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55-734: After conquering Balhae (Bohai) in 926, the Liao crown prince Yelü Bei ascended to the throne of Dongdan at the Huhan fortress, the former capital of Balhae, in today's Mudanjiang , Heilongjiang Province . The state used Dongdan as its Chinese name, meaning the Eastern Dan Gur (Bohai), in respect to the Liao dynasty in the west. The term Dongdan is only found in Chinese texts; the Khitan equivalent

110-472: A Buddhist nun . Despite his cruelty, however, Li Zanhua was also said to be highly talented. He understood fortunetelling and music, and was very talented in medicine. He could write in both the Khitan and Han languages, and translated the Huangdi Yinfujing into Khitan. He was particularly well known for his paintings of Khitan people and things, and many of his paintings eventually ended up in

165-420: A Dongdan Kingdom over the old Balhae territory, with its capital at Fuyu, and made Yelü Bei its king, with the title of "Imperial King of Man" (人皇王, Ren Huangwang ), echoing the titles used by himself ("Imperial Emperor of Heaven," 天皇帝, Tian Huangdi ) and his wife (Yelü Bei's mother) Empress Shulü ("Imperial Empress of Earth," 地皇后, Di Huanghou ). He gave his second son (Yelü Bei's younger brother) Yelü Deguang

220-432: A later emperor now matter how hard they enticed him?" He thereafter made Li Zanhua the military governor of Yicheng Circuit (義成, headquartered in modern Anyang , Henan ), but selected a talented staff to take effective governance of the circuit, allowing Li Zanhua not to carry out actual responsibilities. He also gave a concubine of his predecessor Emperor Zhuangzong 's, Lady Xia, to Li Zanhua to be his new wife, and he also

275-535: A new Khitan-led empire, known posthumously as Emperor Taizu, he created Yelü Bei his crown prince . When Emperor Taizu inquired of his attendants which god he should first offer sacrifice to as part of his becoming emperor, his attendants largely advocated offering sacrifices to the Buddha . When Emperor Taizu pointed out that the Buddha was not a Chinese god, Yelü Bei advocated offering first to Confucius . Emperor Taizu

330-528: A wound inflicted in these battles. In 1227, the capital of Western Xia was overrun by the Mongols, who devastated its buildings and written records: all was burnt to the ground except its monastery. The last emperor was killed and tens of thousands of civilians massacred. However, many Tangut families joined the Mongol Empire. Some of them led Mongol armies, e.g. Cha'an, into the conquest of China. After

385-402: Is "Dan country" (Dan Gur), similar to Silla's and Goryeo's use of the word "Dan" 丹 as a derogatory term for the states and people of Manchuria. However, political tension soon evolved between Yelü Bei and his younger brother Yelü Deguang , who took the imperial throne of the Liao dynasty after their father Yelü Abaoji died, en route to his homeland from a relatively successful campaign against

440-487: The Huayan - Chan tradition of Guifeng Zongmi (Chinese: 圭峰宗密, 780–841) and his master Huayan Chengguan was the most influential. A number of texts previously believed to be of native Tangut origin turned out to be translations of Khitan source texts. The degree of Tibetan impact on the formation of Tangut Buddhism still remains unexplored, especially in the light of new discoveries showing that Tangut Buddhism owed more to

495-464: The Later Tang . The new emperor ordered his elder brother to move his capital from Huhan in eastern Manchuria to Liaoyang in western Manchuria. Yelü Bei obeyed the imperial order but soon fled to North China to avoid possible assassination in 930. Yelü Bei's son was elevated to the new king of Dongdan, but the kingdom was annexed by the Liao dynasty in 936. A minority of historians suggest Dongdan

550-573: The Mongol Empire in the 13th century, the Tanguts were valiant and had big swarthy men among them, in contrast to the Uyghurs , who were "of medium size, like us". The Tangut people I saw were tall but swarthy. The Iugurs are of medium build like our own people. The early Tanguts inhabited the steppes and mountains of southeast Qinghai and northwest Sichuan . Their home originally was in

