Helian Chang
Encyclopedia
| Qin Wang | |
|---|---|
| Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Helian (赫連, hè lián) |
| Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... : |
Chang (昌, chāng) |
| Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... : |
None |
Helian Chang (赫連昌) (died 434), courtesy name Huan'guo (還國), nickname Zhe (折), was an emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of the Chinese
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
/Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
state Xia
Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms)
Tiefu was a pre-state Xiongnu tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Its chieftain Liu Bobo established the state of Xia in 407 and changed his family name into Helian....
. He was the successor and a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo
Helian Bobo
Helian Bobo , né Liu Bobo , courtesy name Qujie , formally Emperor Wulie of Xia , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia...
(Emperor Wulie). After his father's death in 425, he tried to expand Xia further, but soon his state began to collapse in light of pressure from rival Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
. In 427, his capital Tongwan (統萬, in modern Yulin
Yulin, Shaanxi
Yulin is a prefecture-level city in the Shaanxi province of the People's Republic of China. It has an area of 43,578 km² and a population of 3,380,000.-Geography and climate:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
) fell to Northern Wei forces, and in 428 he himself was captured. Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Tao , nickname Foli , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
did not kill him but instead treated him as an honored companion, marrying a sister to him and creating him high titles—initially the Duke of Kuaiji and later the Prince of Qin—but in 434 (after his brother and successor Helian Ding
Helian Ding
Helian Ding , nickname Zhifen , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia. He was a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo and a younger brother of his predecessor Helian Chang...
had been captured and executed, ending Xia), he tried to escape and was killed.
During Helian Bobo's reign
It is not known when Helian Chang was born, or who his mother was. The first historical reference to him was in 414, when Helian Bobo, then carrying the title "Heavenly Prince" (Tian WangTian Wang
Tian Wang , translatable as either "heavenly prince" or "heavenly king," was a Chinese regal title that was most frequently used during the Sixteen Kingdoms era, among the kingdoms founded by members of the Wu Hu tribes, often used as an intermediate stage from claiming a prince/king title to an...
), created his brother Helian Gui (赫連璝) crown prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
and created him and his other brothers dukes—in Helian Chang's case, Duke of Taiyuan. (The order in which the brothers were created appears to imply that Helian Chang was the third son.)
In 416, after Helian Bobo had captured the Later Qin
Later Qin
The Later Qin was a state of Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. Note that the Later Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Western Qin....
city Yinmi (陰密, in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), he commissioned Helian Chang as the governor of Yong Province (雍州, roughly modern central and northern Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
, but at that point still mostly in Later Qin hands) to defend Yinmi.
In 417, after the Jin
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
general Liu Yu
Emperor Wu of Liu Song
Emperor Wu of Song , personal name Liu Yu , courtesy name Dexing , nickname Jinu , was the founding emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He came from a humble background, but became prominent after leading a rebellion in 404 to overthrow Huan Xuan, who had usurped the Jin throne in 403...
had already captured the Later Qin capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
and destroyed Later Qin, but who had then left the Chang'an region (Guanzhong
Guanzhong
Guanzhong , or Guanzhong Plain, is a historical region of China corresponding to the lower valley of the Wei River. It is called Guanzhong or 'within the passes' to distinguish it from 'Guandong' or 'east of the pass', that is, the North China Plain. The North China Plain is bordered on the west by...
) in the hands of his 10-year-old son Liu Yizhen (劉義真) and several of his generals, Helian Bobo decided to try to conquer Chang'an. He had Helian Gui, Helian Chang, and his key advisor Wang Maide (王買德) command the troops. Helian Chang's responsibility was to cut off Tong Gate (潼關, in modern Weinan
Weinan
Weinan is a Municipality in the province of Shaanxi, PRC. The Grand Historian Sima Qian was born in Weinan.-Administration:...
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), so that Jin forces could not escape. In 418, Xia forces crushed Liu Yizhen's forces as he tried to withdraw from Chang'an, capturing or killing most of Liu Yizhen's army. Liu Yizhen's successor, the Jin general Zhu Lingshi (朱齡石) was expelled by the people of Chang'an and fled to Caogong Castle (曹公壘, also in Weinan), where Helian Chang besieged him and his brother Zhu Chaoshi (朱超石) by cutting off the water supply, and then attacking the castle, capturing and killing the Zhu brothers.
