Western Liao 西遼 Kara-Khitan Khanate 1124-1220(96 yrs)
capital :Balasagun (in today's Kyrgyzstan)
dynastic surname: Yelü 耶律
founder:Yelü Dashi 耶律大石
total # emperors: 5
Today part of
China
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Mongolia
Russia
Tajikistan
Uzbekistan
The Kara-Khitan Khanate, or Western Liao (Mongolian Хар Хятад; Kara Kitad; Traditional Chinese: 西遼; Simplified Chinese: 西辽; pinyin: Xī Liáo) existed from 1124 C.E. (Yelü Dashi proclaimed himself king in the year 1124 C.E. while still in Mongolia) to 1218 C.E. and refers to the Khitan empire in Central Asia. Yelü Dashi founded the dynasty, leading the remnants of the Liao Dynasty to Central Asia after fleeing from the Jurchen conquest of their homeland in Manchuria. The Naimans under Kuchlug usurped the empire in 1211 C.E., traditional Chinese, Persian, and Arab sources considering the usurpation the end of the empire.[1] The Mongol Empire destroyed the Khitan empire in 1218.
The Khitan people rose from among the northern nomadic tribes of China to become a mighty empire twice. First, they established the Liao Dynasty in Manchuria around 910 C.E., attempting to become the ruling power throughout China and to incorporate Korea into the Liao Dynasty. The Khitans succeeded in conquering Balhae, the North Korea kingdom during the North-South States period in Korea, in 926 C.E., then invaded the newly established Goryeo dynasty on the Korean Peninsula. Goryeo repulsed the invasions, weakening the Khitans so that they fell prey to the nomadic Jurchens. The Khitans migrated to Central Asia, establishing the Kara-Khitan Khanate, disappearing from history after falling to the Mongols.
Names
Liao funerary mask, an ancestor of the Kara-Khitans, 10-12th century CE.
The Khitans used the nameKara Khitan (Hala Qidan) to refer to themselves. The phrase translates as the Black Khitans, but its original meaning remains unclear.[2] Since no extant records from the empire survive, the only surviving historical records about the empire come from secondary sources. Since the empire took on trappings of a Chinese state, Chinese historians generally refer to the empire as the Western Liao Dynasty, emphasizing its continuation from the Liao Dynasty in Manchuria. The Jurchens referred to the empire as Dashi or Dashi Linya (after its founder), to reduce any claims the empire may have had to the old territories of the Liao Dynasty. Muslim historians initially referred to the state simply as Khitay or Khitai. The Muslim world began referring Khitan as the Kara-Khitai or Qara-Khitai only after the Mongol conquest.[3]
Administration
The Khitans ruled from their capital at Balasagun (in today's Kyrgyzstan). They directly controlled the central region of the empire. The rest of their empire consisted of highly-autonomous vassalized states, primarily Khwarezm, the Karluks, the Gaochang Uyghurs, the Qangli, and the Western, Eastern, and Fergana Kara-Khanids. The late-arriving Naimans also became vassals, before usurping the empire under Kuchlug.
The Khitan rulers adopted many administrative elements from the Liao Dynasty, including the use of Confucian administration and imperial trappings. The empire also adopted the title of Gurkhan (universal Khan), which probably originating from Central Asian nomads.[4] The Khitans used the Chinese calendar, maintained Chinese imperial and administrative titles, gave its emperors reign names, used Chinese-styled coins, and sent imperial seals to its vassals.[5] Although most of its administrative titles derived from Chinese, the empire also adopted local administrative titles, such as tayangyu (Turkic) and vizier.
The Khitans maintained their old customs, even in Central Asia. They remained nomads, adhered to their traditional dress and maintained the religious practices followed by the Liao Dynasty Khitans. The ruling elite tried to maintain the traditional marriages between the Yelü royal clan and the Xiao consort clan, displaying reluctance to allow their princesses to marry outsiders. The Kara-Khitai Khitans followed a mix of Buddhism and traditional Khitan religion, which included fire worship and tribal customs, such as the tradition of sacrificing a gray ox with a white horse. In an innovation unique to the Kara-Khitai, the Khitans paid their soldiers a salary.
The empire ruled over a diverse population quite different from its rulers. The majority of the population lived sedentary lives, although the population suddenly became more nomadic during the end of the empire, due to the influx of Naimans. The majority of their subjects declared themselves Muslims, although a significant minority practiced Buddhism and Nestorianism. Chinese and Khitan constituted the primary languages of administration, although the empire also administered in Persian and Uyghur.[6]
History
Yelü Dashi, who led 100,000 Khitans into Central Asia from Manchuria by way of Mongolia, established The Kara-Khitai empire. Yelü conquered Balasagun from the Kara-Khanid Khanate in 1134 C.E., marking the start of the empire in Central Asia. 10,000 Khitans, who had been subjects of the Kara-Khanid Khanate, soon joined the Khitan forces. The Khitans then conquered Kashgar, Khotan, and Besh Baliq. The Khitans defeated the Western Kara-Khanid Khanate at Khujand in 1137, eventually leading to their control over the Fergana Valley. They won the Battle of Qatwan against the Western Kara-Khanids in September 9, 1141, allowing the Khitans to control Transoxania while making Khwarezm a vassal state.
