Song, Liao, and Jin · Official and Statesman

Yelü Chucai 耶律楚材

Yēlǜ Chǔcái

First attested AD 1215; died AD 1244

Passages: 8
Chapters: 4
Histories: 1

Overview

Yelü Chucai was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 1244 甲辰年夏五月
Directly stated · History of Yuan 2, passage 213

Attested activity

AD 1235 乙未
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 191, passages 18-19
AD 1229 元年己丑
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 2, passage 207
AD 1244 甲辰年夏五月
Dated from the passage context · History of Yuan 2, passage 213
AD 1218 to AD 1244 耶律楚材
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 180, passage 2
AD 1215 to AD 1244 耶律楚材時代
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 145, passage 120

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Yelu Xiliang (耶律希亮)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · History of Yuan 180, passage 2
Parent of Yelu Zhu (耶律鑄)
father 父
Strongly inferred · History of Yuan 180, passage 2

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Secretariat Director 中書令
AD 1231 三年辛卯 · Appointed
Directly stated · History of Yuan 2, passage 22
levy administrator for Han households north of the Yellow River 河北漢民賦調主之
AD 1229 元年己丑 · Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 2, passage 207
Central Secretariat Director 中書令
Held
Directly stated · History of Yuan 145, passage 120

Places and affiliations

Polity Id yuan · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Yuan 2, passage 22
At ancestral grave-land 先塋地 · Relation Burial place
Directly stated · History of Yuan 145, passage 120

Works and attributed material

Compilation Office at Yanjing 燕京編修所
AD 1236 八年丙申 · Relation Sponsor
Directly stated · History of Yuan 2, passage 99

Events and relationships

Enabled Tan Cheng to present census harms
Petition · Court intermediary · With Tan Cheng (譚澄)
Directly stated · History of Yuan 191, passage 19

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Yuan 180, passage 2

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

History of Yuan, Chapter 2Volume 2 Annals 2: Taizong, Dingzong · 5 passages

命河北漢民以戶計，出賦調，耶律楚材主之； Han subjects north of the Yellow River were ordered to pay household-based levies under Yelü Chucai;

始立中書省，改侍從官名，以耶律楚材為中書令，粘合重山為左丞相，鎮海為右丞相。 The Secretariat was established for the first time and the titles of attendant officials were changed: Yelü Chucai was made Secretariat Director, Nianhe Chongshan Left Chancellor, and Zhenhai Right Chancellor.

耶律楚材請立編修所於燕京，經籍所於平陽，編集經史，召儒士梁陟充長官，以王萬慶、趙著副之。 Yelü Chucai requested establishment of a Compilation Office at Yanjing and a Classics Repository at Pingyang to collect and edit the classics and histories; the Confucian Liang Zhi was summoned as chief, with Wang Wanqing and Zhao Zhu as deputies.

耶律楚材言非便，遂命各位止設達魯花赤，朝廷置官吏收其租頒之，非奉詔不得徵兵賦。 Yelü Chucai argued that the arrangement was unwise. Each appanage was therefore limited to a single darughachi, while court officials collected the rents and disbursed them; no prince might levy troops or taxes without an imperial command.

甲辰年夏五月，中書令耶律楚材薨。 In the fifth summer month of jiachen, Secretariat Director Yelü Chucai died.

History of Yuan, Chapter 145Volume 145 Biographies 32: Yilianzhenban, Lianhuishanhaiya, Yuelubuhua, Dalimashili · 1 passage

有執政以故中書令耶律楚材先塋地冒奏與蕃僧為業者，月魯不花格之，卒弗與。 When a chief minister falsely petitioned to grant the ancestral grave-land of the former Central Secretariat Director Yelü Chucai to Tibetan monks, Yuelubuhua blocked the grant and would not allow it.

History of Yuan, Chapter 180Volume 180 Biographies 67: Yelu Xiliang, Zhao Shiyan, Kong Sihui · 1 passage

耶律希亮，字明甫，楚材之孫，鑄之子也。 Yelu Xiliang, whose style name was Mingfu, was the grandson of Yelu Chucai and the son of Yelu Zhu.

History of Yuan, Chapter 191Volume 191 Biographies 78: Virtuous Officials 1 · 1 passage

澄入覲，因中書耶律楚材，面陳其害，太宗惻然，為免其逋，其私負者，年雖多，息取倍而止； Cheng went to court and, through Yelü Chucai of the Central Secretariat, explained the damage in person. Ögedei was moved to compassion, remitted the tax arrears, and for private debts, no matter how old, limited interest to no more than the principal;