Yelü Dashi (耶律大石)

Overview

Yelü Dashi was an official.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Chongde	重德	Zhòngdé
Posthumous name	Heavenly Emperor	天皇帝
Temple name	Dezong	德宗	Dézōng

Life and dates

Death

AD 1143 康國十年
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 202

Age

38
Reckoning Sui · At Event accession
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 118

Attested activity

AD 1123 夏四月甲申朔
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 128
AD 1123 秋九月
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 144
AD 1124 秋七月
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 195, 204
AD 1122 保大二年
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 83
AD 1122 保大年間
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 101, passages 76, 81
AD 1122 初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 29, passages 51, 53

Show 6 more source-backed claims

AD 1124 大石茍延
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 117, passage 24
AD 1115 天慶五年
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 80
AD 1143 康國十年
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 202
AD 1134 延慶三年
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 194
AD 1124 甲辰歲二月五日
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 118
AD 1124 to AD 1125 遼亡之際
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 60, passage 67

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Grandfather of Yelü Dashi (耶律大石之祖父)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 120
Descendant of Emperor Taizu of Liao (遼太祖)
eighth-generation grandson 八代孫 · paternal line · 8 generations
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 79
Spouse of Tabuyan (塔不煙)
primary consort 元妃 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 120
Parent of Yilie (夷列)
son 子
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 126
Kin of Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Yelü Dashi prolonging the imperial line 大石 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 117, passage 24

Key source chapters

Career and standing

knower of Northern Court privy affairs 知北院樞密
AD 1123 夏四月甲申朔 · Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 128
forest-academician 林牙
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 195-196
Gur Khan / Heavenly Emperor 葛兒罕 / 天皇帝
AD 1124 甲辰歲二月五日 · Age Value: 38 · Reckoning: Sui
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passages 118-119
styled himself king 自立為王
AD 1124 秋七月
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 204

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Polity Liao 遼 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 53
Polity Id liao · Relation Associated
Directly stated · History of Liao 101, passage 81
Polity Id liao · Relation Prolonged
Directly stated · History of Liao 117, passage 24
Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 60, passage 67
AD 1134 延慶三年…康國元年
At Husi Ordu 虎思斡耳朶 · Relation Founded capital
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 194

Learning and skills

Earned
AD 1115 天慶五年 · Credential Presented Scholar 進士
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 80
Skill Khitan and Han script 遼、漢字 · Level mastered
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 80
Skill riding and archery 騎射 · Level skilled
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 80

Works and attributed material

AD 1124 秋七月
Speech · Speaker · With Tianzuo (天祚) · Direct quotation · Mode quoted-speech
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 196-202
Letter · Author · With Bilgege (畢勒哥) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passages 99-104
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passages 87-88, 93-96

Events and relationships

Acquired Songmo herds
AD 1124 to AD 1125 遼亡之際 · Political · Possessor
Directly stated · History of Liao 60, passage 67
Barely prolonged dynastic line
AD 1124 大石茍延 · Political · Ruler
Directly stated · History of Liao 117, passage 24
Defeated
Military · Commander · At Xunsi Gan 尋思幹
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passages 110, 115-116
Killed Yixue and Poliguo and styled himself king
AD 1124 秋七月 · Political · Kingmaker
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 204
Killed
Killing · Killer · With Xiao Yixue (蕭乙薛)
Directly stated · History of Liao 101, passage 81
Led division west
AD 1124 秋七月 · Travel · Leader
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 204

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Returned from Jin
AD 1123 秋九月 · Travel · Returner
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 144
Went to Chun residence to enthrone
AD 1122 初 · Political · Minister · With Chun (淳)
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 53
Relation Entrusted military by · Person Yelü Chun (耶律淳)
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 181

Assessments and attributes

Assessment seeking battle now is not a plan; nurture troops and await the time · Mode quoted-speech
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 201-202

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 53, 106, 195; History of Liao 60, passage 67

References in the histories

Search passages

History

26 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 29Volume 29 Annals 29: Emperor Tianzuo 3 · 6 passages

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遂與諸大臣耶律大石、左企弓、虞仲文、曹勇義、康公弼集蕃漢百官、諸軍及父老數萬人詣淳府。 Thereupon with the great ministers Yelü Dashi, Zuo Qigong, Yu Zhongwen, Cao Yongyi, and Kang Gongbi they gathered Khitan and Han hundred officials, all armies, and elders numbering tens of thousands and went to Chun's residence.

