Yan , known in historiography as the Western Yan ( Chinese : 西燕 ; pinyin : Xī Yān ; 384–394) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei ethnicity. The dynasty existed during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms , but it is not counted among the 16. It was founded by Murong Hong in 384 in the aftermath of the Former Qin 's defeat by the Eastern Jin in the Battle of Fei River , with the stated intent of permitting the Xianbei, whom the Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān had relocated to Former Qin's capital region after destroying the Former Yan in 370. It initially also was intended to rescue the last Former Yan emperor Murong Wei , until he was executed by Fu Jiān in 385. It was a state that was characterized by extreme political instability and internal fighting, as all seven of its rulers (during a short span of 10 years) died of unnatural causes. After eviscerating the Former Qin, the people of the state abandoned the Guanzhong region and headed east back toward their homeland, but eventually settled down in modern Shanxi . It was destroyed in 394 as Later Yan 's emperor Murong Chui wanted to reunite the people formerly of Yan and conquered it.
72-536: Some rulers of the Western Yan declared themselves emperors while some declared themselves wang (translatable as either "king" or "prince"). After the fall of Former Yan , the last emperor Murong Wei and his brothers were relocated near the Former Qin capital, Chang'an , where they were allowed to serve as military generals and officials. Murong Hong was made Admistrator of Beidi while Murong Chong
144-659: A constitutional monarchy . Puyi , who had reigned as the Xuantong Emperor, abdicated on 12 February 1912, ending the Qing dynasty as well as the imperial tradition altogether, after more than 2100 years. Yuan Shikai , former President of the Republic of China , attempted to restore dynastic rule with himself as the Hongxian Emperor, however he abdicated the throne on 22 March 1916 after only 83 days. Puyi
216-477: A Pretender to the Throne?" (汝奴仆下才，何得妄称帝) However Ran Min, an ethnic Han , accused Murong Jun of being "an over-ambitious barbarian Pretender" in turn. (尔曹夷狄禽兽之类犹称帝) Enraged, Murong had Ran Min whipped 300 times, exiled and later beheaded; although he soon became apprehensive about the possibilities of Ran's vengeful spirit causing a draught, and eventually Ran was buried with honours. Murong Jun next marched against
288-429: A decisive battle, and Fu Pi was soon intercepted and killed by Eastern Jin forces. Yong then occupied Fu Pi's capital at Zhangzi (長子, in modern Changzhi , Shanxi), where contrary to his previous intentions, he declared himself the new Emperor of Yan. Though Murong Yong was a distant relative of Murong Wei, being the grandson of Murong Yun (慕容運), the uncle of Former Yan's founder Murong Huang , his proclamation threatened
360-634: A dynasty usually consolidated the empire through comparative autocracy —examples include Qin Shi Huang, emperors Gaozu and Guangwu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Kublai Khan of the Yuan, and the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing. The usual method for widespread geographic power consolidation was to involve the whole family. From generation to generation, the bonds weakened between the branches of family established as local rulers in different areas. After
432-508: A major attack against Later Zhao's border region. In spring 350, Murong Jun launched the attack, and they quickly captured the important city of Jicheng (薊城, in modern Beijing ). Murong Jun then moved the capital from Longcheng (龍城, in modern Jinzhou , Liaoning ) to Jicheng. In short order, the entire Youzhou (幽州, modern Beijing, Tianjin , and northern Hebei ) became Former Yan possession. He then continued to march south, but temporarily halted his advances after nearly being defeated by
504-467: A major battle. Murong Ke, in command of Murong Jun's primary forces, tricked Ran Min's infantry into entering the plains, then dealt him a major defeat with attacks by cavalry forces. During the heat of the battle, Ran Min's horse was killed; he fell and the Murong troops captured him. When Ran was taken to Murong Jun, the latter famously rebuked him: "How could a lowly knave like you have the audacity to be
576-448: A male emperor). The given names of all the emperor's deceased male ancestors were forbidden from being written, and were avoided ( 避諱 ) by the use of synonyms, homophones, or leaving out the final stroke of the taboo character. This linguistic feature can sometimes be used to date historical texts, by noting which words in parallel texts are altered. The emperor was never to be addressed as you . Instead, one used Bixia ( 陛下 'bottom of
648-459: A new title to reflect his prestige as a ruler greater than the rulers before him. He called himself "Shi Huangdi", or the 'First Emperor'. Before this, Huang ( 皇 'august', 'sovereign' ) was most commonly seen as a reverential epithet for a deceased ancestor, and Di ( 帝 , OC : * tˤeks ) was an apical ancestor, originally referring to the deified ancestors of the Shang kings. In
720-549: A significant role in the power structure, as emperors often relied on a few of them as confidants, which gave them access to many court documents. In a few places, eunuchs wielded vast power; one of the most powerful eunuchs in Chinese history was Wei Zhongxian during the Ming. Occasionally, other nobles seized power as regents. The actual area ruled by the emperor of China varied from dynasty to dynasty. In some cases, such as during
792-465: A span of a few months, as they were all assassinated in succession. After Zhong's death, Murong Yong was installed to the throne. At the time, Shanxi was controlled by Fu Jian's son, Fu Pi , who had declared himself emperor after his father's death. Yong sent envoys to him asking for permission to pass through his territory so that he could join Murong Chui, but was denied. Yong defeated Fu Pi in
SECTION 10
#1732765960711864-632: A strong central monarch. Following a brutal succession crisis and relocation of the royal capital, the power of the Zhou kings ( 王 ; wàng ) waned, and during the Eastern Zhou period, the regional lords overshadowed the king and began to usurp that title for themselves. In 221 BC, after the King of Qin completed the conquest of the various kingdoms of the Warring States period , he adopted
936-416: A sufficient period of time, their loyalty could no longer be assured, and the taxes they collected sapped the imperial coffers. This led to situations like the reign of Emperor Wu of Han , who disenfranchised and annihilated the nobilities of virtually all imperial relatives whose forebears had been enfeoffed by his own ancestor, Gaozu. Apart from a few very energetic monarchs, the emperor usually delegated
1008-769: The Jurchens of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234) , who later ruled the Qing dynasty as the Manchus , and the Mongols of the Yuan dynasty. The orthodox historical view sees these as dynasties as sinicized polities as they adopted Han culture, claimed the Mandate of Heaven , and performed the traditional imperial obligations such as annual sacrifices to Heaven for rain and prosperity. The revisionist New Qing History school, however, argues that
1080-474: The Qin dynasty to the Qing dynasty , there were a total 557 individuals who at one point or another claimed the title of Emperor, including several simultaneous claimants at various times. Some, such as Li Zicheng , Huang Chao , and Yuan Shu , declared themselves the emperors, Son of Heaven and founded their own empires as a rival government to challenge the legitimacy of and overthrow the existing emperor. Among
1152-568: The Southern Song dynasty , political power in East Asia was effectively split among several governments; nonetheless, the political fiction that there was but one ruler was maintained. The title of emperor was hereditary, traditionally passed on from father to son in each dynasty. There are also instances where the throne is assumed by a younger brother, should the deceased emperor have no male offspring. By convention in most dynasties,
1224-777: The Three Kingdoms , and at what point the Song dynasty ceased to be the legitimate dynasty in favor of the Yuan dynasty . The Qing view, reported to Europe by the Jesuits, was that there had been 150 emperors from the First Emperor to the Kangxi Emperor . Adding the eight uncontroversial emperors that followed the Kangxi Emperor would give a grand total of 158 emperors from the First Emperor to Puyi. By one count, from
