Murong Nuohebo
Encyclopedia
Murong Nuohebo (died 688), regal title Wudiyebaledou Khan (烏地也拔勒豆可汗) or, in short, Ledou Khan (勒豆可汗), Tang Dynasty
noble title Prince of Qinghai (青海王), was the last khan
of the Xianbei
/Qiang/Tibetan
state Tuyuhun. He had become khan in 635 after his grandrfather, the Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun
and his father, the Gandou Khan Murong Shun
, had both been killed in the same year: Murong Fuyun during a Tang invasion and Murong Shun assassinated by his own people in the aftermaths of the Tang conquest. Murong Nuohebo's control over his people was initially tenuous and required Tang military affirmation on at least two occasions, but once his control was firmer, he faced the threat of Tufan to the southwest. In 663, unable to stand Tufan pressure, he took his people and requested refuge in Tang territory, and by 672, Tufan had taken over all of former Tuyuhun territory. The Tuyuhun people were settled within Tang territory, and Murong Nuohebo was made a Tang prefect. While he continued to carry the title of khan until his death in 688, typically, Tuyuhun was considered destroyed by either 663 or 672.
, who had been aggravating China
's Tang Dynasty
for years with border raids, drew a Tang reprisal attack, commanded by the general Li Jing
, and was killed in flight. Murong Nuohebo's father Murong Shun
surrendered and was created the Gandou Khan to succeed Murong Fuyun, but as Murong Shun had spent years in China during Sui Dynasty
and his mother was Sui
's Princess Guanghua, he was considered too sinicized
and not supported by the people. Late in 635, he was assassinated. Murong Nuohebo, who was said to be young (although his age by that point is unknown), and who carried the title of Prince of Yan, became khan. Emperor Taizong of Tang
sent the general Hou Junji
with Tang troops to help Murong Nuohebo pacify the Tuyuhun people.
By 638, however, Tuyuhun was under constant attack by Tufan, whose ruler Songtsän Gampo had become hostile toward Tuyuhun because he thought Murong Nuohebo had interfered with his attempt to seek a Tang princess in marriage, and his attacks captured much of Tuyuhun's people and forced the rest north of the Qinghai Lake
. Tufan forces then attacked Tang as well, but were repelled by the Tang general Niu Jinda (牛進達), and, after receiving agreement from Emperor Taizong that a princess would be given to Songtsän Gampo in marriage, withdrew. (That princess, Princess Wencheng
, would eventually marry Songtsän Gampo in 641.)
In 639, Murong Nuohebo visited the Tang capital Chang'an
. Emperor Taizong created the daughter of a clansman as Princess Honghua and gave her to Murong Nuohebo in marriage.
In or before 641, Murong Nuohebo's prime minister, the Prince of Xuan, had taken control of the government, and he planned to attack Princess Honghua and then seize her and Murong Nuohebo and surrender to Tufan. When Murong Nuohebo heard of this plot, he fled to his general the Prince of Weixin, then stationed at Shanshan
. The Tang officer Xi Junmai (席君買) took this opportunity to ambush the Prince of Xuan and killed him and two of his brothers. Tuyuhun, however, was said to be thrown into a state of confusion, and Emperor Taizong sent the official Tang Jian (唐儉) to help Murong Nuohebo pacify the people.
In 652, Murong Nuohebo and Princess Guanghua both visited Chang'an, and Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong
created the daughter of a clansman the Lady of Jincheng and married her to Murong Nuohebo's oldest son Murong Sudumomo (慕容蘇度摸末). (At a later point, after Murong Sudumomo died, Emperor Gaozong created another daughter of a clansman the Lady of Jinming and married her to Murong Nuohebo's second son Murong Talumomo (慕容闒盧摸末).)
to command Tang forces to the west, to help protect Tuyuhun remnants, but carried out no actual military attacks against Tufan, although he sent emissaries to rebuke Lu Dongzan when Lu Dongzan subsequently sent emissaries to again make accusations against Tuyuhun and request another marriage with Tang. In 665, when Tufan made a peace overture, requesting a marriage treaty with Tuyuhun and also permission to graze in the Chishui (赤水, probably the headwaters area of the Yellow River
) area, Emperor Gaozong rejected the proposal. Around 666, Emperor Gaozong created Murong Nuohebo the Prince of Qinghai -- a greater title than the title of Prince of Heyuan -- perhaps to try to show Tufan that he still intended to restore Tuyuhun. In 669, Emperor Gaozong decreed that the Tuyuhun people be settled in the Qilian Mountains, but many officials opined that this would expose them to Tufan attacks and that an attack against Tufan would be necessary first. The Tang chancellor Yan Liben
opposed on account that much of Tang had suffered through a crop failure in 668 and could not afford a major military campaign, and thereafter, the Tuyuhun people were not settled in the Qilian.
