To rule in accordance with local customs: The dual political system of the Khitan-Liao Dynasty (907-1125).

The Khitan took the historical chance at the beginning of the 10th century to conquer north China and southern Manchuria and found the Liao Dynasty (907-1125), which stood in north Asia for more than two hundred years as rival for the Chinese dynasties in the south. In their effort to rule such a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural empire, the Liao rulers created a unique dual political system, in which two different sets of political institutions were established for the Khitan and the Han-Chinese respectively. The Liao central government was comprised of the northern and the southern administrations: the northern administration was responsible for Khitan and other nomadic tribes, while the southern administered Han-Chinese and Bohai. On the local level, traditional tribal organs of the Khitan were kept parallel to Han-Chinese prefectures and counties. This paper attempts to trace the origin and historical developments of this dual system, to identify various factors which helped to shape its form, and finally to discuss in detail various administrative institutions of this dual system in the Liao central and local governments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]