Helian Ding (; died 432), nickname Zhifen (直獖), was the last
emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
of the
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...
-led Chinese
Hu Xia dynasty. He was a son of the founding emperor
Helian Bobo
Helian Bobo (; Middle Chinese Guangyun: ; 381–425), né Liu Bobo (劉勃勃), courtesy name Qujie (屈孑), formally Emperor Wulie of Xia (夏武烈帝), was the founding emperor of the Xiongnu-led Hu Xia dynasty of China. He is generally cons ...
(Emperor Wulie) and a younger brother of his predecessor
Helian Chang
Helian Chang (; died 434), courtesy name Huanguo (還國), nickname Zhe (折), was an emperor of the Hu Xia dynasty of China. He was the successor and a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo (Emperor Wulie). After his father's death in 425, h ...
. After Helian Chang was captured by rival
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
's army in 428, Helian Ding took the throne himself and for several years tried to resist Northern Wei attacks, but by 430 he had lost nearly his entire territory. In 431, he attempted to head west to try to attack
Northern Liang
The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was ruled by the Juqu family of Lushuihu origin (a branch of the Xiongnu). Although Duan Ye of Han ethnicity was initially enthroned as the Northern Liang ...
and seize its territory, but on the way, he was intercepted by
Tuyuhun's
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
Murong Mugui
Murong (; LHC: *''mɑC-joŋ''; EMC: *''mɔh-juawŋ'') or Muren refers to an ethnic Xianbei tribe who are attested from the time of Tanshihuai (reigned 156–181). Different strands of evidence exist linking the Murong to the MongolsТаск ...
(慕容慕璝) and captured, ending Xia. In 432, Murong Mugui turned him over to
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, who had him executed.
During Helian Bobo's reign
It is not known when Helian Ding was born, or who his mother was. In 414, when Helian Bobo created his son Helian Gui (赫連璝)
crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
and the other sons dukes, Helian Chang was created the Duke of Pingyuan. Helian Ding was said to have been a delinquent and frivolous youth, and Helian Bobo had low opinions of him and gave him little authority.
During Helian Chang's reign
After Helian Bobo's death in 425, Helian Ding's older brother
Helian Chang
Helian Chang (; died 434), courtesy name Huanguo (還國), nickname Zhe (折), was an emperor of the Hu Xia dynasty of China. He was the successor and a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo (Emperor Wulie). After his father's death in 425, h ...
(who had replaced Helian Gui as crown prince in 424) succeeded him. Helian Chang gave Helian Ding more authorities than before, and Helian Ding quickly became one of the major generals that his brother relied on. After rival
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
's general Daxi Jin (達奚斤) captured the important city of
Chang'an
Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin Shi ...
in 426, Helian Chang sent Helian Ding south in spring 427 from the capital Tongwan (統萬, in modern
Yulin Yulin may refer to the following places in China:
Cities and prefectures
*Yulin, Guangxi (玉林市), a prefecture-level city in Guangxi
*Yulin, Shaanxi (榆林市), a prefecture-level city in Shaanxi
* Yulin Prefecture (鬱林州), a prefecture b ...
,
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
) to try to capture Chang'an. He became stalemated with Daxi at Chang'an.
Meanwhile, knowing that Helian Ding was occupied,
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei made an attack on Tongwan, and 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, subsequently, receiving false information that Northern Wei forces had run out of food, he decided to attack Northern Wei forces and was soundly defeated, and he fled to Shanggui (上邽, in modern
Tianshui,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
). Northern Wei captured Tongwan. 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. It might have been at this time that Helian Chang promoted Helian Ding to the title of Prince of Pingyuan.
In spring 428, after initially withdrawing further from Shanggui to Pingliang (平涼, in modern
Pingliang,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
), Helian Chang went back on the offensive and sieged Daxi's army, which was then afflicted by illnesses, at Anding (安定, also in modern Pingliang). However, during the siege, the Northern Wei officers Anchi Jia (安遲頡) and Yuchi Juan (尉遲眷) made a surprise attack on him, and he fell off his horse and was captured. Helian Ding gathered the remaining troops and withdrew to Pingliang. He took the throne himself.
