My life is like walking on thin ice

Chapter 631 Huh?!

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In this northern region of my country, many nomadic peoples have appeared and disappeared throughout history. If we're talking about the most powerful people in the north who built the most states, then it would be the Xianbei.

The Xianbei established 11 states in total. They were the nomadic peoples of the grasslands who established states for the longest period and in the largest number of states. They were also the nomadic peoples who had the greatest influence on China during the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The Xianbei people began to emerge during the Eastern Han Dynasty. After the Xiongnu were driven out of the north, they took over the northern grasslands.

During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Xianbei people successively established many states, such as the Murong Yan, Western Qin, Southern Liang, and Dai. Finally, the Tuoba family established the Northern Wei, unifying the north.

However, with prosperity comes decline.

The Xianbei people, who once dominated the north, gradually merged with other ethnic groups due to a series of divisions and a decline in their power.

The Xianbei people were actually a combination of several ethnic groups with different origins but sharing a common culture, not a single ethnic group.

They originally developed from the Northeast, because the geographical environment of that region was very special, which gradually led to the formation of the distinctive Xianbei culture.

The Xiongnu's glorious days were finally over. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Huo Qubing acted like a master thief, taking away their lifeline—their water supply—and severely damaged the Xiongnu.

By the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu had split into two groups: the Southern Xiongnu and the Northern Xiongnu.

The Southern Xiongnu were quite pragmatic and directly submitted to the Han Dynasty, becoming its subordinates.

The Northern Xiongnu, however, remained entrenched in Siberia, occasionally venturing south in hopes of gaining some advantage. But during the reign of Emperor He of Han, Dou Xian allied with the Southern Xiongnu and launched a fierce attack on the Northern Xiongnu.

As a result, the Northern Xiongnu could not resist and could only slink away to the west.

After the Northern Xiongnu suffered a defeat and fled westward, the Southern Xiongnu moved to the Hetao region and settled down there.

When the Xianbei saw that the northern desert was completely deserted and no one was taking care of it, they knew they would not be polite.

Therefore, the Xianbei people came out from the northeast and swaggered into the Mongolian Plateau, becoming the new leader of the northern desert after the Xiongnu.

Here, the Xianbei not only occupied the former territory of the Xiongnu, but also incorporated more than 100,000 households left by the Northern Xiongnu. The Xianbei really made a fortune.

This is why some people say that the Xianbei people were descendants of the Xiongnu.

After the Xianbei people took control of the northern region, they became a major problem on the border of the Han Dynasty, much like the Xiongnu.

However, the incursions by the various Xianbei tribes into the borders of the Han Dynasty were mostly small-scale and did not amount to much.

But during the reign of Emperor Huan of Han, a very capable figure emerged from the Xianbei tribe, comparable to the former Modu Chanyu. This person was Tanshihuai.

The Eastern Han court could not possibly stand idly by and watch a powerful Xianbei empire rise up next door.

By the time of Emperor Ling of Han, they had joined forces with the Xiongnu and Wuhuan to launch a joint attack on the Xianbei.

Tan Shihuai was a cunning fellow. He deliberately lured the enemy into his territory and then launched a sudden attack, annihilating the allied forces in one fell swoop.

This battle made Tan Shihuai famous, and the Han Dynasty had no way to deal with him.

In the end, the Han Dynasty had no choice but to resort to its old trick of seeking a marriage alliance to resolve the issue, but Tan Shihuai simply wouldn't listen.

From then on, the Han Dynasty and the Xianbei were at odds, just like their previous grievances with the Xiongnu, which seemed endless.

After Tan Shihuai's death, the Xianbei tribe lost its powerful leader and soon disbanded.

But during the Three Kingdoms period, another remarkable figure emerged from the Xianbei, named Kebineng.

This guy, like Tan Shihuai, unified the Xianbei.

Now he's become a major problem for Cao Wei in the north, like a sword hanging over Wei's head, causing them a lot of headaches.

Later, Wang Xiong, the governor of Youzhou, couldn't stand it anymore, so he sent an assassin named Han Long to kill Kebineng.

