Yelü Chucai (耶律楚材)

Overview

The translated histories identify Yelü Chucai as an official and statesman. This record brings together 6 passages from 2 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Yelü Chucai	耶律楚材	Yēlǜ Chǔcái
Surname	Yelü	耶律	Yēlǜ
Personal	Yelü Chucai	耶律楚材	Yelü Chucai

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · yuanshi:002:s0207

Roles

Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 甲辰年夏五月 · Western Year: AD 1244
Explicit · yuanshi:002:s0213

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 乙未 · Western Year: AD 1235
Explicit event contextual date · yuanshi:191:s0018, yuanshi:191:s0019
Source Date: Text: 元年己丑 · Western Year: AD 1229
Explicit event contextual date · yuanshi:002:s0207
Source Date: Text: 甲辰年夏五月 · Western Year: AD 1244
Explicit event contextual date · yuanshi:002:s0213

Career and standing

Label: Secretariat Director / 中書令 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 三年辛卯 · Western Year: AD 1231
Explicit · yuanshi:002:s0022
Label: levy administrator for Han households north of the Yellow River / 河北漢民賦調主之 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元年己丑 · Western Year: AD 1229
Explicit · yuanshi:002:s0207

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: yuan · Relation: served
Explicit · yuanshi:002:s0022

Works and attributed material

Work: Compilation Office at Yanjing / 燕京編修所 · Relation: sponsor · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 八年丙申 · Western Year: AD 1236
Explicit · yuanshi:002:s0099

Events and relationships

Kind: petition · Role: court intermediary · Action: enabled Tan Cheng to present census harms · Other Person Id: Tan Cheng (譚澄)
Explicit · yuanshi:191:s0019

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

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

Open chapter

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 191Volume 191 Biographies 78: Virtuous Officials 1 · 1 passage

Open chapter

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;