The Khitan people were a historical nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East.
Depiction of Khitans by Hugui (胡瓌, 9th/10th century), hunting with eagles
Khitans eating. Tomb mural, Chifeng city, Inner Mongolia
Liao dynasty tomb relief of Khitans and their baggage cart
Liao dynasty in 1025
The Khitan small script was one of two writing systems used for the now-extinct Khitan language. It was used during the 10th–12th century by the Khitan people, who had created the Liao Empire in present-day northeastern China. In addition to the small script, the Khitans simultaneously also used a functionally independent writing system known as the Khitan large script. Both Khitan scripts continued to be in use to some extent by the Jurchens for several decades after the fall of the Liao dynasty, until the Jurchens fully switched to a script of their own. Examples of the scripts appeared most often on epitaphs and monuments, although other fragments sometimes surface.
Bronze mirror with a poetic inscription
Inscription on the Da Jin huangdi dutong jinglüe langjun xingji (大金皇弟都統經略郎君行記) stele, in both Khitan and Chinese.
Bronze 'fish tally' with small Khitan inscription owned by Stephen Wootton Bushell