In 670, Tufan launched a major attack on Tang's Xiyu garrisons, capturing 18 prefectures from Tang. In response, Emperor Gaozong sent the general Xue Rengui
, assisted by the generals Ashina Daozhen (阿史那道真) and Guo Daifeng (郭待封) with the stated missions of recapturing the Tuyuhun lands to permit the Tuyuhun people to return to their territory. However, the campaign was plagued by disagreements between Xue and Guo, and Tang forces eventually suffered a major defeat by Lu Dongzan's son and successor Lun Qinling (論欽陵), ending hopes of allowing the Tuyuhun people to return. In 672, Emperor Gaozong, apparently giving up on the idea, settled the Tuyuhun people at Shan Prefecture (鄯州, in modern Haidong Prefecture
, Qinghai
), but even Shan Prefecture was considered too exposed to Tufan attacks, and so soon the Tuyuhun people were settled in Ling Prefecture (靈州, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia
), but establishing a separate prefecture for them -- Anle Prefecture (安樂州). Murong Nuohebo was made its prefect. (There is thus a split among historians between treating 663 or 672 as the end of Tuyuhun's existence as a state.)
Murong Nuohebo died in 688. His son Murong Zhong (慕容忠) inherited his titles, and the titles were passed on for at least four more generations before the line died out and the titles were abolished, even though there was no longer any realistic chance for Tuyuhun's restoration.
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
noble title Prince of Qinghai (青海王), was the last khan
Khan (title)
Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
of the 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:...
/Qiang/Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
state Tuyuhun. He had become khan in 635 after his grandrfather, the Busabo Khan Murong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun , formal title Busabo Khan , was a ruler of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun. He first became ruler when his brother Murong Shifu was assassinated in 597, and became one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Tuyuhun history...
and his father, the Gandou Khan Murong Shun
Murong Shun
Murong Shun , regal title Zhugulüwugandou Khan or, in short, Gandou Khan , Tang Dynasty noble title Prince of Xiping , was briefly a khan of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun...
, had both been killed in the same year: Murong Fuyun during a Tang invasion and Murong Shun assassinated by his own people in the aftermaths of the Tang conquest. Murong Nuohebo's control over his people was initially tenuous and required Tang military affirmation on at least two occasions, but once his control was firmer, he faced the threat of Tufan to the southwest. In 663, unable to stand Tufan pressure, he took his people and requested refuge in Tang territory, and by 672, Tufan had taken over all of former Tuyuhun territory. The Tuyuhun people were settled within Tang territory, and Murong Nuohebo was made a Tang prefect. While he continued to carry the title of khan until his death in 688, typically, Tuyuhun was considered destroyed by either 663 or 672.
Background
It is not known when Murong Nuohebo was born. In 635, his grandfather, the Busabo Khan Murong FuyunMurong Fuyun
Murong Fuyun , formal title Busabo Khan , was a ruler of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun. He first became ruler when his brother Murong Shifu was assassinated in 597, and became one of the longest-ruling monarchs in Tuyuhun history...
, who had been aggravating China
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
's Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
for years with border raids, drew a Tang reprisal attack, commanded by the general Li Jing
Li Jing
Li Jing , né Yaoshi , formally Duke Jingwu of Wei , was a general and one time chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty...
, and was killed in flight. Murong Nuohebo's father Murong Shun
Murong Shun
Murong Shun , regal title Zhugulüwugandou Khan or, in short, Gandou Khan , Tang Dynasty noble title Prince of Xiping , was briefly a khan of the Xianbei/Qiang/Tibetan state Tuyuhun...
surrendered and was created the Gandou Khan to succeed Murong Fuyun, but as Murong Shun had spent years in China during Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
and his mother was Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
's Princess Guanghua, he was considered too sinicized
Sinicization
Sinicization, Sinicisation or Sinification, is the linguistic assimilation or cultural assimilation of terms and concepts of the language and culture of China...
and not supported by the people. Late in 635, he was assassinated. Murong Nuohebo, who was said to be young (although his age by that point is unknown), and who carried the title of Prince of Yan, became khan. Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang
Emperor Taizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Shìmín , was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649...
sent the general Hou Junji
Hou Junji
Hou Junji was a major general and chancellor of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty, particularly known for his campaigns against Gaochang and Tuyuhun...
with Tang troops to help Murong Nuohebo pacify the Tuyuhun people.