1296-498: The divine mandate right to rule all under Heaven . Emperors were worshiped posthumously under an imperial cult . The lineage of emperors descended from a paternal family line constituted a dynasty , and succession in most cases theoretically followed agnatic primogeniture . The emperor of China was an absolute monarch . During the Han dynasty , Confucianism gained sanction as the official political theory. The absolute authority of
1368-598: The "Mandate of Heaven". There has been only one lawful queen regnant in Chinese history, Wu Zetian , who briefly replaced the Tang dynasty with her own Wu Zhou dynasty . Many women, however, did become de facto leaders, usually as Empress Dowager . Prominent examples include Empress Dowager Lü of the Han, Empress Liu of the Song , and Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing. As the emperor had, by law, an absolute position not to be challenged by anyone else, his subjects were to show
1440-597: The 3rd century BC, the two titles had not previously been used together. The emperor of China, like the Zhou kings before him, and the Shang kings before them, was most commonly referred to as Tianzi ( 天子 'Son of Heaven'), who was divinely appointed to rule. The appellation Huangdi carried similar shades of meaning. Alternate English translations of the word include "The August Ancestor", "The Holy Ruler", or "The Divine Lord". On that account, some modern scholars translate
1512-536: The Japanese monarchy, Chinese political theory allowed for a change in the ruling house. This was based on the concept of the " Mandate of Heaven ". The theory behind this was that the Chinese emperor acted as the "Son of Heaven" and held a mandate to rule over everyone else in the world; but only as long as he served the people well. If the quality of rule became questionable because of repeated natural disasters such as flood or famine, or for other reasons, then rebellion
SECTION 20
#17327659607111584-616: The Later Zhao general Lubo Zao (鹿勃早). Murong Jun resumed his campaign in winter 350, as Ran Min, who had by now established the new state of Ran Wei, was battling Later Zhao's remnants under Shi Zhi . He quickly captured a number of commanderies in Ji Province (冀州, modern central Hebei ), approaching Shi Zhi's provisional capital Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xintai , Hebei ). Shi Zhi, under attack by Ran Min, sought Murong Jun's assistance in early 351, offering to surrender to Murong Jun
1656-686: The Ran Wei capital Ye (in modern Handan , Hebei ). Ran Wei's crown prince Ran Zhi , Empress Dong , and key officials sought assistance from Jin. At this time Murong Jun was still technically a Jin vassal, but clearly was not going to continue to submit to Jin. Even with Jin assistance, however, Ye's defenses were soon breached, and Former Yan forces captured Ran Zhi and Empress Dong, ending Ran Wei. Murong Jun created both Ran Zhi and Empress Dong honorable titles (Marquess of Haibin for Ran Zhi, Lady of Fengxi for Empress Dong) and apparently treated them with kindness, claiming that Empress Dong had surrendered
1728-472: The Xianbei settle. However, in 386, he was assassinated by one of his generals and replaced with Duan Sui . Duan Sui claimed the title of King of Yan, but he was suddenly killed by Murong Yong and Murong Heng (慕容恆), who acclaimed Murong Yi as the new king. Under Yi, the Xianbei began their exodus to the east from Chang'an, during which the throne was passed from him to Murong Yao and to Murong Zhong in
1800-405: The capital from Jicheng to Ye. In 358, Murong Jun started a large scale conscription—ordering that each family send its service-eligible men into the army except for one per household—preparing to attack Former Qin and Jin. After a petition by Liu Gui (劉貴), he scaled back the conscription plan, ordering that for every five service-eligible men of the household, three enter the army. Later in 358,
1872-716: The capital of Buyeo and its king Hyeon of Buyeo (玄王). In 348, Murong Huang died. Murong Jun succeeded him as the Prince of Yan. In 349, following the death of rival Later Zhao 's emperor Shi Hu , Later Zhao fell into internecine wars with Shi Hu's sons and his adoptive grandson Shi Min (who later changed his family name back to his father's original "Ran"). Under the suggestion of Murong Ba (whom he had renamed Murong Chui by this point; see Murong Chui's article for more details), Murong Jun prepared for expansion into Later Zhao's territory. He commissioned Murong Ke, Murong Ping, Yang Wu , and Murong Chui as major generals, preparing for