605-599: The Notes on Transmitting the Dharma Treasure through Generations implies that at the period of 760's some sort of Buddhism was spread in the region of Helanshan, where the Tangut were already residing.　Concerning the late 8th century Helanshan Buddhism, little can be said: the doctrines of the lu (律) school and the teaching of Sichuan Chan of Rev. Kim (金和尚) seem to be known there. Worship of Confucianism also existed in

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660-667: The Shatuo -led Later Tang dynasty, where he was killed in 937. Yelü Bei was born in 899, before the founding of the Liao dynasty . His father was the Yelü clan chieftain Yelü Abaoji , and his mother was Yelü Abaoji's wife Shulü Ping ; he was their first son. He was described by the History of Liao as intelligent and studious in his youth, with a relaxed appearance and a loving heart. In 916, when Yelü Abaoji declared himself emperor of

715-751: The Tang dynasty . After the collapse of Tang dynasty, the Tanguts established the Western Xia. They spoke the Tangut language , which was previously believed to be one of the Qiangic languages or Yi languages which belong to the Tibeto-Burman family." Phylogenetic and historical linguistic accounts, however, reveal that Tangut belonged instead to the Gyalrongic branch of Tibeto-Burman. Western Xia

770-754: The Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) was established, the Tangut troops were incorporated into the Mongol army in their subsequent military conquests in central and southern China. The Tangut were considered Semu under the Yuan class system, thus separating them from the North Chinese. As late as the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), there was evidence of small Tangut communities in Anhui and Henan provinces. The people including members of

825-506: The Chinese custom of wearing hair long and knotted. Abandoning the royal Chinese surnames of "Li", previously bestowed by the Tang dynasty Li royal family, and "Zhao", subsequently bestowed by the Song dynasty Zhao royal family, he adopted a Tangut surname 𗼨𗆟 , rendered in Chinese as "Weiming" ( Chinese : 嵬名 ). He made Xingqing ( Chinese : 興慶 , modern Yinchuan ) his capital city. In

880-556: The Dongdan state until her death in 940, while Yelü Ruan would eventually succeed Emperor Taizong after his death (as Emperor Shizong).) In 931, Emperor Mingzong made Yelü Bei the military governor ( Jiedushi ) of a newly created Huaihua Circuit (懷化, headquartered in modern Baoding , Hebei ), and gave him a new name of Dongdan Muhua. Later in the year, he changed the Dongdan Muhua name further to Li Zanhua, and that would be

935-527: The Emperor of Khitan and send an army to escort him back to Khitan territory, to create a second front that Khitan's Emperor Taizong would have to deal with. Li Congke gave initial approval to the plan, but the more powerful officials opposed, believing the plan to be useless, and nothing eventually came of it. Eventually, Emperor Taizong created Shi the emperor of a new Later Jin (as its Emperor Gaozu), and Shi subsequently headed south, with Khitan aid, toward

990-514: The King of Dongdan ), known as Dongdan Muhua ( 東丹慕華 ) (931) and then Li Zanhua ( 李贊華 ) (931–937) as a Later Tang subject, was the eldest son of Emperor Taizu of Liao , the founder of the Liao dynasty . He was declared successor to the Emperor Taizu in 916, but never succeeded to the throne. Rather, after the accession of his younger brother Yelü Deguang (Emperor Taizong), he fled to

1045-533: The Later Tang capital Luoyang . With Later Tang generals defecting to Later Jin in droves, Li Congke gathered his family and generals loyal to him to the palace, intending to commit suicide by burning down the palace. When he summoned Li Zanhua, however, Li Zanhua refused to join the mass suicide, so Li Congke sent the officer Li Yanshen ( 李彥紳 ) to kill Li Zanhua. After the new Later Jin emperor entered Luoyang, he mourned Li Zanhua, posthumously created Li Zanhua