Yelü died in 1143, his wife, Xiao Tabuyan, assuming the throne as regent for their son. Their daughter, Yelü Pusuwan assumed the throne from her brother Yelü Yiliu, when he died in 1163. Yelü Pusuwan sent her husband, Xiao Duolubu, on many military campaigns. She then fell in love with his younger brother, Xiao Fuguzhi. Her father-in-law, Xiao Wolila, was executed in 1177, placing Yelü Zhilugu on the throne in 1178. Rebellions and internal wars among its vassals, especially during the latter parts of its history weakened the empire. In 1208, the Naimans fled from their homeland, the Kara-Khitai welcoming them into the empire. In 1211, the Naiman prince, Kuchlug, captured Yelü Zhilugu while the latter hunted, ending Khitan rule in the Kara-Khitai empire. The Mongols captured and killed Kuchlug in 1218. The Mongols fully conquered the former territories of the Kara-Khitai in 1220.
Aftermath
The Qara Khitais became absorbed into the Mongol Empire; a segment of the Qara-Khitan troops had previously already joined the Mongol army fighting against Kuchlug. Another segment of the Qara-Khitans, in a dynasty founded by Buraq Hajib, survived in Kirman as a vassal of the Mongols, but ceased to exist as an entity during the reign of Öljaitü of the Ilkhanate.[10] The Qara-Khitans were dispersed widely all over Eurasia as part of the Mongol army. In the 14th century, they began to lose their ethnic identity, traces of their presence however may be found as clan names or toponyms from Afghanistan to Moldova. Today a Khitay tribe still lives in northern Kyrgyzstan.
Administration
The Khitans ruled from their capital at Balasagun (in today's Kyrgyzstan), directly controlling the central region of the empire. The rest of their empire consisted of highly autonomous vassalized states, primarily Khwarezm, the Karluks, the Kingdom of Qocho of the Uyghurs, the Kankali, and the Western, Eastern, and Fergana Kara-Khanids. The late-arriving Naimans also became vassals, before usurping the empire under Kuchlug.
The Khitan rulers adopted many administrative elements from the Liao dynasty, including the use of Confucian administration and imperial trappings. The empire also adopted the title of Gurkhan (universal Khan). The Khitans used the Chinese calendar, maintained Chinese imperial and administrative titles, gave its emperors reign names, used Chinese-styled coins, and sent imperial seals to its vassals.[11] Although most of its administrative titles were derived from Chinese, the empire also adopted local administrative titles, such as tayangyu (Turkic) and vizier.
The Khitans maintained their old customs, even in Central Asia. They remained nomads, adhered to their traditional dress, and maintained the religious practices followed by the Liao dynasty Khitans. The ruling elite tried to maintain the traditional marriages between the Yelü king clan and the Xiao queen clan, and were highly reluctant to allow their princesses to marry outsiders. The Qara-Khitai Khitans followed a mix of Buddhism and traditional Khitan religion, which included fire worship and tribal customs, such as the tradition of sacrificing a gray ox with a white horse. In an innovation unique to the Qara-Khitai, the Khitans paid their soldiers a salary.
The empire ruled over a diverse population that was quite different from its rulers. The majority of the population was sedentary, although the population suddenly became more nomadic during the end of the empire, due to the influx of Naimans. The majority of their subjects were Muslims, although a significant minority practiced Buddhism and Nestorianism. Although Chinese and Khitan were the primary languages of administration, the empire also administered in Persian and Uyghur.
Association with China[edit]
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After the Tang dynasty, non-Han Chinese empires gained prestige by connecting themselves with China, and the Khitan Gurkans used the title of Chinese emperor,[12][13] and was also called the Khan of Chīn.[14] The Qara Khitai used the "image of China" to legitimize their ruler to the Central Asian Muslims. The Chinese emperor, together with the rulers of the Turks, Arabs, India and Byzantium, were known to Islamic writers as the world's "five great kings".[15] The Khitan Qara-Khitai empire in Central Asia kept the trappings of a Chinese state, such as Chinese coins, the Chinese writing system, tablets, seals, and used Chinese products like porcelein, mirrors, jade and other Chinese customs. The adherence to Liao Chinese traditions has been suggested as a reason why the Qara Khitai did not convert to Islam. Despite the Chinese trappings, there were comparatively few Han Chinese among the population of the Qara Khitan.[17] These Han Chinese had lived in Kedun during the Liao dynasty, and in 1124 migrated with the Khitans under Yelü Dashi along with other people of Kedun, such as Bohai, Jurchen, Mongol tribes, Khitan, in addition to the Xiao consort clan.
Qara Khitai's rule over Muslim Central Asia has the effect of reinforcing the view among some Muslim writers that Central Asia was linked to China a few hundred years after the Tang dynasty had lost control of the region. Marwazī wrote that Transoxania was a former part of China, while Fakhr al-Dīn Mubārak Shāh defined China as part of "Turkestan", and the cities of Balāsāghūn and Kashghar were considered part of China.
Legacy[edit]
The association of Khitai with China meant that the most enduring trace of the Khitan's power are names derived from it, such as Cathay, which is the medieval Latin appellation for China. Names derived from Khitai is still current in many modern usage, such as the Russian, Bulgarian, Uzbek and Mongolian name for China.[7] However, the use of the name Khitai to mean China or Chinese by Turkic speakers within China, such as the Uyghurs, is considered pejorative by the Chinese authority who had tried to ban it.
(source: wikipedia)
siuyiu ,you forgot to add Western Liao.