Chapter 6 Section 5 Khan Destroys and Establishes a New Image

According to the tradition of the Khitan nation, the leader of the tribal alliance can only be held by someone from the Dahe family. Although there is a re-election every three years, it can only be held within the Dahe family.However, during successive years of wars, the Yaoyan family suddenly replaced the Dahe family. Why? The reason for this change is that the status of those who can fight in the Khitan tribe has become higher and higher because the Khitan has fought against the outside world for years.Whoever is unparalleled in martial arts and unrivaled in martial arts can lead the Khitan nation to fight for living space, such a person gradually becomes the most respected by the Khitan people.Those who were particularly capable of fighting in this tribe later had a special title, which also became an official name of Khitan, called Yi Li Jin.Yi Li Jin's status among the Khitan people was second only to the Khan, and he was equivalent to the commander-in-chief of the Khitan army.And once Yi Lijin has the military power, he can abolish the Khan at will.

During Tang Xuanzong's time, a Khitan Yili Jin abolished several khans, and he felt dissatisfied with anyone who became a khan.How can Li Khan be obedient?Finally, he came up with a trick: to abolish all the members of the old Khan family, that is, the Dahe family will never be able to be a Khan, and appoint a person who was not qualified to be a Khan to be a Khan.So Yao Nian was established. Yao Nian had never been a khan before, but now that he was established by Yi Li Jin, he was naturally more respectful to Yi Li Jin.In this way, on the surface, Khan is the supreme leader of Khitan, but in fact he is a puppet. Yi Lijin, who holds military power, is the real leader of Khitan, and the leadership of Khitan has changed.

After the Khitan backed the Tang Dynasty, it was attached to the Huihe Khanate.The Uighur Khanate existed on the northern Mongolian plateau for about a hundred years.Later, due to natural disasters and foreign attacks, the Khanate collapsed.After the collapse of the Huihe Khanate, the Khitans turned to Tang.Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty attached great importance to the Khitan people, and gave the chief of the Khitan tribal alliance (later the Khan) a set of ceremonial guards, including twelve banners, straight-handled canopies, and crank-handled canopies, just like the ceremonial guards of the emperor of the Central Plains.The Khan of Khitan had to get these flags and drums before he was recognized as the leader of Khitan. This set of flags and drums is equivalent to the jade seal of the Central Plains Dynasty.In addition, at this time Khitan established a ritual for the new Khan's ascension to the throne - the ceremony of burnt wood.Burnt means to burn with fire.Every new Khan ascends the throne, must hold the firewood ceremony, everyone faces the east, lights the firewood bundle, the fire is blazing, and everyone wishes to the east.Because the grassland peoples all have the habit of worshiping the sun facing the east, the Khitan people regard the east as their top priority.We see that all temples in Beijing that were built in the Liao Dynasty, such as Dajue Temple, must face east from west, instead of facing south from north like temples in Han Dynasty.After the burnt wood ceremony is held, the elders of the tribe will lead the horse's head, indicating that the person on the horse is the new khan. Got to admit him.

What will be the result of this?If there is a family other than the Yaozhan family who gets the support of everyone and holds the burnt firewood ceremony by itself, then he is a Khan. As long as he can get the flag and drums bestowed by the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, there will be no legal or jurisprudential obstacles.So at this time, the Khitan nation has slowly transitioned from a tribal alliance to a state, until an outstanding leader of the Khitan nationality came into being and completely transformed it from a tribal alliance into a country.