Since the evolution of human beings, there have been ethnic distinctions, and there are hundreds or thousands of ethnic minorities all over the world, who are dependent on a certain region or country, and have their own unique language, culture, customs and customs.
In addition to the Han nationality, there are also 55 ethnic minorities on the mainland, and these ethnic minorities together with the Han nationality form our big family.
In the history of the mainland, there have been several dynasties ruled by ethnic minorities, and these unique ethnic minority histories are our indispensable and precious culture and an important part of the Chinese national culture.
What is the history of the Khitans, a mysterious tribe that established a dynasty with iron hooves and armies thousands of years ago, and where does it exist today?
The origin of the Khitan people
Regarding the origin of the Khitan people, according to the existing documents and unearthed cultural relics, their ancestors were a nomadic people living in the northeast of the mainland.
In the ancient Xilamulun River and Laoha River basins, out of nowhere a tribe migrated in, they were not many in number, ox carts pulled children, they lived in pursuit of water and grass, when they came here, it was summer here, the water and grass were abundant, the land was fertile, women and children instantly liked this place, and since then this place has become their home.
At first, they may not call themselves the Khitan nation, living a primitive tribal life, the earliest Khitan word is in the "Book of Wei", recorded in the minority language, the Khitan people represented by the Khitan word officially appeared on the stage of history.
The history of the Khitan people is much earlier in the Korean Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms, when the Khitan invaded Goguryeo in 378 AD.
The record in the Zizhi Tongjian is the first official record of the Khitan character in the Central Plains Chinese characters.
It is also believed that there have been Khitans since the Han Dynasty, and according to the New Tang Dynasty and other documents, the Khitan people probably originated from the Xianbei or the descendants of the Xiongnu.
Of course, history cannot be examined, and we can only explore the origin of this mysterious nation from these only remaining documents.
National integration and rise
In the process of the formation of the Khitan people, from the initial tribal civilization to the later establishment of the Liao Dynasty, they experienced many ethnic wars and ethnic integration.
Before the establishment of the Liao Dynasty, the Khitan people had been dependent on the surrounding powers, and before the Tang Dynasty, it was the powerful Turkic dynasty that ruled Central Asia and northern East Asia, and the Khitans, who were still in the tribal civilization, could only submit.
Under the rule of the Turkic dynasty, the Khitan formed a tribal alliance from a single tribe, and the Oga clan became the tribal leader.
This was the first time that the Khitan and the Turkic dynasties had undergone a great ethnic integration.
Under the continuous oppression of the Turks, the Ogamo Society led the people to turn their backs on the Turkic rule, submit to the Tang Dynasty, and set up the Imperial Protectorate, which was the first time that the Northeast region was included in the territory of the mainland.
However, in the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the Tang Dynasty, the Khitan people have always been ambitious, expanding their sphere of influence, and paying tribute to the Tang Dynasty on the surface, but in fact they have been in armed conflict with the Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Yaolin Qulie, the Khitan and Xi defected to the Turks, and were later recovered by the Tang Dynasty.
It was not until after the Anshi Rebellion that the Tang Dynasty government was unable to manage, and the Khitan people took advantage of this to accelerate their development.
In the process of establishing diplomatic relations with the Tang Dynasty, the integration between ethnic groups has been going on, so there are many tribes among the Khitan people who admire the Central Plains culture, and the later Khitan script is actually a derivative of Chinese characters.
The influence of the Central Plains culture on the Khitan people gradually became apparent after that, which was especially evident in the election of the Khitan Khan.
For the first time since 696 AD, the Khitan tribe had a khan leader, and among the Khitan who advocated force, the leader was the most powerful warrior in the tribe, until the Yelu Abaoji family became the leader family.
This khan, who liked the culture of the Central Plains, not only did not take the initiative to give up the Khan position, but also used the stratagem to kill the other seven leaders and unify the Khitan tribe, which also laid a political foundation for the establishment of the Liao Dynasty, and later the Yelu family continued to rule the Khitan clan for a hundred years.
The establishment of the Liao Dynasty, the prosperity and decline of the Khitan people
Yelu Abaoji was a wise leader who was deeply influenced by the culture of the Central Plains, and under his leadership, in 916 AD, for the Khitans, the tribe became history, and the establishment of the state made this minority officially qualified to go south and compete with the Central Plains Dynasty.
During the reign of Liao Taizu, a large number of Han people in the Central Plains intermarried with the Khitan people, and ethnic integration was further formed, and the Khitan people were gradually sinicized.
In 1009 AD, during the reign of Yelu Longxu, the Liao Dynasty confronted the Song Dynasty and the Western Xia, and its national strength reached its peak.
In the continuous southward invasion of the Liao Dynasty, the mainland also experienced the turbulent times of five dynasties and ten kingdoms, which was also the most frequent period of great integration of ancient ethnic groups on the mainland, and the economic and trade and intermarriage between various ethnic groups.
Until the fall of the Jin Dynasty, which was established by the Jurchens, the Liao Dynasty withdrew from the stage of history.
Where do the Khitans go?
In the wars after wars, the number of Khitans continued to decrease, and the defeated Khitans traveled to many places, some of which left East Asia and established dynasties in Xinjiang and Central Asia.
Another part of the Khitan people living in the Central Plains were sent to present-day Inner Mongolia, Liaoning and other places, and in order to survive, many of them hid their surnames.
Some of them were recruited by the Mongols, and the war spread the tribe all over the country, and many of them have stayed there ever since.
Today, archaeological discoveries can still see many traces of the life of the descendants of the Khitan people in various parts of China.
Although these people have been inextricably linked to the Central Plains, they still retain their own unique language and customs and Xi.
With the progress of modern science and technology, archaeologists have compared the DNA of the remaining Khitan skulls that have been excavated with the DNA extracted from the aborigines in many places, and it is found that the Daur people and the villagers living in Shidian County, Yunnan Province are all descendants of the Khitan.
Compared with various historical records, these people living in Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Yunnan and other places may be descendants of the Khitans. The genetic similarity seems to confirm that the Khitan people have always existed, but their identity has changed with repeated migrations and ethnic integration.
On the Mongolian plateau there is a place called Kedun City, where traces of the Khitan tribe were found.
Today, the city of Kedun has become a cultural site of the Khitan people.
We can see that there are many people here who are trying to learn Xi and live. Although they may not speak Khitan, they still express their love and reverence for national culture and history in their own unique way.
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