1100-576: The Prince of Yan, and had his body delivered back to Khitan. Consorts and Issue: Tangut people The Tangut people ( Tangut : 𗼎𗾧 , mjɨ nja̱ or 𗼇𘓐 , mji dzjwo ; Chinese : 党項 ; pinyin : Dǎngxiàng ; Tibetan : མི་ཉག་ , Wylie : mi nyak ; Mongolian : Тангуд ) were a Sino-Tibetan people who founded and inhabited the Western Xia dynasty . The group initially lived under Tuyuhun authority, but later submitted to

1155-593: The Tangut general Li Sigong the three prefectures of Xia ( Chinese : 夏州 , Tangut: 𘒂𗉔 ), Sui ( Chinese : 綏州 , Tangut: 𗉢𗉔 ), and Yin ( Chinese : 銀州 , Tangut: 𘝰𗉔 ) as hereditary titles under the Dingnan Jiedushi . After the collapse of Tang China, multiple warlords started to form new states in the former territories of Tang China. The Tanguts expanded their realm southwest towards their old homelands. In 1002 they conquered Ling Prefecture and set up their first capital there under

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1210-526: The Tangut state itself. The Western Xia founder Li Deming's son, Li Yuanhao, enthroned as Emperor Jingzong , sought to differentiate the Tangut state from that of its rival Han-led Song China and started to nurture a national Tangut identity by ordering the creation of an official Tangut script and by instituting laws that reinforced traditional Tangut customs. One of the laws he mandated called for citizens to wear traditional ethnic apparel and another required men to wear their hair short or shaved as opposed to

1265-515: The Tangut state strictly forbade religious teachers from accepting compensation or reward for their teaching services. Although the state did not support an official school of Buddhism, it did protect all religious sites and objects within the country's boundaries. As in China, becoming a Buddhist monk required government approval and anyone found to have taken the vows of a monk without such government oversight faced severe punishment. Remarkably for

1320-557: The Tanguts to migrate north from their homelands in northeastern Tibet to the eastern Ordos region . By the time of the An Lushan Rebellion (755–763), the Tanguts were the predominant local power in what is now eastern Gansu , Ningxia , and northern Shaanxi . In 881 the Tanguts, who were subjects of Tang China, assisted Tang in suppressing the Huang Chao rebellion. As a reward the Tang central government granted

1375-617: The Tibeto-Burman branch. It used to be debated as to whether Tangut belonged to the Yi or Qiangic subdivision of Tibeto-Burman. The Tanguts, called the Dangxiang ( 党項 ; Dǎngxiàng ) in Chinese, are typically regarded by Chinese scholars to be synonymous with or at least related to the Qiang people. Historically, "Qiang" was a collective term for the multiple ethnic groups who lived on

1430-582: The Western Xia, which has led to some claims that the Tangut religion was rooted in Confucianism, but this was incomparable with the degree of popularity of Buddhism. Tangut literature is dominated by Buddhist scriptures while secular teachings including the Chinese classics were rarely available in the Tangut language. The Tangut state enforced strict laws pertaining to the teaching of religious beliefs and rigorously screened potential teachers. Before he

1485-539: The Yuan and Ming courts of China where they served as the spiritual guides to princes and emperors. Their influence also extended to the court of the Tangut Xia Kingdom where a disciple of Dusum Khyenpa was given the title "Supreme Teacher" by a Tangut Xixia King[.] After the fall of the Western Xia, the influx of refugees into Tibet led to the adoption of the Pehar deity into Tibetan Buddhism , eventually in

1540-610: The elite priestly caste . Although Buddhism was extremely popular among the Tangut people, many Tangut herdsmen continued to practice a kind of shamanism known as Root West (Melie). The black caps worn by Root West shamans give the Black Headed caste its name. According to Tangut myth, the ancestor of the Black Headed Tanguts was a heavenly white crane , while the ancestor of the Red Faced Tanguts

1595-507: The empire to the Emperor, but now I am under suspicion. It is better that I go to another state so that I can be like Wu Taibo ." He thus took his favorite concubine Lady Gao and his extensive book collection, got into a ship, and sailed to Later Tang. In 930, he arrived at Later Tang's Deng Prefecture (登州, in modern Yantai , Shandong ). (Yelü Bei's wife Imperial Queen Xiao and his oldest son Yelü Ruan did not follow him to Later Tang, and Imperial Queen Xiao would subsequently continue to rule

1650-633: The highlands of western Sichuan. These regions correspond to the Amdo and Kham regions of the Tibetan plateau. At some point their leader Tuoba Chici, who was likely of mixed Xianbei and Qiang heritage, submitted to Tang China rule and was bestowed the title of Captain General of Western-Rong and the surname "Li". In the early 8th century, increasing pressure from the Tibetan Empire had forced

1705-442: The history of China is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Yel%C3%BC Bei Yelü Bei ( Chinese : 耶律倍 ) (899 – January 7, 937 ), also known as Yelü Tuyu (耶律突欲 or 耶律圖欲), posthumously honored Emperor Wenxian Qinyi ( 文獻欽義皇帝 ) with the temple name Yizong ( Simplified : 辽义宗, Traditional : 遼義宗), formally known as Renhuang Wang (人皇王, "imperial king of men") during his lifetime (including his period as

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1760-664: The local culture in North China than to pure Tibetan or Chinese influences. Texts belonging to the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition demonstrate that Tangut Buddhism initially evolved along the Karma Kagyu rather than Sakya lines of Buddhist transmission. A number of Tangut Buddhist institutions, such as "Imperial Preceptor" survived the Tangut State itself and could be found during the Yuan dynasty . One of

1815-793: The more definite sources of Tangut Buddhism was Mount Wutai , where both Huayan and Chinese Esoteric Buddhism flourished from the late Tang dynasty up to the time of the Mongol conquest . Solonin (2005: unpaginated) links the Tanguts, the Helan Mountains and the Chan teachings of both Kim Hwasang and Baotang Wuzhu: The origins of the Tangut Chan can also be traced deeper than previously believed: information on Bao-tang Wu-zhu (保唐无住720～794) travels in North-Western China from

1870-565: The name of Xiping. By 1036 they had annexed the Guiyi Circuit and the Ganzhou Uyghur Kingdom , even pushing into Tibetan territory and conquering Xining . The state of Western Xia was proclaimed in 1038. Being subjects of Tang China previously for two centuries, the Tangut people adopted many Han/Tang Chinese culture, but also maintained their own customs, as is proven by the vast amount of literature which survived

1925-490: The name used by the Khitan prince for the rest of his life. However, there was no sign that Li Zanhua ever reported to Huaihua, and in 932, Emperor Mingzong instead stated an intention to give him a command south of the Yellow River . When the Later Tang officials opposed, Emperor Mingzong stated, "His father and I agreed to be blood brothers , and that is why Zanhua came to me. I am now old. How would he have even come to

1980-422: The other way around, too, as when his grandmother Grand Empress Dowager Yaonian died in 933, his mother and brother notified him of her death. Also in 933, Emperor Mingzong died, and was initially succeeded by his biological son Li Conghou the Prince of Song (as Emperor Min). In 934, Emperor Mingzong's adoptive son Li Congke the Prince of Lu overthrew Emperor Min in a rebellion and became emperor. Li Zanhua

2035-611: The palace collections of the Song Dynasty decades later. In 933, he was recalled from Yicheng and given the completely honorary title of military governor of Zhaoxin Circuit (昭信, headquartered in modern Ganzhou , Jiangxi ) (as Zhaoxin's territory was then ruled by Wu ). Despite his having fled to Later Tang territory and becoming a Later Tang subject, Li Zanhua continued to maintain communications with his mother and brother, often sending emissaries to them. The communication went

2090-751: The prospect that his brother-in-law Shi Jingtang the military governor of Hedong Circuit (河東, headquartered in modern Taiyuan , Shanxi ) might rebel and enlist Khitan aid in doing so, had his officials Li Song and Lü Qi ( 呂琦 ) draft a plan under which such an alliance would occur – but then abandoned the plan. Later in the year, Shi Jingtang did rebel, and Later Tang forces was initially successful in advancing to Hedong's capital Taiyuan Municipality and putting it under siege. However, they were thereafter crushed by aid troops that Emperor Taizong himself commanded and trapped by Khitan forces at Jin'an Base (晉安寨, near Taiyuan). When Li Congke sought advice from his officials, Long Min ( 龍敏 ) suggested that he create Li Zanhua

