The Western Qin was a state

Sovereign state

A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...

 of Xianbei

Xianbei

The Xianbei were a significant Mongolic nomadic people residing in Manchuria, Inner Mongolia and eastern Mongolia. The title “Khan” was first used among the Xianbei.-Origins:...

 ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms

Sixteen Kingdoms

The Sixteen Kingdoms, or less commonly the Sixteen States, were a collection of numerous short-lived sovereign states in China proper and its neighboring areas from 304 to 439 AD after the retreat of the Jin Dynasty to South China and before the establishment of the Northern Dynasties...

 in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. Note that the Western Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty

Qin Dynasty

The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...

, the Former Qin

Former Qin

The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...

, and 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....

.

All rulers of the Western Qin declared themselves "wang", translatable as either "king" or "prince." They ruled the area that is now southwest part of 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...

 province in Northwest China.

Rulers of the Western Qin

Temple name Temple name Temple names are commonly used when naming most Chinese, Korean , and Vietnamese royalty. They should not be confused with era names. Compared to posthumous names, the use of temple names is more exclusive... s	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... s	Family names and 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"...	Durations of reigns	Era names and their according durations
Chinese convention: use family and given names
Liezu (烈祖 Lièzǔ)	Xuanlie (宣烈 Xuānliè)	乞伏國仁 Qǐfú Guórén Qifu Guoren Qifu Guoren , formally Prince Xuanlie of Wanchuan , was the founding ruler of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Qin....	385 385 Year 385 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Bauto... -388 388 Year 388 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague...	Jianyi (建義 Jiànyì) 385 385 Year 385 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Bauto... -388 388 Year 388 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague...
Gaozu (高祖 Gāozǔ)	Wuyuan (武元 Wǔyuán)	乞伏乾歸 Qǐfú Gānguī Qifu Gangui Qifu Gangui or Qifu Qiangui , formally Prince Wuyuan of Henan , was a prince of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Qin. He was a brother of the founding prince, Qifu Guoren , who became prince after Qifu Guoren's death in 388 because Qifu Guoren's son Qifu Gongfu was considered too young for...	388 388 Year 388 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague... -400 400 Year 400 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus... , 409 409 Year 409 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius... -412 412 Year 412 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius...	Taichu (太初 Taìchū) 388 388 Year 388 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus without colleague... -400 400 Year 400 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus... Gengshi (更始 Gèngshǐ) 409 409 Year 409 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius... -412 412 Year 412 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius...
Taizu (太祖 Taìzǔ)	Wenzhao (文昭 Wénzhāo)	乞伏熾磐 Qǐfú Chìpán 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...	412 412 Year 412 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius... -428 428 Year 428 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus...	Yongkang (永康 Yǒngkāng) 412 412 Year 412 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Honorius and Theodosius... -419 419 Year 419 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Monaxius and Plinta... Jianhong (建弘 Jiànhóng) 420 420 Year 420 was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Constantius... -428 428 Year 428 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus...
Did not exist	Houzhu (後主 Hoùzhǔ)	乞伏暮末 Qǐfú Mùmò 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...	428 428 Year 428 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus... -431 431 Year 431 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus...	Yonghong (永弘 Yǒnghóng) 428 428 Year 428 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Felix and Taurus... -431 431 Year 431 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus...