Xia 夏 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 407–431 | |||||||||||||||
.jpg) Helian Xia in 423 | |||||||||||||||
| Capital | Tongwan (418–427) Shanggui (427–428) Pingliang (428–430) | ||||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||||
| Emperor | |||||||||||||||
• 407–425 | Helian Bobo | ||||||||||||||
• 425–428 | Helian Chang | ||||||||||||||
• 428–431 | Helian Ding | ||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||
• Established | 407 | ||||||||||||||
• Helian Bobo's claim of imperial title | 418 | ||||||||||||||
• Fall of Tongwan | 11 July 427[1][2] | ||||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 431 | ||||||||||||||
• Helian Ding's death | 13 May 432[3][4] | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Today part of | China | ||||||||||||||
Xia (Chinese:夏;pinyin:Xià), known in historiography asHu Xia (胡夏),Northern Xia (北夏),Helian Xia (赫連夏) or theGreat Xia (大夏), was adynastic state of China ruled by the Helian clan ofTiefu-Xiongnu ethnicity during theSixteen Kingdoms period. Prior to establishing the Xia, the imperial clan existed as a tribal entity known as theTiefu (simplified Chinese:铁弗;traditional Chinese:鐵弗;pinyin:Tiěfú).[5]
All rulers of the Xia declared themselves "emperors". Both the Tiefu and Xia were based in theOrdos Desert, and during the reign ofHelian Bobo, they constructed their capital of Tongwan, a heavily fortified and state-of-the-art city that served as a frontier garrison until theSong dynasty. Its ruins were discovered during theQing dynasty and can still be seen in present-dayInner Mongolia. At its peak, the Xia also controlled theGuanzhong region in modern-day centralShaanxi. Due to their mix Xiongnu andXianbei ethnicity, the Tiefu were initially known as a group ofWuhuan, which in the 4th century, was another term for "miscellanoushu" or "zahu" (雜胡). It was not until Helian Bobo came to power that they fully affirm their Xiongnu lineage in a bid for legitimacy by claiming descent from the ancientXia dynasty.
The rulers of Xia came from the Tiefu tribe, who descended from theSouthern Xiongnu leader,Qubei. Qubei was a member of the ruling-Luandi clan as the brother of thechanyu,Qiangqu, although a later and more dubious account alleged that he was the descendant of aHan dynasty prince-turned-Xiongnu noble, Liu Jinbo (劉進伯) instead. In 196, he assisted the warlord,Cao Cao in escortingEmperor Xian of Han toXuchang, and in 216, Cao Cao appointed him to supervise the Five Divisions of the Southern Xiongnu inShanxi. As the Xiongnu imperial family claimed descent from theHan dynasty through theirheqin marriages with Han princesses, Qubei's family adopted the "Liu" (劉) surname.
In 309, Qubei's grandson,Liu Hu succeeded his father,Liu Gaoshengyuan, as chieftain and named his tribe “Tiefu”. The word "Tiefu" referred to people with Xiongnu fathers and Xianbei mothers, indicating that the tribe had intermingled with the Xianbei. The Tiefu were also known asWuhuan, which in the 4th century was another term for "miscellaneoushu" or "zahu".
In 310, Liu Hu rebelled against theWestern Jin dynasty inShanxi. TheTuoba-Xianbei tribe allied with Jin and quelled his rebellion, and were rewarded with their fiefdom ofDai. Liu Hu fled west toShuofang Commandery, where theHan-Zhao emperor,Liu Cong, gave him the title of Duke of Loufan.
The Tiefu resided in Shuofang for many years. Liu Hu waged war with Dai but was repeatedly defeated and at one point had to flee theGreat Wall. His son,Liu Wuhuan succeeded him in 341 and immediately entered a marriage alliance with Dai. On the other hand, he also submitted to theJie-ledLater Zhao dynasty. His brotherLiu Eloutou succeeded him in 356, but was ousted by Wuhuan's son,Liu Xiwuqi in 358. After Xiwuqi died in 359, his brother,Liu Weichen, killed his son and took power.
Weichen vacillated between Dai and theDi-led Former Qin. In 376, after multiple defeats to Dai, he convinced Qin to launch a campaign against them, with him acting as a guide. Qin conquered Dai that same year, but when dividing up their territory, Weichen was unhappy that Qin deferred more control to his cousin,Liu Kuren of the Dugu tribe, prompting him to rebel. He was defeated and forced to cross theYellow River west of theOrdos, where he resubmitted to Qin.
As the Former Qin collapsed following theBattle of Fei River, Weichen re-occupied Shuofang in 386. Around the same time, the Tuoba had also revived their state, now known as theNorthern Wei. The Tiefu initially posed a threat to Wei, but in 392, Weichen was killed and the tribe’s power base was destroyed after a Wei counteroffensive. A son of Weichen,Liu Bobo, went into exile and found protection under the Xianbei chieftain, Moyigan (沒弈干) at Gaoping (高平; in present-dayGuyuan,Ningxia).