2145-410: The region the Tanguts controlled ( Chinese : 河西 ). The Tanguts were primarily Buddhists. Tangut Buddhism was influenced by external elements. The entire Chinese Buddhist canon was translated into the Tangut language over a span of 50 years and published around 1090 in about 3700 fascicles. Buddhism in the Tangut state is believed to be an amalgamation of Tibetan and Chinese traditions, among which

2200-470: The royal clan emigrated to western Sichuan, northern Tibet, even possibly northeast India, in some instances becoming local rulers. The Tangut people living in Central China preserved their language until at least the 16th century. Tangut society was divided into two classes: the "Red Faced" and the "Black Headed". The Red Faced Tanguts were seen as commoners while the Black Headed Tanguts made up

2255-607: The succession away from Yelü Bei, as she had favored Yelü Deguang. However, formally, she called an assembly of the chieftains, along with Yelü Bei and Yelü Deguang, and stated to them, "I love both of my sons, and I do not know which one to make emperor. You can decide which one you wish to support by holding his rein." The chieftains, knowing that she favored Yelü Deguang, rushed to him and held to his rein. She thereafter declared him emperor (as Emperor Taizong). Yelü Bei, angry over this turn of events, took several hundred soldiers and wanted to flee to Later Tang (Jin's successor state), but

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2310-421: The thirteenth century, Genghis Khan unified the northern grasslands of Mongolia and led his troops in six rounds of attacks against the Western Xia over a period of twenty-two years (1205, 1207, 1209–10, 1211–13, 1214–19, 1225–27). During the last spate of the Mongol attacks, Genghis died in Western Xia territory. The official Mongol history attributes his death to illness, whereas legends claim that he died from

2365-434: The time, women played a role in Tangut religious practices by serving as nuns , a position that could only be held by a woman who had been widowed or who was an unmarried virgin. Suchan (1998) traces the influence of the first several Karmapas upon the Yuan and Ming courts as well as the Western Xia, and mentions Düsum Khyenpa, 1st Karmapa Lama : The first several Karmapas are distinguished by their important status at

2420-508: The title of "Generalissimo Crown Prince" and made Yelü Deguang in charge of Linhuang, replacing Yelü Bei. Shortly after conquering Fuyu, however, Emperor Taizu fell ill and died while still at Fuyu. Empress Shulü took over effective leadership of the Khitan, and she and Yelü Bei began the trek of escorting Emperor Taizu's casket back to Linhuang, leaving one of Emperor Taizu's younger brother Yelü Anduan ( 耶律安端 ) temporarily in charge at Dongdan. Once then returned to Linhuang, she wanted to divert

2475-741: The western borderlands of China, including the modern Qiang people (Rma). The name Tangut first appears in the Orkhon inscriptions of 735. In their own Tangut language, the Tanguts called themselves Mi-niah (Miñak). Until the 19th century, the term Minjak was still used to refer to the area inhabited by Qiang people in today's Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Speakers of the Qiangic Muya language in western Kangding calls themselves Minyak. Geographic names such as Min river and Min county (Gansu) are pointed to this root. According to William of Rubruck , who travelled to various parts of

2530-402: Was a monkey. Tangut kings went by the title of Wuzu. According to sources in the Tangut language, the Tangut state known now as the Western Xia was named 𗴂𗹭𗂧𘜶 translated as "Great State of White and Lofty" ( phôn¹ mbın² lhi̯ə tha² ). Although the Chinese translation of this name ( Chinese : 白高大國 ; pinyin : Báigāo Dàguó ) was occasionally used in Tangut sources, the state

