Career
After Emperor Taizu"s death in 926, she served as empress dowager to her own death in 953. She was directly involved in two imperial successions and is credited with changing expectations of widows in Khitan society. This was a dramatic change from Khitan norms.
However, Prince Bei was not seen by either Yingtian or the Khitan nobility as being worthy of succession.
Her primary concern regarding Prince Bei seems to have been his addiction to Chinese learning. When he warred with the Later Jin, Yingtian pointed out this only cost them a lot, without gaining lands in return they could keep.
Neither side wanted to be ruled by the other, she argued, so peaceful coexistence should be the objective. She dispatched an army to intercept Ruan on his return to the capital.
However, unlike the case with Deguang, Prince Lihu failed to get the support of the Khitan nobility, due largely to his own violent behavior.
While Yingtian dominated the court in the first succession, she also made other contributions to Khitan culture. Most importantly regards the expectations of widows. In traditional Khitan society, women were expected to sacrifice themselves.
Obviously, Yingtian did not do that, providing an example for other women, at least within the elite strata, of Khitan society.
Chinese empress dowagers of the era were expected to wield their influence behind the scenes. However, Khitan women held a far higher status than their Chinese counterparts in the tenth century.
Mote, F.W. (1999). Imperial China: 900-1800.
Harvard University Press. pp. 49–52.
Bennet Peterson, Barbara (2000).
Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. Mechanical Engineering Sharpe, Incorporated.
