Founded by Li Yuanhao, known as Emperor Jingzong, the Western Xia was a dynasty of the Dangxiang people, with its capital in the Xingqing Prefecture (now Yinchuan in Ningxia).
西夏是中国历史上以党项族为主体建立的王朝，建都兴庆府（今宁夏银川），开国皇帝为夏景宗李元昊。
His empire extended as far east as the Yellow River, as far west as Yumen(west of Dunhuang, Gansu), as far south as Xiaoguan (north of Huan County, Gansu) and as far north as the Gobi desert.
西夏疆域，东临黄河，西至玉门关（今甘肃敦煌），南接萧关(今甘肃环县北），北抵大漠。
At its height, the Xi Xia consisted of 22 prefectures covering northern Ningxia and Shaanxi, northwestern Gansu, northeastern Qinghai and part of Inner Mongolia.
盛时辖地22州，包括今宁夏及陕西北部、甘肃西北部、青海东北部及内蒙古部分地区。
Ruled by 10 emperors, the Xi Xia lasted 190 years and was a rival of the Liao, the Northern Song, the Jin and the Southern Song.
西夏共历十帝，前后190年。与辽、北宋及金、南宋并存。
By origin, Dangxiang was a branch of the Qiang nationality and they formerly lived in the vicinity of the Yellow River valley located in the southeastern area of present-day Qinghai.
党项族原属于羌族的一支，居住在今青海东南部黄河曲一带。
Since the late Tang Dynasty to the Northern Song Dynasty, theTuoba family of this nationality, working as satraps of the Central Plains government, had been governing the Xia Prefecture (now Hengshan in Shaaxi) and four other neighbouring prefectures.
从唐末，经五代到北宋，党项拓跋氏均以中原王朝节度使的身分统辖以夏州（今陕西横山）为中心的五州之地。
Due to the efforts of Li Jiqian (Li Yuanhao^ grandfather) and Li Deming (Li Yuanhao^ father), this nationality pursued a strategy of allying with the Liao. They made peace with the Song, attacked the Turbans and the Uygurs, and conquered the Xiliang Prefecture (now Wuwei in Gansu), the Ganzhou Prefecture (north of present-day Zhangye in Gansu) and the Guazhou Prefecture (present-day eastern Anxi in Gansu). Thus, the Dangxiang controlled all the areas along the western bank of the Yellow River and laid a solid foundation for Li Yuanhao to establish a dynasty.
经过李继迁（元昊之祖父）、李德明（元昊之父）两代人的艰苦努力，实施依辽和宋、用兵吐蕃与回鹘的战略，向西发展占领西凉府（今甘肃武威）、甘州 (今甘肃张掖北）、瓜州（今甘肃安西东）等州，控制了河西走廊，为李元昊称帝建国打下了坚实的基础。
In the 9th year of Tiansheng of Song Renzong (1031) Li Deming died and his throne went to his son Li Yuanhao. The new chief then refused the title conferred by the central government, replaced the surnames of Li and Zhao awarded by the Chinese court with Wei (on his own creation) and declared himself “Wuzu”（Son of Heaven).
宋仁宗天圣九年（1031),李德明死，李元昊继位，不再接受封号，废除唐、宋所赐李、赵姓氏，改姓嵬名氏，自号“兀卒”（青天子）。
Li Yuanhao then carried out a series of reform, including changing the hairstyle, the dress code, creating a written language, simplifying ceremonies and setting up an administrative system. At the same time, he made Xingzhou the Xingqing Prefecture, enlarged his palace and made preparations for declaring himself emperor.
随后，李元昊实行变发式、定服饰、造文字、简礼仪、立官制等一系列改革，并升兴州为兴庆府，扩建宫城,准备建国称帝。
He attacked the Northern Song in the 1st year of Jingyou (1034) and defeated her forces in Fuzhou (now Fugu in Shanxi), Huanzhou (now Huanxian in Gansu) and Qingzhou (now Qingyang in Gansu).
宋仁宗景祐元年（1034),他开始不断向宋发动攻势，在府州（今山西府谷）、环州（今甘肃环县）、庆州（今甘肃庆阳）等地击败宋军。
In the 1st year of Baoyuan (1038), Li Yuanhao formally assumed the imperial title, designating his reign Yanzuo, and his dynasty, the Great Xia, was also known as the Western Xia in history.
宋仁宗宝元元年（1038 )，元昊正式称帝，改元天授礼法延祚元年，国号大夏，史称西夏。
Largely influenced by the Song Dynasty, the Xi Xia basically adopted her civil service system.
西夏的政治制度受宋朝影响很大,官制的设置基本上模仿北宋。
Central Government consisted of a Secretariat, a Privy Council, a Military Council, a Treasury, a Prefecture of Kaifeng, and a Censor Department, a Taxation Department, an Agricultural Department, a Livestock Department, a Department of Tibetan Studies, a Department of Han Culture and several others.
中央行政机 构有：中书省、枢密院、三司、御史台、开封府、翊卫司、官计司、受纳司、农田司、群牧司、飞龙院、磨勘司、文思院、蕃学、汉学等。
Local governments were split into two levels, i. e. , prefectures and counties. Prefectures were also set up in strategic political centers and military places.
