Khitanization

Khitanization refers to the cultural, political, and social assimilation of non-Khitan groups into the Khitan Liao Dynasty (907–1125), which ruled over parts of northern China, the Korean Peninsula, and the Mongolian Plateau. The Khitan, a nomadic people from the steppes, established their state in the late 9th century and gradually incorporated various ethnic and cultural influences into their own society.

During the Liao Dynasty, Khitan rulers adopted elements of Chinese culture, including Confucian administration, Chinese writing systems, and Han Chinese legal codes. This process was driven by both practical necessity—such as governing a multiethnic population—and strategic advantage, as it helped legitimize Khitan rule over sedentary populations. The Khitan elite also integrated aspects of Korean and Turkic traditions, reflecting the dynasty’s diverse territories.

Khitanization involved more than just cultural exchange; it included intermarriage between Khitan nobles and Chinese, Korean, and other subject peoples, further blending identities. The Khitan language, written in a modified version of Chinese characters, became a tool for administrative and literary purposes, though it remained distinct from classical Chinese. The dynasty’s military and political structures also evolved, incorporating elements from the Tang and Song dynasties while retaining Khitan military traditions.

The term "Khitanization" is often used in historical scholarship to describe broader processes of cultural assimilation in steppe and frontier societies, where nomadic elites integrated sedentary influences while maintaining their own distinct identities. The Liao Dynasty’s experience highlights how empires in transition often balanced cultural adaptation with the preservation of their founding ethnic identity. Later dynasties, such as the Jin (1115–1234), which succeeded the Liao, continued and expanded upon these trends of cultural synthesis.