Origins & Early Life

Yelü Dashi (Chinese: 耶律大石; pinyin: Yēlǜ Dàshí; Wade–Giles: Yeh-Lü Ta-Shih; alternatively Chinese: 耶律達實; pinyin: Yēlǜ Dáshí), courtesy name Zhongde (重德), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Dezong of Western Liao (西遼德宗), was the founder of the Western Liao dynasty (Qara Khitai). He initially ruled as king from 1124 to 1132, then as emperor and gurkhan from 1132 to 1143. He was also known in Muslim sources as Nūshī Taifū, Qushqin Taifū or Qushqīn, son of Baighū. A member of the imperial Yelü clan, he fled the Liao dynasty in northern China as it was on the verge of destruction by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty and moved westward into Central Asia where he established a new empire.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

There are various theories regarding his name. According to Sugiyama Masaaki, Dashi (大石) might be a borrowing from Chinese title taishi (太師). Qidan Guo Zhi suggests that it was just a nickname. Yelü Dashi was a minor member of the Liao dynasty's imperial Yelü clan and an eighth generation descendant of the Emperor Taizu of Liao. His date of birth is not entirely clear but may have been in either 1087 or 1094, according to various accounts of the history of Liao.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The History...

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