Yelü Sha (),

courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...

Anyin (安隱), of the

Yelü clan The Yelü clan ( Khitan: , spelled ''ey.är.uu.eld'', pronounced ''Yäruuld''; ), alternatively rendered as Yila () or Yarud, was a prominent family of ethnic Khitan origin in the history of China. The clan assumed leadership of the Khitan tribal ...

(died 988) was a Khitan general and

statesman A statesman or stateswoman typically is a politician who has had a long and respected political career at the national or international level. Statesman or Statesmen may also refer to: Newspapers United States * ''The Statesman'' (Oregon), a n ...

imperial China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...

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 ...

. He rose to the position of the

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the southern government (南府宰相) during

Emperor Muzong of Liao Emperor Muzong of Liao (19 September 931 – 12 March 969), personal name Yelü Jing, infant name Shulü, was the fourth emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. He was the eldest son of the second Liao emperor, Emperor Taizong. He succ ...

's reign. When Emperor Jingzong assumed power in 969, Yelü Sha was tasked to command the army on Liao's southern border for possible war against the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

. In 976, the Song army attacked

Northern Han The Northern Han () was a dynastic state of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. It was founded by Liu Min (), formerly known as Liu Chong (), and lasted from 951 to 979. Founding of the Northern Han The short-lived state of Later Ha ...

, a small kingdom wedged between Song and Liao, and Yelü Sha took the Liao troops to assist Northern Han until the Song army withdrew. He was promoted when he presented the Song

prisoners A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

to Emperor Jingzong. In 977, Song invaded

again, and Liao army under the overall command of Yelü Sha went to assist Northern Han, meeting the Song army across a river at Baimaling (白馬嶺, in today's

Yu County, Shanxi Yu County, also known by its Chinese name Yuxian, is a county in the east of Shanxi Province, China. It is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Yangquan and occupies its northern majority. Name Yu County's name refers to it ...

). The

vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

general Yelü Dilie (耶律敵烈), Emperor Jingzong's cousin, went against Yelü Sha's advice to attempt cross the river without waiting for the main Liao army. His army was annihilated in the river, and Yelü Dilie was among the five Liao generals slain, which also include Yelü Sha's son Yelü Deli (耶律德裏). Only after the arrival of general

Yelü Xiezhen Yelü Xiezhen (; died 999), courtesy name Hanyin (韓隱), was a Khitan general and politician in imperial China's Liao dynasty. In 969 Yelü Xiezhen became an important general under Emperor Jingzong of Liao. Along with Yelü Xiuge and Yelü S ...

's reinforcement did the Song attacks stop. Soon afterwards, just as Yelü Sha prepared to advance to Northern Han's

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...

Taiyuan Taiyuan (; ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ; also known as (), ()) is the capital and largest city of Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. ...

, news of the fall of Northern Han arrived. Immediately after conquering Northern Han, the Song army went northward to attack Liao. Yelü Sha resisted the Song army, and with the help of generals

and

Yelü Xiuge Yelü Xiuge (耶律休哥) (died 998) was an important Khitan general and politician in imperial China's Liao dynasty. He commanded a disciplined army and fought the Song forces for several decades, taking care to not harm any innocent individua ...

, defeated the Song army at the

battle of Gaoliang River The Battle of Gaoliang River () was fought in 979 between the Liao dynasty and Northern Song (960–1127), Northern Song dynasty in present-day Beijing. The Liao victory ended a Song campaign to recapture the Sixteen Prefectures in North China. ...

. The following year, Yelü Sha followed Han Kuangsi (韓匡嗣) to invade Song, and their army was annihilated. Furious, Emperor Jingzong wanted to execute both, but his wife

Xiao Chuo Xiao Yanyan (; 953–1009), also known as Empress Dowager Chengtian (承天皇太后) was a Khitan empress and military leader of imperial China's Liao dynasty. She was regent on behalf of her son from 982. History Xiao Yanyan was the 3rd ch ...

pleaded on their behalves, eventually reducing their sentences to flogging. After the death of Emperor Jingzong, his widow

effectively ruled Liao. In 987 Yelü Sha participated in another invasion of Song, this time defeating the resistant Song army, and was awarded as a result.

In popular culture

*Portrayed by Jin Youming in the 2020 Chinese TV Series ''

The Legend of Xiao Chuo ''The Legend of Xiao Chuo'' () is a 2020 Chinese television series based on the novel Yan Yun Tai by Jiang Shengnan. It stars Tiffany Tang in the title role, along with Shawn Dou, Charmaine Sheh and Jing Chao. The series chronicles the life of lege ...

''.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yelu, Sha 988 deaths Liao dynasty generals Year of birth unknown Sha 10th-century Khitan people