Yila Wowo

Biography

Family Background and Early Years

Yila Wowo belonged to the Khitan tribes under the Northwestern Route Pacification Commission of the Jin dynasty and was a member of the Yila, or Yelü, clan. Historical sources provide very little information about his family background or early life. His biography in the History of Jin merely states that he came from the “Khitan tribes of the Northwestern Route Pacification Commission,” without naming his father or ancestors. The Northwestern Route Pacification Commission had existed under the Liao and was retained in the early Jin, with its seat in the area of present-day Zhenglan Banner in Inner Mongolia, where it administered Khitan groups. After the Jin destroyed Liao, Jin policy toward the Khitans combined supervision and utilization: Khitan aristocrats were employed in military and civil administration, while the Meng'an Mouke system and repeated conscription were also used to control Khitan communities. Yila Wowo grew up within this tribal setting and experienced conditions under Jin rule that the source presents as background to his later participation in rebellion.

Joining the Rebellion and Killing Saba

In 1160, the fifth year of Zhenglong, Wanyan Liang decided to campaign south against Song and ordered the officials Zaohe and Yang Ge to conscript all able-bodied Khitan men under the Northwestern Route Pacification Commission. The Khitans were alarmed, arguing that the northwestern route bordered hostile neighboring states and that if all adult men were sent away, the elderly and weak would be left exposed. They chose representatives to petition the court. Zaohe feared punishment and did not report the petition; Yang Ge, worried about future consequences, died from anxiety according to the source. Zaohe then joined Yelü Na and a clerk of the Department of State Affairs, Moda Niehe, in enforcing the levy.

When the Khitans learned that all able-bodied men were to be mobilized, Saba, Botebu, and their followers killed Pacification Commissioner Wanyan Woce and Zaohe, detained Yelü Na and Moda Niehe, seized three thousand suits of armor stored at the commission, and rebelled. Yila Wowo joined the uprising and was appointed Military Commissioner of the Six Divisions by Saba. Herding groups both east and west of the mountains responded, and the rebellion rapidly expanded.

Wanyan Liang sent Chief Military Affairs Commissioner Pusan Hutu and Western Capital Regent Xiao Huaizhong with ten thousand troops, together with Right Guard General Xiao Tula, to suppress Saba. Faced with superior Jin numbers and setbacks in battle, Saba led the rebels westward with the intention of joining Western Liao. Followers whose original homes lay east of the mountains, in the area north of the Daqing River and south of the Inner Great Wall in present-day Hebei, opposed the westward move, and conflict within the army intensified. During the march, Yila Wowo and the military officer Chen Jia killed Saba and seized Laoheshang, Botebu, and others. Yila Wowo assumed the title Grand Marshal, Chen Jia became Area Commander, and they led the force back east to Xinluo Stockade southeast of Linhuang Prefecture, identified here as Boluo City southeast of present-day Baarin Left Banner in Inner Mongolia.

Proclamation as Emperor and Refusal to Surrender

After Emperor Shizong of Jin took the throne, he initially pursued a policy of conciliation and sent the Khitan Yila Zhaba, the former escort-force mouke Bo'o, the former insignia officer Mahai, and the military commissioner judge Manao to offer terms. Zhaba and the others conveyed the emperor's message to Yila Wowo. Yila Wowo initially agreed to surrender but then asked Zhaba, “If we surrender, can you guarantee that nothing will happen to us?” Zhaba replied, “I only know that I have been sent to receive your surrender. How could I guarantee anything else?” Seeing that Yila Wowo's army was powerful and that wagons and tents filled the countryside, Zhaba decided that the rebels might succeed. He advised Yila Wowo not to allow his followers to be slaughtered like a flock of sheep and declared that he would remain with the army. The Khitan commander Zhuwo, formerly military commissioner of the Boteben tribal unit, likewise argued against surrender and recalled a warning attributed to Wanyan Xiyin that the northwestern tribes would someday cause trouble. Yila Wowo therefore decided not to surrender. Zhaba remained in the rebel camp, while Mahai and Bo'o returned to report.

Yila Wowo then attacked Linhuang Prefecture. Its commander Yishiman came out to meet him but was captured because his force was too small. The Khitan rebels besieged Linhuang with as many as 50,000 men. On December 19, 1161, the first day of the twelfth lunar month of the sixth year of Zhenglong, Yila Wowo proclaimed himself emperor and adopted the era name Tianzheng.