In 424, for reasons lost to history, Helian Bobo decided to depose Crown Prince Gui and create another son, Helian Lun (赫連倫) the Duke of Jiuquan crown prince. Upon hearing this news, Helian Gui commanded his troops north from Chang'an and attacked Helian Lun. Their forces met at Gaoping (高平, in modern Guyuan
Guyuan
Guyuan is a prefecture-level city in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It occupies the southernmost section of the region.-Administrative divisions:-Geography and climate:...
, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
), and Helian Gui defeated and killed Helian Lun. However, Helian Chang then made a surprise attack on Helian Gui, killing him and seizing his troops, leading them back to the capital Tongwan. Helian Bobo was pleased and created Helian Chang crown prince.
In 425, Helian Bobo died, and Helian Chang succeeded him as emperor.
Reign
Helian Chang was a fierce soldier, and while his abilities in governing the state were not known, he tried to expand his state's borders.In 426, with Western Qin
Western Qin
The Western Qin was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Note that the Western Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Later Qin....
's prince Qifu Chipan
Qifu Chipan
Qifu Chipan , formally Prince Wenzhao of Qin , was a prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Qin. During his reign, Western Qin reached its prime after he destroyed and seized the territory of the rival state Southern Liang in 414, but it then began a gradual decline under attacks by Xia and...
attacking Northern Liang
Northern Liang
The Northern Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was founded by the Xiongnu Juqu family, although they initially supported the Han official Duan Ye as prince, they overthrew him in 401 and took over themselves....
, Northern Liang's prince Juqu Mengxun
Juqu Mengxun
Juqu Mengxun was a prince of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Northern Liang, and the first from the Juqu clan. His cousin Juqu Nancheng and he initially supported Duan Ye as prince of Northern Liang in 397 after rebelling against Later Liang, but in 401, Juqu Mengxun tricked Duan Ye into wrongly...
sent messengers to persuade Helian Chang to attack the Western Qin capital Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture is in Western China's Gansu Province, south of the capital, Lanzhou. It is an autonomous prefecture for the Muslim Hui people, a large Chinese ethnic group. It also includes two autonomous counties for other Muslim groups, namely Dongxiang, Salar, and...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
). Helian Chang, in response, sent his general Hulu Gu (呼盧古) to attack Wanchuan (苑川, in modern Baiyin
Baiyin
Baiyin is a prefecture-level city in China's Gansu province.-Geography and climate:Baiyin is part loess plateau, part desert. Elevation ranges from 1275 to 3321 meters above sea-level. The climate is very arid with only 110-352 mm of annual precipitation. Annual evaporation is 2101 mm resulting in...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
) and Wei Fa (韋伐) to attack Nan'an (南安, in modern Dingxi
Dingxi
-Geography and climate:Dingxi City is located in central Gansu province, 98 km east of Lanzhou, giving it the nickname the "eastern gateway". The Wei River, a tributary of the Yellow River flows through the district and provides it with the majority of its water. Dingxi is semi-arid, with little...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), and while Western Qin was able to hold Wanchuan, Nan'an fell, at great loss. In winter 426, Xia forces commanded by Hulu and Wei attack Fuhan, forcing Qifu Gangui to move the capital to Dinglian (定連, also in Linxia), and Hulu and Wei then captured another important Western Qin city, Xiping (西平, in modern Xining
Xining
Xining is the capital of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, and the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau. It has 2,208,708 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 1,198,304 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts.-History:...
, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
), and while they then withdrew, Western Qin had been dealt a major blow.
