LIAO DYNASTY

Pinyin Liao (9071125), dynasty formed by the nomadic Khitan tribes in much of present-day Manchuria (Northeast Provinces) and Mongolia and the northeastern corner of China proper. Adopting the Chinese dynastic name of Liao, the Khitan created a dual government to rule their conquests. The southern government, which ruled the Chinese parts of the empire, was modeled after the administration of the T'ang dynasty (618907), which the Khitan had helped destroy. The northern government, which was set up on a tribal basis, ruled over the nomads of the Inner Asian steppes. Afraid that their use of Chinese advisers and administrative techniques would blur their own ethnic identity, the Khitan made a conscious effort to retain their own tribal rites, food, and clothing and refused to use the Chinese language, devising a writing system for their own language instead. After the establishment of the Sung dynasty (9601279) in China proper, the Liao carried on a border war with the Sung for control of North China. The war was eventually settled in 1004, when the Sung agreed to pay an annual tribute to the Liao. The Liao dynasty, which continued many of the cultural practices of the Sung, was destroyed in 1125 by the Juchen tribes, who had formerly been subjects of the Khitan and who rose in rebellion against them with the aid of the Sung. The Juchen went on to defeat the Sung and, as the Chin dynasty (11151234), establish rule over North China. The Chin adopted most of the Liao governmental system.