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| Murong Hong 慕容泓 | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruler ofWestern Yan | |||||||||||||||||
| Reign | 384 | ||||||||||||||||
| Successor | Murong Chong | ||||||||||||||||
| Died | 384 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Dynasty | Western Yan | ||||||||||||||||
Murong Hong (Chinese:慕容泓; died 384) was the founder of theXianbei-ledWestern Yan dynasty of China.[1] He was a son of theFormer YanemperorMurong Jun and a younger brother of Former Yan emperorMurong Wei.
It is not known when Murong Hong was born. In 359, he was created the Prince of Jibei. After Former Yan was destroyed byFormer Qin in 370, he and his brothers were made local officials throughout the Former Qin realm. By 384, he was the secretary general to the commandery governor ofBeidi (北地, roughly modernTongchuan,Shaanxi).
Early that year, he heard that his uncleMurong Chui had rebelled against Former Qin rule in light of the Former Qin emperorFu Jiān's defeat at theBattle of Fei River in 383. He fled from his post and gathered several thousand Xianbei soldiers and, after defeating the Former Qin general Qiang Yong (強永), claimed for himself the titles of supreme commander and governor ofYong Province (雍州, modern central and northernShaanxi), but did not claim a more honored regal title than the one he had under Former Yan—Prince of Jibei.
Murong Hong, upon hearing that Fu Jiān's brother Fu Rui (苻叡) was arriving with Former Qin forces to attack him, wanted to flee east back to the Yan homeland with his Xianbei soldiers. Fu Rui, instead, rejecting his assistantYao Chang's suggestion that Murong Hong be allowed to withdraw, cut off Murong Hong's escape route and attacked him—and Murong Hong defeated and killed him. Meanwhile, his younger brotherMurong Chong had also rebelled against Former Qin, but after a defeat joined his army.
Murong Hong sent a demand to Fu Jiān at the Former Qin capitalChang'an for him to deliver his older brother Murong Wei to him, promising to leaveGuanzhong and not attack Former Qin any further if that was done. Fu Jiān summoned Murong Wei and rebuked him, but spared Murong Wei when Murong Wei pledged allegiance. He also had Murong Wei write letters to Murong Chui, Murong Hong, and Murong Chong, urging them to surrender. However, Murong Wei also sent a secret messenger to Murong Hong, stating:
He also explicitly urged Murong Hong to prepare taking the imperial title if Murong Hong heard that Fu Jiān had executed him. Murong Hong therefore advanced on Chang'an and officially broke from Former Qin by changing theera name. However, in summer 384, his strategist Gao Gai (高蓋) and other officials felt that Murong Hong's reputation was not as great as his brother Murong Chong's, and that his punishments were overly harsh, killed him and supported Murong Chong to succeed him, under the title ofcrown prince.
Prince of Jibe Died: 384 | ||
| Chinese royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| New creation | Prince of Jibei 350–370 | Suspended Title next held by Himself |
| Recreated Title last held by Himself | Prince of Jibei 384 | Succeeded by |
| Titles in pretence | ||
| Preceded by | — TITULAR — Emperor of China 384 Reason for succession failure: Sixteen Kingdoms | Succeeded by |