1944-454: The case. However, despite torture, Princess Duan and Gao refused to admit, and Murong Chui avoided becoming entangled, although Princess Duan still died in prison. Murong Chui was effectively exiled to be the governor of remote Ping Province (平州, modern eastern Liaoning ). In 359, Jin forces under Zhuge You (諸葛攸) and Xie Wan (謝萬) attacked Former Yan, but were defeated by Former Yan forces. This victory allowed Former Yan to gradually take over
2016-528: The city. However, Fu Hong soon followed suit, allowing Murong Chong's forces to enter and sack Chang'an. Fu Jian never returned to Chang'an, as he was captured and killed by the Later Qin. With the ancient capital in hand, Murong Chong was content with settling in, leaving many of his Xianbei followers unsatisfied as they wanted to return to their homeland in the east. Chong was fearful of dealing with his uncle, Murong Chui, so he enacted several policies to help
2088-498: The civil bureaucracy wielded more power than the emperor himself. The emperor's position, unless deposed in a rebellion, was always hereditary, usually by agnatic primogeniture . As a result, many emperors ascended the throne while still children. During minority reigns , the Empress Dowager , the emperor's mother, would usually possess significant political power, along with the male members of her birth family . In fact,
2160-571: The culturally appropriate rituals of formally declaring a new dynasty and taking on the Chinese title of Huangdi , in addition to the titles of their respective people, especially in the case of the Yuan dynasty. Thus, Kublai Khan was simultaneously khagan of the Mongols and emperor of China. In 1911, the title of Prime Minister of the Imperial Cabinet was created to rule alongside the emperor, as part of an attempt to turn China into
2232-593: The eldest son born to the Empress consort ( 嫡长子 ; 嫡長子 ) succeeded to the throne. In some cases when the empress did not bear any children, the emperor would have a child with another of his many wives (all children of the emperor were said also to be the children of the empress, regardless of birth mother). In some dynasties the succession of the empress' eldest son was disputed, and because many emperors had large numbers of progeny, there were wars of succession between rival sons. In an attempt to resolve after-death disputes,
Western Yan - Misplaced Pages Continue
2304-408: The emperor came with a variety of governing duties and moral obligations; failure to uphold these was thought to remove the dynasty's Mandate of Heaven and to justify its overthrow. In practice, emperors sometimes avoided the strict rules of succession and dynasties' purported "failures" were detailed in official histories written by their successful replacements or even later dynasties. The power of
2376-646: The emperor was also limited by the imperial bureaucracy , which was staffed by scholar-officials , and eunuchs during some dynasties. An emperor was also constrained by filial obligations to his ancestors' policies and dynastic traditions, such as those first detailed in the Ming-era Huang-Ming Zuxun ( Ancestral Instructions ). During the Western Zhou dynasty ( c. 1046 BC – 771 BC), Chinese vassal rulers with power over their particular fiefdoms served
2448-588: The emperor was referred to in the third person simply as Huangdi Bixia ( 皇帝陛下 'His Majesty the Emperor') or Dangjin Huangshang ( 当今皇上 ; 當今皇上 'present emperor above'). Under the Qing, the emperor was usually styled 'His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of the Great Qing Dynasty, Son of Heaven , Lord of Ten Thousand Years ', though this varied considerably. In historical texts, the present emperor
2520-472: The emperor's orders were to be obeyed immediately. He was elevated above all commoners, nobility and members of the Imperial family. Addresses to the emperor were always to be formal and self-deprecatory, even by the closest of family members. In practice, however, the power of the emperor varied between different emperors and different dynasties . Generally, in the Chinese dynastic cycle , emperors founding
