Xitan

The Xitan (also Khyatan or Khitan) were descended from an ancient people known as the Dunhu, and are generally considered to have shared a common ancestry with the Mongols. The name "Xitan" first appears in historical records towards the end of the 4th century CE.

In 917 Ambagyan, chief of the Xitan, put an end to the existing custom of electing a new chief every three years, and established a hereditary leadership over a new Xitan state, grouping together the former eight Xitan aimags. Ambagyan and his successors went on to conquer the territory of the neighbouring nomads, as well as 16 aimag-states of Northern China. By this point the Xitan had effectively constituted an empire, which they named the Liao state. More than fifty aimags and states were incorporated within this state, and were divided into "southern", "northern" and "exterior" regions. The territory administered by the Xitan extended from the Pacific Ocean to the Altai Mountains and from the Tuul River (now in North-Central Mongolia) to the Great Wall of China. But the Xitan dynasty was ultimately overthrown in 1125 by the Zhu'rchid (Juchen) tribes under their dominion, who enjoyed the support of the Sung dynasty.

The population of China under the Liao dynasty included both nomads and sedentary peoples, whose economic, social and cultural conditions were relatively dissimilar. Thus animal husbandry, agriculture, trade and handicrafts production developed differently in each region; yet overall, the state was economically and culturally far more developed than the previously-existing aimags and states of the Central Asian nomads. The Xitan themselves developed an unusual culture combining features from the nomadic and sedentary civilizations. The people of the central, southern and south-eastern parts of the Liao state made significant progress in the construction of towns, temples, stupas, stone bridges and the like.

The most significant cultural achievement of the Xitan was the creation of the so-called "Greater" and "Lesser" scripts. The former of these was created in 920 by Ambagyan's grandson Lubugu and scholar Tulyuibu, taking inspiration from Chinese characters. The "Lesser Script" resembled the Uighur alphabet and was created by Yelyu'i Tela (Zhu'ndu'xu'n), son of Ambagyan. Xitan literary works from the 10th century included a variety of genres, such as eulogies, songs and diaries. State chronicles were also composed by renowned historians of the period; meanwhile advances in cartography were made, with the production of annotated maps of the Liao state territory.

Although the fundamental beliefs of the Xitan were shamanist, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism also found their followers. The Xitan sent books and sutras as gifts to foreign states, and received sutras and other documents in return.

Xitan culture had an important impact on the cultures of the Mongols, Xamnigan and other nomadic peoples who lived in Central and Eastern Asia.

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