BabelStone Blog
Wednesday, 1 May 2013
Khitan Geography Part 1
Having taken a look at Tangut geography and Jurchen geography, I thought I might as well make a series of it, and take a look at place names written in the Khitan scripts. For convenience, I am dividing it into two parts, this post on place names written in the Khitan Large Script, and a future post on place names in the Khitan Small Script.
In contrast with the Jurchen script, for which we have a key (the Ming dynasty Sino-Jurchen Vocabulary of the Bureau of Interpreters 女真譯語) but very few extant inscriptions to read, we have no key to help us read either of the two Khitan scripts, but there is a relatively large corpus of Khitan inscriptions (about 18 known monumental inscriptions in the Khitan large script, and about 38 known monumental inscriptions in the Khitan small script). Without any surviving dictionaries or glossaries of the Khitan language both Khitan scripts remain largely undeciphered, and we are only able to read with certainty a limited set of Khitan vocabulary (such as calendrical terms, numbers, official titles, some personal names and some Chinese loan words).
I have gone through about a dozen published Khitan Large Script epitaphs, all dating from the Liao dynasty (907–1125), and have extracted all the place names that have been identified by scholars working on these texts (in a few cases I have omitted place names which I think have been misidentified). In many cases the identification is provisional, and should be treated with caution. It is certain that some place names remain to be identified in the extant inscriptions, and I will update the tables below when I find new place name identifications.
For the convenience of the reader I have added reconstructed readings for the Khitan Large Script characters as given by Liu Fengzhu 劉鳳翥 and Wang Yunlong 王雲龍 in their 2004 study of the Epitaph for Yelü Changyun 耶律昌允 (KL:M12). These readings are even more tentative than the place name identifications, and may not always represent scholarly consensus. The readings are helpful for understanding the relationship between the Khitan place names and the Chinese place names that in most cases they transcribe, but they are little more than educated guesses and should not be treated as definitive.
Many or most Khitan Large Script characters are written with somewhat different glyph forms in different (or even the same) inscriptions, and as there is little certainty as to which of the variant glyph forms is the orthographically correct way of writing the character I have arbitrarily standardized differing glyph forms in different inscriptions to a single glyph form.
Index of Liao Dynasty Khitan Large Script Place Names
Countries
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M09 (1) N176 (9.6) |
        mɑi [?-?] qu-lɑ khitɑ-i kur |
大中央哈喇契丹國 | Great Central (Qara?) Khitan Kingdom |
| KL:M12 (5) | mɑi khitɑ-i qu-lɑ kur |
大契丹哈喇國 | |
| KL:M13 (1) | mɑi qu-lɑ kur |
大哈喇國 | |
| KL:M14 (1) | mɑi [?-?] khitɑ-i kur |
大中央契丹國 | |
| KL:M11 (1) | qu-lɑ khitɑ-i kur |
哈喇契丹國 | |
| KL:M05 (3) |  dɑn kur |
東丹國 | Dongdan |
| KL:M13 (21) |     [?] [?-?] kuei |
西夏國 | Western Xia |
Capitals
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M09 (23, 25) KL:M12 (8, 16) KL:M13 (23) KL:M14 (6) |
   u-rə kiŋ |
Superior Capital 上京 |
Modern Baarin Left Banner 巴林左旗, Inner Mongolia |
| KL:M12 (15) |   tʃiu-uŋ kiŋ |
Central Capital 中京 |
Modern Damingzhen Township 大明鎮, west of Ningcheng 寧城, Inner Mongolia |
| N176 (9.1) |  tʃu-uŋ kiŋ |
||
| KL:M08 (16) KL:M12 (15, 16) |
 to-rə kiŋ |
Eastern Capital 東京 |
Modern Liaoyang 遼陽, Liaoning |
| Western Capital 西京 |
Modern Datong 大同, Shanxi | ||
| Southern Capital 南京 |
Modern Beijing 北京 |
Circuits
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Capital Circuit 上京道 |
Centred on the Superior Capital | ||
| Central Capital Circuit 中京道 |
Centred on the Central Capital | ||
| Eastern Capital Circuit 東京道 |
Centred on the Eastern Capital | ||
| Western Capital Circuit 西京道 |
Centred on the Western Capital | ||
| Southern Capital Circuit 南京道 |
Centred on the Southern Capital |
Superior Prefectures
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dading Superior Prefecture 大定府 |
Prefectural seat at the Central Capital | ||
| Datong Superior Prefecture 大同府 |
Prefectural seat at the Western Capital | ||
| KL:M12 (12) |    qoŋ lu-uŋ pu |
Huanglong Superior Prefecture 黃龍府 |
Prefectural seat at modern Nong'an 農安, Jilin |
| Liaoyang Superior Prefecture 遼陽府 |
Prefectural seat at the Eastern Capital | ||
| Linhuang Superior Prefecture 臨潢府 |
Prefectural seat at the Superior Capital | ||
| Xijin Superior Prefecture 析津府 |
Prefectural seat at the Southern Capital | ||
| KL:M12 (14) |   xi-əŋ tʃu-uŋ pu |
Xingzhong Superior Prefecture 興中府 |
Prefectural seat at modern Chaoyang 朝陽, Liaoning |
Prefectures