As a result, the Xianbei people split into a disorganized mess once again.

After Kebineng's death, the Xianbei people began to fight amongst themselves and lost interest in expanding southward. As a result, the northern border of Cao Wei became much more peaceful.

The Xianbei people also split into many smaller tribes, the most famous of which were the Murong, Yuwen, Duan, Qifu, Tuoba, Tufa, and Tuyuhun tribes. These tribes later established their own states one by one.

At that time, the Murong family established several states, such as the Former Yan, Later Yan, Western Yan, and Southern Yan, which was the Yan state that Murong Fu in "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" longed to revive.

There were also the Qifu family that established the Western Qin, the Tufa family that created the Southern Liang, the Tuoba family that established the Dai state, and the Tuyuhun family that also had its own Tuyuhun state, and so on. During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Xianbei tribes established the most states, and these states lasted the longest.

Although the various tribes of the Xianbei established many states, none of them lasted long.

The Dai Kingdom established by the Tuoba family and the Tuyuhun Kingdom established by the Murong Tuyuhun family were among the longest-lasting kingdoms.

In particular, the Dai state later developed into the Wei state, which eventually unified the north and was known as the Northern Wei.

The Northern Wei established its capital in Pingcheng. At that time, the main territory of the Northern Wei was in the Central Plains, which was in conflict with the Southern Dynasties in the south, forming the Northern Dynasty in the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

Later, as the Northern Wei expanded southward, it ceded the Mongolian Plateau, and the Rouran tribe from the Xianbei took the opportunity to occupy the area north of the Great Wall, beginning to pose a threat to the Northern Wei.

When Emperor Xiaowen came to power, he greatly admired Han Chinese culture and was determined to carry out Sinicization reforms.

The first thing they did was change the imperial family's surname, Tuoba, to the Han surname, Yuan. From then on, Yuan became the surname of the Northern Wei imperial family.

Emperor Xiaowen did more than just this. He also moved the capital to Luoyang, made the Xianbei people adopt Han surnames, learn to speak Chinese, wear Han clothing, and even encouraged them to intermarry with Han people.

This series of actions directly transformed the Northern Wei, a Xianbei dynasty, into a Sinicized state.

Because of this, Emperor Xiaowen was jokingly called "the top leader in the Sinicization of Northern Wei".

Although some emperors after Emperor Xiaowen wanted to restore the old customs of the Xianbei, the Sinicization and gradual disappearance of the Xianbei people was an unstoppable trend.

By the time of the Sui and Tang dynasties, although some prominent Xianbei families, such as Changsun, Yuchi, Yuwen, Murong, and Dugu, had not changed their surnames to Han surnames, they no longer considered themselves Xianbei.

These families became part of the Guanzhong aristocratic circle within the Han Chinese. In this way, the main part of the Xianbei people was completely integrated with the Han Chinese.

However, some Xianbei tribes remained, such as the Yuwen clan Xianbei in the northeast, who later became the well-known Khitan and Kumoxi.

The Khitan people then merged with the Kumoxi, and the two groups combined to form the Liao Dynasty, which rose to power on the border of the Song Dynasty.

The Xianbei people in Liaodong became the Shiwei, and the Shiwei gradually developed and eventually became the Mongols.

Today, among the ethnic minorities in Northeast China, the Xibe and Daur peoples can also trace their lineage back to the Xianbei.

Besides the Northeast region, some Xianbei people of the Murong clan later became the Tuyuhun tribe, and they settled in the Northwest region.

Influenced by Han Chinese culture, Tibetan culture, and other factors, the Tuyuhun Xianbei people have developed a very different culture from the Xianbei culture in Liaodong.

The Tuyuhun tribe is the ancestor of the present-day Tu people, so the Tu people can be said to be descendants of the Xianbei people.

In China's long history, the influence of the Xianbei people on the Han people is unparalleled.

The culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties was deeply influenced by the Xianbei culture. Think about it, the Japanese used to learn from the Sui and Tang culture, and now their proud kimonos, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, kendo, as well as tatami mats, sliding doors, and sashimi are all treasures of Han culture from that time.

These treasures are actually the product of the fusion of Xianbei culture and traditional Han culture, which led to the magnificent Sui and Tang culture.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the Xiongnu were powerful and the Xianbei were under their control. However, after Emperor Wu of Han defeated the Xiongnu, the Xianbei began to move south and occupied the former territory of the Wuhuan.

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, the Xianbei tribes were scattered from Liaodong to the Hetao region, occasionally fighting with the Han Dynasty and sometimes surrendering. In 91 AD, the Northern Xiongnu migrated westward, and the Xianbei completely occupied the Mongolian Plateau, becoming the new masters of the grasslands.

Towards the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, a great figure emerged from the Xianbei, Tan Shihuai, who was the leader of the central Xianbei and was born around 156 AD.

Tan Shihuai unified the various Xianbei tribes and divided the tribes into three parts: the east, the central and the west, with an official in charge of each part.

His influence extended east to Liaodong, west to Wusun, south to Xiongnu, and north to Dingling, controlling a territory spanning tens of thousands of miles.

During the Three Kingdoms period, the various Xianbei tribes continued to split.

Kebineng, who unified parts of the Xianbei in the east and central regions, fought against Cao Wei from 228 to 233 AD. However, he was assassinated by Wei in 235 AD, and the Xianbei fell into chaos again.

At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Five Barbarian Invasions began, and the Xianbei people seized the opportunity to launch a large-scale southward invasion and enter the Central Plains.

At this time, they began to establish their own state. The Murong clan first established the Former Yan, and in 337 AD, Murong Huang proclaimed himself King of Yan and established his capital in Jicheng (present-day Yixian County, Liaoning).

The Murong clan produced five Yan states: Former Yan, Later Yan, Western Yan, Southern Yan, and Northern Yan. These states took turns ruling the northern part of the Central Plains, controlling Hebei, Shandong, Shanxi, and other areas.

However, the Former Yan was destroyed by the Former Qin in 370 AD, and the Later Yan perished in 407 AD. The Western Yan, Southern Yan, and Northern Yan also perished one after another.

The Tuoba clan was even more impressive. They established the Dai state in 315 AD, and Tuoba Gui rebuilt the Northern Wei dynasty in 386 AD.

The Northern Wei dynasty began in Shengle (present-day Helingeer, Inner Mongolia) and moved its capital to Pingcheng (present-day Datong, Shanxi) in 398 AD.

In 439 AD, Tuoba Tao unified the north, ending the chaos of the Sixteen Kingdoms period.

In the late Northern Wei Dynasty, in 493 AD, Emperor Xiaowen, Tuoba Hong, moved the capital to Luoyang and implemented major reforms.

He encouraged the Xianbei people to learn Han culture, wear Han clothing, use the Chinese language, and intermarry with Han people.

The most crucial change was the surname. The imperial Tuoba clan changed to Yuan, and other nobles followed suit. For example, Qiumuling clan changed to Mu, Bulugu clan changed to Lu, Helai clan changed to He, and Dugu clan changed to Liu, and so on.

This reform accelerated the Sinicization of the Xianbei people, but also caused internal backlash. From 523 to 528 AD, the Six Garrisons Rebellion broke out, and the Northern Wei soldiers rioted, leading to the division of the Northern Wei into the Eastern Wei and Western Wei in 534 AD.

The Western Wei dynasty was replaced by the Yuwen clan in 557 AD, who established the Northern Zhou dynasty. Yuwen Tai's son, Yuwen Yong, destroyed the Northern Qi dynasty in 577 AD.

The Yuwen clan of the Northern Zhou Dynasty originated from the Yuwen tribe of the Xianbei people. They controlled Guanzhong and implemented the Fubing system (a military system based on the military strength of the local population).

In 581 AD, Yang Jian replaced the Northern Zhou Dynasty and established the Sui Dynasty. Yang Jian had Xianbei ancestry, and his mother was from the Dugu clan.

