Lantern Bearers—of the Qidan Species: The Importance of Qidan Personnel in the Service of Two Alien Successor Dynasties during the 12th to 14th Centuries

摘要

Individual members of the Qidan federation, founders of one of the allegedly least sinified alien dynasties (906–1127) on Chinese soil, seem yet to have played an important role in safeguarding and perpetuating the Chinese way of life, institutions and culture throughout the next two alien dynasties of the Jurchen Jin in Northern China and the Mongol Yuan in all China (12th–14th c. CE). Father and son Yila/Yelü Lü and Yelü Chucai are the most prominent representatives. The elder safeguarding Chinese institutional thought as part of Jurchen statecraft, the younger, among other achievements, saving Northern China from becoming a vast Mongolian stud-farm. Others were active in legislation, and especially many in saving the Chinese cultural heritage, for example when Kaifeng was conquered by the Jurchen or by establishing Chinese cultural institutions in early fourteenth century Yuan China.