Home Region: Mongolia (Central and Northern Eurasia)

Khitan I

907 CE 1125 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 mn_khitan_1 / MnKhitn

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

745 CE 840 CE Uigur Khaganate (mn_uygur_khaganate) [absorption]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

"The Khitan first appear in documentary sources in the 4th century as a people of the south-central portion of northeast China, from a region of mountains and open grasslands. Under the leadership of Abaoji, the Khitan rapidly adopted a centralized royal form of organization, with clear similarities to Chinese traditions but also incorporating some of the familiar steppe pastoralist strategies (Wittfogel and Feng 1949, pp. 59-65). Although Buddhism was a central feature of the polity, as the empire expanded into Central Asia the majority of the population was actually Muslim (Biran 2006, p. 66; Dunnell 1996, p. 4)." ^[1]
"Liao occupation of the Central Plains, 947" ^[2]
"The Liao emperor did not conquer and govern the Central Plains directly. ... by dint of military success, he had become the legitimate emperor of the Central Plains. Familiar with T’ang protocols, and advised by formally educated ministers from both Liao and the Later Chin, Te-kuang observed such practices as declaring a new dynasty, wearing Chinese dress, and reemploying former officials. ... He appointed new governors, demoted K’ai-feng from its capital status, and established Chen-chou as a capital instead. But Te-kuang did not intend to stay. ... he treaded the conquest as a very large raid, in which public relations were irrelevant and only loot mattered. Perhaps most damaging to Te-kuang’s image was the policy of "smashing the pasture and grain" (ta ts’ao-yu) ... The Liao armies devestated the region around the capital, foraging to supply themselves and practicing the all-too-common cruelties of soldiers in wartime. To reward his troops, claimed to number three hundred thousand, Te-kuang demanded from an already overtaxed population cash and cloth to be stockpiled for transport north. Most ambitious of all was Te-kuang’s attempt to take north every material element of the Later Chin imperial institution, including palace women and eunuchs, the complete contents of the imperial storehouses, and every last bureaucrat. ... Te-kuang ... apparently wrote his younger brother listing his own three faults in this venture: demanding cash from the people. ordering indiscriminate foraging and plundering, and failing to return the governors to their provinces in good time. The letter, preserved in the Liao shih (Official history of the Liao), describes the "foreignness" of the Khitan: they are raiders (rather than tax collectors) and pastoralists (rather than farmers), and they keep their governors at court(rather than giving them active responsibility in their provinces)." ^[3]
Revolts against Liao: "Te-kuang, preoccupied with removing himself and his plunder north to the Liao homeland, was largely unresponsive to these events, although he did make an example of Hsiang-chou2, slaughting some hundred thousand men and children, and taking away the women." ^[4]
"The Liao, for their part,did not vigorously defend the territory they had conquered. On the few occasions when they did fight, they did not try very hard." ^[4]
"The one region the Liao seemed concerned to hold was the key strategic city of Chen-chou, which controlled the main access between the Central Plains and the Liao homeland." ^[5]
Standen, N. "The Five Dynasties." in Twitchett, D and Smith, P J ed. 2009. The Cambridge History of China Volume 5: The Sung Dynasty and its Precursors, 907-1279, Part 1. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.
"The comitatus of the early Khitan, a Mongolic people, is known from the ac- counts of An Lu-shan’s Rebellion. For a detailed treatment of the later Liao Dynasty of the Khitan, including discussion of its imperial guard corps, see the outstanding early study by Wittfogel and Fêng (1949). “Each [Khitan Liao] emperor had a separate ordo, or camp, with a ‘heart and belly guard’ of 10,000 to 20,000 households. . . . The members of this guard, particularly the non-Khitans, were the emperor’s private slaves, but their proximity to him gave them high status. After the emperor’s death they guarded his mausoleum while his suc- cessor recruited a new ordo and guard” (Atwood 2004: 297). The Liao state, with its five capitals (ordo), seems to have been organized, theoretically, around the ideal of the “khan and four-bey” system. The khan of the Kereit, who were rivals of Temüjin during his rise to power, “had crack forces of ba’aturs, ‘heroes’, and a 1,000-man day guard, institutions Chinggis Khan would later imitate” (Atwood 2004: 296), along with the golden tent (ordo) connected to them." ^[6]

[1]: (Rogers 2012, 227)

[2]: (Standen 2009, 102)

[3]: (Standen 2009, 102-103)

[4]: (Standen 2009, 105)

[5]: (Standen 2009, 106)

[6]: (Beckwith 2009, 391-392)

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Original Name

5 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion Genus

1 Alternate Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

2 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Khitan I (mn_khitan_1) was in:
(960 CE 1125 CE)	Orkhon Valley

Home NGA: Orkhon Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Original Name	Khitan Empire	907 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	Central Capital	907 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	Beijing	907 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	Boro Khoton	907 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	Liao-yang	907 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	Ta-T'ung	907 CE 1125 CE
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Alternative Name	Liao Dynasty	907 CE 1125 CE
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Temporal Bounds Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[907 CE ➜ 1125 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity	Early Mongols	907 CE 1125 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	cultural assimilation	907 CE 1125 CE
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Preceding Entity 745 CE 840 CE	Uigur Khaganate (mn_uygur_khaganate) [absorption]
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	907 CE 1125 CE
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Language Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Mongolic	907 CE 1125 CE
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Language	Khitan	907 CE 1125 CE
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Religion Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Buddhism	907 CE 1125 CE
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Alternate Religion Genus	Islam	907 CE 1125 CE
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Alternate Religion	Uncoded Undecided	907 CE 1125 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[1,500,000 to 2,000,000] km²	908 CE
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Polity Territory	[2,000,000 to 2,500,000] km²	1000 CE 1100 CE
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Polity Population	3,800,000 people	907 CE 1125 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	907 CE 1125 CE
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Religious Level	[2 to 3]	907 CE 1125 CE
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Military Level	6	907 CE 1125 CE
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Administrative Level	[4 to 5]	907 CE 1125 CE
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Professions Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Merit Promotion	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Examination System	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Law Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Judge	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Court	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Irrigation System	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Food Storage Site	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Port	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Canal	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Bridge	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Writing System Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Script	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Philosophy	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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History	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Fiction	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Calendar	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Money Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Precious Metal	Uncoded Undecided	907 CE 1125 CE
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Paper Currency	Uncoded Undecided	907 CE 1125 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Article	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Debt And Credit Structure	Uncoded Undecided	907 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Postal System Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Courier	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Measurement System Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Geometrical Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	907 CE 1125 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moat	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Fortified Camp	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Complex Fortification	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Long Wall	unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Military use of Metals Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Iron	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Copper	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Bronze	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Projectiles Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Self Bow	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Crossbow	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Composite Bow	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Handheld weapons Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Sword	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Spear	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Polearm	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Dagger	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Animals used in warfare Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Elephant	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Camel	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Armor Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Shield	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Plate Armor	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	907 CE 1125 CE
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Laminar Armor	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Helmet	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Chainmail	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Naval technology Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	907 CE 1125 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Present	907 CE 1125 CE
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Human Sacrifice Khitan I (mn_khitan_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More