| Emperor Taizong of Liao |
| Emperor of the Liao dynasty |
| Reign |
11 December 927 – 18 May 947 |
| Predecessor |
Emperor Taizu |
| Successor |
Emperor Shizong |
|
|
| Born |
Yaogu (Khitan name)
Yelü Deguang (sinicised name)
(902-11-25)25 November 902 |
| Died |
18 May 947(947-05-18) (aged 44) |
| Era dates |
Tianxian (天顯; 927–938)
Huitong (會同; 938–947)
Datong (大同; 947) |
| Posthumous name |
| Xiaowu Huiwen Huangdi (孝武惠文皇帝) |
| Temple name |
| Taizong |
|
| Father |
Emperor Taizu |
| Mother |
Empress Shulü Ping |
| Era dates |
Tianxian (天顯; 927–938)
Huitong (會同; 938–947)
Datong (大同; 947) |
| Posthumous name |
| Xiaowu Huiwen Huangdi (孝武惠文皇帝) |
| Temple name |
| Taizong |
Emperor Taizong of Liao (25 November 902 – 18 May 947), personal name Yaogu, sinicised name Yelü Deguang, courtesy name Dejin, was the second emperor of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty.
Yelü Deguang was born in 902, before the founding of the Khitan empire (which would later become known as Liao dynasty). His father was the Yelü clan chieftain Yelü Abaoji, and his mother was Yelü Abaoji's wife Shulü Ping; he was their second son. As a young adult, he was described by the History of Liao as serious in his appearance and kind in his disposition, and often participating in his parents' governance of the state.
In 922, by which time Yelü Abaoji was the emperor of the Khitan Empire (as its Emperor Taizu), Yelü Deguang was given the title of Generalissimo of All Forces (天下兵馬大元帥, Tianxia Bingma Da Yuanshuai), and he was put in charge of commanding incursions into the territory of Khitan's southern neighbor Jin. In 923, under him, the Khitan forces captured Jin's Ping Prefecture (平州, in modern Qinhuangdao, Hebei), and also defeated the Huxun Tribe (胡遜) of the Xi. It was said that he later followed Emperor Taizu in defeating the Khitan Jueli Tribes (厥里), forcing the submission of the Dangxiang tribes in the Ordos Loop region, conquering the garrisons of the Hexi Corridor region, capturing the capital of the Gansu Uyghur Kingdom, defeating Balhae, and destroying the Dalugu Tribes (達盧骨).
In 926, Emperor Taizu decided to conquer Balhae. In a campaign, he captured the important Balhae city Fuyu (夫餘, in modern Siping, Jilin). (This appeared to have ended the Balhae state, even though Emperor Taizu did not at this time capture Balhae's capital Longquan.) Emperor Taizu set up a Dongdan Kingdom over the old Balhae territory, with its capital at Fuyu, and made Yelü Deguan's older brother Yelü Bei its king, with the title of "Imperial King of Man" (人皇王, Ren Huangwang), echoing the titles used by himself ("Imperial Emperor of Heaven," 天皇帝, Tian Huangdi) and his wife (Yelü Bei's mother) Empress Shulü ("Imperial Empress of Earth," 地皇后, Di Huanghou). He gave Yelü Deguang the title of "Generalissimo Crown Prince" and made Yelü Deguang in charge of the Khitan capital Linhuang (臨潢, in modern Chifeng, Inner Mongolia), which Yelü Bei had previously been in charge of.
...
Wikipedia