The Sui Dynasty unified China in 589 AD, but was replaced by the Li family in 618 AD, who established the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yuan's ancestors also had some Xianbei blood; his mother was from the Dugu clan, and Emperor Taizong's empress was from the Changsun clan.

During the Tang Dynasty, Xianbei nobles such as Changsun Wuji and Yuwen Shiji were still in the court, but they already identified themselves as Han Chinese.

The Xianbei, as an ethnic group, disappeared by the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, merging into the Han, Mongol, Tibetan, and other ethnic groups.

The Xibe people claim to be descendants of the Xianbei, and mainly live in Xinjiang and Liaoning, with a population of tens of thousands, who are engaged in agriculture.

The Tu people in Qinghai are partly descended from the Tuyuhun. The Oroqen and Evenki may also have Xianbei ancestry.

Now let's talk about the descendants, especially those of the eight major surnames: Yuwen, Qi, Huli, Murong, Dugu, Changsun, Helan, and Yuchi.

These are Xianbei surnames that were not completely changed and persisted during the Northern Wei reforms, so they are very likely descendants of the Xianbei.

The Yuwen clan originated from the Xianbei Yuwen tribe. They established the Northern Zhou dynasty in the eastern part of the Greater Khingan Mountains. The current population is about 80, distributed in places such as Xingtang in Hebei, Chifeng in Inner Mongolia, and Xianyang in Shaanxi.

The Huli clan originated from the Huli tribe of the Xianbei people. During the Northern Qi Dynasty, there was a famous general named Huli Guang. The clan had a population of around 2000 and mainly lived in Jiexiu, Shanxi and Zhongyang, Lüliang. Many of them simplified their surname to Hu.

The Changsun clan was a branch of the Northern Wei imperial family. Empress Changsun was the wife of Emperor Taizong of Tang. The clan had a population of approximately 3000 and was located in Yongshou County, Xianyang, Shaanxi. The Helan clan originated from the Helan tribe and had a population of 1, with one-fifth of them residing in Hunan. The Yuchi clan came from the Yuchi tribe. During the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was a general named Yuchi Gong. The clan had a population of 4000, with one-quarter residing in Hebei, followed by Henan and Shandong.

People with these surnames are now mostly Han Chinese, living like everyone else, with little trace of Xianbei customs. However, their ancestors were indeed Xianbei nobles who participated in the chaos and unification of the Northern and Southern Dynasties.

The Xianbei's conquest of the Central Plains brought with them systems like the Fubing system (military service system) and the Equal-Field system, contributing to the Sui and Tang dynasties' systems and accelerating ethnic integration. This is the nature of Chinese history: various ethnic groups interacted and merged into one. The Xianbei didn't disappear; they simply existed in a different form.

Besides these eight surnames, many other Han surnames were adopted by the Xianbei, such as Yuan, Mu, Lu, He, Liu, Lou, and Yu. Many Han people may unknowingly have Xianbei ancestry. Molecular anthropological studies show that the genes of Xianbei remains are related to modern Mongolians, Evenks, and Oroqen, and also to some Han Chinese in northern China.

The Xibe people are descendants of the Tuoba Xianbei. During the Qing Dynasty, they were incorporated into the Eight Banners, and there is now a Xibe Autonomous County in Xinjiang. Some descendants of the Tuyuhun people have assimilated into the Tibetan ethnic group, and the Tu people of Qinghai are also related to them. The influence of the Xianbei is not only in surnames but also in culture. For example, many of the Buddhist grottoes and sculptures of the Northern Dynasties were promoted by the Xianbei.

In general, the disappearance of the Xianbei people was a historical inevitability. Nomadic peoples entered the Central Plains, learned agriculture, changed their customs, and thus assimilated. However, their descendants still exist, and their origins can be traced through their surnames.

If your surname is one of those eight, congratulations! Your ancestors may have been nobility from the grasslands. Don't think it's distant; history is connected in this way, and we are all part of the Chinese nation.

(End of this chapter)