2585-404: Was allowed to teach, a newcomer entering the state from Tibet or India first had to seek the approval of local authorities. Doctrines taught and methods used were carefully supervised to ensure there was no possibility that the Tangut people might misunderstand the teachings. Anyone found to be a fortune-teller or charlatan faced immediate persecution. Deeming it contrary to Buddhist ethical beliefs,

2640-604: Was annexed in 982. On the other hand some believe that Dongdan was never a "independent kingdom", but the former area of Balhae was instantly annexed in 926 by the Liao dynasty. To continue Balhae's friendly relations with Japan , Dongdan sent a diplomatic mission over the Sea of Japan in 929. But the Japanese court in Kyoto rejected the mission from Dongdan, due to loyalty for the old Balhae regime. This article related to

2695-560: Was annihilated by the Mongol Empire in 1227, most of its written records and architecture were destroyed. Today the Tangut language and its unique script are extinct; only fragments of Tangut literature remain. The Tangut language , otherwise known as Fan , belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Like many other Sino-Tibetan languages, it is a tonal language with predominantly mono-syllabic roots, but it shares certain grammatical traits central to

2750-489: Was during this time that Yelü Bei was said to have drafted a plan to conquer Khitan's eastern neighbor Balhae . In 926, Emperor Taizu decided to carry out the plans to conquer Balhae . In a campaign, he captured the important Balhae city Fuyu (夫餘, in modern Siping, Jilin ). (This appeared to have ended the Balhae state, even though Emperor Taizu did not at this time capture Balhae's capital Longquan .) Emperor Taizu set up

2805-610: Was intercepted by Khitan border guards. Empress Shulü (now empress dowager ) did not punish him, but sent him to Dongdan. Emperor Taizong, after becoming emperor, became suspicious as to whether his older brother intended to take back the throne, and therefore moved Dongdan's capital to Dongping (東平, in modern Liaoyang , Liaoning ) and forcibly moved the former Balhae people to Dongping. He also put guards in place to monitor Yelü Bei's actions. When Emperor Mingzong of Later Tang heard this, he sent secret emissaries encouraging Yelü Bei to flee to Later Tang. Yelü Bei, commenting, "I yielded

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2860-603: Was lenient toward Li Zanhua such that even when Li Zanhua committed offenses, he would not punish Li Zanhua. However, it was said that Li Zanhua was cruel toward his concubines and servants – as he liked to drink blood, his concubines often had to injure themselves so that they would bleed for him to drink, and the servants would often suffer severe punishments, including having their eyes gouged out, being cut by swords, or being burnt by fire, for minor faults. Lady Xia eventually could not endure seeing this and, after requesting permission from Emperor Mingzong, divorced Li Zanhua and became

2915-550: Was most commonly referred to as the "Great Xia" (大夏) in Chinese-language sources of the Tangut or as the "Xia State" ( Chinese : 夏國 ) to the Song. In later historiography and in modern Chinese the Tangut state is referred to as the "Western Xia" ( Xī Xià 西夏). The Mongols and other steppe tribes referred to the Tangut kingdom as "Qashi" or "Qashin", which was derived from the Middle Chinese name for Hexi ,

2970-656: Was pleased by the suggestion and built a temple for Confucius, having Yelü Bei offer sacrifices to him twice a year. Yelü Bei subsequently served as Emperor Taizu's forward commander in campaigns against the Wugu ( 烏古 ) and the Tangut tribes. Later, on incursions that Emperor Taizu made into the Chinese/ Shatuo state Former Jin territory – specifically, Jin's Lulong Circuit (盧龍, headquartered in modern Beijing ) – he left Yelü Bei in charge at his capital Linhuang Municipality (臨潢, in modern Chifeng , Inner Mongolia ). It

3025-495: Was said to have secretly communicated to his brother Emperor Taizong the opinion that this was a good opportunity to invade Later Tang, although Emperor Taizong took no actions at that time. Throughout the years, apparently because of Li Zanhus'a presence in Later Tang and the fact that Later Tang had captured a number of important Khitan commanders, Empress Dowager Shulü had repeatedly sought heqin alliances between Khitan and Later Tang. In early 936, Li Congke, apprehensive over

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