Reign
Meanwhile, Daxi, ashamed that he was nearly destroyed by Hellian Chang at Anding and was only saved by his officers Anchi and Yuchi's ingenuity, proceeded further, without adequate food supplies, to try to attack Helian Ding at Pingliang, taking up a dangerous position without adequate water supply as well. A low-level Northern Wei officer who had been charged with crime then fled to the Xia camp and revealed the lack of food and water supplies that Daxi's forces were having. Helian Ding then attacked and captured Daxi. Upon hearing this, the Northern Wei general Qiudun Dui (丘敦堆), who was defending Anding, panicked and fled to Chang'an, and then further fled Chang'an with Chang'an's commanding general Tuoba Li (拓拔禮) to Puban (蒲阪, in modern
Yuncheng,
Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
), allowing Xia forces to recover Chang'an and the surrounding
Guanzhong
Guanzhong (, formerly romanised as Kwanchung) region, also known as the Guanzhong Basin, Wei River Basin, or uncommonly as the Shaanzhong region, is a historical region of China corresponding to the crescentic graben basin within present-day ce ...
region.
In summer 428, Helian Ding sent an embassy to Northern Wei requesting peace. Instead, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu issued an edict ordering him to surrender, which he did not do. On a hunt at which he could see the old capital Tongwan from a distance, Helian Ding lamented that if Helian Bobo had made him crown prince, Tongwan would not have fallen. However, he himself did not dare to try to recapture Tongwan.
In spring 430,
Liu Song launched a major attack against Northern Wei, and Northern Wei in response temporarily abandoned its territory south of the
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He (Chinese: , Standard Beijing Mandarin, Mandarin: ''Huáng hé'' ) is the second-longest river in China, after the Yangtze River, and the List of rivers by length, sixth-longest river system in the world at th ...
. Helian Ding then entered into an alliance with
Emperor Wen of Liu Song against Northern Wei, agreeing to destroy Northern Wei and divide its territory north of the Yellow River—with provinces east of the
Taihang Mountains going to Liu Song and west of Taihang going to Xia. However, neither party actually intended to attack Northern Wei's territory north of the Yellow River first, waiting for the other to act, and Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu took advantage of this and decided to try to destroy Helian Ding first. In fall 430, he personally launched a direct assault on Pingliang.
Meanwhile,
Western Qin
The Western Qin (; 385–400, 409–431) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms. All rulers of the Western Qin declared themselves "''Chinese nobility#wang, wang''", translatable as either ...
's prince
Qifu Mumo
Qifu Mumo (; died 431), courtesy name Anshiba (安石跋), was the last prince of the Xianbei-led Western Qin dynasty of China. When he succeeded his father Qifu Chipan (Prince Wenzhao) in 428, Western Qin was already in a state of decline, under ...
, unable to stand pressures from
Northern Liang
The Northern Liang (; 397–439) was a dynastic state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was ruled by the Juqu family of Lushuihu origin (a branch of the Xiongnu). Although Duan Ye of Han ethnicity was initially enthroned as the Northern Liang ...
and
Tuyuhun, sought to surrender to Northern Wei, and with Northern Wei promising to give Xia's Pingliang and Anding Commanderies to him as his domain, he abandoned his capital Fuhan (枹罕, in modern
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
) and headed east, intending to join Northern Wei forces at Shanggui. Upon hearing this, Helian Ding personally tried to intercept Qifu Mumo, who was forced to stop at Nan'an (南安, in modern
Longxi,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
), with his territory having otherwise all fallen to Tuyuhun.
By this time, though, the Northern Wei emperor had arrived at Pingliang, and, with Helian Chang (whom he had created Prince of Qin) with him, he had Helian Chang to try to persuade the defender of Pingliang, Helian Ding's younger brother Helian Shegan (赫連社干) the Duke of Shanggu to surrender. Helian Shegan initially refused. Helian Ding, hearing that Pingliang was under attack, tried to return to Pingliang to relieve it, but on the way he encountered the Northern Wei general Tuxi Bi (吐奚弼), who tricked him by pretending to be a weak force, drawing an attack from him. Tuxi then defeated Helian Ding, who was then forced to withdraw to Chungu Plains (鶉觚原, in modern Pingliang). Northern Wei forces surrounded him, and his army became hungry and thirsty. After several days, he forcibly fought his way out of the siege, but his forces mostly collapsed, and he himself was badly injured. He gathered the remaining forces and fled to Shanggui.
