The tribe of Tartars hitherto spoken of as Nue-chens, and henceforth known in history as the "Golden Dynasty," in 1035 changed the word _chen_ for _chih_, and were called Nue-chih Tartars.

They did this because at that date the word _chen_ was part of the personal name of the reigning Kitan Emperor, and therefore taboo.

The necessity for such change would of course cease with their emancipation from Kitan rule, and the old name would be revived; it will accordingly be continued in the following pages.
The victories of Akuteng over the Kitans were most welcome to the Chinese Emperor, who saw his late oppressors humbled to the dust by the victorious Nue-chens; and in 1120 a treaty of alliance was signed by the two powers against the common enemy.

The upshot of this move was that the Kitans were severely defeated in all directions, and their chief cities fell into the hands of the Nue-chens, who finally succeeded, in 1122, in taking Peking by assault, the Kitan Emperor having already sought safety in flight.

When, however, the time came for an equitable settlement of territory between China and the victorious Nue-chens, the Chinese Emperor discovered that the Nue-chens, inasmuch as they had done most of the fighting, were determined to have the lion's share of the reward; in fact, the yoke imposed by the latter proved if anything more burdensome than that of the dreaded Kitans.