Operation of the Khitan Northern and Southern Officials System in the 1050s

Name: Operation of the Khitan Northern and Southern Officials System in the 1050s
Start: 1051
End: 1060

Type Event Region Asia Time 1051–1060

The Liao dynasty governed Khitan heartlands and Chinese prefectures through separate northern and southern official systems;…

Timeline

1051–1055Supreme Capital, Linhuang Prefecture · Inner MongoliaNorthern officials, through bodies like the Privy Council and the Prince's Court, managed the Khitan tribes, palace guards, and external warfare; under Xingzong the court toured the steppe per the nabo system, with northern agencies attending to tribal disputes and levies.
1052–1058Southern Capital, Xijin Prefecture · North ChinaSouthern officials, modeled on the Tang system, established the Zhongshu, Menxia, and Shangshu departments and the Six Ministries, managing taxes, corvée, law, and examinations in the Southern and Central Capitals; in the 1050s the Chinese official system ran in parallel with the Khitan northern officials, forming a dual-track administration.
1056–1060Central Capital, Dading Prefecture · Inner MongoliaAfter acceding, Daozong made partial adjustments to appointments under the northern and southern officials, but the basic institutional framework remained unchanged; the Central Capital continued as a hub linking north and south, coordinating tribal and Chinese affairs.