地方行政编制分州、县两级，在特殊的政治中心和军事国防要地有时也设郡、府。
The military service system was a mix of the tribal military service system of the Dangxiang and that of the Song.
西夏的军事制度是在党项部落兵制的基础上吸取宋制而发展起来的。
The Military Council was the highest military body, consisting of several departments.
枢密院是西夏最高的军事统御机构，下设诸司。
The military forces comprised the imperial army, the “capture” army and local troops.
军队由中央侍卫军、擒生军和地方军三部分组成。
The imperial army was divided into three groups that performed different duties.
中央侍卫军包括“质子军”、皇帝卫队和京师卫戍部队。
The Zhizi Army was an elite force of 5 000 men who were excellent horsemen and archers. Chosen from aristocrat families, they were actually the armed escorts of the emperor and were on duty on three shifts a day in the palace.
“质子军”人数约5000人，是由豪族子弟中选拔善于骑射者组成的一支卫戍部队，负责保卫皇帝安全，号称“御围内六班直”，分三番宿卫。
Another group of the imperial army, amounting to 3 000 soldiers, was top cavalrymen chosen from local armies across the country and who would follow the emperor into battle.
另有皇帝亲信卫队3000人，是从境内各军中精选出来的强勇之士组成，皆为重甲骑兵，分为十队，每队300人，随皇帝出人作战。
But the main part of the imperial army was the garrison force stationed in the capital. This well-armed army had 25000 soldiers in total. The Mcapturearmy, amounting to 100 000 men, was the main fighting force of the Xi Xia. It was called “capture”in that the enemy troops were always caught alive and then forced to become slaves.
京城地区还屯驻一支训练有素的卫戍部队，共2.5万人，装备优良,是中央侍卫军的主力，擒生军人数约10万，是西夏的精锐部队，主要任务是承担攻坚和机动作战，因在战斗中生擒敌军为奴隶，故此得名。
The local forces, under jurisdiction of several departments of the Military Council, consisted of roughly 500 000 cavalrymen and infantrymen.
西夏的地方军由各监军司所辖, 共有50万人，军兵种主要是骑兵和步兵两种。
The Xi Xia practiced a policy ofevery citizen a soldier” i. e. Soldiers engaged in agriculture during times of peace and fought in war time.
西夏兵役制度是全民皆兵制，平时 不脱离生产，战时参加战斗。
The Dangxiang had originally lived by livestock husbandry and hunting, but later learnt more advance agricultural techniques.
党项族原来主要从事畜牧业和狩猎，通过学习汉族先进的农业生产技术，农业经济得到迅速的发展。
By the time the Xi Xia was founded, farming had become the main sector in its economy.
到西夏建国时，农业生产已成为西夏社会经济的主要部门。
Emperor Jingzong (Li Yuanhao) placed even higher emphasis on agricultural development. He not only had large-scale irrigation works built, but also personally took charge of the building of a canal from the Qingtong Gorge to Pingluo, called MKing Hao Canar, or “King Li Canal”.
西夏建国后，景宗李元昊更加重视农业生产的发展，大力兴修水利工程，并亲自主持修筑了从今青铜峡至平罗的灌渠，世称“昊王渠”或“李王渠”。
Afterwards, the areas of Xingqing and Lingzhou became the main bases for grain production.
以后，兴庆府、灵州一带，一直是西夏粮食生产的主要基地。
Attention was also paid to animal husbandry.
在发展农业的同时，西夏统治者也较重视畜牧业生产。
In the central government, a special department was set up to be responsible for its development.
国家专门设立群牧司负责畜牧业的管理。
Livestock husbandry areas were mainly scattered north of the Heng Mountain and along the corridor on the western bank of the Yellow River. Sheep, goats, horses, camels, cattle, asses, mules and pigs were the main animals domesticated.
西夏的畜牧地区主要分布在横山以北和河西走廊地带，牧养的牲畜以羊、马、蛇、牛为主,还有驴、骤、猪等。
Handicrafts and commerce also flourished then. The Xi Xia had a high output in the industries of metallurgy, salt collecting and refining, brick and tile making, pottery and china making, textiles, paper making, printing, wine making, and the making of gold, silver, and wooden utensils.
由于农、牧业的发展，社会生产力的迅速提高,西夏的手工业生产和商业贸易也随之迅速发展起来。西夏的冶炼、采盐制盐、砖瓦、陶瓷、纺织、造纸、印刷、酿造、金银木器制作等手工业生产也都具有一定的规模和水平。
With the promotion of its rulers, the Dangxiang received more of the Han culture than any other nationality at the time.
在西夏统治者的倡导下，党项族是同时期接受汉文化较多的一个民族。
One can say that the core culture of the Western Xia was Confucianist.
可以说,西夏文化的核心是儒家文化。
Towards the end of the Xi Xia, its government was in chaos and the political opponents and different interests groups were rival for controlling of the government.
西夏末期，朝政长期处于内乱之中，政敌和宗党间的斗争激烈。
After the founding of the Kingdom of Mongolia, there were wars between them. With many years of fighting finally in the 2nd year of Baoyi (1227) of the last emperor，s reign，the Western Xia ended in the hands of the Mongolia.
蒙古汗国建立后，几次征讨西夏，经过长期的抗争，西夏于末帝宝义二年 (1227)被蒙古所灭。