2592-538: The emperor, while still living, often designated a crown prince ( 太子 ). Even such a clear designation, however, was often thwarted by jealousy and distrust, whether it was the crown prince plotting against the emperor, or brothers plotting against each other. Some emperors, like the Yongzheng Emperor , after abolishing the position of Crown Prince, placed the succession papers in a sealed box, only to be opened and announced after his death. Unlike, for example,
2664-500: The emperors were known with a temple name given after their death. Most emperors were also given a posthumous name which was sometimes combined with the temple name (e.g. Emperor Shengzu Ren 圣祖仁皇帝 ; 聖祖仁皇帝 for the Kangxi Emperor). The passing of an emperor was referred to as Jiabeng ( 驾崩 ; 駕崩 'collapse of the imperial chariot') and an emperor that had just died was referred to as Daixing Huangdi ( 大行皇帝 'the emperor of
2736-508: The great journey'). The imperial family was made up of the emperor and the empress ( 皇后 ) as the primary consort and Mother of the Nation ( 国母 ; 國母 ). In addition, the emperor would typically have several other consorts and concubines ( 嫔妃 ; 嬪妃 ), ranked by importance into a harem , in which the Empress was supreme. Every dynasty had its set of rules regarding the numerical composition of
2808-526: The greatest respect in the palace and was the decision maker in most family affairs. At times, especially when a young emperor was on the throne, she was the de facto ruler. The emperor's children, the princes ( 皇子 ) and princesses ( 公主 ), were often referred to by their order of birth—e.g. Eldest Prince or Third Princess. Princes were often given titles of peerage once they reached adulthood. The emperor's brothers and uncles served in court by law, and held equal status with other court officials ( 子 ). The emperor
2880-538: The grudges between Murong Jun and Murong Chui flared up again. Murong Chui's wife Princess Duan , because her clan was an honored one—being previously on equal standing as the Murongs, with the title of Duke of Liaoxi —was not respectful of Murong Jun's wife Empress Kezuhun. The eunuch Nie Hao (涅浩), believing it to be the emperor and empress' wishes, falsely accused Princess Duan and Murong Chui's assistant Gao Bi (高弼) of witchcraft , with intent to drag Murong Chui into
2952-441: The harem. During the Qing dynasty, for example, imperial convention dictated that at any given time there should be one Empress , one Imperial Noble Consort , two Noble Consort , four Consort and six Concubine , plus an unlimited number of Noble Lady , First Class Attendant and Second Class Attendant . Although the emperor had the highest status by law, by tradition and precedent the empress dowager ( 皇太后 ) usually received
Western Yan - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-400: The heir apparent, being impressed with Murong Ba's intelligence, but was dissuaded from it by his officials; those sources also attribute this as the reason why Murong Jun was jealous and apprehensive of Murong Ba. If this were true, it did not stop Murong Jun from granting his brother substantial authority during his reign. The first historical mention of his being involved in leading the army
3096-505: The imperial seals (which, however, he did not actually have). Murong Jun sent his general Yue Wan to join Shi Zhi and his general Yao Xiang , and their joint forces dealt Ran Min a major defeat, forcing Ran Min to give up on sieging Xiangguo for the time being, although soon thereafter Ran Min was able to persuade Shi Zhi's general Liu Xian (劉顯) to kill Shi Zhi, ending Later Zhao. In summer 352, Murong Jun's and Ran Min's forces engaged in
3168-888: The imperial seals to him. (In actuality, the imperial seals—which were Jin's in the first place until they were captured by Han-Zhao and subsequently passed through Later Zhao—had been given to Jin as collateral for Jin assistance.) Most of Later Zhao's eastern territories were securely in Former Yan's hands, although Former Yan, Former Qin , and Jin would fight over their borders for years to come. In winter 352, Murong Jun formally declared independence from Jin and declared himself emperor. On 6 April 353, Murong Jun created his wife Princess Kezuhun empress and his heir apparent Murong Ye (慕容瞱) crown prince . In 354, Murong Jun further created many of his uncles, brothers, and sons princes. In 355, angered that his cousin Duan Kan (段龕), who
