Western Qin, Xianbei kingdom of

Qifu Guoren establishes Western Qin, a state of Xianbei ethnicity entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Later Qin, in 385.

All rulers of the Western Qin will declare themselves "wang,” translatable as either "king" or "prince."

Qifu Guoren had been a Xianbei tribal chief in the modern southern/southwestern Gansu region and founded the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Qin in 385.

(The Western Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Later Qin.)

Dividing his domain into twelve prefectures, he had established his capital at Yongshicheng (in modern Lanzhou, Gansu).

Over the next two years, he had gradually drawn the Xianbei and other ethnic groups into his state.

In 387, however, contrary to his prior stance against Former Qin, Qifu Guoren had accepted the title of Prince Xuanlie of Wanchuan bestowed on him by the Former Qin emperor Fu Deng and nominally become a Former Qin vassal again, although he does not use the Former Qin era name.

Qifu Guoren dies in summer 388 and as his son Qifu Gongfu is still young, his subordinates support his brother Qifu Gangui to succeed him.

Yao Xing had hoped to keep his father's death a secret, but Fu Deng receives news of it anyway and immediately prepares a major attack against Later Qin.

Fu Deng has his brother Fu Guang defend the base of Yongcheng (in modern Baoji, Shaanxi) and …

…Fu Chong defend the base of Hu Kong Castle (in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi).

In his anxiety, he has not ensured that his army has a sufficient water supply.

Yao Xing sets up his army at nearby Mawei to prevent Former Qin forces from reaching the river near Mawei, and Former Qin forces are stricken by thirst, but still fight harder.

Yao Xing initially orders Yin to be cautious, but Yin, realizing the trouble the Former Qin forces are already in and believing that morale would be destroyed if he undertook a cautious strategy, fights back fervently, and the Former Qin forces collapse.

Upon hearing the defeat, Fu Deng's brother Fu Guang and son Fu Chong abandon the two bases that they are holding, and Fu Deng is unable to recapture them.

He now seeks help from the prince of Western Qin, Qifu Gangui, who sends a relief force headed by Qifu Yizhou.

As Fu Deng seeks to join up with Qifu Yizhou, Yao Xing ambushes and captures him, and then executes him.

He disbands Fu Deng's troops and gives Fu Deng's Empress Li to Yao Huang.

Fu Deng's crown prince Fu Chong assumes the imperial title and attempts to resist Later Qin a few months longer, but dies in battle against Western Qin later in the year after Qifu Gangui turns against him, ending Former Qin.

Later Qin assumes nearly all of Former Qin's remaining territory.

Liu Song launches a major attack in spring 430, and Emperor Taiwu, judging his own defenses south of the Yellow River to be unable to withstand a Liu Song attack, withdraws them north, judging correctly that Liu Song forces would stop at the Yellow River, planning to counterattack in the winter after the river freezes.

Meanwhile, Emperor Taiwu, hearing that Liu Song and Xia had subsequently entered into a treaty to attack him and divide Northern Wei lands, judges correctly that despite the treaty Liu Song has no intention of crossing the Yellow River north, and he decides to destroy Xia once and for all.

In fall 430, he makes a surprise attack on the new Xia capital Pingliang (in modern Pingliang), while Helian Ding is engaging Western Qin's prince Qifu Mumo, putting Pingliang under siege, but although he now sends Helian Chang to Pingliang to try to persuade its defender, Helian Shegan, younger brother to both Helian Chang and Helian Ding, to surrender, Pingliang will not fall quickly.

However, the Northern Wei general Tuxi Bi engages Helian Ding as Helian Ding is trying to relieve Pingliang, defeats him and surrounds him at the Chungu Plains (also in modern Pingliang).

Northern Wei forces surrounds him, and his army becomes hungry and thirsty.

After several days, he forcibly fights his way out of the siege, but his forces mostly collapse, and he himself is badly injured.

He gathers the remaining forces and flees to …

…Shanggui.

Emperor Taiwu's generals, as he has instructed while on his Xia campaign, cross the Yellow River when it freezes in winter 430-31, and quickly recapture Luoyang and ...

...Hulao (in modern Zhengzhou, Henan).

They soon force the retreat of the main Liu Song force, under the command of the Liu Song general Dao Yanzhi, and ...

...trap the remaining Liu Song troops at Huatai (in modern Anyang, Henan).

A relief mission by the Liu Song general Tan Daoji can not reach Huatai, and by spring 431, Huatai falls.

All of the lands lost to Liu Song a year earlier have been regained. (Emperor Taiwu, in another action typical of him, rewards the Liu Song general Zhu Xiuzhi, who had held Huatai for months faithfully, by giving him a daughter of an imperial clan member in marriage.

Helian Ding is by 432 no longer able to hold Shanggui, and …