Five Dynasties · Ruler

Taizu 太祖

First attested AD 916; died AD 926

Passages: 15
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Taizu was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Alternate name	Liu	劉	Liu

Life and dates

Death

AD 926 太祖崩
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 58

Attested activity

AD 916 太祖即位
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 71, passages 11, 41
AD 926 太祖崩
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 71, passage 58

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Empress Xuanjian (宣簡皇后蕭氏)
eldest son 長子
mother 母
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 31
Spouse of Empress Chunqin (淳欽皇后述律氏)
empress/consort of 后
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passages 1, 34
Child of Ancestor De (德祖)
father 父
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 71, passages 29, 31
Parent of Lihu (李胡)
father 父
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 71, passage 64
Parent of Taizong (太宗)
father 父
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 71, passage 62
Parent of Yelü Bei (耶律倍)
father 父
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 62

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Associated
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 71, passage 1
Polity Id liao · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 11

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 15 passages

○肅祖昭烈皇后蕭氏懿祖莊敬皇后蕭氏玄祖簡獻皇后蕭氏德祖宣簡皇后蕭氏太祖淳欽皇后述律氏太宗靖安皇后蕭氏世宗懷節皇后蕭氏世宗妃甄氏穆宗皇后蕭氏景宗睿智皇后蕭氏聖宗仁德皇后蕭氏聖宗欽哀皇后蕭氏興宗仁懿皇后蕭氏興宗貴妃蕭氏道宗宣懿皇后蕭氏道宗惠妃蕭氏天祚皇后蕭氏天祚德妃蕭氏天祚文妃蕭氏天祚元妃蕭氏 ○ This chapter treats: Empress Zhaolie (Xiao), wife of Ancestor Su; Empress Zhuangjing (Xiao), wife of Ancestor Yi; Empress Jianxian (Xiao), wife of Ancestor Xuan; Empress Xuanjian (Xiao), wife of Ancestor De; Empress Chunqin (Shulü), wife of Taizu; Empress Jing'an (Xiao), wife of Taizong; Empress Huaijie (Xiao), wife of Shizong; Consort Zhen of Shizong; the Muzong empress (Xiao); Empress Ruizhi (Xiao), wife of Jingzong; Empress Rendé (Xiao), wife of Shengzong; Empress Qin'ai (Xiao), wife of Shengzong; Empress Renyi (Xiao), wife of Xingzong; Xingzong's imperial consort (Xiao); Empress Xuanyi (Xiao), wife of Daozong; Daozong's Consort Hui (Xiao); the Tianzuo empress (Xiao); Tianzuo's Virtuous Consort, Literary Consort, and Primary Consort (all Xiao).

太祖稱帝，尊祖母曰太皇太后，母曰皇太后，嬪曰皇后。 When Taizu took the imperial title, he styled his grandmother Grand Empress Dowager, his mother Empress Dowager, and his principal consort Empress.

太祖慕漢高皇帝，故耶律兼稱劉氏； Taizu revered Han Gaozu, and the Yelü house therefore also bore the surname Liu;

太祖生，后以骨相異常，懼有陰圖害者，鞠之別帳。 At Taizu's birth she saw his features were exceptional and, fearing secret plots against him, reared him in a separate camp.

男、女六人，太祖長子也。 She bore six children; Taizu was her eldest son.

太祖淳欽皇后述律氏，諱平，小字月理朵。 Empress Chunqin (Shulü), wife of Taizu, personal name Ping, childhood name Yueliduo.

太祖即位，群臣上尊號曰地皇后。 At Taizu's accession the court hailed her Earth Empress.

太祖嘗渡磧擊党項，黃頭、臭泊二室韋乘虛襲之； While Taizu crossed the sands to strike the Tangut, the Huangtou and Choubo Shiwei bands struck at an opening;

幽州劉守光遣韓延徽求援，不拜，太祖怒，留之，使牧馬。 Liu Shouguang of Youzhou sent Han Yanhui to plead for help; Yanhui would not bow, and Taizu in anger kept him and set him to tend horses.

太祖乃召延徽與語，大悅，以為謀主。 Taizu then summoned Yanhui, took great delight in their talk, and made him chief strategist.

太祖選三萬騎以攻幽州，后曰：「豈有試油而攻人國者？」 Taizu chose thirty thousand horsemen to assault Youzhou; the empress said, "Who tests oil and then storms a whole kingdom?"

太祖曰：「不可。」 Taizu answered, "It cannot."

太祖崩，后稱制，攝軍國事。 After Taizu's death she ruled in her own name and directed military and civil affairs.

初，太祖嘗謂太宗必興我家，后欲令皇太子倍避之，太祖冊倍為東丹王。 Taizu had once said Taizong would raise their line; the empress wanted Crown Prince Bei to step aside, and Taizu made Bei king of Eastern Dan.

太祖崩，太宗立，東丹王避之唐。 After Taizu's death Taizong took the throne, and the Eastern Dan king fled to Tang.