Yelü Yan (耶律儼) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Yelü Yan as an aristocrat, diplomat, historian, and official. This record brings together 26 passages from 10 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Yelü Yan	耶律儼	Yēlǜ Yǎn
Title	Duke of Yue	越國公
Title	Exalted Father	尚父
Surname	Li	李
Title	Prince of Qishui Commandery	漆水郡王
Title	Privy Council academician	樞密直學士
Courtesy name	Ruosi	若思
Given	Yan	儼	Yǎn
Given	Yan	儼
Given name	Yan	儼
Surname	Yelu	耶律	Yēlǜ
Surname	Yelu	耶律
Surname	Yelü	耶律	Yēlǜ
Surname	Yelü	耶律	Yelü
Surname	Yelü	耶律
Personal name	Yelu Yan	耶律儼
Personal	Yelü Yan	耶律儼	Yelü Yan
Personal name	Yelü Yan	耶律儼
Personal name	Yelü Yan	耶律儼	Yēlǜ Yǎn
Personal name	Yelü Yan	耶律儼	Yelü Yan
Personal name	Yelu Yi	耶律儼	Yēlǜ Yǎn
Personal name	Yelü Yi	耶律儼	Yēlǜ Yǎn
Posthumous name	Zhongyi	忠懿
Given		儼	Yan
Surname		耶律	Yelü

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · liaoshi:025:s0044, liaoshi:026:s0092, liaoshi:027:s0068, liaoshi:058:s0008, liaoshi:105:s0102, liaoshi:117:s0026
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:044:s0013, liaoshi:049:s0022, liaoshi:098:s0001

Roles

Aristocrat
Diplomat
Historian
Official
Poet
Scholar
Statesman
Teacher
Writer

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天慶三年十二月丙辰 · Western Year: AD 1113
Explicit · liaoshi:027:s0212
Description: Died and received the posthumous title Exalted Father and name Zhongyi. · Western Year: AD 1111 · Source Date: Text: Tianqing
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0124

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 乾統三年十一月 · Reign Id: liao-qiantong · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 1103
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:027:s0068
Source Date: Text: AD 1065-1111 · Western Year: AD 1065
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0046, liaoshi:098:s0124
Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: AD 1088
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:025:s0044
Source Date: Text: 壽隆四年十一月 · Western Year: AD 1098
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:026:s0092
Source Date: Text: 天慶三年十二月 · Western Year: AD 1113
Explicit · liaoshi:027:s0212
Source Date: Text: 天祚朝 · Western Year: AD 1101
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:105:s0095, liaoshi:105:s0102
Source Date: Text: 耶律儼《志》 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1055 · End: AD 1113
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:049:s0022
Source Date: Text: 耶律儼語多避忌 · Western Year: c. AD 1120
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:117:s0026
Source Date: Text: 道宗崩 · Western Year: AD 1101
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0049
Source Date: Text: 遼 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1055 · End: AD 1113
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:044:s0013, liaoshi:044:s0017
Source Date: Text: 遼 · Western Interval: Start: AD 1100 · End: AD 1113
Explicit event contextual date · liaoshi:058:s0008

Family

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

Origins and identity

Ethnicity: Khitan / 契丹
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:044:s0013, liaoshi:049:s0022
Lineage: Yelü / 耶律
Explicit · liaoshi:049:s0022

Career and standing

Label: historian / 史家
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:049:s0022
Label: chancellor / 宰相 · Action: held
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0049
Label: Chief Councillor / 宰相 · Action: held
Explicit · liaoshi:105:s0102
Label: privy council academician / 樞密直學士 · Action: held
Explicit · liaoshi:026:s0092
Office: 中書省令史 / Central Secretariat clerk · Western Year: AD 1065 · Source Date: Text: Xianyong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0057
Office: 參知政事 / Associate Administrator of Affairs · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: Shoulong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0072
Office: 同知宣徽院事 / vice administrator of the Imperial Household Office
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0067
Office: 同簽部署司事 / jointly signing Deployment Office affairs
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0063
Office: 大理卿 / Director of the Court of Justice · Western Year: AD 1081
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0062
Office: 大理少卿 / Vice Director of the Court of Justice · Western Year: AD 1080
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0061
Office: 將作少監 / Vice Director of Palace Construction · Western Year: AD 1075
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0058
Office: 少府少監 / Vice Director of the Palace Workshop
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0060
Office: 尚父 / Exalted Father · Western Year: AD 1111 · Source Date: Text: Tianqing
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0124
Office: 山西路都轉運使 / Overall Transport Commissioner of the Western Shanxi Route · Western Year: AD 1090
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0068
Office: 御史中丞 / Censor-in-Chief · Western Year: AD 1086
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0066
Office: 提點大理寺 / supervising director of the Court of Justice
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0067
Office: 景州刺史 / prefect of Jingzhou · Western Year: AD 1085
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0064
Office: 樞密直學士 / Privy Council Academician · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: Shoulong early
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0070
Office: 漆水郡王 / Prince of Qishui Commandery · Western Year: AD 1106
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0121
Office: 知大理正 / Director of the Court of Justice
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0060
Office: 知樞密院事 / administrator of the Privy Council Office · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: late Daozong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0117
Office: 秦國公 / Duke of Qin · Western Year: AD 1103
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0120
Office: 經邦佐運功臣 / Merit Minister Who Supports the State in Governing · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: late Daozong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0117
Office: 著作佐郎 / Assistant Director of the Bureau of Attendants · Western Year: AD 1065 · Source Date: Text: Xianyong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0057
Office: 越國公 / Duke of Yue · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: late Daozong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0117
Office: 都部署判官 / Overall Deployment judge · Western Year: AD 1075
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0058

