遼朝的建立象徵所謂中國「征服王朝」的興起。繼之，女真民族建立金朝，到蒙古和滿洲帝國的創建達於頂點。這些征服者都面臨兩個問題：第一、怎樣鞏固皇族在征服民族，尤其是統治階層裏的地位。第二、如何治理和控制國內複雜多元的民族，尤其是佔絕對多數的漢人。歷史的發展軌跡固然因著特定的歷史條件有其必然的趨勢，但更能反映變遷過程裏歷史人物意志的實現。本文企圖從部落聯盟到契丹王朝轉型的歷史過程中，掌握契丹皇帝政治運作的輪廓。遼太祖代立部落聯盟可汗之後，利用皇弟叛亂的機會削弱貴族政治勢力，以鞏固皇族的地位。這從于越逐漸變為不具實權的虛銜和腹心部、皮室軍的建立可窺其端倪。不過，耶律阿保機並未建立新的政治中樞，太宗即位後便很自然地採用中國政治制度正在發展中的樞密制做為中央政樞。樞密院組織到聖宗朝逐漸完備而成為定制，就遼代政治運作的本質來說，遼朝中期完成了部落聯盟到集權王朝的過渡。

The establishment of Liao Dynasty symbolized the rise of “conquest dynastries” in the Chinese history. Thereafter, Jurchen constructed Chin Dynasty, and then it arrived the top of “conquest dynasties” while the forming of the Empire of Mongol and Manhcu. These conquerors had two problem to resolve: first, how to consolidate the status of imperial family in the conquest nation, especially in the ruling class. Second, how to rule and control domestic complex and diverse nations, especially the Han People. The locus of historical development, is an inevitable trend because of special historic circumstances, also reflects the practice of historic people's will in the process of historic changes. This paper tries to sketch the outline of Ch'i-tan emperors dominating historical development. T'ai-tsu (太祖) weakened the power of nobles to consolidate the status of imperial family by the opportunity of his brother rebellion after he was elected as the leader of tribal confederacy. Nonetheless, Yeh-lü A-pao-chi didn't establish a new political centre, his heir (T'ai-tsung 太宗) adopted naturally Chancelleries as the new political system of the central goverment in Liao Dynasty. The organization of Chancelleries was getting self-contained and became a fixed system at San-tsung period (聖宗). By the viewpoint of political operation, the transition from “tribal confederacy” to “totaltarian dynasty” has been finished at the middle of Liao Dynasty.