Ep. 126 | Yelü Abaoiji
This week we look at the Khitan people of the steppes. These people came from the lands between Manchuria and Mongolia. Their most famous son was Yelü Abaoji who took his people to great heights in the early 10th century.
His Liao Dynasty in the north of present-day China ran concurrently with the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (as well as the Song Dynasty) that resulted after the breakup of the Tang Dynasty.
Listen On Your Favorite Podcast Player
Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Chi | 尺 | A chinese foot, about 1/3 of a meter |
| Daxinganling | 大兴安岭 | The Great Khingan Mountain Rage |
| Empress Dowager Yingtian | 应天皇后 | Wife of Abaoji |
| Hancheng | 汉城 | The Chinese City (also the modern name of Seoul, ROK) |
| Huangchao Qiyi | 黄巢起义 | The Huang Chao Rebellion |
| Li Cunxu | 李存勗 | Son of Li Keyong, founder of Later Tang Dynasty |
| Li Keyong | 李克用 | Father of Li Cunxu, built Shatuo Turk power base in Shanxi |
| Li Siyuan | 李嗣源 | Second emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty |
| Ouyang Xiu | 欧阳修 | Song dynasty statesman, calligrapher, essayist, official |
| Qidan | 契丹 | The Khitan People |
| Shangjing | 上京 | The Supreme Capital |
| Shatuo Turks | 沙陀突厥 | Turkic people from the steppes, influential in Tang and founded 3 of the Five Dynasties |
| Shi Jingtang | 石敬瑭 | Founder of Later Jin Dynasty, a puppet dynasty of the Khitans |
| Taiyuan | 太原 | Capital of Shanxi Province |
| Tang Taizong | 唐太宗 | Tang Dyansty emperor who also reigned at its peak |
| Tang Xuanzong | 唐玄宗 | Tang Dyansty emperor who reigned at its peak |
| Xianbei | 鲜卑 | Early Mongol people |
| Xiongnu | 匈奴 | Early steppe people in the north and northwest of China |
| Yelü Abaoji | 耶律阿保机 | Liao dynasty founder |
| Zhu Wen | 朱温 | Later Liang Dynasty founder |
Enjoy the show and want to support the CHP?
Join the CHP Patreon
Make a Direct Donation
Related Episodes
The series concludes in this Part 5 episode that takes Yunnan's history up to 1975.