Around the new year 431, Helian Shegan and another brother, Helian Duluogu (赫連度洛孤) the Duke of Guangyang, surrendered Pignliang to Northern Wei, and Anding fell as well. The Northern Wei emperor seized
Helian Ding's empress and gave her to his general Doudai Tian (豆代田) as a
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
. The other Xia cities' defenders also fled or were captured, allowing Northern Wei to take those cities. Helian Ding himself felt he could not hold Shanggui much further, sent his uncle Helian Weifa (赫連韋伐) the Duke of Beiping to attack Western Qin's only remaining city, Nan'an. The people of Nan'an suffered from the lack of food so much that they engaged in cannibalism. Qifu Mumo, unable to do anything else, surrendered. Helian Weifa delivered Qifu Mumo to Shanggui, and Helian Ding executed Qifu Mumo and his clan.
Helian Ding then headed west and crossed the Yellow River at Zhicheng (治城, in modern Linxia), intending to attack Northern Liang and seize its territory. However, the
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
of Tuyuhun,
Murong Mugui
Murong (; LHC: *''mɑC-joŋ''; EMC: *''mɔh-juawŋ'') or Muren refers to an ethnic Xianbei tribe who are attested from the time of Tanshihuai (reigned 156–181). Different strands of evidence exist linking the Murong to the MongolsТаск ...
(慕容慕璝), had anticipated this and sent his brothers
Murong Muliyan
Murong (; LHC: *''mɑC-joŋ''; EMC: *''mɔh-juawŋ'') or Muren refers to an ethnic Xianbei tribe who are attested from the time of Tanshihuai (reigned 156–181). Different strands of evidence exist linking the Murong to the MongolsТаски ...
(慕容慕利延) and Murong Shiqian (慕容拾虔) to intercept Helian Ding, and as the Xia army was crossing the river, Tuyuhun forces attacked and captured Helian Ding, ending Xia.
After capture by Murong Mugui
Murong Mugui did not kill Helian Ding initially. In fall 431, however, he sent messengers to Northern Wei to declare his loyalty and to indicate that he was willing to deliver Helian Ding to Northern Wei. In response, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu created Murong Mugui the Prince of Xiqin and gave him rewards, and in spring 432 Murong Mugui delivered Helian Ding to Northern Wei. The Northern Wei emperor executed Helian Ding.
Empress
Very little is known about the wife of Helian Ding, not even her name. Helian Ding took the throne in 428 after his brother
Helian Chang
Helian Chang (; died 434), courtesy name Huanguo (還國), nickname Zhe (折), was an emperor of the Hu Xia dynasty of China. He was the successor and a son of the founding emperor Helian Bobo (Emperor Wulie). After his father's death in 425, h ...
was captured by rival
Northern Wei
Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...
's forces, and it was sometime after that he created her
empress
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
. When his brothers Helian Shegan (赫連社干) the Duke of Shanggu and Helian Duluogu (赫連度洛孤) the Duke of Guangyang surrendered his capital Pingliang (平涼, in modern
Pingliang,
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibet ...
) to
Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei in 430, she was captured. Emperor Taiwu gave her to his general Doudai Tian (豆代田) as a
concubine
Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive.
Concubi ...
. Nothing further is known about her.
Personal information
* Father
**
Helian Bobo
Helian Bobo (; Middle Chinese Guangyun: ; 381–425), né Liu Bobo (劉勃勃), courtesy name Qujie (屈孑), formally Emperor Wulie of Xia (夏武烈帝), was the founding emperor of the Xiongnu-led Hu Xia dynasty of China. He is generally cons ...
(Emperor Wulie)
* Wife
** (name unknown)
References
* ''
Book of Jin
The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, with chancellor Fang X ...
'',
vol. 130.
* ''
Book of Wei
The ''Book of Wei'', also known by its Chinese name as the ''Wei Shu'', is a classic Chinese historical text compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and is an important text describing the history of the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 5 ...
'',
vol. 95.
* ''
History of the Northern Dynasties'',
vol. 93.
* ''
Zizhi Tongjian
''Zizhi Tongjian'' () is a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084 AD during the Northern Song dynasty in the form of a chronicle recording Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynast ...
'', vols.
120,
121 121 may refer to:
* 121 (number), a natural number
*AD 121, a year in the 2nd century AD
* 121 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
* 121 (Eagle) Sqn
* 121 (MBTA bus)
* 121 (New Jersey bus)
*Road 121, see list of highways numbered 121
*Russian cruiser ...
,
122 122 may refer to:
*122 (number), a natural number
* AD 122, a year in the 2nd century AD
* 122 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
* ''122'' (film), a 2019 Egyptian psychological horror film
*"One Twenty Two", a 2022 single by the American rock band Bo ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helian, Ding
Xia emperors
432 deaths
Year of birth unknown
Murdered Chinese emperors