Qara Khitai

Long ago, a group of people had to move.

They left their old home to find a new one. A leader named Dashi led them west. He helped them build a big empire.

This new land was very large. It covered many places we know today. The people were called the Khitans. They were very strong in battle.

They even won a big fight near a city. This helped them rule many other lands. They had many people living under them.

Some people called them the Black Khitans. This was because of their special color. They were a very important group.

Their story helps us learn about the past. Do you like stories about old kings?

The Qara Khitai was a large empire in Central Asia.

It was ruled by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people. This group was part of the old Liao dynasty. Long ago, the Jin dynasty took over the Liao lands. A leader named Yelü Dashi led many Khitans to the west. He wanted to find a new home.

Dashi built a strong state. He was called a gurkhan, which means a universal leader. His empire grew very big. It covered parts of modern China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. He won a major battle at Qatwan in 1141. This win helped the Khitans rule many new lands.

After Dashi died, his wife Xiao Tabuyan helped rule. She held great power over the empire. Later, her son Yelü Yilie became the leader. He even took a census to count the people. The empire stayed strong for many years. However, the Naimans took control in 1211. Later, the Mongols conquered the land in 1218.

Some people called them the "Black Khitans." This name came from their special color. Their story shows how people build new lives in new places.

The Qara Khitai was a powerful empire in Central Asia.

It was ruled by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people. This group was part of the older Liao dynasty. Many Khitans were refugees who moved to new lands. They brought their own culture with them. They also kept many Chinese traditions. This mix of cultures helped shape their empire. Some people called them the "Black Khitans." This name came from the color black. Black was the special color for the Liao dynasty.

The empire grew through many steps and battles. First, a leader named Yelü Dashi led his people west. He fled from the Jin dynasty in northern China. In 1124, he set up a base on the Orkhon River. He gained 20,000 soldiers to help him. Dashi became a leader called a gurkhan. This title means a universal leader. He moved further west to find more territory. He settled near the Emil river to build a base.

History shows how Dashi built his great realm. In 1134, he conquered the city of Balasaghun. This was in the area we now call Kyrgyzstan. After that, many other groups became his subjects. These included the Kankalis, the Karluks, and the Kyrgyz. In 1137, he also took control of Fergana and Tashkent. His army grew even larger when 10,000 more Khitans joined him. These people had previously lived under the Karakhanids. Dashi's strength helped the empire spread across many lands.

One major event was the Battle of Qatwan in 1141. This battle took place on a steppe north of Samarkand. The Khitan forces met a large Seljuk army there. Some sources say the Khitans had 700,000 soldiers. Others say the two sides were about the same size. The Khitans won a huge victory on September 9. This win allowed them to rule the land of Transoxiana. After the battle, Dashi stayed in Samarkand for 90 days. He even helped choose new rulers for local cities.

The empire covered many places we know today. It included parts of modern China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. It also reached into Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

After Dashi died, his wife Xiao Tabuyan ruled as regent. She held a lot of power over the empire. Later, their son Yelü Yilie became the leader. He even held a census to count the households. The empire lasted until the Naimans took over in 1211. Finally, the Mongols conquered the land in 1218. The name "Khitai" even helped create the word "Cathay" in Europe.

The Qara Khitai was a powerful dynastic regime located in Central Asia. It was also known as the Western Liao or the Great Liao. The empire was ruled by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people. This state was a remnant of the original Liao dynasty from Manchuria. Because many leaders were refugees, the empire became highly Sinicized. This means the elites adopted many Chinese cultural traditions. The empire's influence was so large that the term "Khitai" eventually reached Europe. It was transformed into the name "Cathay" through Islamic and Russian sources.

The empire began because of a massive shift in power in East Asia. Between 1114 and 1125, the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty conquered the Liao. In 1122, two groups of Khitans fled westward to escape this invasion. One group was led by Yelü Dashi, who would become the founder of the Qara Khitai. Dashi was briefly captured by the Jin in 1123. This event led to the capture of most of the Liao imperial family. Dashi eventually escaped and fled northwest in 1124. He established his headquarters at a military garrison called Kedun on the Orkhon River.

Yelü Dashi built his empire through strategic expansion and military strength. He secured the loyalty of 20,000 garrison forces and took the title of gurkhan. This title means "universal khan." In 1130, he moved his base to the Emil river. Within one year, he became the suzerain, or overlord, of the Qocho kingdom. He also gained a foothold in the region of Transoxiana. By 1134, he conquered the Karakhanid city of Balasaghun in modern Kyrgyzstan. This victory led to many groups, like the Kankalis and the Kyrgyz, becoming his vassals.

A defining moment for the empire was the Battle of Qatwan. This massive conflict occurred on September 9, 1141, on the Qatwan steppe. The Khitan forces met the Seljuk army, led by Ahmad Sanjar. Sources disagree on the exact size of the Khitan army. Some say they had 20,000 soldiers, while others claim they had 700,000. The Khitans were also reinforced by 30,000 to 50,000 Karluk horsemen. Regardless of the numbers, the Khitans encircled the Seljuk center near a wadi called Dargham. The Seljuk army was destroyed, and Sanjar barely escaped.

The victory at Qatwan changed the map of Central Asia. It resulted in the Khitans gaining control of all of Transoxiana. Following the battle, Dashi stayed in Samarkand for 90 days. He accepted the loyalty of Muslim nobles and appointed new local rulers. He even allowed the Burhan family to continue ruling Bukhara. In 1142, he sent forces to Khwarazm to pillage the province. This forced the ruler, Atsiz, to pay an annual tribute of 30,000 dinars. The empire's territory eventually covered parts of modern China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

The empire saw unique leadership after the death of its founder. Yelü Dashi's wife, Xiao Tabuyan, served as regent from 1143 to 1150. While Chinese sources call her a regent, Muslim sources say she held unlimited power. She used impressive honorific titles like empress Gantian and Gurkhan. Later, her son Yelü Yilie ruled from 1150 to 1163. During his reign, he conducted a census of the people. The records showed 84,500 households lived in the areas the Khitans directly ruled. This number was smaller than Samarkand's 100,000 households, likely because the census was geographically limited.

Internal and external pressures eventually led to the empire's end. Dashi had tried to retake northern China from the Jin dynasty. However, he found the Jin were too strong and gave up the idea after 1134. The empire faced other challenges, such as the Naimans who usurped power in 1211. The final collapse came during the Mongol conquest in 1218. Despite its end, the Qara Khitai left a lasting mark on history. Their name helped shape how different cultures referred to China for centuries.