Historical Studies (Chinese Edition)

No.1, 2015

 

A Study of the Ordo Management System in the Liao Dynasty  

(Abstract)

 

Yu Wei

 

In the Liao Dynasty, Ordo denoted the Emperor’s travelling palace during his seasonal progress across the realm. However, the word can also connote a military force directly under the Emperor and all its managerial organizations and institutions. This force could be made up of hundreds of thousands of households, including cavalry. It was administered through a variety of units known as Shilie (石烈), Moli (抹里), Wali (瓦里), Zhasa (闸撒), etc., all of which were subject to the Tixiasi (提辖司 Commandant). The Commandant, who had a fixed residence, was responsible for routine maintenance of all households under the Ordo and ensured the system’s smooth operation. In the Liao Dynasty, the administrative organs and households under the Ordo underwent a process of relocation to the south, indicating a shift in the Ordo’s main function from “control of the interior” to “defense against external threats.” However, right to the end of the Liao Dynasty, the Ordo never belonged to the governmental system headed by the two Bureaus of Military Affairs—it remained under the direct control of the Emperor.