Yelü Susa (耶律速撒)

Overview

The translated histories identify Yelü Susa as a general, military officer, and official. This record brings together 12 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 Susa	耶律速撒	Yēlǜ Sùsā
Courtesy name	Amin	阿敏	Āmǐn
Personal	Susa	速撒	Sùsā
Given	Susa	速撒	Sùsǎ
Surname	Yelu	耶律	Yēlǜ
Personal name	Yelu Susa	耶律速撒	Yelü Susa
Personal name	Yelu Susa	耶律速撒	Yēlǜ Sùsǎ

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:008:s0108, liaoshi:094:s0026
Sex: male
Explicit · liaoshi:010:s0212, liaoshi:085:s0032

Roles

General
Military Officer
Official

Life and dates

Death

Statement: served on the frontier twenty years then died
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0034

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 統和元年 · Reign Id: liao-tonghe · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 983
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:010:s0017, liaoshi:010:s0108
Source Date: Text: 統和初 · Reign Id: liao-tonghe · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 983
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:094:s0031
Source Date: Text: 應歷初 · Reign Id: liao-yingli · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 951
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:094:s0027
Source Date: Text: 統和二年 · Reign Id: liao-tonghe · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 984
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:010:s0154, liaoshi:085:s0032
Source Date: Text: 乾亨四年 · Reign Id: liao-qianheng · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 982
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:010:s0212
Source Date: Text: 保寧七年 · Western Year: AD 975
Explicit · liaoshi:008:s0108
Source Date: Text: 保寧三年 · Western Year: AD 971
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0029
Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: AD 972
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0030

Career and standing

Label: attendant / 侍從 · Action: appointed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 應歷初 · Reign Id: liao-yingli · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 951
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:094:s0027
Label: grand master of the Dunmu Palace / 敦睦宮太師 · Action: appointed
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0028
Label: chief commander of Ba, Ji, Xiang, Shun, and Sheng prefectures / 霸、濟、祥、順、聖五州都總管 · Action: held
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0028
Label: military commissioner of the Tülübu tribe / 突呂不部節度使 · Action: promoted
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0027
Label: chief commander of the Nine Tribes / 九部都詳穩 · Action: transferred · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 保寧三年 · Western Year: AD 971
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0029
Label: personal edict of commendation / 手詔勞之 · Action: received
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0030

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: liao · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:008:s0108
Polity Id: liao · Relation: served
Explicit · liaoshi:010:s0212, liaoshi:094:s0027

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: campaigned against · Other Label: Zubu / 阻卜
Explicit · liaoshi:010:s0212
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: campaigned-against-Tangut · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: AD 972
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0030
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: killed Zubu chieftain Talagan · Other Person Id: Talagan (撻剌幹)
Explicit · liaoshi:010:s0154
Kind: military · Role: presenter · Action: presented-Tangut-captives · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 保寧七年三月 · Western Year: AD 975
Explicit · liaoshi:008:s0108
Kind: political · Role: pacifier · Action: settled-frontier-tribes
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0031
Relation: trusted-by · Person Id: Empress Dowager (太后)
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0031

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: commended for defeating Zubu · Provenance: Mode: edict
Explicit · liaoshi:010:s0022
Assessment: labored-to-settle-tribes · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0076
Kind: character · Statement: loyal, upright, austere, trained in military affairs
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0026
Kind: character · Statement: shared soldiers hardships and distributed booty evenly
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0032

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · liaoshi:008:s0108

References in the histories

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

History of Liao, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Jingzong 1 · 1 passage

Open chapter

三月壬午，耶律速撒等獻党項俘，分賜群臣。 In the third month, on renwu day, Yelü Susa and others presented Tangut captives, which were distributed among the ministers.

History of Liao, Chapter 10Volume 10 Annals 10: Shengzong 1 · 6 passages

Open chapter

十二月戊午朔，耶律速撒討阻卜。 On the wuwu new moon of the twelfth month, Yelü Susa campaigned against the Zubu.

辛巳，速撒獻阻卜俘。 On xinsi day Susa presented prisoners taken from the Zubu.

乙酉，以速撒破阻卜，下詔褒美； On yiyou day, because Susa had broken the Zubu, an edict commended him;

速撒奏討党項捷，遣使慰勞。 Susa reported victory over the Tangut; envoys were dispatched to comfort and reward the troops.

癸巳，速撒奏敵烈部及叛蕃來降，悉復故地。 On guisi day Susa reported that the Dilie division and rebellious tribes had submitted and that all lost territory had been recovered.

是月，速撒等討阻卜，殺其酋長撻剌幹。 That month Susa and others campaigned against the Zubu and killed their chieftain Talagan.

History of Liao, Chapter 85Volume 85 Biographies 15: Xiao Talin, Xiao Guanyinnu, Yelu Tizi, Yelu Xieli, Yelu Nugua, Xiao Liu, Gao Xun, Xi Heshuonu, Xiao Taliege, Yelu Sahe · 1 passage

Open chapter

統和二年，將兵與西邊詳穩耶律速撒討陀羅斤，大破之。 In the second year of Tonghe he took command alongside Western Frontier Commander Yelu Susa to attack the Tuoluojin and routed them decisively.

History of Liao, Chapter 94Volume 94 Biographies 24: Yelu Huage, Yelu Wola, Yelu Susa, Xiao Aludai, Yelu Naye, Yelu Helusaogu, Yelu Shiliang · 4 passages

Open chapter

耶律化哥耶律斡臘耶律速撒蕭阿魯帶耶律那也耶律何魯掃古耶律世良 Yelu Huage, Yelu Wola, Yelu Susa, Xiao Aludai, Yelu Naye, Yelu Helusaogu, and Yelu Shiliang.

耶律速撒，字阿敏，性忠直簡毅，練武事。 Yelu Susa, courtesy name Amin, was loyal and forthright by nature, austere in manner, and thoroughly trained in military affairs.

統和初，皇太后稱制，西邊甫定，速撒務安集諸蕃，利害輒具以聞，太后益信任之。 When Tonghe began, the empress dowager ruled as regent and the western frontier had only just been pacified; Susa worked to settle the frontier tribes and reported every advantage and risk in full, and the empress dowager came to rely on him still more.

若斡臘之戒深入，速撒之務安集，亦鐵中之錚錚者邪？ Yet are not Wola, who warned against pushing too deep, and Susa, who labored to settle the tribes, the true steel among iron?