Liao Taizu Yelü Abaoji (872 – 926 AD), the founding prince of the Liao Dynasty, was the first practitioner and creator in Chinese history to perfectly implement one country, two systems.
When Yelü Abaoji was born, Chinese history coincided with the last years of the Tang Dynasty, and civil strife in the Central Plains was continuous. The Khitan tribes in China's northern steppes were also caught up in civil strife over tribal leaders. Jeroboam's grandfather was killed in this political struggle. So Jeroboam's father and his uncles went into hiding to protect themselves. This allowed Jeroboam to have a peaceful childhood.
By the time Yerushalayim was a teenager, the khitan government affairs were controlled by his uncle, and Yerushalayim was now an adult. Yerushalayim was tall and burly, and was very intelligent and astute, good at riding and shooting, especially in politics and state affairs, which was deeply loved by his uncle.
With his superior conditions and with the support of his uncle, Yerushalayim formed the Army of Guards. This became an important turning point in the life of Jeroboam. This laid a solid military capital for the development of his future life and career.
Yelü Abaoji led the guards to conquer the north and south, and surrendered some neighboring tribes on the grassland, such as Xiaohuangmuwei, Yuewu, and Wugu.
Later, Yelü Apaoji's uncle was murdered, and Yelü Apaoji successfully succeeded his uncle's position in Yue (second only to Khan in status, known in history as the General Governor of Military Affairs). At the same time, Jeroboam defeated his political rival Pugu.
In 901, the Khan of Chendeyan succeeded to the throne and appointed Yelü Abaoji as the military leader of Yiliyan (military chief), who was responsible for foreign conquests. At this time, Yelü Abaoji had already become a powerful figure in the Khitan tribe.
In 902, Yelü Abaoji personally led an army of 400,000 people to the south for a two-year campaign, during which he captured the border towns of Hedong, Daibei, jibei and other Tang dynasties. At the same time, a large number of Han Chinese and cattle, sheep and livestock were captured. After this battle, the prestige of Yelü Abaoji within the Khitan tribe was greatly enhanced, and he became the true ruler of the Khitan tribe.
Later, Yelü Abaoji developed more understanding and love for the Central Plains culture in the confrontation with the Central Plains regime, laying the groundwork for the establishment of a unified multi-ethnic Khitan state in the future.
In 906 AD, Yelü Abaoji officially became the Khitan Khan. At the same time, Yelü Apaoji also had the idea of becoming an emperor. Later, Yelü Abaoji carried out large-scale innovations and reforms of the Khitan official system, which opened the political prelude to his future title of emperor.
In 911, due to long-term dissatisfaction with Yelü Abaoji's violation of the Khitan ancestral system, he always dominated the khitan khan's position. So Jeroboam's brothers plotted a coup d'état to force Jeroboam to abdicate. But these small actions of theirs were all seen by Yeriabaoji, so Yelü Abaoji foiled the rebellion of the brothers three times, and consolidated his position and rule, which is known as the "rebellion of the brothers".
After quelling the internal rebellion of the tribe, Yelü Apaochi drew a joint opposition from the remaining seven Khitan tribes. Forced by his own weakness, Yelü Abaoji was forced to restore the old Khitan system and voluntarily surrender the khan's position. However, Yelü Abaoji never gave up his desire to become emperor, and Yelü Abaoji took the retreat as an advance, and asked to run to Seoul to govern the Han people, which successfully confused the leader of the Khitan tribe and laid the groundwork for the return of the King of Yelü Abaoji.
Later, Yelü Apaoji set up a feast at the Hongmen Gate in Seoul and successfully ambushed and killed the leaders and noble officials of the Khitan tribes. So Yelü Apaoji led an army to easily unify the Khitan tribes and completed the unification and integration of the Khitan people for the first time in history.
In 916, Yelü Abaoji officially established the Khitan state, and declared himself emperor, establishing the capital Shangjing. In order to better manage her country, Yelü Abaoji called the empress dowager, and in the central government, the northern and southern bicameral systems were implemented, and in the northern courtyard, a political system in line with the nomads was set up according to the situation of the nomads. This pioneering invention of administrative management according to the Central Plains system in the Southern Yuan reconciled the ethnic contradictions within the Khitan state and accelerated the exchange and integration between the various ethnic groups.
Yelü Abaoji also ordered people to invent the Khitan script based on Chinese characters, which brought the economy and culture of the Khitan state into a stage of rapid development.
In 926, Yelü Abaoji attacked the Bohai State to the east and established the Eastern Dan Kingdom. On his way back from his expedition, Jeroboam died at the age of 55.
Jeroboam was a great statesman. Throughout the life of Yelü Abaoji, Yelü Abaoji single-handedly pushed the entire grassland tribe to a new stage of historical development, enabling the grassland peoples in northern China to complete the unification and integration in the true sense for the first time, and playing an immeasurable impact on the development and rise of the grassland nation in the future. It can be said that since the Liao Dynasty, the steppe tribes in northern China have become an important force threatening the Central Plains Dynasty. For example, the Mongol Empire, the Jin Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty.
In particular, the pioneering invention of the one country, two systems political system pioneered by Yelü Abaoji had a profound impact on future generations, especially the Qing Dynasty and the current one country, two systems. It provides historical samples and historical experience for the formation of a unified multi-ethnic state in China. In this respect, Jeroboam was indeed a great statesman.