3240-484: The interaction between politics and ethnicity was far more complex and that elements of these dynasties differed from and altered "native Chinese" traditions concerning imperial rule. Murong Jun Murong Jun ( Chinese : 慕容儁 ; 319 – 23 February 360 ), Xianbei name Helaiba (賀賴跋), courtesy name Xuanying (宣英), also known by his posthumous name as the Emperor Jingzhao of Former Yan (前燕景昭帝),
3312-457: The legitimacy of Later Yan, as there were now two states claiming to be the successor of Former Yan. After several princes defected to Later Yan, Murong Yong had the descendants of Murong Chui and Murong Jun , Former Yan's second ruler and Murong Wei's father, all killed. Murong Yong ruled Shanxi for roughly nine years, during which he made little effort to expand. He briefly fought with Later Qin and tried to capture Luoyang from Eastern Jin, but
3384-495: The majority of decision making to the civil bureaucracy (chiefly the chancellery and the Central Secretariat ), the military, and in some periods the censorate . Paranoid emperors, like Emperor Wu of Han and the Ming's Hongwu Emperor , would cycle through high government officials rapidly, or simply leave top-ranking posts vacant, such that no one could threaten their power. During other reigns, certain officials in
3456-506: The modern Henan region, south of the Yellow River . In early 360, Murong Jun grew ill, and he told Murong Ke that, in light of the rivalries with Former Qin and Jin, he was going to pass the throne to him instead, since he was an adult and highly capable, rather than the 10-year-old Murong Wei. Murong Ke declined—persuading Murong Jun that if his abilities were capable of ruling over the empire, then they were also capable of assisting
3528-533: The most famous emperors were Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty , emperors Gaozu , Han Wudi as well as Guangwu of the Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang of the Tang, the Hongwu Emperor and Yongle Emperor of the Ming, and the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing. The emperor's words were considered sacred edicts ( 圣旨 ; 聖旨 ), and his written proclamations were called 'directives from above' ( 上谕 ; 上諭 ). In theory,
3600-456: The original Chinese first-person singular pronoun arrogated by Qin Shi Huang, functioning as an equivalent to the royal we . In front of subjects, the emperor may also refer to themselves self-deprecatingly as Guaren ( 寡人 'the morally-deficient one') or Gu ( 孤 'lonely one'). In contrast to the Western convention of using a regnal or personal name (e.g. George V) to refer to a sovereign,
3672-454: The restoration of monarchy. Traditional political theory holds that there can only be one legitimate Son of Heaven at any given time. However, identifying the "legitimate" emperor during times of division is not always uncontroversial, and therefore the exact number of legitimate emperors depends on where one stands on a number of succession disputes. The two most notable such controversies are whether Cao Wei or Shu Han had legitimacy during
SECTION 50
#17327659607113744-654: The state as the Later Yan in Hebei in 384. When news of the restoration reached Beidi, Murong Hong fled east of Tong Pass and gathered the Xianbei. After defeating a Qin force at Huayin , he claimed several offices for himself including the Grand General while declaring Murong Chui as the new prime minister. Murong Chong also rebelled in Pingyang with 20,000 people, but was soon defeated and joined Hong. Murong Wei
3816-462: The steps'), corresponding to "Your Imperial Majesty" and originally referring to his attendents, Huangshang ( 皇上 'imperial highness', Shengshang ( 圣上 ; 聖上 'holy highness') or Tianzi ( 天子 'Son of Heaven'). The emperor was also alluded to indirectly through reference to the imperial dragon symbology . Servants often addressed the emperor as Wansuiye ( 万岁爷 ; 萬歲爺 'lord of ten thousand years '). The emperor referred to himself as zhen ( 朕 ),
