Yelü Chucai

Yelü Chucai
Statue of Yelü Chucai at the Wuyi Mountains Tea Theme Park
Born24 July 1190
Yanjing, Jin dynasty
Died20 June 1244 (aged 53)
Karakorum, Mongol Empire
IssueYelü Zhu 耶律鑄
Names
Family name: Yēlǜ 耶律
Given name: Chǔcái 楚材
Courtesy name: Jìnqīng 晉卿
Posthumous name
Prince of Guangning 廣寧王
Wenzheng 文正
FatherYelü Lü 耶律履
MotherLady Yang

Yelü Chucai (Chinese: 耶律楚材; pinyin: Yēlǜ Chǔcái; Mongolian: Urtu Saqaltu "Longbeard", written in Chinese characters as "吾圖撒合里", July 24, 1190 – June 20, 1244), courtesy name Jinqing (Chinese: 晉卿), was a Khitan statesman from the imperial clan of the Liao dynasty, who became a vigorous adviser and administrator of the early Mongol Empire in the Confucian tradition. He was the first of Genghis Khan's retainers to formulate policy during the Mongol invasions and conquests. He also introduced many administrative reforms in North China during the reign of Genghis Khan and his son and successor Ögedei.