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: liao · Relation: served
Explicit · liaoshi:026:s0092, liaoshi:044:s0013, liaoshi:049:s0022, liaoshi:058:s0008, liaoshi:094:s0049, liaoshi:105:s0102
Polity Id: liao · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · liaoshi:117:s0026
Kind: origin · Action: Was a native of Xijin and originally of the Li surname.
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0046, liaoshi:098:s0047
Place: Xuanwen Pavilion / 宣文閣 · Relation: work-held-at
Explicit · liaoshi:049:s0022

Learning and skills

Kind: education · Action: Loved learning, had a reputation for poetry, and passed the Xianyong jinshi examination. · Western Year: AD 1065 · Source Date: Text: Xianyong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0056
Kind: ability · Action: Could memorize classical texts after one reading and could read the emperor's mind.
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0075, liaoshi:098:s0076

Works and attributed material

Work: Annals / 紀 · Relation: author
Explicit · liaoshi:044:s0013
Work: earlier ceremonial monographs / 舊志 · Relation: author
Explicit · liaoshi:058:s0008
Work: Liao historical account / 遼史記述 · Relation: author
Explicit · liaoshi:117:s0026
Work: Treatise on Liao rites / 志 · Relation: author
Explicit · liaoshi:049:s0022
Work: Veritable Records of the various emperors from Taizu onward / 太祖諸帝實錄 · Relation: compiler
Explicit · liaoshi:027:s0068

Events and relationships

Kind: policy-action · Action: Cleaned out transport-route abuses, fixed tax quotas, and increased local salaries. · Western Year: AD 1090
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0069
Kind: historiography · Action: Compiled seventy juan of the Veritable Records of the Imperial Dynasty.
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0118
Kind: ritual · Role: overseer · Action: directed-Daozong-tomb-works · Other Person Id: Yelü Heluosaogu (耶律何魯掃古)
Explicit · liaoshi:094:s0049
Kind: illness · Action: During Tianqing was allowed to attend court in a small carriage and later treated by the chief physician.
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0122, liaoshi:098:s0123
Kind: administration · Action: Governed Jingzhou well by restraining clerks, checking powerful bullies, and caring for the elderly and poor. · Western Year: AD 1085
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0065
Kind: scholarly · Role: lecturer · Action: lectured on Hongfan · Work: Hongfan chapter of the Book of Documents / 尚書·洪範 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: AD 1088
Explicit · liaoshi:025:s0044
Kind: regency-trust · Action: Received the final imperial command jointly with Asi. · Western Year: AD 1101 · Source Date: Text: Daozong final illness
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0119
Kind: scholarly · Role: annalist · Action: retrofitted-new-moon-dates · Statement: Used the Daming method to correct Yiwei months and new moons · Other Person Id: Chen Daren (陳大任)
Explicit · liaoshi:044:s0013
Kind: judicial-action · Action: Reviewed backlogged Upper Capital cases and reversed many wrongful convictions. · Western Year: AD 1086
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0066
Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: sent-to-Song
Explicit · liaoshi:026:s0092
Kind: family-conduct · Action: Told his wife not to lose the emperor's favor, strengthening court influence.
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0077, liaoshi:098:s0078
Kind: diplomacy · Action: Was sent to Song to mediate peace after Li Qianshun sought help during Song's attack on Xia. · Western Year: AD 1095 · Source Date: Text: Shoulong
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0072
Kind: consultation · Action: Was summoned to Yuanyang Marsh and consulted on government affairs. · Western Year: AD 1100 · Source Date: Text: Shoulong 6
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0073
Relation: historiographical-counterpart-of · Person Id: Chen Daren (陳大任)
Explicit · liaoshi:044:s0013, liaoshi:044:s0017
Relation: hostile-to · Person Id: Ma Renwang (馬人望)
Explicit · liaoshi:105:s0102

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: full of evasions and taboo · Provenance: Mode: speaker · Speaker Person Id: Toqto'a (脫脫)
Explicit · liaoshi:117:s0026
Assessment: Historians praised his talent and diligence but faulted his household conduct. · Kind: historians-assessment · Provenance: Mode: textual
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0113
Assessment: partisan readings appear under each entry · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · liaoshi:044:s0017
Assessment: Was incorruptible and would not take even the smallest gift. · Kind: character-assessment · Provenance: Mode: textual
Explicit · liaoshi:098:s0074

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · liaoshi:027:s0068, liaoshi:044:s0013

References in the histories

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

History of Liao, Chapter 25Volume 25 Annals 25: Daozong 5 · 1 passage

Open chapter

召樞密直學士耶律儼講《尚書·洪範》。 Privy Council academician Yelü Yan was summoned to lecture on the 《Hongfan》 chapter of the 《Book of Documents》.

