Khitan cavalry galloped into the steppe
The so-called ideal is that I want to achieve a higher goal, but my efforts for this goal are moderate. The so-called ambition is that I want to achieve the highest goal, and I don't care about giving everything for this highest goal.
So I think ideals make people motivated, and ambition makes people crazy.
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > origin</h1>
The Khitan were a nomadic people living in the steppes of northeast China, which arose in the late Tang Dynasty, flourished during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, and even changed the course of Chinese history for a time.
After the khitan prosperity, it changed the name of the country to Daliao, and swept through East Asia to meet enemies. And the founder of all this originated from a Khitan man named Yelü Apaoji.
<h1 class = "pgc-h-arrow-right" > second, the origin of Jeroboam</h1>
In 872, a boy named Yelü Apaochi was born into a Khitan aristocratic family. He was born unfortunately, just in time for the power struggle between the tribal nobles, yerushalayim's grandfather was unfortunately killed, and his father and uncles had to go out to avoid trouble when they were forced to do so.
And Jeroboam's grandmother hid him, so he could escape the disaster and save his life. Later, Yelü Abaoji's family regained power, and his uncle began to hold the position of Yuyue (equivalent to the Khitan prime minister), and Yelü Abaoji began to be used heavily.
When Yelü Abaoji grew up, he was far more heroic than ordinary people, and the "History of Liao" recorded him: "Nine feet long, plump and sharp, shooting at people, and closing the bow for three hundred pounds." "Being able to open a bow of three hundred pounds is very powerful even among the nomadic people who are known for their bravery."
Jeroboam led his troops on a campaign
<h1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" > third, Jeroboam is in power</h1>
His uncle, who was in charge of state affairs, attached great importance to Yelü Abaoji, and he entrusted him with the most elite army of the Khitan tribe, the guards of the Khitan Khan.
Yelü Abaoji also lived up to expectations, and he personally led an army to defeat the small grassland tribes such as Xiaohuangmuwei, Yuewu, and Wugu. The victory and capture of the war also deepened the prestige of Jeroboam, and the number of people who supported him gradually increased.
Later, after Yelü Apaoji's uncle was killed, the young Yelü Apaoji took the throne of his uncle Yu Yue. From a young officer to a national archon. This shows what the prestige of Jeroboam had reached at that time.
After Yelü Abaoji took power, with the support of all the people, he continued to launch wars of conquest abroad, and successively surrendered to the steppe tribes of Wugu, Yue, and Liuxi. The conquest of these steppe tribes not only allowed the Khitan to obtain materials such as cattle, sheep and horses, but also allowed the Khitan to obtain a large number of elite laborers, which greatly promoted the economic and military development of the Khitans. Not only did he conquer the outside world, but he also suppressed the powerful and powerful inner Yelü Abaoji, defeating the ill-intentioned Yerushalayim tribe.
Khitan Civil War
At this point, Yelü Abaoji established a high political prestige at home and basically surrendered to the steppe departments externally.
Judging from the fact that Yerushalayim was constantly waging foreign wars and using them to increase his political prestige at home, he was undoubtedly an ambitious tyrant.
But ambition is actually something that everyone has, and it is not the patent of the tyrant. But why can only the tyrants achieve their ambitions, while the ambitions of ordinary people are the Spring and Autumn Dream?
Because the tyrant knows how to make the people around him profitable in the process of realizing his ambitions. And the more people around you make profits, the more people who support the realization of the ambition of the tyrant, so that the ambition of the oyster is easier to achieve.
For example, Yelü Abaoji continued to carry out foreign conquests, and the material capture after each victory in war greatly met the material needs of the Khitan nation. Therefore, the more Yerushalayim launched a foreign war, the more people would support him. And the more people support him, the easier it will be for him to win foreign wars.
Compared with the tyrant, ordinary people think more about what benefits they have after their ambitions are realized, and ignore the interests and needs of the people around them. This is the reason why the tyrant can succeed, while ordinary people can only dream.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >4, Yelü Abaoji called Khan, Emperor, and Founding of the Nation</h1>
Khitan cavalry attacked the Central Plains
The ambitions of the tyrants never end, and this is the case with Jeroboam. After dominating the steppes, Yelü Apaoji set his sights on the Central Plains to the south.
In 902, Yelü Abaoji captured the nine counties of Hedong and Daibei, capturing countless people, cattle and sheep.
In 904, Yelü Abaoji defeated Liu Rengong, the Tang Dynasty's Envoy of Lulong Jiedu, and this was his first head-on victory over a strong enemy in the Central Plains.
In 906, Yelü Baoji defeated Liu Rengong again, and Zhu Wen, the first warlord of the Central Plains at the time, heard about it and took the initiative to send envoys to befriend him.
Due to his internal and external exploits, Yelü Apaoji's prestige within the Khitan tribe reached its peak. After the death of the former Khitan Khan Chendeyi, the Khitan nobles unanimously elected Yelü Abaoji as the new Khan.
According to the customary law of the Khitan tribes at that time, the term of office of a khan was three years, after which he had to be replaced and could not be repeated.
But Jeroboam was a man with a strong desire for power, and he was re-elected as khan for three consecutive terms in violation of the law, and he was unwilling to hand over power.
