin Dynasty was the second of three successive Shatuo Turk dynasties that made up the middle three of the Five Dynasties.-Background and early...
to hurl from the throne his brother-in-law Li Congke
Li Congke
Li Congke, Emperor Mo of Later Tang was the last emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty - the second of the Five Dynasties following the fall of the Tang Dynasty. He was adopted by Emperor Mingzong Li Siyuan. He succeeded to his adoptive brother Li Conghou by dethroning him...
and found the Later Jin Dynasty.
Succession
Though Prince BeiPrince Bei
Prince Bei, fully Yelü Bei , officially Emperor Yizong of Liao , was the eldest son of Abaoji, the founder of the Liao Dynasty. He was declared successor to the first emperor of the Liao Empire in 916, but never succeeded to the throne...
was designated heir apparent in 916, the empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
Yingtian
Yingtian
Yingtian may refer to:* Empress Dowager Yingtian, Empress Dowager in Liao Dynasty* Yingtian , ancient name of Shangqiu in Song Dynasty* Yingtian , ancient name of Nanjing in Ming Dynasty...
did not consider him to be worthy and managed to have her second son Deguang succeed to the throne. Deguang became known to history as Emperor Taizong
Emperor Taizong of Liao
The Emperor Taizong of Liao , born as Yelü Deguang , was the second emperor of the Khitan Empire .-Succession to the Throne:...
and he reigned from 926 to 947.
Era names
- Shence (神冊 Shéncè) (916–922)
- Tianzan (天贊 Tiānzàn) (922–926)
- Tianxian (天顯 Tiānxiǎn) (926)