3888-508: The title as " thearch ". On occasion, the father of the ascended emperor was still alive. Such an emperor was titled as the Taishang Huang ('grand imperial sire'). The practice was initiated by Qin Shi Huang, who gave the title as a posthumous name to his own father, as was already common for monarchs of any stratum of power. Liu Bang , who established the Han dynasty , was the first to become emperor while his father yet lived. It
3960-446: The utmost respect in his presence, whether in direct conversation or otherwise. When approaching the imperial throne, one was expected to kowtow before the emperor. In a conversation with the emperor, it was considered a crime to compare oneself to the emperor in any way. It was taboo to refer to the emperor by his given name, even for the emperor's own mother, who instead was to use Huangdi ( 皇帝 ), or simply Er ( 儿 ; 兒 'son', for
4032-449: The vast majority of female rulers throughout Chinese Imperial history came to power by ruling as regents on behalf of their sons; prominent examples include Empress Lü Zhi of the Han, as well as the empress dowagers Cixi and Ci'an during the Qing, who for a time ruled jointly as co-regents. Where Empresses Dowager were too weak to assume power, or her family too strongly opposed, court officials often seized control. Court eunuchs had
4104-574: Was briefly restored for 12 days during a coup in 1917 but was overthrown again shortly after. Although permitted to remain in the palace, he absconded to the Japanese concession in Tianjin in 1924. In 1934 he was installed as emperor of Manchukuo , a Japanese puppet state. In 1945, he was captured by the Red Army as a prisoner of war, where he was held in the Siberian city of Chita . In 1950, he
4176-517: Was almost universally referred to as Shang ( 上 ). Generally, emperors also ruled with an era name ( 年号 ; 年號 ). Since the adoption of era names by Emperor Wu of Han and up until the Ming dynasty , the sovereign conventionally changed the era name semi-regularly during his reign. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, emperors simply chose one era name for their entire reign, and people often referred to past emperors with that title. In earlier dynasties,
4248-518: Was always elevated above all others despite any chronological or generational superiority. Recent scholarship is wary of applying present-day ethnic categories to historical situations. Most Chinese emperors have been considered members of the Han ethnicity , but there were also many Chinese emperors who were of non-Han ethnic origins. The most successful of these were the Khitans of the Liao dynasty ,
4320-638: Was appointed Administrator of Pingyang . As part of Qin's plan to integrate the various tribes with each other, many Xianbei from the east were resettled in the Guanzhong region, with around 40,000 of them at the time of Former Yan's demise. In 383, Former Qin suffered a devastating defeat to the Eastern Jin dynasty at the Battle of Fei River . With the Qin exposed, Murong Wei's uncle, Murong Chui restored
4392-530: Was assassinated by his official, Gao Gai , who installed Murong Chong as the new leader. After setting camp at Epang Palace , Chong laid siege on Chang'an and fought several battles against Fu Jian for months. During the siege, Murong Wei plotted a rebellion but was discovered and executed by Fu Jian in 385, prompting Chong to claim the title of Emperor of Yan. Eventually, a severe famine broke out in Chang'an, forcing Fu Jian to flee and leave his son, Fu Hong to hold
SECTION 60
#17327659607114464-576: Was born in 319, while his father Murong Huang was still the heir apparent to his grandfather Murong Hui , the Jin -created Duke of Liaodong. In his youth, he was considered to be learned in both literary and military matters. Sometime after his father succeeded his grandfather in 333, he was made the heir apparent, a status that he retained after his father claimed the title Prince of Yan in 337 and after Jin retroactively acknowledged that title in 341. Historical accounts indicate that Murong Huang also considered Murong Jun's younger brother Murong Ba as
4536-686: Was considered those made by the official dynastic histories ; the compilation of a history of the preceding dynasty was considered one of the hallmarks of legitimacy, along with symbols such as the Nine Ding or the Heirloom Seal of the Realm . As with the First Emperor, it remained very common to grant posthumous titles to the ancestors of the victors. The Yuan and Qing dynasties were founded by successful invaders of different ethnic groups. As part of their rule over China, they also went through
