Five Dynasties · Ruler

Yelü Deguang 德光

Deguang

Attested AD 942 - AD 947

Passages: 10
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Yelü Deguang was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 946 三年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 136
AD 942 少帝嗣位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 121
AD 947 明年春正月朔日
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 142
AD 944 開運元年春
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 125

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Mother of Deguang (德光母)
son 子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 131

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 147

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Yelü Deguang (德光)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 129

Events and relationships

Accepted surrender
AD 946 十二月十日 · Military · Commander · With Du Chongwei (杜重威) · At Zhongdu Bridge 中渡橋
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 137
Entered capital
AD 947 明年春正月朔日 · Military · Conqueror · At Bian 汴 · Summary Entered Bian, occupied the palace, demoted the Young Emperor, appointed Jin officials, proclaimed Great Liao.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 142-143, 147
Flogged chiefs
AD 944 其年三月 · Legal · Authority · With Zhao Yanshou (趙延壽) · Summary Flogged chiefs for the Yangcheng rout; only Zhao Yanshou was spared.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 127
Invaded
AD 944 開運元年春 · Military · Commander · At Qizhou 祁州 · Summary Marched south, took Qizhou, reached the Yellow River; defeated at Yangcheng in the third month and fled to Youzhou on a camel.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 125-126
Rebuked
AD 942 少帝嗣位 · Diplomatic · Overlord · With Young Emperor of Jin (少帝) · Summary Furious the Young Emperor took the throne without leave; insulted Jin envoys.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 121

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 137Volume 137: Foreign States Biographies 1: Khitan · 10 passages

及少帝嗣位，遣使入契丹，德光以少帝不先承稟，擅即尊位，所賫文字，略去臣禮，大怒，形於責讓，朝廷使去，即加譴辱。 When the Young Emperor succeeded, he sent envoys to the Khitan. Deguang was furious that the new ruler had taken the throne without his leave and that the letters omitted the language of vassalage. He rebuked them openly and insulted every envoy who departed.

榮至本國，具言其事，德光大怒，會青州楊光遠叛，遣使構之。 Rong reported every word at home. Deguang was enraged. When Yang Guangyuan rebelled in Qingzhou, Deguang sent envoys to encourage him.

明年冬，德光率諸部南下，開運元年春，陷祁州，直抵大河，少帝幸澶州以禦之。 The next winter Deguang marched south with all his tribes. In the spring of Kaiyun 1 he took Qizhou and reached the Yellow River. The Young Emperor went to Chanzhou to meet him.

其年三月，德光敗於陽城，棄其車帳，乘一橐駝奔至幽州。 In the third month he was defeated at Yangcheng, abandoned his wagons and tents, and fled on a single camel to Youzhou.

使回，德光報曰：「但使桑維翰、景延廣自來，並割鎮、定與我，則可通和也。」 When the envoys returned, Deguang replied, "Peace is possible only if Sang Weihan and Jing Yanguang come in person and Zhen and Ding are ceded to me."

契丹主聞晉既出師，自率諸部由易、定抵鎮州，杜重威等自瀛州西趨常山，至中渡橋，敵已至矣，兩軍隔滹水而寨焉。 Hearing that the Jin had marched, the Khitan ruler led his tribes from Yi and Ding to Zhenzhou while Du Chongwei advanced west from Yingzhou toward Changshan. At Zhongdu Bridge the enemy was already there. The two armies camped on opposite banks of the Hutuo River.

十二日，德光入鎮州，大犒將士。 On the twelfth day Deguang entered Zhenzhou and feasted his troops.

明年春正月朔日，德光至汴北，文武百官迎於路。 On New Year's Day of the following spring Deguang reached the north bank of Bian. Civil and military officials met him on the road.

七日，德光復自赤崗入居於大內，分命使臣於京城及往諸道括借錢帛。 On the seventh day he moved from Chigang into the inner palace and sent agents through the capital and every circuit to seize money and silk.

二月朔日，德光服漢法服，坐崇元殿受蕃漢朝賀，宣制大赦天下，改晉國為大遼國。 On the first day of the second month Deguang wore Chinese court dress, took his seat in Chongyuan Hall to receive congratulations from Khitan and Han officials, proclaimed a general amnesty, and renamed the Jin realm Great Liao.