However, Helian Chang himself now had a threat on his own hands. In winter 426, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Tao , nickname Foli , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
crossed the frozen Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
and made a surprise attack at Tongwan. On winter solstice, Helian Chang was holding a feast for his officials to celebrate, and suddenly, with Northern Wei forces on the horizon, the entire Xia regime was shaken. Helian Chang himself engaged the Northern Wei forces but was defeated, and as he retreated into the city, the city gates could not close quickly, and the Northern Wei officer Doudai Tian (豆代田) entered the city and set the palace on fire, before withdrawing. The Northern Wei forces pillaged the area around Tongwan, and then withdrew.
Meanwhile, two other Northern Wei forces were attacking two other key Xia cities—the general Daxi Jin (達奚斤) was attacking Puban (蒲阪, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
), and the general Pu Ji (普幾) was attacking Shancheng (陝城, in modern Sanmenxia
Sanmenxia
-Administration:The prefecture-level city of Sanmenxia administers one district, two county-level cities and three counties.*Hubin District*Lingbao City*Yima City*Lushi County*Shan County*Mianchi County*Sanmenxia Development Zone...
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
). Pu was quickly able to capture Shancheng and then advanced into the Chang'an region, but died of an illness on the way, and so his army withdrew. Meanwhile, when Daxi approached Puban, the Xia general defending Puban, Helian Yidou (赫連乙斗) sent a messenger to Tongwan requesting help—but when the messenger arrived at Tongwan, he saw Northern Wei forces attacking it, and he ran back to Puban, informing Helian Yidou incorrectly that Tongwan had fallen. Helian Yidou therefore abandoned Puban and fled to Chang'an, and after he arrived there, he and Helian Chang's brother Helian Zhuxing (赫連助興), who was defending Chang'an, abandoned it and fled to Anding (安定, in modern Pingliang
Pingliang
Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
), and Northern Wei thus captured the southern half of Xia.
In spring 427, Helian Chang sent his brother Helian Ding
Helian Ding
Helian Ding , nickname Zhifen , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia. He was a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo and a younger brother of his predecessor Helian Chang...
the Duke of Pingyuan south, hoping to recapture Chang'an. Helian Ding became stalemated with Daxi Jin at Chang'an. Meanwhile, knowing that Helian Ding was occupied, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu made another attack on Tongwan, and this time, Helian Chang initially wanted to recall Helian Ding from Chang'an; instead, Helian Ding advised him to defend Tongwan securely to wear out the Northern Wei forces, and then he, after capture Chang'an, could then return and attack Northern Wei forces on two sides. Helian Chang agreed and did not engage Northern Wei forces.
However, Helian Chang then received misinformation that Northern Wei forces were out of food supplies and vulnerable. Helian Chang led his army out of the city and attacked the Northern Wei forces. Initially, he was winning the battle, and he almost captured the Northern Wei emperor. However, Northern Wei forces then fought back and defeated Xia forces, killing Helian Chang's brother Helian Man (赫連滿) and nephew Helian Mengxun (赫連蒙遜). Helian Chang was so panicked by the loss that he did not retreat back to Tongwan, but fled to Shanggui (上邽, in modern Tianshui
Tianshui
Tianshui is the second largest city in Gansu province in northwest China. Its population is approximately 3,500,000.Tianshui lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road at the Wei River, through which much of trade occurred between China and the west...
, Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
). Northern Wei forces entered Tongwan and captured the nobles and imperial clan members, including Helian Bobo's and Helian Chang's
Helian Chang's empress
was the wife of Helian Chang, an emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia. Very little is known about her—not even her name or when she was created empress. When the Xia capital Tongwan fell to Northern Wei forces in 427, she was captured, along with her mother-in-law, even though her husband...
empresses, as well as Helian Chang's sisters. The Northern Wei emperor took three of Helian Chang's sisters as concubines. Upon hearing the news of Tongwayn's fall, Helian Ding abandoned his campaign against Daxi and joined Helian Chang at Shanggui. Daxi gave chase, intending to destroy Xia.
