Qara Khitai

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.