History of Liao, Chapter 26Volume 26 Annals 26: Daozong 6 · 1 passage

Open chapter

十一月乙巳朔，知右夷離畢事蕭藥師奴、樞密直學士耶律儼使宋，諷與夏和。 On the yisi new moon of the eleventh month administrator of Right yilibi affairs Xiao Yaoshinu and privy council academician Yelü Yan were sent to Song to advise harmony with Xia.

History of Liao, Chapter 27Volume 27 Annals 27: Emperor Tianzuo 1 · 3 passages

Open chapter

召監修國史耶律儼纂太祖諸帝實錄。 Supervisor of compilation of the national history Yelü Yan was summoned to compile Veritable Records of the various emperors from Taizu onward.

十二月己巳，封耶律儼為漆水郡王，餘官進爵有差。 On jisi day of the twelfth month Yelü Yan was enfeoffed Prince of Qishui Commandery; remaining offices and titles were promoted in differing degrees.

丙辰，知樞密院事耶律儼薨。 On bingchen day Administrator of Privy Council Affairs Yelü Yan died.

History of Liao, Chapter 44Volume 44 Treatises 14: Celestial Phenomena 3 · 2 passages

Open chapter

耶律儼《紀》以《大明》法追正《乙未》月朔，又與陳大任《紀》時或抵牾。 Yelü Yan's 《Annals》 retrofitted 《Yiwei》 new-moon dates with the 《Daming》 system, which sometimes conflicts with Chen Daren's 《Annals》.

遼史不書國，儼、大任偏見並見各名； The Liao History omits state labels; Yan's and Daren's partisan readings both appear under each entry;

History of Liao, Chapter 49Volume 49 Treatises 19: Rites 1 · 1 passage

Open chapter

別得宣文閣所藏耶律儼《志》，視大任為加詳。 We also obtained Yelü Yan's treatise from the Xuanwen Pavilion collection, which is fuller than Daren's.

History of Liao, Chapter 58Volume 58 Treatises 28: Ceremonial Guards 4 · 1 passage

Open chapter

耶律儼、陳大任舊《志》有未備者，兼考之《遼朝雜禮》雲。 Where the earlier monographs by Yelü Yi and Chen Daren were incomplete, the Miscellaneous Rites of the Liao Dynasty was consulted as well.

History of Liao, Chapter 94Volume 94 Biographies 24: Yelu Huage, Yelu Wola, Yelu Susa, Xiao Aludai, Yelu Naye, Yelu Helusaogu, Yelu Shiliang · 1 passage

Open chapter

道宗崩，與宰相耶律儼總山陵事。 When Emperor Daozong died, he and the chancellor Yelu Yi jointly directed the imperial tomb works.

History of Liao, Chapter 98Volume 98 Biographies 28: Xiao Wuna, Yelu Yan, Liu Shen, Yelu Hulu · 14 passages

Open chapter

蕭兀納耶律儼劉伸耶律胡呂 Xiao Wuna, Yelu Yan, Liu Shen, and Yelu Hulu

耶律儼，字若思，析津人。 Yelu Yan, courtesy name Ruosi, was a native of Xijin.

儼儀觀秀整，好學，有詩名，登咸雍進士第。 Yan was handsome and well composed, devoted to learning, and celebrated as a poet; he passed the jinshi examination in Xianyong.

後兩府奏事，論群臣優劣，唯稱儼才俊。 Later, when the two chancelleries reviewed the ministers, only Yan was singled out as exceptionally able.

宋攻夏，李乾順遣使求和解，帝命儼如宋平之，拜參知政事。 When Song attacked Western Xia, Li Qianshun of Xia sent envoys seeking peace; the emperor dispatched Yan to mediate with Song, and on his return Yan was made Associate Administrator of Affairs.

六年，駕幸鴛鴦濼，召至內殿，訪以政事。 In year six the emperor visited Yuanyang Marsh, summoned Yan to the inner hall, and questioned him on policy.

儼嘗得勝采，上曰：「上相之征也！」 Yan once drew the winning lot; the emperor said, "This is the mark of a chief minister!"

遷知樞密院事，賜經邦佐運功臣，封越國公。 He was made administrator of the Privy Council Office, granted the title Merit Minister Who Supports the State in Governing, and enfeoffed Duke of Yue.