Abaoji
Khitan leader who founded the Liao dynasty of China.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Abaoji (872 – 6 September 926) was a Khitan leader who founded the Liao dynasty and ruled as its first emperor from 916 until his death. He is also known by his temple name, Emperor Taizu of Liao. His sinicised name was Yelü Yi, or Liu Yi; some sources indicate that his family name, Yelü, may have been adopted during his lifetime, though historians disagree on this point.
Born in 872 in Southern Mongolia, Abaoji had a difficult childhood. His grandfather died in a tribal conflict, and his father and uncles fled. His grandmother hid him to keep him safe. He became khagan of the Khitans on 27 February 907 and was crowned emperor in 916, announcing his own era name. He died on 6 September 926. He conquered and unified Inner Mongolia, northern China, and southern Manchuria. After the Khitan Empire was renamed the Liao dynasty in 947, he was posthumously recognised as a Liao emperor.
Chinese historians later recorded legends about his birth. His mother, Xiao Yanmujin, supposedly dreamed that the sun fell into her lap, leading to her pregnancy. When she gave birth, the room was said to fill with a strange light and an unusual fragrance. As a newborn, his body was described as that of a three-year-old, and he was reportedly walking by three months old. He was even said to foresee events before they happened.
The Khitans lived on the eastern slope of the Greater Khingan Mountains. To the west were nomadic tribes like the Shiwei, Xi, and Turkic Uighurs, who had intermarried with the Khitans. Further west were the warlike Tatars on the Mongolian Plateau. East and northeast lay the Jurchens, a peaceful people living in small villages who hunted and fished. Across the Liao River to the east and southeast, as far as the Yalu River, lived the Balhae, mostly settled farmers.
Since the 750s, the Yaonian clan had led the Khitan tribes and kept good relations with the Tang dynasty. But by the late 800s, leaders of the powerful Yila tribe grew unhappy with the Yaonian khans. Abaoji’s father had been the elected chieftain of the Yila tribe. Surnames were a Han custom and were not used by Khitans outside the Yaonian imperial clan.
Abaoji became chieftain of the Yila tribe in 901, and in 903 he was made Yuyue, commander of all Khitan military forces, making him second only to the great khan. He gained fame in 905 when he led 70,000 cavalry into Shanxi to form a brotherhood w
- died
- 6 September 926 (illness)
Lore & Background
Abaoji was born in 872 in Southern Mongolia and had a turbulent childhood. His grandfather was killed in a conflict between tribes, and his father and uncles fled; he was hidden by his grandmother for his safety. He became khagan of the Khitans on 27 February 907, and was subsequently enthroned as emperor in 916, proclaiming his own era name. Legends surrounding his birth claim his mother dreamt the sun fell into her bosom, and that as a newborn his body was that of a three-year-old; he was said to be walking at three months and able to see events before they occurred.
Abaoji became chieftain of the Yila tribe in 901, and in 903 was named Yuyue, commander of all Khitan military forces. In 905 he led 70,000 cavalry into Shanxi to form a brotherhood with Li Keyong. From 907 to 916 he faced constant uprisings, mostly from his own family, but overcame them by persuasion and by appointing usurpers to positions of influence. He died on 6 September 926 at age 54, having captured the entire Balhae kingdom—though the exact cause of his death remains unconfirmed in historical records. His conquests stretched from Inner Mongolia and northern China across southern Manchuria, with Balhae's eastern extent reaching the Sea of Japan, but the Ussuri River was not a standard boundary of the Liao at his death.
Reader's Guide
Abaoji's significance lies in his founding of the Liao dynasty and his innovations in governance. He introduced a dual administrative system: nomadic steppe peoples were governed by steppe traditions, while sedentary populations in conquered Balhae and north China were governed by a civil bureaucracy run largely on Han protocols. This model later influenced other steppe empires. In 916 he adopted Han court formalities, declaring himself Celestial Emperor and adopting an era name, and named his son Yelü Bei as heir apparent—a first in Khitan society that contrasted with rule by merit. He organized followers into warrior units called orda, and by joining 12 ordas formed an administrative district. In 918 he built a walled city with an adjacent Chinese city for artisans and commerce. He ordered the development of a Khitan large script in 920, and later a syllabic script based on Uyghur principles, allowing the Khitans to adopt writing without wholesale adoption of Chinese characters. His legacy includes the model of governing diverse populations that later steppe peoples would use.
Did You Know?
- Abaoji was hidden by his grandmother after his grandfather was killed in a tribal conflict and his father and uncles fled.
- He became khagan of the Khitans on 27 February 907 and was enthroned as emperor in 916.
- He ordered the development of a Khitan large script in 920, which looked like Chinese writing but was mutually unintelligible.
- After his death, his son Deguang succeeded him as Emperor Taizong, reigning from 926 to 947.
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