The Russian word for China, Kitai, comes from a people who were not Chinese: the nomadic Khitans, who founded the Liao empire in northern China in 916.

916

Medieval Europe made the same name into Cathay.

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The event

• The Khitans found the Liao dynasty916–1125 · Shangjing, Inner Mongolia. Under Abaoji the nomadic Khitans founded in 916 an empire that ruled northern China and Mongolia for over two centuries. Their neighbours in Central Asia and Rus' named the whole country after them — hence the Russian 'Kitai' and medieval Europe's 'Cathay'.

10th century

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