4608-400: Was eventually captured and killed, thus ending the Western Yan. Emperor of China Throughout Chinese history , " Emperor " ( Chinese : 皇帝 ; pinyin : Huángdì ) was the superlative title held by the monarchs who ruled various imperial dynasties or Chinese empires . In traditional Chinese political theory, the emperor was the " Son of Heaven ", an autocrat with
4680-616: Was extradited to China and imprisoned in Fushun War Criminals Management Centre . He would be formally pardoned and released in 1959, working in a repair shop and as a researcher of literature and history until his death in 1967. The current head of the House of Aisin-Gioro and hypothetical claimant to the throne is Jin Yuzhang . He has worked for various local councils on China, and has no interest in
4752-522: Was in 344, when he, along with his uncle Murong Ping , was commissioned to lead an army against Dai , but as the Dai prince Tuoba Shiyiqian refused to engage his army, no significant battle occurred. In 346, Murong Huang commissioned him to command an army against Buyeo (Fuyu (夫餘) in Chinese ), although the actual command appeared to be held by his brother Murong Ke . The army was successful in capturing
4824-651: Was in control of modern Shandong and nominally a Jin vassal (as Duke of Qi), wrote a letter to him denouncing him for claiming imperial title, Murong Jun sent Murong Ke and Yang Wu against him. In 356, despite the heavy fortifications that Duan's capital Guanggu (廣固, in modern Qingzhou , Shandong ) had, Murong Ke sieged it, and after Duan's food supplies ran out, he was forced to surrender. Murong Jun initially spared Duan, but for reasons unknown, he executed Duan in 357. Also in 356, Murong Jun's crown prince Murong Ye died, and in 357, Murong Jun created his younger son Murong Wei as crown prince. Later in 357, Murong Jun moved
4896-474: Was justified. This important concept legitimized the dynastic cycle or the change of dynasties. This principle made it possible even for peasants to found new dynasties, as happened with the Han and Ming dynasties, and for the establishment of conquest dynasties such as the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty and Manchu-led Qing dynasty. It was moral integrity and benevolent leadership that determined the holder of
4968-407: Was said he granted the title during his father's life because he would not be done obeisance to by his own father, a commoner. Owing to political fragmentation, over the centuries, it has not been uncommon to have numerous claimants to the title of "Son of Heaven". The Chinese political concept of the Mandate of Heaven essentially legitimized those claimants who emerged victorious. The proper list
5040-432: Was still alive in Chang'an as the rebellions began. The ruler of Former Qin, Fu Jian , ordered him to tell his family members to stand down, but Wei instead secretly deferred his authority over to Hong in a letter, allowing him to take the throne once he hear of his death. Hong changed the reign era, which is often seen as the start of the Western Yan, before leading his soldiers towards Chang'an. Not long after, Murong Hong
5112-654: Was the second and penultimate ruler of the Former Yan dynasty of China. He initially held the Eastern Jin -created title of Prince of Yan, but later claimed the title of emperor in 353. During his reign, the state expanded from possessing merely modern-day Liaoning and parts of Hebei to nearly all of the territory north of the Yellow River and some substantial holdings south of the Yellow River. The Book of Jin described Murong Jun as being approximately two metres tall and having an imposing look. Murong Jun
5184-460: Was ultimately unsuccessful. In 392, the Dingling -led Zhai Wei state requested reinforcements from Western Yan as they were under attack by Later Yan, but Yong failed to respond and allowed them to fall. With Hebei pacified, Murong Chui set sight on conquering Western Yan and ending the legitimacy question. In 394, Chui personally led his forces to attack Western Yan and laid siege on Zhangzi. Yong
#710289