Indeed, the Khitan sought to take advantage of the turbulence following the collapse of the Tang dynasty (619–907). The Khitan and the Formation of the Liao Dynasty On the other hand, when China was disunited, its northern pastoral neighbors would, on occasion, capitalize on its weakness to annex Chinese territories. In those circumstances, China often provided a safety net by permitting the pastoral nomads to trade for such necessities as grain and craft articles and such luxuries as silk and tea. A devastating winter could lead to the deaths of many of their animals. Their reliance on animals in regions plagued by high winds and considerable snow and ice made them vulnerable to their capricious environment. Mentioned in the Chinese sources as early as the fourth century, C.E., the Khitan, like other pastoral nomads, depended largely on their animals for survival, though a few tribes supplemented their incomes by fishing and farming. The Liao dynasty (907–1125) of China and its successor, the Western Liao (1124–1211), were founded by the Khitan, a proto-Mongol people who were originally nomadic pastoralists residing in modern Inner Mongolia, Mongolia, Manchuria, and perhaps as far north as Lake Baikal, in modern-day Russia. A fascinating essay on governance, international relations, technology and exchange in China and its northern frontiers from 907–1123. A Chinese dynasty and kingdom existed roughly in parallel to the better-known Song Dynasty, but this one ruled by the nomadic Khitans.

Mongol dynasty timeline