تحليلي بر چگونگي شكل گيري دولت قراختايي

An Analysis of the Establishment of the Qara-Khitai Government

Looking at the maps representing Middle Asia in 6th and the beginning of 7th centuries (12th and beginning of 13th centuries A.D), one comes up to a land ruled by a government whose name was not seen in the maps related to previous centuries. The government was a tribe with different names, including "Kara-Khitai", "Kara Kedanni" and "Khitai" in Persia maps and texts. English, Chinese and Mongol reference use the name "Kara- Khitai Khannat", "Western Liao", "Xi Liao" and "Hala Qidan" for this tribe. Kara Khitai (a name used by Moslem historians) first inhabited on the borders of northern China. Invading Tang territory, their ancestors defeated the great Chinese Empire, and established a vast empire called Liao or Kitan. Their empire which covered a vast area of northern China lasted over two centuries. However, from the beginning of the second decade of 12th century a new tribe called "Jorchen" or "Jorjet" appeared and started to fight against the ruling government. The newly arrived tribe defeated Liao government and forced them to retreat. From that time on, the remainders of Liao government were pushed back out of China. Then they settled in Middle Asia. Afterward, they got into neighborhood with Qara-khanids,Seljuks, Khwarazmshahids and Ghuridʹs government that resided at northern and eastern Iran. It was at that time when Muslim historians recognized them as Kara-Khitai. The main approach of this essay is to state the Kara- Khitaiʹ source and the howness of their migration from China towards areas in their west until they became a neighbor of Islamic governments.