622 chin
On Jan.4, 1100, Jurchen envoys to the Liao court offered gifts (Liao
shih 26:5b).
On Feb.9, 1103, envoys from Jurchen chiefs to the Liao court
offered gifts (Liao shih 27:3a).
In the 3rd (Apr./May) and 11th month (August) of 1114, Jurchen
envoys were received at the Liao court (Liao shih 70:27a).
On Jan.28, 1115, A-ku-ta proclaimed himself emperor and
founded the Chin dynasty. He had been born on Aug.1, 1068. This
was Emperor T’ai-tsu (Chin shih 2:1a, 8a). The Liao State was reeling
but not yet defeated and tried to survive by a combination of military
actions and a flurry of diplomatic initiatives.^2
Meanwhile, the Sung court saw an opportunity for allying itself with
the Jurchen and regaining the lost Sixteen Commanderies. In the 12th
month (Dec./Jan., 1118) of the Sung year 1117, Emperor Hui-tsung
sent a Defense Commissioner to the Chin court. He brought a letter
which said: “The land where the sun rises has truly given birth to a
sage. We have ventured to learn that you are attacking Liao and that
you frequently have crushed your powerful enemy. After you have
subjugated Liao, we wish the towns below (i.e. south) of the border,
forming the Chinese territory which in the time of the Five Dynasties
fell to the Khitan”. On Mar.11, 1118, a Grandee of Martial Loyalty
was sent by sea to the Chin court to offer an alliance against Liao
(Sung shih 21:9a; Chin shih 2:12a).
On Feb.21, 1119, a goodwill mission from Chin reached the Sung
port of Teng in northern Shan-tung but then returned (Sung shih 22:
1a).
In the 6th month (July/Aug.) of 1119, a Sung goodwill mission
was received at the Chin court. T’ai-tsu responded with envoys of his
own. In the 2nd month (March) of 1120, these returned and reported
(Chin shih 2:14a).
On Mar.5, 1120, Hui-tsung sent envoys to the Chin court to discuss
the territorial concessions which he expected. On May 14, T’ai-tsu
took personal command of the troops attacking Liao and invited the
(^2) Approaches by Liao to Chin are recorded for the 4th month (Apr./May) and
June 24 of 1115, for Feb.22, May 21, and the 7th (July/Aug.), 8th (Aug./Sep.), 9th
month (Sep./Oct.), and 12th month (Jan.Feb., 1119) of the Liao year 1118, for the
3rd month (Apr./May), July 25 and the 11th month (Dec./Jan., 1120) of the Liao
year 1119, for the 4th month (May) of 1120, and for the 5th month (June/July) of
1122 (Chin shih 2:9a; 2:12a, 12b, 13a, 13b; 2:14a, 14b, 17b).