Yelü Dashi
Encyclopedia
Yelü Dashi or Yeh-Lü Ta-Shih (r. 1124-1143) was the founder of the Western Liao dynasty, or the Kara-Khitan Khanate
.
Yelü was a member of the Liao royal family - a dynasty of Khitan
tribes that had ruled areas of Inner Mongolia
, Outer Mongolia
, and Manchuria
since the tenth century. The original Liao dynasty was displaced by the Jurchen, a Tungus
people native to Manchuria
. Yelü led roughly 100,000 of his fellow Khitan in an exodus from Jurchen rule westward to Turkestan
. Yelü and his followers arrived in 1124 at the Uyghur
capital of Beshbaliq. The Uyghurs - traditional vassals to the Khitans - submitted to Yelü and the army of refugees he led. Yelü, after amassing an army of Uyghurs, Tibet
ans, Qarluks, and others, fought a series of aggressive wars against his neighbors from his new kingdom and soon seized control of Dzungaria
.
Yelü was treated amicably by the Western Xia Dynasty and the Buddhist Kharakojas, but after being rebuffed by the Kara-Khanid Khanate
at Gulja and Kashgar
, Yelü subjugated the Kara-Khanids and incorporated their lands, Kashgar, Khotan
, and Ferghana to his growing kingdom in 1137. Now on the borders of Persia, he made war against the Seljuk Turks and conquered Sogdia, Bactria
, Khwarazm, and Samarkand
by 1141. The Seljuk state then collapsed into internal rebellion.
His wars against the Muslim
Turks
in Central Asia
, particularly his victory at Samarkand(Battle of Qatwan
), and his amicable relations with Nestorian Christianity, which flourished in the Kara-Khitan Khanate, led to his association with the legend of Prester John
, a Christian king in the east who was "destined" to vanquish Islam. Bishop Otto of Freising
first chronicled the story in 1145.
Yelü died in 1143, master of much of Central Asia
. The dynasty Yelü established would last until its conquest by Genghis Khan
in 1218.
Kara-Khitan Khanate
The Kara-Khitan Khanate, or Western Liao was a Khitan empire in Central Asia. The dynasty was founded by Yelü Dashi, who led the remnants of the Liao Dynasty to Central Asia after fleeing from the Jurchen conquest of their homeland in North and Northeast of modern day China...
.
Yelü was a member of the Liao royal family - a dynasty of Khitan
Khitan people
thumb|250px|Khitans [[Eagle hunting|using eagles to hunt]], painted during the Chinese [[Song Dynasty]].The Khitan people , or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally located at Mongolia and Manchuria from the 4th century...
tribes that had ruled areas of Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia
Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
, Outer Mongolia
Outer Mongolia
Outer Mongolia was a territory of the Qing Dynasty = the Manchu Empire. Its area was roughly equivalent to that of the modern state of Mongolia, which is sometimes informally called "Outer Mongolia" today...
, and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
since the tenth century. The original Liao dynasty was displaced by the Jurchen, a Tungus
Evenks
The Evenks are a Tungusic people of Northern Asia. In Russia, the Evenks are recognized as one of the Indigenous peoples of the Russian North, with a population of 35,527...
people native to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
. Yelü led roughly 100,000 of his fellow Khitan in an exodus from Jurchen rule westward to Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
. Yelü and his followers arrived in 1124 at the Uyghur
Uyghur people
The Uyghur are a Turkic ethnic group living in Eastern and Central Asia. Today, Uyghurs live primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China...
capital of Beshbaliq. The Uyghurs - traditional vassals to the Khitans - submitted to Yelü and the army of refugees he led. Yelü, after amassing an army of Uyghurs, Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
ans, Qarluks, and others, fought a series of aggressive wars against his neighbors from his new kingdom and soon seized control of Dzungaria
Dzungaria
Dzungaria, also called Zungaria, is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. It covers approximately , lying mostly within Xinjiang, and extending into western Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan...
.
Yelü was treated amicably by the Western Xia Dynasty and the Buddhist Kharakojas, but after being rebuffed by the Kara-Khanid Khanate
Kara-Khanid Khanate
The Kara-Khanid Khanate was a confederation of Turkic tribes ruled by a dynasty known in literature as the Karakhanids or Ilek Khanids, . Both dynastic names represent titles with Kara Kağan being the most important Turkish title up till the end of the dynasty.The Khanate ruled Transoxania in...
at Gulja and Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
, Yelü subjugated the Kara-Khanids and incorporated their lands, Kashgar, Khotan
Khotan
Hotan , or Hetian , also spelled Khotan, is the seat of the Hotan Prefecture in Xinjiang, China. It was previously known in Chinese as 于窴/於窴 and to 19th-century European explorers as Ilchi....
, and Ferghana to his growing kingdom in 1137. Now on the borders of Persia, he made war against the Seljuk Turks and conquered Sogdia, Bactria
Bactria
Bactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
, Khwarazm, and Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
by 1141. The Seljuk state then collapsed into internal rebellion.
His wars against the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
in Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, particularly his victory at Samarkand(Battle of Qatwan
Battle of Qatwan
The Battle of Qatwan was fought in September 1141 between the Kara-Khitan Khanate and the Seljuq Empire and its vassal-state the Kara-Khanids. Following the Kara-Khanid defeat at Khujand, Mahmud summoned his overlord Ahmed Sanjar to protect Western Kara-Khanid from invasion.-Battle:On the Qatwan...
), and his amicable relations with Nestorian Christianity, which flourished in the Kara-Khitan Khanate, led to his association with the legend of Prester John
Prester John
The legends of Prester John were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval...
, a Christian king in the east who was "destined" to vanquish Islam. Bishop Otto of Freising
Otto of Freising
Otto von Freising was a German bishop and chronicler.-Life:He was the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria, by his wife Agnes, daughter of the emperor Henry IV...
first chronicled the story in 1145.
Yelü died in 1143, master of much of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. The dynasty Yelü established would last until its conquest by Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
in 1218.