Shulü Ping

Shulü Ping (; 19 October 879 – 1 August 953), nickname Yueliduo (月里朵), formally Empress Yingtian also known as Empress Di (地皇后) during the reign of her husband Emperor Taizu of Liao (Yelü Abaoji), posthumous name initially Empress Zhenlie (貞烈皇后, "the virtuous and achieving empress") then Empress Chunqin (淳欽皇后, "the pure and honoured empress") was an empress of the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China. After Emperor Taizu's death in 926, she served as empress dowager until her death in 953. She was directly involved in two imperial successions and is credited with changing expectations of widows in Khitan society.

Background Shulü Ping was born in 879. Her great-great-grandfather Shulü Nuosi was said to be of Uyghur extraction. Her father was named Shulü Pogu (述律婆姑), who also had the name of Yuewan (月碗), served under the Khitan Yaonian (遙輦) clan. Her mother was said to be a daughter of "King Yundejia" (勻德恝王)—apparently the grandfather of her eventual husband Yelü Abaoji, Yelü Yundeshi (耶律勻德實)—which would make her and Yelü Abaoji cousins. Eventually, she married Yelü Abaoji as his wife, but it is not known when that occurred. She bore Yelü Abaoji three sons—Yelü Bei, Yelü Deguang, and Yelü Lihu.

During Emperor Taizu's reign In 916, Yelü Abaoji, having consolidated the power over the Khitan tribes into his hands, declared himself emperor of a new Liao dynasty, and created Shulü Ping empress. As empress, she was described as brave, resolute, and full of strategies, often participating in Emperor Taizu's military decisions. There was one time when Emperor Taizu were attacking the Dangxiang through the desert. He left Empress Shulü in charge of the headquarters. Hearing that he was away, two Shiwei tribes, the Huangtou (黃頭) and the Choubo (臭泊), decided to raid the Khitan headquarters. She heard of their plans, however, and put her army on an ambush posture, crushing them upon their arrival. Her reputation among the nomadic people thereafter became prominent. It was said that she refused to bow to her mother and her mother-in-law, but rather received their bows, stating, "I only bow to Heaven, not to people." As, at that time, the Shatuo prince of Jin, Li Cunxu, was locked in a war against archrival Later Liang, he sought an alliance with the Khitan, and he honoured Emperor Taizu as an uncle and Empress Shulü as an aunt.

In 921, the general Lu Wenjin, who had defected from Jin to Khitan, urged Emperor Taizu to attack Jin. About the same time, two coups occurred within the domains of Jin allies Zhao and Yiwu Circuit (義武, headquartered in modern Baoding, Hebei)—as Zhao's prince Wang Rong was assassinated and his adoptive son Zhang Wenli seized control of the domain, and Yiwu's military governor Wang Chuzhi was overthrown by his adoptive son Wang Du. Zhang sought aid from Khitan. Wang Chuzhi's biological son Wang Yu (王郁) fled to Khitan, also encouraging Emperor Taizu to aid Zhang and use the chance to take control of both domains. Emperor Taizu agreed, and launched his army south. Empress Shulü opposed the operation. The Khitan army was subsequently defeated by the Jin army, and forced to withdraw.

In 926, Emperor Taizu launched a major attack on Balhae, conquering it. He converted it to a kingdom named Dongdan, creating his and Empress Shulü's oldest son Yelü Bei its king, with the title of "Imperial King Ren" (人皇王, Ren Huangwang)—while their second son Yelü Deguang was, at the same time, given the title of "General Crown Prince". It was said that this campaign was conducted with Empress Shulü's strategies.

During Emperor Taizong's reign Emperor Taizong honored Empress Shulü as empress dowager, and it was said that she made the key decisions for the state. She also had him marry her niece (Xiao Wen) as empress.

Shi Jingtang honoured Emperor Taizong and Empress Dowager Shulü faithfully and often offered them gifts, and in fact referred to himself as "Son Emperor" and Emperor Taizong as "Father Emperor." However, after Shi Jingtang's death and succession by his nephew Shi Chonggui, Shi Chonggui took a confrontational stance against the Liao, refusing to submit to Emperor Taizong as a subject, only referring to himself as "grandson." He also had Liao merchants arrested, and their assets seized. As a result, war erupted between the states. Empress Dowager Shulü was not in favor of waging war against Later Jin. As a result, Emperor Taizong entered into some peace negotiations with Shi Conggui in 945 that, however, were ultimately fruitless.

In 946, Shi Chonggui commissioned the Later Jin general Du Wei with an army to attack Liao, with the intent to recapture the territory Shi Jingtang previously ceded to Liao. Emperor Taizong, however, was able to have Du's army surrounded, and Du surrendered. He then attacked south toward Later Jin's capital Kaifeng. With the capital defenceless because the army had been given to Du, Shi Chonggui surrendered, ending Later Jin. Emperor Taizong initially claimed to be the emperor for the former Later Jin territory as well. To congratulate him for this great victory, Empress Dowager Shulü sent wine, delicacies, and fruits from Khitan lands to Kaifeng. Whenever he drank the wine that she sent, he stood up and stated, "This was bestowed by the Empress Dowager. I do not dare to drink it sitting down."

Soon, however, faced with many rebellions against Liao rule in the former Later Jin lands, Emperor Taizong decided to return north to Liao proper. However, he became ill on the way and died near Heng Prefecture (恆州, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). Upon receiving his casket, Empress Dowager Shulü did not weep. Instead, she, apparently sensing that her power would be challenged, stated, "When all of the tribes are peaceful, I will then bury you." Yelü Lihu, in command of these troops, was however defeated by Emperor Shizong's forward commanders Yelü Anduan and Yelü Liuge (耶律留哥), and she then negotiated a peace agreement accepting Emperor Shizong as emperor. Emperor Shizong then put her under house arrest at Emperor Taizu's tomb at Zu Prefecture (祖州, in modern Chifeng). She died there in 953, during the reign of Emperor Muzong, a son of Emperor Taizong's. Both Shizong and Muzong resented her for supporting Lihu, so neither lifted her house arrest, nor honored her as grand empress dowager. She was buried with Emperor Taizu.

Important contributions While Empress Shulü dominated the court in the first succession, she also made other contributions to Khitan culture. Most importantly regards the expectations of widows. In traditional Khitan society, women were expected to sacrifice themselves. However, she did not do that, providing an example for other women, at least within the elite strata, of Khitan society.

Differences from Han counterparts Ethnic Han empress dowagers of the era were expected to wield their influence behind the scenes. However, Khitan women held a far higher status than their Han counterparts in the tenth century. Empress Shulü openly wielded her influence in the court of her husband as well as that of her son as empress dowager.