Five Dynasties · Ruler

Yelü Abaoji 阿保機

Abaoji

Died AD 926

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Yelü Abaoji was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Great Sage Emperor	大聖皇帝

Life and dates

Death

AD 926 天成元年七月二十七日
Illness · Cause Cold damage / fever · At Fuyu city 扶餘城 · Summary Fell ill with fever three days after Kun arrived; a great star fell before his tent; died on Tiancheng 1/7/27 at Fuyu.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 83-84

Attested activity

AD 926 天成元年七月二十七日
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 84
AD 926 明宗初纂嗣
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 56

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Yelü Bei Turan (突然)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 88-89
Parent of Yelü Deguang (德光)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 86, 88, 90
Parent of Lord Anduan (安端)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 88, 91
Spouse of Lady Shulü (舒嚕氏)
wife 妻 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 57, 85

Kinship Role sons · Count 3 · Summary Three sons, all imposing men.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 88

Career and standing

Great Sage Emperor 大聖皇帝
AD 927 明年正月 · Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 87

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 56
AD 927 明年正月
At Mount Muye 木葉山 · Relation Buried at
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 87

Learning and skills

Skill Chinese language 漢語 · Level fluent · Summary Understood Chinese but dared not speak it openly lest the tribes grow soft.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 82

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Yao Kun (姚坤) · Mode quotation Speaker Yelü Abaoji (阿保機)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 58
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Yelü Abaoji (阿保機)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 61-62, 64, 66, 70-77, 80, 82

Events and relationships

Campaigned
AD 926 明宗初纂嗣 · Military · Commander · At Bohai 渤海 · Summary Was in Bohai when Yao Kun arrived; had mustered fifty thousand horsemen intending to aid Zhuangzong but could not leave Bohai unconquered.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 56, 62
Received envoy
AD 926 明宗初纂嗣 · Diplomatic · Host · With Yao Kun (姚坤) · Summary Received Kun in the domed tent with his wife on a facing couch, questioned him at length, and offered a personal alliance at Youzhou.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 57, 76
Relation Sworn father of · Person Emperor Zhuangzong (河南天子)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 61
Relation Sworn brother of · Person Late lord of Hedong (河東先世)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 61

Assessments and attributes

Assessment Zhuangzong wasted the people with palace women, musicians, hunting, and wine until the realm turned against him · Mode quotation Speaker Yelü Abaoji (阿保機)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 71
nine chi tall, wore a brocade robe with a great belt hanging behind
Physical description
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 57

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 137Volume 137: Foreign States Biographies 1: Khitan · 13 passages

明宗初纂嗣，遣供奉官姚坤奉書告哀，至西樓邑，屬阿保機在渤海，又徑至慎州，崎嶇萬里。 When Emperor Mingzong first took the throne, he sent the palace attendant Yao Kun with a letter of condolence. Kun reached Western Tower, learned that Abaoji was campaigning in Bohai, and pressed on to Shenzhou across ten thousand li of hard country.

既至，謁見阿保機，延入穹廬，阿保機身長九尺，被錦袍，大帶垂後，與妻對榻引見坤。 When he arrived he was received by Abaoji in the royal tent. Abaoji stood nine chi tall, wore a brocade robe with a great belt hanging behind him, and with his wife on a facing couch received Kun.

坤未致命，阿保機先問曰：「聞爾漢土河南、河北各有一天子，信乎？」 Before Kun could deliver his message, Abaoji asked, "I hear that your Han lands now have one Son of Heaven south of the Yellow River and another north of it. Is that true?"

阿保機號咷，聲淚俱發，曰：「我與河東先世約為兄弟，河南天子吾兒也。 Abaoji broke into loud wailing, voice and tears together, and said, "Your late sovereign of Hedong and I were sworn brothers. The Son of Heaven south of the river was my son.

坤曰：「吾皇將兵二十年，位至大總管，所部精兵三十萬，眾口一心，聖堅推戴，違之則立見禍生，非不知稟天皇王意旨，無奈人心何。」 Kun said, "Our emperor has led armies for twenty years and commands three hundred thousand elite troops. Every man under him spoke as one. They pressed him to the throne, and to refuse would have brought immediate ruin. We do not ignore the Heavenly Emperor King's wishes, but we could not defy the will of the army."

因引左氏牽牛蹊田之說以折坤，坤曰：「應天順人，不同匹夫之義，只如天皇王初領國事，豈是強取之耶！」 He cited the Zuo Commentary tale of the oxherd who trampled another's fields to rebuke Kun. Kun replied, "To follow Heaven and win the people's assent is not the same as a private quarrel. When you first took power, Heavenly Emperor King, was that by force alone?"

阿保機因曰：「理當如此，我漢國兒子致有此難，我知之矣。 Abaoji said, "That is only right. I know now why my Han son came to this end.

阿保機忻然曰：「聞西有劍閣，兵馬從何過得？」 Abaoji said with delight, "I have heard of Sword Pass in the west. How could an army pass it?"

阿保機善漢語，謂坤曰：「吾解漢語，歷口不敢言，懼部人效我，令兵士怯弱故也。」 Abaoji was fluent in Chinese. He told Kun, "I understand your language, but I have never dared speak it openly, lest my tribes imitate me and my warriors grow soft."

坤至止三日，阿保機病傷寒。 Kun had been there only three days when Abaoji fell ill with a fever.

明年正月，葬阿保機於木葉山，偽謚曰「大聖皇帝」。 In the first month of the following year they buried Abaoji on Mount Muye and gave him the posthumous title "Great Sage Emperor."

阿保機凡三子，皆雄偉。 Abaoji had three sons, all imposing men.

唐天成初，阿保機死，其母令德光權主牙帳，令少子安端少君往渤海國代突欲。 Early in Tiancheng, when Abaoji died, his mother had Deguang govern the tribal camp in his stead and sent the youngest son, Young Lord Anduan, to Bohai to replace Tuyu.