Yelü Dashi (耶律大石)

Overview

The translated histories identify Yelü Dashi as a general, military officer, named individual, and official. This record brings together 20 passages from 4 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Yelü Dashi	耶律大石	Yelü Dàshí
Courtesy name	Chongde	重德	Zhòngdé
Personal name	Dashi	大石	Dàshí
Title	Dashi Linya	大石林牙	Dàshí Línyá
Temple name	Dezong	德宗	Dézōng
Title	Great Stone Linya	大石林牙
Title	Gur Khan	葛兒罕
Title	Heavenly Emperor	天皇帝
Title	Linya Yelü Dashi	林牙耶律大石
Surname	Yelu	耶律	Yēlǜ
Surname	Yelü	耶律	Yēlǜ
Personal name	Yelu Dashi	耶律大石	Yēlǜ Dàshí
Personal name	Yelü Dashi	耶律大石	Yelü Dàshí
Personal name	Yelü Dashi	耶律大石	Yēlǜ Dàshí
Personal name	Yelü Dashi	大石	Yēlǜ Dàshí

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0077, liaoshi:101:s0081, liaoshi:117:s0024
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:060:s0067

Roles

General
Military Officer
Named Individual
Official
Royal Family Member
Ruler
Scholar

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 康國十年 · Western Year: AD 1143
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0202

Age

Value: 38 · Reckoning: sui · At Event: accession
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0118

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 保大二年 · Western Year: AD 1122
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0083
Source Date: Text: 保大年間 · Western Year: AD 1122
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:101:s0076, liaoshi:101:s0081
Source Date: Text: 大石茍延 · Western Year: AD 1124
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:117:s0024
Source Date: Text: 天慶五年 · Western Year: AD 1115
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0080
Source Date: Text: 康國十年 · Western Year: AD 1143
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0202
Source Date: Text: 延慶三年 · Western Year: AD 1134
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0194
Source Date: Text: 甲辰歲二月五日 · Western Year: AD 1124
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0118
Source Date: Text: 遼亡之際 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1124 · End: AD 1125
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:060:s0067

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Descendant of Grandfather of Yelü Dashi (耶律大石之祖父)
Kinship Term: grandson / 孫 · Generation Distance: 2 · Line: paternal
Descendant of Abaoji (阿保機)
Kinship Term: eighth-generation grandson / 八代孫 · Generation Distance: 8 · Line: paternal
Spouse of Tabuyan (塔不煙)
Kinship Term: primary consort / 元妃 · Union Category: primary-marriage · Relationship State: active
Parent of Yilie (夷列)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Kin of Yelü Yanxi (延禧)
Kinship Term: Yelü Dashi prolonging the imperial line / 大石 · Line: paternal

Career and standing

Title: Gur Khan / Heavenly Emperor / 葛兒罕 / 天皇帝 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 甲辰歲二月五日 · Western Year: AD 1124 · Age: Value: 38 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0118, liaoshi:030:s0119

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: liao · Relation: associated
Explicit · liaoshi:101:s0081
Polity Id: liao · Relation: prolonged
Explicit · liaoshi:117:s0024
Polity Id: liao · Relation: served
Explicit · liaoshi:060:s0067
Place: Husi Ordu / 虎思斡耳朶 · Relation: founded-capital · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 延慶三年…康國元年 · Western Year: AD 1134
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0194

Learning and skills

Credential: Presented Scholar / 進士 · Action: earned · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天慶五年 · Western Year: AD 1115
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0080
Skill: Khitan and Han script / 遼、漢字 · Level: mastered
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0080
Skill: riding and archery / 騎射 · Level: skilled
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0080

Works and attributed material

Kind: letter · Role: author · Other Person Id: Bilgege (畢勒哥) · Quoted: true
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0099, liaoshi:030:s0100, liaoshi:030:s0101, liaoshi:030:s0102, liaoshi:030:s0103, liaoshi:030:s0104
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0087, liaoshi:030:s0088, liaoshi:030:s0093, liaoshi:030:s0094, liaoshi:030:s0095, liaoshi:030:s0096

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: possessor · Action: acquired-Songmo-herds · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 遼亡之際 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1124 · End: AD 1125
Explicit · liaoshi:060:s0067
Kind: political · Role: ruler · Action: barely-prolonged-dynastic-line · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大石茍延 · Western Year: AD 1124
Explicit · liaoshi:117:s0024
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: defeated · Place: Xunsi Gan / 尋思幹
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0110, liaoshi:030:s0115, liaoshi:030:s0116
Kind: killing · Role: killer · Action: killed · Other Person Id: Xiao Yixue (蕭乙薛)
Explicit · liaoshi:101:s0081
Relation: entrusted-military-by · Person Id: Yelü Chun (耶律淳)
Explicit · liaoshi:030:s0181

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · liaoshi:060:s0067

References in the histories

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

History of Liao, Chapter 30Volume 30 Annals 30: Emperor Tianzuo 4: Ye Luchun, Ye Luyali, Ye Ludashi and Son: Yilie, Yi Lie and Younger Sister: Pu Suwan, Yi Lieci and Son: Zhilugu · 17 passages

Open chapter

天祚皇帝四耶律淳耶律雅里耶律大石子:夷列夷列妹:普速完夷列次子:直魯古 Emperor Tianzuo IV; Yelü Chun; Yelü Yali; Yelü Dashi — Yilie; Yilie's sister Pusuwan; Yilie's second son Zhilugu

保大二年，天祚入夾山，奚王回離保、林牙耶律大石等引唐靈武故事，議欲立淳。 In Baoda year 2, Tianzuo entered Jia Mountain; Xi King Huilbao, Linya Yelü Dashi, and others cited the Tang Lingwu precedent and discussed enthroning Chun.

封其妻普賢女為德妃，以回離保知北院樞密使事，軍旅之事悉委大石。 He enfeoffed his wife Puxiannu as Virtuous Consort, made Huilbao privy commissioner of the Northern Court, and entrusted all military affairs to Dashi.

耶律大石 Yelü Dashi

耶律大石者，世號為西遼。 Yelü Dashi — his regime is known as Western Liao (Qara-Khitai).

大石字重德，太祖八代孫也。 Dashi's style was Chongde; he was the eighth-generation grandson of Taizu.

遼以翰林為林牙，故稱大石林牙。 Liao took Hanlin as linya, so he was called Great Stone Linya.

天祚怒誅德妃而責大石曰：「我在，汝何敢立淳？」 Tianzuo angrily executed Virtuous Consort Xiao and blamed Dashi, saying, "While I live, how dare you set up Chun?"

大石不自安，遂殺蕭乙薛、坡里括，自立為王，率鐵騎二百宵遁。 Dashi was ill at ease; he thereupon killed Xiao Yixue and Poliguo, styled himself king, and led two hundred iron cavalry fleeing by night.

又西至起兒漫，文武百官冊立大石為帝，以甲辰歲二月五日即位，年三十八，號葛兒罕。 Again going west to Qier Man, civil and military hundred officials invested Dashi as emperor; on jiachen year second month fifth day he took the throne, age thirty-eight, styled Gur Khan.

復上漢尊號曰天皇帝，改元延慶。 Again he took the Han honorific title Heavenly Emperor and changed the era to Yanqing.