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Chinese History - Liao Dynasty 遼 (907-1125)

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Liao Dynasty
arts

period before (Five Dynasties)
-- Song Dynasty
-- Xixia=Empire
-- Jin Dynasty
next period (Yuan)
Map and Geography

Although the Liao empire imported Chinese handicraft articles and imitated Chinese art in all different kinds of art spheres, there are also many items and objects showing a genuine Khitan style, for example Buddhist architecture as seen in the main hall (Guanyinge 觀音閣 - the oldest preserved timber-made temple hall) of the Dule Monastery 獨樂寺 in Jixian 薊縣/Tianjin, the brick stupa of Tianning Monastery 天寧寺/Beijing, the pagoda in Ningcheng 寧城 (modern Chaoyang 朝陽/Liaoning), and the Timber Stupa of Fogong Monastery 佛宮寺 in Yingxian 應縣/Shanxi. All these stupas were octogonal and did not have a hollow interior like it was usage for the Tang 唐 and pre-Tang Buddhist architecture. This was a new architectural style that was typically for the Liao and Jin periods, while other Liao stupas like the white brick stupa of Linxi 林西 (near Chifeng 赤峰/Inner Mongolia) had a hollow interior until the top storey. In Huayan Monastery 華嚴寺 in Datong 大同/Shanxi some Buddhist clay statues of Bodhisattvas of the Liao period are preserved.
Porcelain and glazed earthenware was produced by the Khitan craftsmen, and their art did not only copy or imitate the Song porcelain style, but the shapes of drinking vessles imitate the shape of the old Khitan leather bags fixed to the horse saddles.The Song period 宋 is known for the famous landscape paintings of Chinese artists. Khitan artists also engaged in painting and made painting presents to the Song emperors, like the hunting scenes painted by Emperor Liao Xingzong 遼興宗, or paintings by Yelü Bei 耶律倍. In the tombs of the Liao rulers (Liaomu 遼墓) in Kulun Banner 庫倫旗/Jilin we find mural paintings that show a clear influence of Tang mural painting .
Pusa statue of Huayan Monastery, Datong

Pusa statue of Huayan Monastery, Datong

Timber pagoda of Fogong Monastery,Yingxian

Timber pagoda of Fogong Monastery,Yingxian

Earthenware drinking vessel in the shape of a traditional leather canteen

Earthenware drinking vessel in the shape of a traditional leather canteen

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election of officials (keju kaoshi 科舉考試) were institutionalized, but only for Chinese officials.
The homeland of the Khitan in modern Heilongjiang province was administered in the traditional Khitan style with free and enslaved people, the conquered territories of the Bohai empire 渤海 in modern Jilin province retained their feudal system, and the southern territories were administered in a Chinese-style bureaucracy with 36 prefectures (zhou 州) and subordinated counties (xian 縣). In the Khitan territory the tribal system was arranged in four groups, the northern and southern principal prefecture (dawangfu 大王府), the prefecture of the Yishi Prince 乙室王府, and the prefecture of the prince of the Xi people 奚王府. These territories were later divided into 34 parts of different tribes under a military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) that was normally identical with the tribehead. Within the borders of the old Bohai empire the Princedom of Eastern Khitan (Dongdanguo 東丹國) was founded and governed by an imperial prince of the Yelü clan who took over the administration structure of the Bohai rulers. But this Princedom was abolished soon and administered as zhongtaisheng 中台省 "intermediate department".
To coordinate all these different administratorial structures, several secondary capitals were established: the central or "upper" capital (shangjing 上京) was Linhuang 臨潢, later called Dadingfu 大定 (modern Kailu開魯/Inner Mongolia), within the territory of the old Xi people Dading 大定 (modern Chaoyang 朝陽/Liaoning) made "central capital" (zhongjing 中京), the old territory of Bohai was given the "eastern capital" (dongjing 東京) Liaoyang 遼陽/Liaoning, and the southern, Chinese part of the Khitan empire was administered the "southern capital" (nanjing 南京) Xijin 析津 (modern Beijing). Western capital was Datong 大同/Shanxi.
Like for the territorial administration, the law system was also different in the various regions of the Liao empire. While the Khitan part used the traditional Khitan law, the Bohai and Chinese parts of their empire were administered according to the Tang law. The most important revision of the Khitan law was the submission of the slaves to common law instead of delivering them to the goodwill of their master or owner. In cases where Chinese and Khitan were involved, both law traditions had to be considered. In 1036 a new official law codex was issued, the Chongxi tiaozhi 重熙條制, and in 1070 the Xianyong tiaozhi 咸雍條制, unfortunately nothing of these law codices is preserved. The central police agency of the Liao empire was the "Great discipline bureau" dalisi 大理寺.
The empires of Liao and Jin followed this custom and even nominated their administrative units with five capitals (see geography).

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