Khitan

A Mongolian ethnic group that lived long ago as nomads in the Shiramuren River basin in the eastern Khingan Mountains of China, and founded the Liao Dynasty in the early 10th century. The first document to convey the name Khitan is the Weishu, the official history of the Northern Wei Dynasty from the 4th century, but since it is written as Kitai on an Orkhon inscription from the first half of the 8th century and Kitan (plural of Kitai) on a Uighur inscription from the second half of the 8th century, it is likely that Khitan is a transcription of the phonetic pronunciation in Chinese characters. Today, the word Khitai for China in Russian, Turkish, and Greek is said to originate from Khitan.

The Khitan people, who originally lived in the Siramuren River basin, migrated south in the 5th century and became nomads in the Daling River basin. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, they lived in Yingzhou (present-day Chaoyang, Liaoning Province), and their chief was given the position of commander and was under Chinese protection. However, after a rebellion broke out in Yingzhou in 696 and was defeated by the Tang army, they gradually moved and established their base near the confluence of the Siramuren and Laoha rivers. The Khitan were made up of eight to ten tribes, each of which was divided into two clans (phratry): the Yelu clan, whose totem was the horse, and the Shenmi clan (Xiao clan), whose totem was the cow. However, the tribes came together and cooperated through their struggle with the Tang dynasty. At the beginning of the 10th century, Yelu Abaoji emerged from the Diapa tribe, abolished the previous system of mutual election of the monarch, ascended to the throne in 907, and established the monarchical state of Da Khitan. Abaoji attacked the Tanguts, Tuyuhun, Tatars, and Uighurs, destroyed the Bohai state, and died in 927. His second son, Taizong, invaded China, destroyed the Later Jin state, and in 947 changed the state's name to Da Liao.

[Yoshihiro Kawachi]

"Tamura Jitsuzo, 'Research on the Chinese Conquering Dynasties, Vol. 1' (1964, Oriental History Research Society)" ▽ "Atago Matsuo, 'Research on the Ancient History of Khitan' (1959, Oriental History Research Society)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古くから中国の興安嶺(こうあんれい)東部のシラムレン川流域に遊牧し、10世紀の初め遼(りょう)王朝を建設したモンゴル系の民族。契丹の名を伝えた最初の文献は4世紀の北魏(ほくぎ)王朝の正史『魏書』であるが、8世紀前半のオルホン碑文にはキタイ、8世紀後半のウイグル碑文にはキタン（キタイの複数形）と記されているから、契丹はその音を漢字で写したものであろう。今日、ロシア語、トルコ語、ギリシア語で中国のことをキタイとよぶのは契丹に由来するという。

　初めシラムレン川流域にいた契丹族は5世紀には南方に移住し、大凌河(だいりょうが)流域に遊牧した。隋(ずい)・唐時代には営州（現在の遼寧(りょうねい／リヤオニン)省朝陽(ちょうよう／チャオヤン)）に住み、首長(しゅちょう)は都督の職を与えられて中国の庇護(ひご)を得ていたが、696年営州に反乱が起き唐軍の討伐を受けてからしだいに移動し、シラムレン川とラオハ川の合流点付近に本拠を移した。契丹は8部ないし10部の部族から構成され、各部は馬をトーテムとする耶律(やりつ)姓と牛をトーテムとする審密(しんみつ)姓（蕭(しょう)姓）との二つの氏族（フラトリー）に分属していたが、唐王朝との闘争を通じて部族が結集して協力するようになった。10世紀の初め、迭剌(てつら)部から耶律阿保機(やりつあぼき)が出ると、それまでの君長互選制を廃止し、907年皇位につき、君主独裁の大契丹国を建てた。阿保機はタングート、吐谷渾(とよくこん)、タタール、ウイグルを攻め、渤海(ぼっかい)国を滅ぼし、927年死亡した。その次男の太宗は中国に侵入して後晋(こうしん)を滅ぼし、947年、国号を大遼国と改めた。

［河内良弘］

『田村実造著『中国征服王朝の研究　上』（1964・東洋史研究会）』▽『愛宕松男著『契丹古代史の研究』（1959・東洋史研究会）』

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