In 402, Moyigan and Liu Bobo fled to theQiang-led Later Qin under pressure from Wei. During his time in Qin, Bobo caught the attention of its ruler,Yao Xing. Impressed by his appearance and talents, Yao Xing made Bobo a general and assigned him to defend Shuofang, despite warnings from his officials regarding his violent behaviour. In 407, Bobo was angered by peace talks between Qin and Wei, leading him to rebel. After ceasing 8,000 tribute horses from theRouran, he went to Gaoping and killed Moyigan, taking over his forces.
As the Xiongnu alleged that they descended fromYu the Great, Liu Bobo claimed descent from theXia dynasty and founded his state of Great Xia, claiming the titles of Heavenly King and Grand Chanyu. The same year, he led his forces to subjugate the tribes in Shuofang. He briefly fought with theSouthern Liang after they rejected a marriage alliance, dealing them a heavy defeat. Despite his grudge against Northern Wei, Bobo mainly concentrated his military efforts on the Later Qin. He refused to establish a capital in his early reign, instead choosing to lead a roving army and attacking Qin’s northern borders when least expected.
In 413, Bobo, believing that it was inappropriate to claim lineage of the Han dynasty through his maternal line, changed his family name from Liu to the prestigious-sounding name of Helian. He also built his capital city ofTongwancheng at the southern edge of theMu Us Desert. Construction of the city was reportedly brutal, with around 100,000Han Chinese and tribal people being drafted to build the city. Remains of the city can still be seen today atJingbian County,Shaanxi. In 414, Helian Bobo entered into an alliance with theNorthern Yan inLiaoning, and in 415, with theNorthern Liang inGansu.
The war with Xia greatly drained the Qin economy and military, with many of their key generals being killed in battle. In 417, theEastern Jin commander,Liu Yu, conquered Qin, but the situation back at the Jin capital forced him to return and leave behind his generals to defend theGuanzhong region. In 418, Bobo invaded the Guanzhong, and due to violent infighting among the Jin generals, he inflicted them a catastrophic defeat and captured the region.
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In 419, Helian Bobo elevated himself to Emperor of Xia. Although the ancient capital,Chang’an, was under his control, he merely set up a Southern Administration there and remained with Tongwancheng as his capital out of concern that the Northern Wei would invade the Ordos in his absence. Throughout his reign, Bobo is described in records as an extremely cruel ruler who often killed his subjects on impulse. In 424, a civil war broke out among his sons, which ended in him appointingHelian Chang as his new Crown Prince.
After Helian Bobo’s death in 425, the Northern Wei intensified their pressure on the Xia. While Helian Chang was away campaigning against theWestern Qin, Wei carried out a surprise attack on Xia, capturing many cities in Guanzhong including Chang’an. In 427, as Xia attempted to recapture Chang’an, Wei launched a second attack and captured their capital at theBattle of Tongwancheng. Chang relocated toShanggui, but after several more defeats, he was finally captured in battle in 428.
Helian Chang’s brother,Helian Ding, declared himself the new emperor atPingliang. In 431, as Wei continued their encroachment, he made a last-ditch effort to expand westwards. He conquered the weakened Western Qin, but on his way to invade Northern Liang, he was ambushed and captured by theTuyuhun. Helian Ding’s capture marked the end of the Xia, and in 432, he was turned over to Wei and executed. In 434, Helian Chang tried to escape west fromPingcheng but was intercepted and killed.
Liu Hu's uncle wasLiu Meng, who in 272 was killed by the Jin dynasty after he rebelled the previous year. While Hu's father Liu Gaoshengyuan took over their people, Meng's son, Liu Fulun (劉副崙) fled to theTuoba tribe. In 318, Fulun's son, Liu Lugu (劉路孤) also surrendered to the Tuoba and was given a daughter byTuoba Yulü to marry. Fulun's branch became known as theDugu tribe (獨孤), and like the Tiefu, they were known as Wuhuan people due to their mixed ethnicity.
Yao Weiyuan (姚薇元) suggested in the past that 'Dugu' was an alternate form of 'Tuge' (屠各), the Xiongnu aristocratic clan that had adopted theHan Chinese surname of Liu (劉), members of which also ruled theFormer Zhao state. This writer further suggests that 'Tuge' is an alternate form of 'Tuhe' (徒河), which is the branch of theXianbei from which theMurong (慕容) were descended.
| Temple name | Posthumous names | Personal name | Durations of reign | Era names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiefu Tribe (309–407) | ||||
| – | Liu Hu 劉虎 | 309–341 | – | |
| – | Liu Wuheng 劉務恆 | 341–356 | – | |
| – | Liu Eloutou 劉閼陋頭 | 356–358 | – | |
| – | Liu Xiwuqi 劉悉勿祈 | 358–359 | – | |
| – | Liu Weichen 劉衞辰 | 359–391 | – | |
| – | Liu Bobo | 391–407 | – | |
| Xia (407–431) | ||||
| Shizu | Wulie | Helian Bobo (same person as Liu Bobo) | 407–425 | Longsheng (龍升) 407–413 Fengxiang (鳳翔) 413–418 Changwu (昌武) 418–419 Zhenxing (眞興) 419–425 |
| – | Helian Chang | 425–428 | Chengguang (承光) 425–428 | |
| – | Helian Ding | 428–431 | Shengguang (勝光) 428–431 | |
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