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M12 (1) |  si tʃiu |
Ci Prefecture 慈州 |
Modern Ji County 吉縣, Shanxi. Within Song territory. |
| KL:M12 (1) |  bun tʃiu |
Fen Prefecture 汾州 |
Modern Fenyang 汾陽, Shanxi. Within Song territory. |
| KL:M13 (11, 15, 21) |  pu tʃiu |
Fu Prefecture 鄜州 |
Modern Fu County 富縣, Shaanxi. Within Song territory. |
kuei tʃiu |
Gui Prefecture 歸州 |
Modern Guizhou Township 歸州鎮, south of Gaizhou 蓋州, Liaoning. |
|
| KL:M12 (16) |  kim tʃiu |
Jin Prefecture 金州 |
Modern Jinzhou District 金州區, Dalian, Liaoning |
| KL:M12 (1, 2) |  sin tʃiu |
Jin Prefecture 晉州 |
Modern Quwo County 曲沃縣, Shanxi. Within Song territory. |
| KL:M08 (14) KL:M12 (13) |
 tuŋ tʃiu |
Tong Prefecture 同州 |
Modern Zhonggu Township 中固镇, south of Kaiyuan 開原, Liaoning |
| KL:M12 (1) |  si tʃiu |
Xi Prefecture 隰州 |
Modern Xi County 隰縣, Shanxi. Within Song territory. |
| KL:M12 (2, 17) |  tʃo tʃiu |
Zhuo Prefecture 涿州 |
Modern Zhuozhou 涿州, Hebei |
| KL:M12 (15) |   [?]-ɑn tʃiu |
[?]an Prefecture 囗州 |
|
| KL:M12 (7) |  [?]-əŋ tʃiu |
[?]ing Prefecture 囗州 |
Other Places
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M09 (2) |    tɑi ŋ-wo-ɑn |
Taiyuan 太原 |
Taiyuan 太原, Shanxi |
Commanderies*
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M13 (23) |   si ʃui kun |
Qishui Commandery 漆水郡 |
|
| KL:M12 (3) |  si ʃui kun |
||
| KL:M09 (1, 6) |   j-əŋ ni-əŋ kun |
Yongning Commandery 永寧郡 |
* Liao dynasty commanderies (Chinese jùn 郡) are the ceremonial fiefdoms of Commandery Princes, and are not actual administrative regions within the Liao state.
Rivers and Mountains
| Source | Khitan Name | Chinese Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M13 (29) |   li ʃɑn |
Lie Mountain 烈山 |
Chogt Mountain 朝克圖山 in Inner Mongolia |
| KL:M12 (19, 20) |  bor ʃɑn |
Fo Mountain (Buddha Mountain) 佛山 |
|
| KL:M12 (22) |  thɑ ʃan |
Ta Mountain (Pagoda Mountain) 塔山 |
Sources
The sources for Khitan place names are listed in the tables below. A map showing the locations of Khitan Large Script inscriptions is available here. In the "Source" column of the tables above, the number in parentheses after the source ID is the line number of the inscription where the place name occurs (for the manuscript N176, the numbers are the page number and line number).
Khitan Large Script Monumental Inscriptions
| ID | Description | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL:M01 | Commemoration of a battle victory by Hutenu (Yelü Zhaosan 耶律趙三) | Khentii Province, Mongolia | 1084 |
| KL:M02 | Inscribed sarcophagous | Jianchang County, Liaoning | |
| KL:M03 | Memorial at Jing'an Temple (靜安寺) erected by the Lady of Lanling Commandery (蘭陵郡夫人) | Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia | 1072 |
| KL:M04 | Epitaph for an unknown person | Unknown | 1056 |
| KL:M05 | Epitaph for Court Attendant Dorlipun 多羅里本郎君 (1037–1080) | Unknown | 1081 |
| KL:M06 | Epitaph for Court Attendant Li Ai 李爱郎君 | Unknown | 1176 |
| KL:M07 | Epitaph for the Grand Preceptor (太師) | Unknown | 1056 |
| KL:M08 | Epitaph for the Grand Prince of the North 北大王 (Yelü Wanxin 耶律萬辛, 972–1041) | Ar Horqin Banner, Inner Mongolia | 1041 |
| KL:M09 | Epitaph for the Princess of Yongning Commandery 永寧郡公主 (1033–1091) | Bairin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia | 1092 |
| KL:M10 | Epitaph for Xiao Paolu 蕭袍魯 (1018–1089) | Faku County, Liaoning | 1090 |
| KL:M11 | Epitaph for Xiao Xiaozhong 蕭孝忠 (d.1089) | Huludao, Liaoning | 1089 |
| KL:M12 | Epitaph for Yelü Changyun 耶律昌允 (1000–1061) | Chifeng, Inner Mongolia | 1062 |
| KL:M13 | Epitaph for Yelü Qi 耶律褀 (1033–1108) | Ar Horqin Banner, Inner Mongolia | 1108 |
| KL:M14 | Epitaph for Yelü Xinie 耶律習涅 (1063–1114) | Bairin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia | 1114 |
| KL:M15 | Epitaph for Yelü Yanning 耶律延寧 (946–985) | Chaoyang County, Liaoning | 986 |
| KL:M16 | Memorial from the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu of Liao (r.916–926) | Bairin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia | |
| KL:M17 | Memorial from the ruins of the Liao capital Shangjing | Bairin Left Banner, Inner Mongolia | |
| KL:M18 | Monumental stone inscription | Dornogovi Province, Mongolia | 1058 |
Other Khitan Large Script Sources
| ID | Description | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| N176 | Manuscript codex Nova N 176 held at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts in Saint Petersburg | Found in Kyrgyzstan | 1045+ |
| KL:W01 | Two wooden tablets from a Liao dynasty tomb | Horqin Right Middle Banner, Inner Mongolia |
Google Map of Khitan Large Script Place Names
To accompany this post I have created a map of Liao dynasty Khitan Large Script place names on Google Maps (click on the tags to see the Khitan names).
Google Maps map showing Liao Dynasty locations with place names in Khitan Large Script
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