Due to their unique characteristics, the frequency of the emperor's personal conquest of the Liao, Jin, and Western Xia dynasties was much higher than that of the Han regime. This article will focus on the imperial conquests of the successive emperors of the Liao Dynasty and unveil the legendary chapter of this north-south conquest.
1.Liao Taizu Yeluyi (Yelu Abaoji) invaded the south and retreated north.
In the second year of the Divine Book (917 AD), Yelu Abaoji and Lu Wenjin joined forces to attack Xinzhou and Youzhou, and achieved some victories in the early days. However, with the arrival of Li Siyuan's reinforcements, Abaoji's Khitan army invaded the Central Plains again in the sixth year of the Divine Book (922 AD), but suffered a crushing defeat under Li Cunmiao's men. These two failures in the south forced Abaoji to change the direction of his troops, starting from the third year of Tianzan (924 AD), he turned to the north to conquer the Tuyuhun, Dangxiang, Zhubu and other tribes, and won a complete victory. At the same time, Abaoji also won many victories in the northeast, and finally conquered the Bohai Sea in the fourth year of Tianzan (925 AD) and successfully destroyed it.
2.Liao Taizong Yelu Deguang's many southern expeditions.
In November of the third year of Tianxian (928 AD), Yelu Deguang personally led the army south to conquer the Later Tang Dynasty. Six years later, taking advantage of the civil strife in the Later Tang Dynasty, Yelu Deguang led his army south again and captured Heyin, Yangcheng, Wazhicheng and other places. In the eleventh year of Tianxian (936 AD), he responded to Shi Jingjiao's request and personally assisted in the destruction of the Later Tang Dynasty. However, at the end of the sixth year of Huitong (943 AD), in order to restrain the new monarch of the Later Jin Dynasty, Yelu Deguang led his army south again, but this military operation was not smooth, and even Yelu Deguang himself fled north in a hurry. At the end of the ninth year of Huitong (946 AD), Yelu Deguang once again drove the Later Jin Dynasty and successfully destroyed the Later Jin Dynasty, and on the first day of the first month of the following year, Yelu Deguang entered Tokyo Bianliang with the honor guard of the Central Plains Emperor, and accepted the congratulations of the hundred officials in the Chongyuan Palace. However, soon after, the anti-Liao situation rose in various places, and Yelu Deguang was forced to withdraw from the Central Plains, and finally died halfway.
3.The tragedy of Liao Shizong Yelu Ruan's southern expedition.
In the fifth year of Tianlu (951 AD), Guo Wei Xingbing established the Later Zhou, and Liu Chong established the Northern Han Dynasty in Jinyang. Liu Chong and Yelu Ruan joined forces to go south, but the Liao Dynasty was in turmoil, and Yelu Ruan was forced to send troops, resulting in a coup d'état at Huoshendian, and Yelu Ruan was brutally killed.
4.The battle of Waqiao Pass of Yeluxian of Liaojingzong.
In the second year of Qianheng (980 AD), Ye Luxian personally drove his own expedition south to attack the Song Dynasty, and the two sides fought at Waqiao Pass. Yeluxian personally supervised the battle, and Yeluxiuge commanded the front, and finally the Liao army won a great victory.
5.The alliance between Yelu Longxu of Liao Shengzong and the Northern Song Dynasty.
In the twenty-second year of the unification of peace (1004 AD), Empress Dowager Xiao took Yelu Longxu to conquer the Northern Song Dynasty, and after a battle, the two sides reached the famous alliance of Lanyuan.
6.Liaoxing Sect Yelu Zong really fought in Western Xia.
As a result of the signing of the Yuanyuan Alliance, the target of Yelu Zongzhen's military campaign became Western Xia. In the thirteenth year of Chongxi (1044 AD) and the eighteenth year of Chongxi (1049 AD), Yelu Zongzhen twice drove his own expedition to Western Xia, but failed to achieve the desired results.
7.The final journey of Emperor Yelu Yanxi of Liao Tianzuo.
In the fifth year of Tianqing (1115 AD), in the face of the independent Jin Dynasty, Yelu Yanxi led the army to conquer in person. However, in front of the Jurchen army, the Liao army was defeated and eventually went to extinction.
This history of the north-south conquest witnessed the courage and determination of the Liao Dynasty emperor, and also showed the heavy price behind the conquest. The journey of these emperors in the north-south campaign is not only a legend, but also a beautiful scenery in Chinese history.
The history of the Liao Dynasty's imperial conquest is a wonderful picture scroll in ancient Chinese warfare, showing the ambition of the Khitan Emperor and the vicissitudes of life. This period of history of the north-south conquest not only witnessed the rise and fall of the Liao Dynasty, but also reflected the intricacies of politics, military and diplomacy at that time.
First of all, Yelu Abaoji's northern and southern campaign, although there were some losses in the early stage, the final success of the northern expedition allowed the Khitan power to be consolidated, especially his successful destruction of the Bohai Sea in the fourth year of Tianzan's eastward expedition to the Bohai Sea, demonstrating the strong power of the Khitan Empire. However, this also laid the groundwork for the later conquests, and the southward movement to the Central Plains was repeatedly defeated, which eventually led to Yelu Deguang being forced to withdraw from the Central Plains, which became a landmark moment in the decline and fall of the Liao Dynasty.
Secondly, Ye Luxian personally drove south to attack the Song Dynasty in the second year of Qianheng, and finally won a great victory in the Battle of Waqiaoguan, showing the military strength of the Liao Dynasty during this period. The conclusion of the alliance showed that the Liao Dynasty also had good diplomatic skills and maintained a relative peace with the Northern Song Dynasty. However, for the later Liaoxing Sect Yelu Zongzhen, although he twice drove his personal expedition to Western Xia, he failed to achieve the desired results, highlighting the complex influence of many internal and external factors at that time.
In the end, the imperial expedition of Emperor Yelu Yanxi of Liao Tianzuo was the last chapter in the history of the Liao Dynasty's conquest. In the face of the rise of the Jin Dynasty, the Liao army was defeated and the empire perished, and this period of journey became the end of the existence of the Liao Dynasty. This outcome reflects both the vicissitudes of the times and the impermanence of empires.
Overall, the history of the Liao Dynasty's imperial expedition has both brilliant results and twists and turns of repeated defeats. These journeys are not only a page in military history, but also the product of the interweaving of political, diplomatic, and social factors. The Liao Dynasty's north-south conquest is an important chapter in Chinese history that cannot be ignored, and it has profound enlightenment for us to understand the rise and fall of ancient states, ethnic integration and conflict. This history not only warns future generations to judge the situation, but also reflects the huge cost of war, which is a civilized memory that we cannot forget.
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