Chanyuan Treaty

The Shanyuan Treaty in 1004 was the pivotal point in the relations between the Northern Song (960-1127) and the Liao (916-1125) Dynasties. The ruling class of the Liao were a people of nomadic origin known as the Qidan (or Khitan) who rose in the northeast around present-day Heilongjiang Province. The signing of the Shanyuan Treaty was the first time that the Liao forced the Song, who considered themselves the natural heirs to the Central Kingdom (Zhong Yuan), to recognize them as peers. After many years of fighting with each other, the Song and the Liao finally decided to negotiate a truce, which was achieved through the treaty. This relationship lasted until 1125, when the Song broke the treaty by inviting the Jurchens(later known as Manchus) to attack the Liao. The Jurchen attack in fact brought an end to both the Liao and the Northern Song relationship.

The accounts of the treaty in the Liao records and the Song records does not tally with each faction. The altering of some details shows a great deal of political boundary maintenance and an attempt at keeping dignity bias, which is prevalent in the Song Dynasty faction. After the treaty was signed, the nature of the relationship between these two states changed from one of purely political rivalry to a supposed fraternal relationship. For the first time in Chinese history there were two Sons of Heaven, recognized by each other.

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