Yaonian Yanmujin () or Xiao Yanmujin () (died December 18, 933''

History of Liao The ''History of Liao'', or ''Liao Shi'' (''Liáo Shǐ''), is a Chinese historical book compiled officially by the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), under the direction of the historian Toqto'a (Tuotuo), and finalized in 1344.Xu Elina-Qian, ...

'', vol. 3.

Academia Sinica Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...

br>Chinese-Western Calendar Converter
), formally Empress Xuanjian (宣簡皇后), was an

empress dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother) () is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was also g ...

of the Khitan-led Chinese

Liao dynasty The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...

. She was the mother of Liao's founder

Emperor Taizu of Liao Abaoji (872–6 September 926), posthumously known by his temple name as the Emperor Taizu of Liao, was a Khitan leader and the founding emperor of the Liao dynasty of China, ruling from 916 to 926. He had a sinicised name, Yelü Yi; some sourc ...

(Yelü Abaoji) and the wife of his father Yelü Saladi (耶律薩剌的). During the reign of Emperor Taizu's son Emperor Taizong, she was grand empress dowager.

Background and marriage to Yelü Saladi

It is not known when Yaonian Yanmujin was born. (She is referred to in traditional historical sources (such as the ''

'') as Xiao Yanmujin because, according to the ''History of Liao'', Emperor Taizu greatly admired

Emperor Gao of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

, and so referred to his own Yelü clan by the name of

Liu / ( or ) is an East Asian surname. pinyin: in Mandarin Chinese, in Cantonese. It is the family name of the Han dynasty emperors. The character originally meant 'kill', but is now used only as a surname. It is listed 252nd in the classic text ...

as well, while he had the names of the traditional wife clans of Yelü chieftains — the most prominent of whom included the Yishi (乙室) and Bali (拔裏) clans — change their names to Xiao (after Emperor Gao's prime minister

Xiao He Xiao He (257 BC–193 BC) was a Chinese politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Liu Bang (Emperor Gao), the founder of the Han dynasty, during the insurrection against the Qin dynasty, and fought on Liu's side in the Chu–Han Co ...

), and thus almost all Liao empresses, both actual and posthumously honored ones, were known by the surname of Xiao.) Yaonian Yanmujin was of the Yaonian clan and was a daughter of the chancellor Yaonian Tila (遙輦剔剌).''History of Liao'', vol. 71. At some point, Yaonian Yanmujin married the Yelü chieftain Yelü Saladi. She bore him six children — five of his six sons, including his oldest son Yelü Abaoji, and one daughter.

As empress dowager

After Yelü Abaoji succeeded Yelü Saladi as the Yelü chief, he conquered the other Khitan tribes by force, and by 907, he had declared himself the emperor of a new

Khitan Empire The Liao dynasty (; Khitan: ''Mos Jælud''; ), also known as the Khitan Empire (Khitan: ''Mos diau-d kitai huldʒi gur''), officially the Great Liao (), was an imperial dynasty of China that existed between 916 and 1125, ruled by the Yelü ...

(which would later become known as Liao) as its Emperor Taizu. He honored his mother Yaonian Yamujin as

.''History of Liao'', vol. 1. Still, despite her honored title, her daughter-in-law

Empress Shulü Ping An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

, because of Empress Shulü's own battlefield accomplishments, refused to bow to her (or Empress Shulü's own mother) and instead made them bow to herself, stating, "I only bow to Heaven, not to humans."''

Zizhi Tongjian ''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...

'', vol. 269. In 913, while Emperor Taizu was away at Lu River (蘆水), he believed that there would be a joint rebellion by his brothers Yelü Diela (耶律迭剌 (whom he had made the King of the Xi)) and Yelü Anduan (耶律安端), and therefore arrested them. When another brother, Yelü Lage (耶律剌葛) heard this, Yelü Lage then arrived at the Khitan headquarters with an army, apparently planning to declare himself emperor. It was at Empress Dowager Yaonian's orders that he departed from the headquarters. His army subsequently pillaged the headquarters but were repelled by Empress Shulü's army, and they subsequently departed. In 919, on an occasion when Emperor Taizu was attacking the Wugu Tribe (烏古), he heard that Empress Dowager Yaonian was ill, and therefore returned to headquarters to attend to her. He resumed the Wugu campaign once she recovered.''History of Liao'', vol. 2.

As grand empress dowager

In 927, Emperor Taizu died and was succeeded by his son Yelü Deguang (as Emperor Taizong). Emperor Taizong honored Empress Dowager Yaonian as grand empress dowager. She died in 933.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yaonian, Yanmujin 9th-century births 933 deaths Liao dynasty empresses dowager Chinese grand empresses dowager 10th-century Khitan women 9th-century Khitan women