A Study About The Yu-yue Official During The Liao Dynasty

In the Khitan political system, Yu-yue is one of the core officials from its ethniccustoms. Its development was a marginalization process from powerful position tocompletely honorary title. Base on the achievement before, this thesis will try somefurther exploration from the aspects of origin, nature and reasons of evolution aboutYu-yue official during the Liao Dynasty.Firstly, according to the allusion of the original word “” told by Turkicdictionary, we can make a preliminary determination that the mid-period of TangDynasty could be the beginning of Yu-yue’s set up. This official propagate fromnomadic tribes of the Altai Mountains to the Uighur, and then used by the Khitanpeople. On the other hand, the range of Yu-yue’s conferment was limited to theZhong-fu Branch and Meng-fu Branch in the Ye-Lv royal family, and the promotionof this official was usually based on the military leader of Die-La Tribe. Secondly,focus on some Yu-yue with detailed biography in the book of Liao-Shi, this thesisgives out some descriptions and researches about relevant facts in the second chapter,revolving around the principle of “no conferment without meritorious service”.Finally, Yu-yue and the military leader of Die-La Tribe was the core of Qidan TribeUnion’s political structure during the early stage, and they handled the union affairstogether. Named with the imported word, the prototype of Yu-yue can be traced backto the man of “Ke Tu-yu”, and his position was called “Ya-Guan”. At the same time,this official had the nature of respected prince. He had diplomatic independence,private military power, private administrations and also with fiefs, and he was one ofthe capable noblemen in Qi-dan.Overall, the Yu-yue official came from the Turkic and Uighur culture, and itsstrict condition of conferment lead to narrow grant. Due to the development of thenation’s scale and the increasingly autocratic monarchy, Yu-yue went through aprocess of gradual marginalization. Its material power had been deprived, and just theright of suggestion and the political status as a nobleman were preserved. At last,Yu-yue became the only honorary position in the official system of Liao Dynasty.