- Yelu clan
The Yelu clan of the
Khitan people assumed leadership of the Khitan nation in 907 whenAbaoji became khan of the Khitan nation. The clan maintained that leadership through the fall of theLiao Dynasty in the 1120s. Even following this fall, members of the clan appear in history, most notably during theMongols era of conquest in the thirteenth century.Liao Dynasty
Every leader of the
Liao Dynasty was of the Yelu clan, which adopted the surname sometime in the 930s, after the death ofAbaoji . The clan directly governed the southern half of the empire while the Xiaoconsort clan governed the north. The Southern Chancellory was charged with governing thesedentary population of the empire, mostly Chinese and residents of the conquered kingdom ofBalhae . As such, there is evidence of at least limited sinification on the part of the Yelu clan.Even as late as 1074, a proposal was brought before the Yelu khans to adopt surnames throughout the empire. This was rejected as an idea that would disrupt the Khitan order.
The dynasty fell to the
Jurchen Jin Dynasty in the 1110s, but the clan survived to lead another kingdom further to the west known asKara Khitai , also known as the Western Liao in Chinese sources.Yelu Leaders
Liao Dynasty
Kara Khitai
Sovereigns of Kara-Khitan Khanate 1124 or 1125-1221 Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miàohào)Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 shìhào)Birth Names Convention Period of Reign Era Names ( Nian Hao 年號 niánhào) and their according range of years"Convention: check each sovereign" Dezong (德宗 Dézōng) Tianyouwuliedi (天祐武烈帝 Tiānyòuwǔlièdì) Yelü Dashi (耶律大石 Yēlǜ Dàshí or 耶律達實 Yēlǜ Dáshí) 1use born name 1124-1144 Yanqing (延慶 Yánqìng) 1124 or 1125-1134
Kangguo (康國 Kāngguó) 1134-1144Did not exist Gantianhou (感天后 Gǎntiānhòu) Tabuyan (塔不煙 Tǎbùyān) "Xi Liao" + posthumous name 1144-1150 Xianqing (咸清 Xiánqīng) 1144-1150 Emperor Renzong of Western Liao (仁宗 Rénzōng)Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign Yelü Yilie (耶律夷列 Yēlǜ Yíliè) "Xi Liao" + temple name 1150-1164 Shaoxing (紹興 Shàoxīng) 1150-1164 Did not exist Chengtianhou (承天后 Chéngtiānhòu) Yelü Pusuwan (耶律普速完 Yēlǜ Pǔsùwán) "Xi Liao" + posthumous name 1164-1178 Chongfu (崇福 Chóngfú) 1164-1178 Did not exist Mozhu (末主 Mòzhǔ) or Modi (末帝 Mòdì) Yelü Zhilugu (耶律直魯古 Yēlǜ Zhílǔgǔ) use born name 1178-1211 Tianxi (天禧 Tiānxī) 1178-1211 Did not exist Did not exist Kuchlug (Ch. 屈出律 Qūchūlǜ)use born name 1211-1218 Did not exist 1 "Dashi" might be the Chinese title "Taishi", meaning "vizier"; Or it could mean "Stone" in Turkish, as the Chinese transliteration suggests Work Referenced
ee also
*
Khitan people
*Liao Dynasty
*Kara Khitai
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