Yelü Pusuwan facts for kids

Yelü Pusuwan (Chinese: 耶律普速完; pinyin: Yēlǜ Pǔsùwán; died 1177) was regent of the Qara Khitai (also known as Western Liao) during the minority of her nephew Yelü Zhilugu from 1163 to 1177. She was the younger sister of the Western Liao emperor Yelü Yilie.

Reign

She stepped up as regent when her older brother Yelü Yilie died, since his son Yelü Zhilugu was still a minor.

In 1165 Masud II pillaged Balkh and Andkhoy with Pusuwan's support. After punitive expeditions in 1169 and 1172, Qara Khitai army crushed Il-Arslan, who soon died. His death caused civil war in Khwarazmid realm — his wife Terken Khatun enthroned Sultan Shah, while another son Tekish fled to Qara Khitai and asked for help. Around this time Mu'ayyid al-Din Ai-Aba sent a tribute to empress.

Yelü Pusuwan sent her husband Xiao Duolubu (蕭朵魯不) with a huge army who defeated Sultan Shah, and put Tekish to throne on 11 December 1172.

In eastern border, she tried subdue Naimans and Qanglis unsuccessfully by sending her general Erbuz (额儿布思).

After a while Tekish fed up with growing Qara Khitai demands of tribute and killed an emissary sent by Pusuwan, who was her relative. This caused Pusuwan to favor Sultan Shah. Xiao Duolubu was sent again, this time to dethrone the very man he had crowned.

While Duolubu was away, she was infatuated with his brother Xiao Puguzhi (蕭樸古只). When her father-in-law Xiao Wolila (萧斡里剌) found about the relationship, he killed them both.

Her nephew Yelü Zhilugu was installed as new emperor.