Nanjing (Liao dynasty)
Nanjing was the name for modern Beijing during the Khitan-led Liao dynasty of China, during which it served as the empire's southern capital.
In 1122, the city was captured by the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty (1115–1234)—who officially renamed it "Yanjing", ending the use of "Nanjing" for what is today modern Beijing.
[1] Liao Nanjing inherited the walled city and neighborhood configuration of Youzhou from the earlier Tang dynasty.
[1] The city had eight gates (men), two each in each cardinal direction: Andongmen and Yingchunmen to the east, Kaiyangmen and Danfengmen to the south, Xianximen and Qingpumen to the west, and Tongtianmen and Gongchenmen to the north.
[2] The north wall stretched from the modern day White Cloud Temple east along Toufa Hutong (Hair Lane).
[2] The palace complex, like the later Forbidden City, had two internal gates facing the south, Xuanjiaomen and Nanduanmen (which were renamed, respectively, Yuanhemen and Qixiamen in 1006).
After the fall of the Tang in 907, the Khitan leader Yelü Abaoji declared himself emperor in Shangjing (modern-day Baarin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia) in 918 and began to expand southward.
Liao Nanjing administered the empire's Southern Circuit, which includes predominantly ethnic Han territory south of the Taihang Mountains.
In 979, the Song emperor Taizong personally led a military expedition that reached and laid siege to Nanjing (Youzhou) but was defeated in the decisive Battle of Gaoliang River, north of the city.
[6] Under the leadership of Wanyan Aguda, the founder of the Jin dynasty, the Jurchens captured in rapid succession, Shangjing, Zhongjing and Dongjing, the Liao's Upper, Central and Eastern Capitals.
[8] After Yelü Chun died of illness in the early summer, the Empress Dowager Xiao Defei assumed leadership, and Tong Guan sent Liu Yanqing to attack Nanjing in September with 150,000 troops.
Gao Feng and Guo Yaoshi, the Liao commanders of Yizhou and Zhuozhou surrendered their respective cities.
[2] Xiao Gan's reinforcements then emerged from the north and east gates of the imperial city and surprised Guo Yaoshi's who were busy looting while waiting for the main Song Army to arrive.
Wanyan Aguda allowed the surrendering officials to retain their positions and encouraged refugees to return to the city, which was renamed Yanjing.
[8] In the spring of 1123, Wanyan Aguda agreed, as per treaty terms, to hand Yanjing and four other prefectures to the Song in exchange for tribute.
[9] The handover occurred after the Jurchens had looted the city's wealth and forced all officials and craftsman to move to the Jin capital at Shangjing (near present-day Harbin).
As the convoy of relocated Nanjing residents passed Pingzhou (near Qinhuangdao) on their way to the Northeast, they persuaded the governor Zhang Jue to restore them to their home town.
[9] The Song Emperor Huizong welcomed his defection, ignoring warnings from his diplomats that the Jurchens would regard the acceptance of defectors as a breach of treaty terms.
