The Northern Liao (), officially the Great Liao (), was a
dynastic regime of China, distinct from the
Liao dynasty, established by the
Khitan Yelü clan in northern China. The state only existed for a short period of time between 1122 and 1123.
History
During the reign of
Emperor Tianzuo of Liao, the
Jurchen chieftain
Wanyan Aguda rebelled against the rule of the
Liao dynasty. In 1115, the
Jin dynasty was officially proclaimed with Wanyan Aguda as its first emperor. In 1122, Emperor Tianzuo fled to Jiashan (north of modern-day
Tumed Left Banner, Inner Mongolia) under the military pressure from the Jin dynasty. Subsequently, Yelü Chun was enthroned as "Emperor Tianxi" () by
Yelü Dashi and Huilibao.
[Liao Shi, vol. 80] The Emperor Tianzuo, on the other hand, was demoted to a prince and given the title "Prince of Xiangyin" by the Northern Liao court. As the Liao dynasty ruled by Emperor Tianzuo still existed, the regime headed by Emperor Tianxi is known in retrospect as "Northern Liao" ().
After the death of Emperor Tianxi, he was succeeded nominally by Yelü Ding, the Prince of Qin. However, as Yelü Ding was in exile with the Emperor Tianzuo, the Empress Dowager Xiao Puxian'nü was made regent. During the regency of Empress Dowager Xiao, her request for the Jin dynasty to recognize Yelü Ding as emperor was denied. As the Jin forces advanced towards the Northern Liao capital, the Empress Dowager Xiao and Yelü Dashi sought refuge at Emperor Tianzuo's exiled court. The Empress Dowager Xiao was executed for rebelling against the Emperor Tianzuo, but Yelü Dashi was spared.
In 1123,
Nanjing
Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), Postal Map Romanization, alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu Provinces of China, province of the China, People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and t ...
surrendered to the Jin forces. When the Jin army attacked the Emperor Tianzuo's refuge in Qingzhong (south of modern-day
Hohhot, Inner Mongolia), he decided to escape to the
Western Xia dynasty. Yelü Yali, the Prince of Liang, fled north and proclaimed himself emperor, only to die five months later. His son, Yelü Zhulie, succeeded him, but was killed one month later by his own troops.
[Biran (2005). pp 24-25] The death of Yelü Zhulie in 1123 marked the end of Northern Liao. In 1124, Yelü Dashi would lead a faction of the Liao court to
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the former ...
where he proclaimed the
Western Liao dynasty. The Liao dynasty led by Emperor Tianzuo would collapse in 1125 when he was captured by the Jin general Wanyan Loushi.
Monarchs
See also
*
Liao dynasty
*
Western Liao
*
Eastern Liao
*
Later Liao
References
Citations
Sources
*
遼史''
Liao Shi'', volume 30, biographies of Yelü Chun, Yelü Yali, and Yelü Dashi.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liao
Liao dynasty
Dynasties in Chinese history
Former countries in Chinese history
Ethnic groups in China
Khitan history