Topic summary
Xianbei State
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Xianbei.
Sixteen Kingdoms
Regardless of the identity of the ruling class and ruler, the assumption of Chinese titles and symbolic institutions was the norm as well for non-Xianbei states that neighbored them. Amidst internal fighting among the imperial family, the Former Yan themselves were conquered by the Former Qin in 370. The Former Qin were led by a Di ruler but upon triumphing over Former Yan, the Qin celebrated by making sacrifices to Confucius. After the Qin defeat at the Battle of Fei River in 383, a number of Yan revivalist regimes followed, namely the Later Yan (384–409), Western Yan (384–394) and Southern Yan (398–410), as well as the Northern Yan (409–436), which was ruled by a person of Han ancestry who had assimilated into Xianbei culture. In the west, confined within the region of Gansu, the Tufa and Qifu tribes also founded their own dynastic regimes, the Southern Liang (397–414) and Western Qin (385–431). The Murong were able to remain independent for a time before falling from power and being supplanted by the Tuoba.