Peak of Military Power and Setbacks

At the time, Jin Northern Commander Bai Yanjing and Deputy Commander Heshilie Zhining were at Beijing, west of present-day Ningcheng in Inner Mongolia. On learning that Shizong had taken the throne, they brought their troops to submit to him. Emperor Shizong sent Left Vice Commander-in-Chief Wuzhahu and Wanyan Guzhi, Associate Regent of Beijing, to relieve Linhuang. They marched rapidly day and night, but by the time they approached the city the Khitan army had lifted the siege and moved against Taizhou, identified here as Chengsijiazi northeast of present-day Tao'an in Jilin. Wuzhahu caught up with the rebels at Wali. As the armies drew up for battle, the Khitan Meng'an commander Hulashu defected with his troops to Yila Wowo, and Wuzhahu's army was defeated. Taizhou Military Commissioner Wuliya then encountered Yila Wowo with more than one thousand cavalrymen and was also defeated, escaping with only a few riders. The rebels' momentum increased and the defenders of Taizhou were afraid to leave the city. Khitan troops attacked the walls from several directions. The Meng'an commander Wugusun Alibu personally led a handful of soldiers in close fighting along the wall and inflicted many casualties, forcing the attackers to withdraw and preserving the city.

In the first lunar month of 1162, the second year of Dading, Emperor Shizong ordered Right Vice Commander-in-Chief Wanyan Mouyan to command a northern expedition. On March 11, the twenty-fifth day of the second lunar month, the emperor issued a proclamation offering high office and rewards to those who surrendered, and some rebel commanders defected. In the fourth lunar month, Yila Wowo failed to take Taizhou and turned against Jizhou, identified here as present-day Nong'an in Jilin. Wanyan Mouyan sent more than ten thousand light cavalry to strike the rebel baggage train. Yila Wowo returned to protect it and was ambushed at Changbo, between present-day Qian'an and Nong'an, suffering defeat. He crossed west over the Wu River, identified here as east of present-day Chifeng in Inner Mongolia, and destroyed the crossing. Jin soldiers bound willow branches together and filled the river to make a crossing downstream, pursued for several li, and paused on level ground to eat. The Khitan army used the wind to set fires and counterattacked, but after fierce fighting was again defeated.

Defeat and Death

In the sixth lunar month, because Wanyan Mouyan had failed to obtain a decisive result after prolonged fighting, Emperor Shizong replaced him with Pusan Zhongyi, appointing the latter Director of the Department of State Affairs and Right Vice Commander-in-Chief, and named Heshilie Zhining Supervising Commander-in-Chief. After the defeat at Changbo, Yila Wowo moved west to the southwest of Linhuang, unsuccessfully attacked Yizhou, identified here as west of present-day Zhangwu in Liaoning, then broke through Chuanzhou, identified here as Heizi Ancient City northeast of present-day Beipiao, intending to move toward Shanxi.

As Yila Wowo advanced west from Huadao, southeast of present-day Chifeng, Pusan Zhongyi and Heshilie Zhining caught him at Xianquan west of Niaoling, southwest of present-day Harqin Banner. The next day about 30,000 Khitan cavalry crossed the water eastward. Jin forces occupied the southern ridge. Their left wing extended north along the ridge, infantry followed, and the right wing curved eastward from the north, forming a crescent with infantry in the center and cavalry at both ends so that the rebels could not see the full line. Heavy fog initially covered the field, but it cleared after the armies formed. The rebels avoided attacking the left wing on the southern ridge and instead struck the right. Wuyan Chala fought hard and pushed them back. Zhining, Jiagu Qingchen, Wulinda Lasa, and Duola then joined battle and heavily defeated the rebels.

The defeated Khitans attempted to cross the water, but mud slowed them and large numbers of men and horses were trampled to death. Jin forces pursued and captured or killed tens of thousands. Yila Wowo's younger brother, Yila Niao, styled by the rebels Great King of the Six Divisions Administration, was captured alive. Yila Wowo escaped with only a few riders. Chaowu and Qingchen pursued him for more than forty li but failed to catch him, killing more than one thousand and seizing many wagons and tents. Yila Wowo's mother Xu Nian fled west from Luokuogang with the camp, but Zhining pursued and captured the baggage and more than 50,000 people, together with enormous numbers of livestock. Six rebel military commissioners and their tribal groups surrendered.

Yila Wowo gathered more than ten thousand scattered soldiers and entered Xi territory, adding Xi followers to his force. He periodically raided the areas around Sulugudian, Gubeikou, and Xinghua and at one point defeated the Jin general Wendihan Aludai at Gubeikou. Emperor Shizong ordered Wanyan Mouyan, Pucha Wuliya, and Pucha Puluhun to take three thousand troops and join five thousand already stationed there, and separately ordered Wanyan Sijing to enter Xi territory and coordinate a campaign against Yila Wowo. Jin combined military suppression with conciliation, while disease spread among the rebels; many surrendered and the movement steadily weakened. Concluding that the situation was lost, Yila Wowo planned to depart from Yangcheng, travel through the Western Capital, and flee to Western Xia. Jin pursuit intensified and many of his soldiers deserted. Realizing the western route was impossible, he moved north into Shatuo.

