Empress Dowager Yingtian
| Shulü Ping | |||||||||
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| Born | October 19, 879 | ||||||||
| Died | August 1, 953 (aged 73) | ||||||||
| Spouse | Emperor Taizu of Liao | ||||||||
| Issue |
Yelü Bei, King of Dongdan Emperor Taizong of Liao Yelü Lihu |
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| Full name | |
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Empress Di (地皇后) Empress Yingtian Daiming Di (應天大明地皇后) Empress Dowager Guangdi Zhiren Zhaoli Chongjiang Yingtian (廣德至仁昭烈崇簡應天皇太后) |
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| Posthumous name | |
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Zhenlie (貞烈) Chunqin Huanghou (淳欽皇后) |
Empress Shulü Ping (述律平) (879-953), nickname Yueliduo (月里朵), formally Empress Yingtian (simplified Chinese: 应天皇后; traditional Chinese: 應天皇后) or Empress of Earth (地皇后) during the reign of her husband Emperor Taizu of Liao (Yelü Abaoji), posthumous name initially Zhenlie (貞烈, "virtuous and achieving") then Chunqin Huanghou (淳欽皇后, "the pure and honored empress") was an empress of the Khitan Liao Dynasty. After Emperor Taizu's death in 926, she served as empress dowager to her own death in 953. She was directly involved in two imperial successions and is credited with changing expectations of widows in Khitan society.
Shulü Ping was born in 879. Her great-great-grandfather Shulü Nuosi (述律糯思) was said to be of Huigu extraction. Her father was named Shulü Pogu (述律婆姑), who also had the name of Yuewan (月碗), who served under the Khitan Yaonian Clan (遙輦). Her mother was said to be a daughter of "King Yundejia" (勻德恝王) — apparently the grandfather of her eventual husband Yelü Abaoji, Yelü Yundeshi (耶律勻德實) — which would make her and Yelü Abaoji cousins. Eventually, she married Yelü Abaoji as his wife, but it is not known when that occurred. She bore Yelü Abaoji three sons — Yelü Bei, Yelü Deguang, and Yelü Lihu.
In 916, Yelü Abaoji, having consolidated the power over the Khitan tribes into his hands, declared himself emperor of a new Khitan Empire (as Emperor Taizu), and created Lady Shulü Ping empress. As empress, she was described as brave, resolute, and full of strategies, often participating in Emperor Taizu's military decisions. There was one time when Emperor Taizu were attacking the Dangxiang through the desert. He left Empress Shulü in charge of the headquarters. Hearing that he was away, two Shiwei tribes, the Huangtou (黃頭) and the Choubo (臭泊), decided to raid the Khitan headquarters. She heard of their plans, however, and put her army on an ambush posture, crushing them upon their arrival. Her reputation among the nomadic people thereafter became prominent. It was said that she refused to bow to her mother and her mother-in-law, but rather received their bows, stating, "I only bow to Heaven, not to people." As, at that time, the Shatuo prince of Jin, Li Cunxu, was locked in a war against archrival Later Liang, he sought an alliance with the Khitan, and he honored Emperor Taizu as an uncle and Empress Shulü as an aunt.
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