Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms)

Xia (Chinese: ; pinyin: Xià), known in historiography as Hu Xia (胡夏), Northern Xia (北夏), Helian Xia (赫連夏) or the Great Xia (大夏), was a dynastic state of Xiongnu origin established by Helian Bobo during the Sixteen Kingdoms period in northern China. Prior to establishing the Xia, the imperial clan existed as a tribal entity known as the Tiefu (simplified Chinese: 铁弗; traditional Chinese: 鐵弗; pinyin: Tiěfú).[5]

Xia

407–431
Helian Xia in 423
CapitalTongwan (418-427)
Shanggui (427-428)
Pingliang (428-430)
GovernmentMonarchy
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]
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Later Qin
Northern Wei
Tuyuhun Kingdom
Today part ofChina

Although the Xia only lasted from 407 to 431, its capital Tongwan situated in the Ordos Desert was a heavily fortified and state-of-the-art city that served as a frontier garrison until the Song dynasty. Its ruins were discovered during the Qing dynasty and can still be seen in present-day Inner Mongolia.

The Book of Wei also records that Liu Kuren's tribe, the Dugu, were descended from the Xiongnu. 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 the Han Chinese surname of Liu (劉), members of which also ruled the Former Zhao state. This writer further suggests that 'Tuge' is an alternate form of 'Tuhe' (徒河), which is the branch of the Xianbei from which the Murong (慕容) were descended. The Liu (Dugu) were also known as 'Tiefu' (鐵弗), a term which meant that they had Xiongnu fathers and Xianbei mothers. Thus it is reasonable to say that the Dugu were at least half Xianbei.

All rulers of the Xia declared themselves "emperors".

Chieftains of the Tiefu and rulers of the Xia

Temple namePosthumous namesPersonal nameDurations of reignEra names
Chieftains of the Tiefu
Liu Qubei 劉去卑260-272
Liu Gaoshengyuan 劉誥升爰272-309
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 Bobo391-407
Rulers of the Xia
ShizuWulieHelian Bobo
(same person as Liu Bobo)
407-425Longsheng (龍升) 407-413
Fengxiang (鳳翔) 413-418
Changwu (昌武) 418-419
Zhenxing (眞興) 419-425
Helian Chang425-428Chengguang (承光) 425-428
Helian Ding428-431Shengguang (勝光) 428-431

Rulers family tree

See also

References

  1. "中央研究院網站".
  2. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 120.
  3. "中央研究院網站".
  4. Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 122.
  5. Grousset, Rene (1970). The Empire of the Steppes. Rutgers University Press. pp. 61. ISBN 0-8135-1304-9.
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