Heshilie Zhining captured the Khitan commander Shaohezhu but released him unharmed and sent him back among the rebels, instructing him to persuade close associates to seize Yila Wowo in exchange for official rank and reward. On October 14, 1162, the seventh day of the ninth lunar month of the second year of Dading, Shaohezhu and Shenduwa seized Yila Wowo and surrendered to Right Area Commander Wanyan Sijing. They also captured Yila Wowo's mother Xu Nian, his wife, son, daughter-in-law, younger brother, and nephew, together with the rebel gold and silver seals and tallies. On October 18 the Jin crown prince led the officials in presenting congratulations; on October 19 Emperor Shizong proclaimed the victory throughout the realm. On October 25 Wanyan Sijing presented the prisoners in the capital. Yila Wowo was beheaded in the marketplace, his hands and feet were dismembered and displayed in various capitals and prefectures, and his mother Xu Nian, his wife, and his children were killed.

Major Activities

Anti-Jin Rebellion

Yila Wowo was one of the central leaders of the largest Khitan uprising against Jin rule in the middle Jin period. In 1160, Wanyan Liang's conscription of Khitan men from the northwestern route for the war against Song aroused widespread resentment. Saba and others killed Pacification Commissioner Wanyan Woce and began the rebellion; Yila Wowo joined and was appointed Military Commissioner of the Six Divisions. For a time, the movement controlled broad areas of the northwestern route, and numerous herding groups on both sides of the mountains joined it. After killing Saba and assuming leadership, Yila Wowo returned east, attacked Linhuang Prefecture, and reportedly besieged it with 50,000 men. After proclaiming himself emperor, he defeated Jin forces at Wali and Taizhou and became the most serious internal threat faced by Emperor Shizong after his accession.

Proclamation as Emperor and Adoption of an Era Name

On December 19, 1161, Yila Wowo proclaimed himself emperor at Linhuang Prefecture and adopted the era name Tianzheng. The source describes this as the first occasion after the foundation of Jin on which Khitans proclaimed an emperor and established an era name, giving the act strong political symbolism and marking a transition from tribal resistance to a regime-level challenge with a restorationist character.

Military Activity

After joining the rebellion, Yila Wowo participated in numerous major engagements. At Wali he heavily defeated the pursuing troops of Left Vice Commander-in-Chief Wuzhahu. At Taizhou he defeated Military Commissioner Wuliya and nearly took the city. In the fourth lunar month of 1162 he failed to capture Taizhou, then attacked Jizhou and was ambushed and defeated at Changbo. At Xianquan west of Niaoling, his main force was destroyed in a combined attack by Pusan Zhongyi and Heshilie Zhining, and he escaped with only a few riders. After entering Xi territory, he repeatedly raided between Sulugudian, Gubeikou, and Xinghua and once defeated the Jin commander Wendihan Aludai. Eventually the combination of military pressure, conciliation, and epidemic disease weakened the rebellion, and Yila Wowo was seized by his own subordinates while fleeing north.

Refusal to Surrender and Final Fate

After Emperor Shizong's accession, Jin initially sent envoys to seek Yila Wowo's surrender. Yila Wowo at first considered accepting but doubted whether the court could guarantee the rebels' safety. After his commanders advised against submission, he decided to continue the uprising. Heshilie Zhining later used the captured Khitan commander Shaohezhu, releasing him back into the rebel camp and promising rewards if Yila Wowo were seized. On October 14, 1162, Shaohezhu and Shenduwa arrested Yila Wowo and surrendered him to Jin. On October 25 he was beheaded in the capital, his limbs were dismembered and displayed in multiple cities, and his mother Xu Nian and his wife and children were also killed.

Personal Relations

Family

• Mother: Xu Nian, captured after the Battle of Xianquan and later killed together with Yila Wowo's wife and children.
• Younger brother: Yila Niao, styled by the rebels Great King of the Six Divisions Administration; captured alive at Xianquan.
• Wife, son, daughter-in-law, and nephew: captured together with Yila Wowo and later killed according to the source.