夏四月甲申朔，以知北院樞密耶律大石。 On the jiashen new moon of the fourth summer month Tianzuo appointed Yelü Dashi to know Northern Court privy affairs. [source sentence breaks off here]

秋九月，耶律大石自金來歸。 In the ninth autumn month Yelü Dashi returned from Jin.

<九>天祚既得林牙耶律大石兵歸，又得陰山室韋謨葛失兵，自謂得天助，再謀出兵，復收燕、雲。 After Tianzuo regained Yelü Dashi's troops and also obtained forces from Moheshi of the Shiwei people at Yinshan, he believed Heaven was aiding him and once more planned to send out an army to recover Yan and Yun.

大石林牙力諫曰：「自金人初陷長春、遼陽，則車駕不幸廣平澱，而都中京； Great Stone forest-academician strongly remonstrated, saying, "From when the Jin first took Changchun and Liaoyang, the traveling carriage was unlucky at Guangping Marsh and the court was at Central Capital;

大石遂殺乙薛及坡里括，置北、南面官屬，自立為王，率所部西去。 Dashi thereupon killed Yixue and Poliguo, set Northern and Southern Court officials, styled himself king, and led his division west.

History of Liao, Chapter 30Volume 30 Annals 30: Emperor Tianzuo 4: Ye Luchun, Ye Luyali, Ye Ludashi and Son: Yilie, Yi Lie and Younger Sister: Pu Suwan, Yi Lieci and Son: Zhilugu · 17 passages

Open chapter

天祚皇帝四耶律淳耶律雅里耶律大石子:夷列夷列妹:普速完夷列次子:直魯古 Emperor Tianzuo IV; Yelü Chun; Yelü Yali; Yelü Dashi — Yilie; Yilie's sister Pusuwan; Yilie's second son Zhilugu

保大二年，天祚入夾山，奚王回離保、林牙耶律大石等引唐靈武故事，議欲立淳。 In Baoda year 2, Tianzuo entered Jia Mountain; Xi King Huilbao, Linya Yelü Dashi, and others cited the Tang Lingwu precedent and discussed enthroning Chun.

封其妻普賢女為德妃，以回離保知北院樞密使事，軍旅之事悉委大石。 He enfeoffed his wife Puxiannu as Virtuous Consort, made Huilbao privy commissioner of the Northern Court, and entrusted all military affairs to Dashi.

耶律大石 Yelü Dashi

耶律大石者，世號為西遼。 Yelü Dashi — his regime is known as Western Liao (Qara-Khitai).

大石字重德，太祖八代孫也。 Dashi's style was Chongde; he was the eighth-generation grandson of Taizu.

遼以翰林為林牙，故稱大石林牙。 Liao took Hanlin as linya, so he was called Great Stone Linya.

天祚怒誅德妃而責大石曰：「我在，汝何敢立淳？」 Tianzuo angrily executed Virtuous Consort Xiao and blamed Dashi, saying, "While I live, how dare you set up Chun?"

大石不自安，遂殺蕭乙薛、坡里括，自立為王，率鐵騎二百宵遁。 Dashi was ill at ease; he thereupon killed Xiao Yixue and Poliguo, styled himself king, and led two hundred iron cavalry fleeing by night.

又西至起兒漫，文武百官冊立大石為帝，以甲辰歲二月五日即位，年三十八，號葛兒罕。 Again going west to Qier Man, civil and military hundred officials invested Dashi as emperor; on jiachen year second month fifth day he took the throne, age thirty-eight, styled Gur Khan.

復上漢尊號曰天皇帝，改元延慶。 Again he took the Han honorific title Heavenly Emperor and changed the era to Yanqing.