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TheDuan (Chinese:段;pinyin:Duàn) was atribe ofXianbei ethnicity during theSixteen Kingdoms period inChina. They were a powerful tribe in theLiaoxi region and played a key role during the fall of theWestern Jin dynasty. Unlike the Xianbei tribes of the steppe, the Duan were unique in that they were established within the borders of China. They ruled over their dukedom of Liaoxi and later established theDuan Qi state, although neither were considered part of the Sixteen Kingdoms. The tribe was conquered by theMurong-ledFormer Yan in 338, but remained politically influential as maternal relatives of the Murong.
The Duan tribe was founded within theGreat Wall atLiaoxi Commandery, where theWuhuan tribes once resided as vassals to theHan dynasty. Following their defeat at theBattle of White Wolf Mountain in 207, the power of the Wuhuan gradually declined as they were scattered and assimilated with the surroundingHan Chinese andXianbei.
The founder of the Duan tribe was said to beRilujuan (or Jiulujuan), a Xianbei slave of a Wuhuan family inYuyang Commandery, the Kunuguan (庫辱官). When a famine broke out in Yuyang, the Kunuguan sent him to Liaoxi to scour for food, but he instead took the opportunity to escape. He gathered a group of exiles and rebels to establish a base at Lingzhi (令支, in present-dayQian'an,Hebei), a city that had been abandoned during theHan dynasty. They adopted theHan Chinese family name of "Duan" (段) as their tribe's name. Rilujuan was succeeded by his younger brotherQizhen, who was then succeeded by his son,Duan Wuwuchen. By theWestern Jin dynasty, the tribe had grown to 30,000 families and had around 45,000 cavalry under their wing. The Duan under Wuwuchen were recognized as a vassal by the Jin court.
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During theWar of the Eight Princes, the Jin Chief Controller ofYou province,Wang Jun sought to secure his position by allying with the surroundingXianbei andWuhuan people. He entered a marriage alliance with Duan Wuwuchen, offering him a fiefdom as the "Duke of Liaoxi" in return for his tribe's military service. Wang Jun's barbarian auxiliaries were a deciding factor in the civil wars, with the Duan playing a role in his victory against the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying in 304. The Duan continued to support Wang Jun in his war against theXiongnu state ofHan-Zhao, battling theJie warlord,Shi Le with much success. Wuwuchen died around 310, and was succeeded by his son,Duan Jilujuan.
In 313, after some negotiations, Jilujuan agreed with Shi Le to break off relations with Wang Jun and withdraw from the conflict. Wang Jun was defeated by Shi Le in 314, but soon after, Jilujuan's brother,Duan Pidi, led a branch of the Duan loyal to Jin and seized control of Wang Jun's old capital inJicheng. The Duan was effectively split into two, but civil war only broke out following the death of Jilujuan in 318. That year, Jilujuan's cousin,Duan Mopei, seized power from his uncle,Duan Shefuchen, and fought with Pidi over full control of the tribe.
In 321, Pidi was captured and later killed by Shi Le's state ofLater Zhao, making Mopei the sole leader of the Duan. At this point, the Duan's state of Liaoxi stretched from Yuyang Commandery to theLiao River. After Mopei died in 325, his brother and successor,Duan Ya was quickly overthrown by his cousin,Duan Liao after he attempted to move the capital. Throughout his reign, Duan Liao fought with the rivalMurong-Xianbei tribe in Liaodong, but suffered repeated losses. In 338, the Murong, who by now had established theFormer Yan, allied with the Later Zhao to destroy the Duan. Duan Liao was defeated and surrendered to Former Yan, thus ending the Duan's independent state.
While Duan Liao was killed for rebelling in 339, the Duan remained a prominent family within the Former Yan and their successors states ofLater Yan,Western Yan andSouthern Yan as maternal relatives due to a number of their women such asDuan Yuanfei andDuan Jifei marrying into the Murong family.[citation needed] Other Duan members fled to Later Zhao where they became generals, includingDuan Lan andDuan Qin. During the collapse of the Later Zhao, Duan Lan's son,Duan Kan, founded the short-livedDuan Qi state inShandong in 350, while Duan Qin declared himself the Emperor of Zhao in 352; both were eventually captured and executed by the Former Yan. According to theBook of Zhou, Duan Pidi's ancestors changed their family name from Duan to Kudi (庫狄), latersinicized toDi (狄).
| Name | Duration of reign |
|---|---|
| Chinese convention: use family name and given name | |
| 日陸眷 Rìlùjuàn | Unknown |
| 乞珍 Qǐzhēn | Unknown |
| 段務勿塵 Duàn Wùwùchen | ?–310 or 311 |
| 段疾陸眷 Duàn Jílùjuàn | 310 or 311–318 |
| 段涉復辰 Duàn Shèfùchén | 318 |
| 段匹磾 Duàn Pǐdī | 318–321 |
| 段末柸 Duàn Mòpeī | 318–325 |
| 段牙 Duàn Yá | 325 |
| 段遼 Duàn Liáo | 325 or 326 – 338 |
| Tuan | |
|---|---|
| Duan | |
| Native to | China |
| Region | Liaoxi |
| Ethnicity | Duan |
| Extinct | after 356 |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | None |
Shimunek classifies Duan as a "Serbi" (i.e.,para-Mongolic) language. Shimunek's "Serbi" linguistic branch also includesTaghbach,Tuyuhun, andKhitan.[1]