In spring 428, with Daxi's subordinate Weichi Juan (尉遲眷) sieging Shanggui, Helian Chang withdrew to Pingliang. Meanwhile, Daxi's forces arrived, but were being afflicted with diseases. Helian Chang took the opportunity to counterattack, forcing Northern Wei forces to take refuge in Anding. Helian Chang attacked on a daily basis, and it appeared that Anding would fall to him. However, Daxi's subordinate Anchi Jia (安遲頡) and Weichi then, without Daxi's approval, undertook a daring plan—as Northern Wei soldiers were by now familiar with Helian Chang's appearance, one day, when Helian Chang was again attacking Anding, Anchi and Weichi led soldiers to make a strike intending to capture him. Helian Chang fell off his horse, and Anchi took him captive. Helian Ding withdrew to Pingliang and took the throne himself.
After capture by Northern Wei
Helian Chang was delivered to the Northern Wei capital Pingcheng (平城, in modern DatongDatong
Datong is a prefecture-level city in northern Shanxi Province of North China, located a few hundred kilometres west by rail from Beijing with an elevation of...
, Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
). Instead of killing him, Emperor Taiwu gave him the western palace as his residence, with supplies fitting an emperor. He also created Helian Chang the Duke of Kuaiji and gave Helian Chang his sister Princess Shiping in marriage. He often had Helian Chang attend him on hunts. Because Helian Chang was respected as a mighty soldiers, the Northern Wei officials often feared that Helian Chang might assassinate the emperor, but the emperor trusted Helian Chang continued to treat him well.
In 429, Helian Chang was effectively used as a witness at the imperial advisory council, for the prime minister Cui Hao
Cui Hao
Cui Hao , courtesy name Boyuan , was a prime minister of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Largely because of Cui's counsel, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei was able to unify northern China, ending the Sixteen Kingdoms era and, along with the southern Liu Song, entering the Southern and...
as he confronted astrologers Zhang Yuan (張淵) and Xu Bian (徐辯), who were advising against a campaign against Rouran
Rouran
Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...
, which Cui advocated. The astrologers, who were previously Xia court astrologers, argued that the stars were favoring Rouran and that a campaign would be fruitless. Cui, himself an astrologer, pointed out that if Zhang and Xu could predict the future, then they should have warned Helian Chang, who was present at the council as well, before Tongwan fell—that if they knew what would happen and did not warn Helian Chang, then they were unfaithful; if they did not know what would happen, then they had no prophetic abilities. With Helian Chang present, Zhang and Xu knew that he would confirm that they never informed him of impending doom, and so they withdrew their opposition.
In 430, Emperor Taiwu promoted Helian Chang's title to Prince of Qin. The reason is unclear, but perhaps he was considering using Helian Chang to counter his brother Helian Ding, against whom Emperor Taiwu was waging a campaign against—and in winter 430, he did have Helian Chang try to persuade Helian Shegan into surrendering Pingliang to him; Helian Shegan initially refused, but did surrender after less than two months. In 431, pressured by Northern Wei forces, Helian Ding, after first destroying Western Qin and its prince Qifu Mumo
Qifu Mumo
Qifu Mumo , courtesy name Anshiba , was the last prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Qin. When he succeeded his father Qifu Chipan in 428, Western Qin was already in a state of decline, under incessant attack by Northern Liang, Xia, Tuyuhun, and Chouchi, but under Qifu Mumo, who had a...
, intended to head west to attack Northern Liang and capture its territory, but on the way was intercepted, defeated, and captured by the Tuyuhun khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
Murong Mugui (慕容慕璝). Xia was at its end.
In 434, for reasons unknown, Helian Chang turned against Wei and fled west from Pingcheng. He was intercepted by the Wei generals west of the Yellow River and killed. Northern Wei then executed his surviving brothers.
Personal information
- Father
- Helian BoboHelian BoboHelian Bobo , né Liu Bobo , courtesy name Qujie , formally Emperor Wulie of Xia , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia...
(Emperor Wulie)
- Helian Bobo
- Wives
- EmpressHelian Chang's empresswas the wife of Helian Chang, an emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia. Very little is known about her—not even her name or when she was created empress. When the Xia capital Tongwan fell to Northern Wei forces in 427, she was captured, along with her mother-in-law, even though her husband...
(name unknown) - Princess Shiping of Northern WeiNorthern WeiThe Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
(married 428)
- Empress