Yelü clan
The Yelü clan (Chinese: 耶律; pinyin: Yēlǜ; Khitan small script: 
) of the Khitan people assumed leadership of the Khitan nation in 907 when Abaoji became khan of the Khitan nation. The clan, written "i.ra.u.ud" in the Khitan language, maintained that leadership through the fall of the Liao dynasty in the 1120s. Even following this fall, members of the clan appear in history, most notably during the Mongols era of conquest in the thirteenth century.
Rise to power
Abaoji, born in 872, was the son of the chieftain of the Yila tribe. At this time, the Yaolian clan had led the Khitan people since the mid-eighth century, and were the only Khitan family to have adopted a surname at this point as this was seen as a mark of Chinese culture and not befitting of peoples of the steppe.
In 901, Abaoji was elected chieftain of the Yila tribe and in 905 forged relations with Li Keyong of the Shatuo Turks. In 907, he was chosen leader of the Khitan, the first outside the Yaolian lineage to be chosen in more than a century and a half. From this, Abaoji and his successors developed the Liao dynasty, which would conquer all of Manchuria, the northern fringe of China known as the Sixteen Prefectures and adjacent areas of northern Korea, eastern Mongolia and parts of far-eastern Russia.
Liao dynasty
Every leader of the Liao dynasty was of the Yelu clan, which adopted the surname sometime in the 930s, after the death of Abaoji. The clan directly governed the southern half of the empire while the Xiao consort clan governed the north. The Southern Chancellory was charged with governing the sedentary population of the empire, mostly Chinese and residents of the conquered kingdom of Balhae. 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 as Kara Khitai, also known as the Western Liao in Chinese sources.
Yelü Leaders
Liao dynasty
| Temple Names ( Miao Hao 廟號 miàohào) | Posthumous Names ( Shi Hao 諡號 shìhào) | Born Names | Period of Reigns | Era Names (Nian Hao 年號 niánhào) and their according range of years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Convention: "Liao" + temple name except Liao Tianzuodi who is referred using "Liao" + posthumous name | ||||
| Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Nieli (耶律涅里 yēlǜ Nièlǐ) | |||
| Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Pidie (耶律毗牒 yēlǜ Pídié) | |||
| Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Keling (耶律頦領 Yēlǜ Kélǐng) | |||
| Suzu (Posthumously honored) (肅祖 Sùzŭ) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Noulisi (耶律耨里思 Yēlǜ Nòulǐsī) | ||
| Yizu (Posthumously honored) (懿祖 Yìzŭ) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Salade (耶律薩剌德 Yēlǜ Sàlàde) | ||
| Xuanzu (Posthumously honored) (玄祖 Xuánzŭ) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Yundeshi (耶律勻德實 Yēlǜ Yúndéshí) | ||
| Dezu (Posthumously honored) (德祖 Dézŭ) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Saladi (耶律撤剌的 Yēlǜ Sālàdī) | ||
| Taizu (太祖 Tàizǔ) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Abaoji (耶律阿保機 Yēlǜ Ābǎojī) | 907-926 | Shence (神冊 Shéncè) 916-922 Tianzan (天贊 Tiānzàn) 922-926 |
| Taizong (太宗 Tàizōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Yaogu (耶律尧骨 Yēlǜ Yáogŭ) | 926-947 | Tianxian (天顯 Tiānxiǎn) 927-938 Huitong (會同 Huìtóng) 938-947 |
| Shizong (世宗 Shìzōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Wuyu (耶律兀欲 Yēlǜ Wùyù) | 947-951 | Tianlu (天祿 Tiānlù) 947-951 |
| Muzong (穆宗 Mùzōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Shulu (耶律述律 Yēlǜ Shùlǜ) | 951-969 | Yingli (應曆 Yìnglì) 951-969 |
| Jingzong (景宗 Jǐngzōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Mingyi (耶律明扆 Yēlǜ Míngyǐ) | 969-982 | Baoning (保寧 Bǎoníng) 969-979 Qianheng (乾亨 Qiánhēng) 979-982 |
| Shengzong (聖宗 Shèngzōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Wenshunu (耶律文殊奴 Yēlǜ Wénshūnú) | 982-1031 | Qianheng (乾亨 Qiánhēng) 982 Tonghe (統和 Tǒnghé) 983-1012 |
| Xingzong (興宗 Xīngzōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Zhigu (耶律只骨 Yēlǜ Zhǐgŭ) | 1031-1055 | Jingfu (景福 Jǐngfú) 1031-1032 Chongxi (重熙 Chóngxī) 1032-1055 |
| Daozong (道宗 Dàozōng) | Too tedious thus not used when referring to this sovereign | Yelü Chala (耶律查剌 Yēlǜ Chálà) | 1055-1101 | Qingning (清寧 Qīngníng) 1055-1064 Xianyong (咸雍 Xiányōng) 1065-1074 |
| Did not exist | Tianzuodi (天祚帝 Tiānzuòdì) | Yelü Aguo (耶律阿果 Yēlǜ Aguŏ) | 1101-1125 | Qiantong (乾統 Qiántǒng) 1101-1110 Tianqing (天慶 Tiānqìng) 1111-1120 |
Kara Khitai
| 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) 1 | use born name | 1124-1144 | Yanqing (延慶 Yánqìng) 1124 or 1125-1134 Kangguo (康國 Kāngguó) 1134-1144 |
| Did 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 | |||||
See also
- Khitan people
- Liao dynasty
- Kara Khitai
References
Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900-1800. Harvard University Press. pp. 37–42, 53, 75–76.