Yelü Zhao (耶律昭) | 24 Histories

Overview

Yelü Zhao was a scholar and Writer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Academician Yelu Zhao
Courtesy name	Shuning	述寧	Shuning

Life and dates

Death

AD 1012 to AD 1021 開泰中
Cause Butted by a ram while hunting · At Mount Balidu 拔裏堵山
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 55

Attested activity

AD 997 十五年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 85, passage 16
AD 983 to AD 1012 統和中
Directly stated · History of Liao 59, passage 72
AD 983 to AD 1012 統和中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 104, passage 24
AD 1012 to AD 1021 開泰中
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 104, passage 55

Family

Sibling of Guoliu (國留)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 24

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Khitan 契丹
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 59, passage 72

Career and standing

Entered
AD 983 to AD 1012 統和中 · Exile · At northwestern region 西北部
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 24
Exiled for brother's case
Exile · At northwest 西北部
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 24

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 59, passage 72; History of Liao 104, passage 24

Learning and skills

broadly learned
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 23
Skill literary composition 屬文 · Level skilled
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 23

Works and attributed material

Described northwestern four man corvee division
Report · Speaker
Directly stated · History of Liao 59, passage 72
Letter · Author · With Xiao Talin (蕭撻凜)
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passages 30-53

Events and relationships

Declined office on grounds of illness
Political · Decliner · With Xiao Talin (蕭撻凜)
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 26
Received by Xiao Talin; exempted from corvée
Patronage · Client · With Xiao Talin (蕭撻凜)
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 25
Relation Official under · Person Emperor Shengzong of Liao (遼聖宗)
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 59, passage 72

Assessments and attributes

Assessment set forth advantages and harms of frontier defense; penetrating and quick · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 104, passage 113

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 59Volume 59 Treatises 29: Finance and Economics 1 · 1 passage

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統和中，耶律昭言，西北之眾，每歲農時，一夫偵候，一夫治公田，二夫給糺官之役。 During the Tonghe era, Yelü Zhao reported that among the northwestern populace, each farming season one man served as scout, one worked the public fields, and two performed corvée for supervisory officials.

History of Liao, Chapter 85Volume 85 Biographies 15: Xiao Talin, Xiao Guanyinnu, Yelu Tizi, Yelu Xieli, Yelu Nugua, Xiao Liu, Gao Xun, Xi Heshuonu, Xiao Taliege, Yelu Sahe · 1 passage

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上賜詩嘉獎，仍命林牙耶律昭作賦，以述其功。 The emperor granted him a commendatory poem and ordered Academician Yelu Zhao to compose a fu celebrating his achievements.

History of Liao, Chapter 104Volume 104 Biographies 34: Literature 2 · 6 passages

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文學下 ○王鼎耶律昭劉輝耶律孟簡耶律谷欲 Literature (Part 2) — Wang Ding, Yelü Zhao, Liu Hui, Yelü Mengjian, and Yelü Guyu

耶律昭，字述寧，博學，善屬文。 Yelü Zhao, courtesy name Shuning, was broadly learned and skilled at literary composition.

會蕭撻凜為西北路招討使，愛之，奏免其役，禮致門下。 When Xiao Talin became Commissioner for Subjugation of the Northwestern Circuit, he took a liking to Zhao, memorialized to free him from corvée, and received him with full courtesy at his gate.

昭以書答曰： Zhao answered in a letter:

昭聞古之名將，安邊立功，在德不在眾。 Zhao has heard that famous generals of old who pacified the frontier and won merit did so through virtue, not through numbers.

王鼎忠直達政，劉輝侍青宮，建言國計，昭陳邊防利害，皆洞達闿敏。 Wang Ding was loyal, upright, and mastered statecraft; Liu Hui served the crown prince and offered counsel on national policy; Zhao set forth the advantages and harms of frontier defense—all were penetrating and quick of understanding.