Within the Rebel Movement

• Saba: originally an interpreter-scribe of the Pacification Commission and an early leader of the anti-Jin uprising; killed by Yila Wowo and Chen Jia after disagreement over seeking refuge in Western Liao.
• Chen Jia: military officer who joined Yila Wowo in killing Saba and served as Area Commander.
• Yila Zhaba: surrender envoy sent by Emperor Shizong; after seeing the strength of Yila Wowo's army, remained with the rebels.
• Zhuwo: former tribal military commissioner of Boteben; strongly opposed surrender to Jin.
• Shaohezhu: Khitan commander captured and released by Heshilie Zhining; later helped seize Yila Wowo.
• Shenduwa: joined Shaohezhu in arresting Yila Wowo and surrendering him to Jin.

Hostile Relations

• Wanyan Liang: Jin emperor whose conscription of Khitan men triggered the rebellion.
• Emperor Shizong of Jin: after taking the throne, first sought surrender and then committed major forces to suppress the uprising.
• Pusan Zhongyi: Jin Director of the Department of State Affairs and Right Vice Commander-in-Chief, a principal commander at Xianquan.
• Heshilie Zhining: Jin Supervising Commander-in-Chief, a principal commander at Xianquan who later devised the plan that led to Yila Wowo's capture.
• Wanyan Mouyan: Jin Right Vice Commander-in-Chief who led the early suppression campaign.
• Wanyan Sijing: Jin Northwestern Route Pacification Commissioner who received Yila Wowo's surrender and presented him as a captive in the capital.
• Wuzhahu: Jin Left Vice Commander-in-Chief defeated by Yila Wowo at Wali.
• Wuliya: Taizhou Military Commissioner defeated by Yila Wowo.

Historical Assessment

Jin and Contemporary Assessments

• The History of Jin, juan 133, states: “Zhenglong delighted in warfare and the Khitans rose in trouble. The Commentary says, ‘War is like fire: if it is not extinguished, it will burn oneself.’ How can this fail to serve as a warning?” The account links the uprising to Wanyan Liang's militarism. It describes Yila Wowo from the Jin official perspective as one who “first followed Saba in rebellion, received his false appointment, then killed Saba and took over his followers,” using terms such as “rebel” and “bandit.”
• After suppressing the uprising, Emperor Shizong proclaimed the victory, had Yila Wowo beheaded and dismembered, displayed his remains in several regions, and executed his mother, wife, and children. The severity of this response reflects both the court's hostility and the scale of the threat posed by the rebellion.
• Reports by Heshilie Zhining and other commanders described Yila Wowo's “strong troops” and wagons and tents filling the countryside, indirectly indicating the early strength of the rebel force.

Song–Yuan Period

• The Southern Song author Yuwen Maozhao, in the Record of the Great Jin State, called Yila Wowo “Yelü Wohan,” using the imperial Yelü clan name of the Liao, and presented his activities during Emperor Shizong's reign as a continuation of Khitan restorationist resistance.
• Toqto'a and other Yuan compilers placed Yila Wowo in juan 133 of the History of Jin, among the “Biographies of Rebels,” thereby classifying him as a traitor to Jin. At the same time, the biography preserves a detailed account of the uprising and the Jin suppression and is an important historical source.
• Yuan-era accounts praising the commanders who suppressed the Khitans ranked Pusan Zhongyi and Heshilie Zhining highly and described their achievement as foremost in pacifying the Khitans, indirectly showing the military challenge posed by Yila Wowo's movement.

Ming–Qing Period

• Wang Qi's Ming Continuation of the Comprehensive Examination of Institutions and similar works followed the History of Jin in placing Yila Wowo among rebels and offered no substantially new evaluation.
• Qing works such as the Continuation of the Comprehensive Gazetteer and the imperially commissioned explanations of Jin-history terms examined names associated with Yila Wowo; the latter explained that “Yila” corresponds to “Yelü,” helping clarify his clan affiliation.
• Zhao Yila Wowo's Notes on the Twenty-Two Histories, while discussing the arrogance of Jin commanders, mentioned Wanyan Mouyan's prolonged lack of success against the Khitan uprising and regarded Emperor Shizong's replacement of him with Pusan Zhongyi as an effective decision, indirectly reflecting the challenge posed by the rebels.

Modern Period

• Modern scholars often interpret Yila Wowo's uprising in the context of ethnic tension and Jin policies toward the Khitans, regarding the rebellion as a direct response to coercive policies and as a form of ethnic resistance.
• Some scholars characterize Yila Wowo's imperial proclamation and era name as the high point of Khitan restorationist movements under Jin rule. Although the uprising failed, they argue that it contributed to subsequent adjustments in Jin policy toward Khitan communities, including changes to levies and conciliation of herding groups.
• The source notes that historical records describe 50,000 rebels at the siege of Linhuang and 30,000 Khitan cavalry at Xianquan, indicating a substantial military force and supporting the characterization of the movement as the largest Khitan uprising of the middle Jin period.