Not only that, but in 907 AD, Jeroboam became emperor. This means that he will hold the supreme power permanently and will not allow others to touch it.
Han Chinese nomadic nobility
This led to a new power struggle within the Khitan around the position of leader.
The first to attack were the younger brothers of Jeroboam, known in history as the "Rebellion of the Brothers."
In 911 AD, the five younger brothers of Yelü Apaoji, Yelü Lagar, Yelü Dila, Yelü Yin Bottom Stone, and Yelü Andan, united to prepare for a rebellion.
However, due to the accidental leakage of the plan, Yelü Abaoji got the news in advance, so the rebellion went bankrupt.
Probably thinking of the family affection from childhood to adulthood, Jeroboam could not bear to kill his brothers, so he pardoned them.
This was the first rebellion of the Brothers of Jeroboam.
But unfortunately, the temptation of power outweighed the obstruction of affection, and once again in the foreign conquest of Jeroboam, his brothers rebelled again.
Yerushalayim led his army to stop Yerushalayim when he returned and forced him to reconvene the Khan elections. In desperation, Yelü Abaoji had to agree, but the result was unexpected, and due to his high prestige, Yelü Abaoji was re-elected as khitan khan.
This was the second rebellion of the Brothers of Jeroboam.
In 913, Yerushalayim's brothers first proclaimed Jeroboam as Khan, and then attempted to kidnap Jeroboam and force him to attend the Khan's re-election conference.
As a result, the conspiracy was revealed again, and Jeroboam and his brothers saw that the matter was irreparable, so the two sides went to war.
After a brutal civil war, Jeroboam won, but the war was extremely damaging to the tribe.
The pasture withers
Originally a nomadic Khitan tribe, they could only walk after the war, and there were no horses to ride.
Throughout the course of the "Rebellion of the Brothers", Yerushalayim repeatedly tolerated the rebellious behavior of his brothers, which can be said to be the best of benevolence and righteousness, but still could not stop the rebellion.
Why?
For Jeroboam had ambitions for power, and so did his brothers. And what is ambition? It is the ultimate goal and the greatest interest in the eyes of mankind. And all forgiveness and grace cannot resist the temptation of this ultimate goal and the greatest interest in the eyes of mankind, so the power war between Jeroboam and his brothers is bound to break out.
So I advise all readers that people should have ideals, but they don't have to be ambitious.
There are eight tribes in the Khitan and are known as the Khitan Eight Tribes. And Yelü Apaoji always dominated the position of Khan of the Khitan tribe, which also caused dissatisfaction among the other seven tribes.
Under strong pressure from the alliance of seven other tribes, Yelü Apaochi temporarily chose to compromise and surrendered the position of Khitan Khan.
But the salt of the other seven Khitan tribes was supplied by the tribe of Yelü Apaoji. So Yerushalayim asked the leaders of the other seven Khitan tribes to come and thank him with their cattle and sheep in return for their favor of eating salt.
The leaders of the other seven Khitan tribes were defenseless and came on offer, only to be killed by all the warriors ambushed by Yerushalayim.
Khitan nobles dressed in a picture
After killing the seven tribal leaders, Yelü Abaoji took advantage of the situation to unify the entire eight Khitan tribes, and the Khitan was no longer a loose tribal alliance, but a strong and closely connected country.
After making all these preparations, in 916 AD, Yelü Abaoji was once again proclaimed emperor, and the name of the country was Khitan .
In 926, Yelü Abaoji died of illness on the way to return the army in the Bohai Sea at the age of 55.
The general stands on the battlefield
The Khitan Dynasty he established was the predecessor of the later Liao Dynasty. Later, the Liao Dynasty, which dominated East Asia and suppressed the Song Empire in the south, submitted to the Jurchen tribe to the east, and made the Western Xia vassals to the west, was actually the founder of yelü Abaoji.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > Wen Shijun said:</h1>
Jeroboam was a successful politician, so why did he succeed?
First, he knows how to use his actions to make others profitable, and then let others achieve himself. For example, his foreign conquests were beneficial to the people of his tribe, and the people supported him.
Second, he was ambitious, but he knew how to compromise, such as the second "enemy of the brothers" when he knew how to tolerate it, and reconvened the Khan Election Conference. Otherwise, if he had joined the fire with Jeroboam, he might not have been able to win.
Third, he knows how to show weakness before the enemy slackens, and destroy the enemy in one fell swoop. For example, when eliminating the leaders of the other seven Khitan tribes, Yelü Abaoji first gave up the position of Khan, which was a sign of weakness. Later, under the pretext of thanksgiving, the other seven tribal leaders were unguarded and summoned to kill them all. This is to take advantage of the enemy's slackness and destroy the enemy in one fell swoop.
Generally speaking, although the man of Jeroboam was nine feet long, three hundred pounds of bows, and extremely brave, his wisdom was greater than his courage.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > references:</h1>
1. [Yuan] Detachment: History of Liao, Zhonghua Bookstore, 2016 edition.
2. [Song] Xue Juzheng et al.: History of the Old Five Dynasties, Zhonghua Bookstore, 1976 edition.
(Author: Haoran Wenshi Kan Xiang)
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