Liang Yong (914-25 February 943) was King of Liang Liao from 936 to 25 February 943, preceding Liang Yan. Liang Yong was the founder of the Chinese Liang Liao dynasty, which came to rule over much of Central Asia during his rule. He suppressed major revolts against his rule and battled foreign foes, but he was maimed in battle with his rival Gou'er and died of his wounds in 943, two years after defeating the rebels. His death led to a succession war between his sons Liang Yan and Liang Jing in the so-called "Mongolia-Liao War", and Liang Jing ultimately defeated the firstborn son to reunify his father's domains.
Biography[]
Liang Yong was born in 914 to a Han Chinese family, and he was a noble of the Liao dynasty before he was installed as King of Liang Liao after a Han uprising against the Khitans in 936. Liang Yong reigned over a kingdom whose nobility was heavily Khitan and Buddhist, and he was unpopular among many of his nobles, who saw him as a foreigner. Liang Yong decided to embark on an ambitious plan to conquer Central Asia, recruiting the Dragon Army mercenary army and using them to conquer the nearby Turkic tribal states.
On 19 September 937, he destroyed the khanate of Kirghiz by usurping the title "Khan of Mongolia", removing Kozel of Saur's ability to have predominance over the other confederated chiefs and leading to the khanate breaking up into several smaller tribal states. In 938, he also conquered Guiyi, forcing Duke Cao Yuande to become his vassal.
Liang Yong went on to defeat Qocho in 938, and he hired Weidao the Goldsmith to build golden weapons for him, while he trained in the martial arts with Ren Rizhi.
Family[]
Liang Yong was ethnically Han and religiously a Taoist. On 7 August 936, he took Chaogui as his first concubine. In 941, Chaogui gave birth to Liang Yong's son Liang Jing, who succeeded him as King of Liao upon his death in 943. He later married Bu Huilan and had two children, Liang Yan and Liang Miao. After his death in 943, his sons fought against each other in the Mongolia-Liao War, with Liang Jing reuniting the empire under his rule.