Reign
In spring 636, Murong Nuohebo sent emissaries to Tang, offering to submit as a vassal and sent a younger brother or brothers to serve as hostage. Emperor Taizong created him the dual titles of Prince of Heyuan and Wudiyebaledou Khan (or Ledou Khan in short).By 638, however, Tuyuhun was under constant attack by Tufan, whose ruler Songtsän Gampo had become hostile toward Tuyuhun because he thought Murong Nuohebo had interfered with his attempt to seek a Tang princess in marriage, and his attacks captured much of Tuyuhun's people and forced the rest north of the Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake , is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean "Blue/Teal Sea/Lake" in Chinese and Mongolian. It is located about west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205 m above sea level in a depression...
. Tufan forces then attacked Tang as well, but were repelled by the Tang general Niu Jinda (牛進達), and, after receiving agreement from Emperor Taizong that a princess would be given to Songtsän Gampo in marriage, withdrew. (That princess, Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng
Princess Wencheng was a niece of the powerful Emperor Taizong of China's Tang Dynasty, who left China in 640, according to records, arriving the next year in Tibet to marry the thirty-seven year old Songtsän Gampo the thirty-third king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet, in a marriage of...
, would eventually marry Songtsän Gampo in 641.)
In 639, Murong Nuohebo visited the Tang capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
. Emperor Taizong created the daughter of a clansman as Princess Honghua and gave her to Murong Nuohebo in marriage.
In or before 641, Murong Nuohebo's prime minister, the Prince of Xuan, had taken control of the government, and he planned to attack Princess Honghua and then seize her and Murong Nuohebo and surrender to Tufan. When Murong Nuohebo heard of this plot, he fled to his general the Prince of Weixin, then stationed at Shanshan
Shanshan
Shanshan is the Chinese name for a kingdom that existed roughly from 200 BCE-1000 CE at the north-eastern end of the Taklamakan Desert including the great, but now mostly dry, salt lake known as Lop Nur....
. The Tang officer Xi Junmai (席君買) took this opportunity to ambush the Prince of Xuan and killed him and two of his brothers. Tuyuhun, however, was said to be thrown into a state of confusion, and Emperor Taizong sent the official Tang Jian (唐儉) to help Murong Nuohebo pacify the people.
In 652, Murong Nuohebo and Princess Guanghua both visited Chang'an, and Emperor Taizong's son and successor Emperor Gaozong
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
created the daughter of a clansman the Lady of Jincheng and married her to Murong Nuohebo's oldest son Murong Sudumomo (慕容蘇度摸末). (At a later point, after Murong Sudumomo died, Emperor Gaozong created another daughter of a clansman the Lady of Jinming and married her to Murong Nuohebo's second son Murong Talumomo (慕容闒盧摸末).)
Flight to Tang territory
Meanwhile, the relationship between Tuyuhun and Tufan appeared to be largely peaceful for years, but in 660, the Tufan prime minister Lu Dongzan (祿東贊) had his son Qizheng (起政) resume attacks against Tuyuhun, on account of Tuyuhun's submission to Tang. Both Tufan and Tuyuhun sent emissaries to Tang accusing each other and asking for Tang assistance. Emperor Gaozong declined both requests. However, Tuyuhun was weakening in light of Tufan attacks, and in 663, the situation was exacerbated when the Tuyuhun official Suhe Gui (素和貴), accused of crimes, fled to Tufan and revealed many secrets about Tuyuhun. Tufan forces thereafter attacked Tuyuhun and defeated Tuyuhun forces. Murong Nuohebo and Princess Honghua abandoned Tuyuhun's territory and took the people to Tang's Liang Prefecture (涼州, roughly modern Wuwei, Gansu), requesting to settle within Tang territory. Emperor Gaozong sent the general Su DingfangSu Dingfang
Su Dingfang , formal name Su Lie but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty who succeeded in destroying the Western Tujue in 657. He was born in Wuyi...
to command Tang forces to the west, to help protect Tuyuhun remnants, but carried out no actual military attacks against Tufan, although he sent emissaries to rebuke Lu Dongzan when Lu Dongzan subsequently sent emissaries to again make accusations against Tuyuhun and request another marriage with Tang. In 665, when Tufan made a peace overture, requesting a marriage treaty with Tuyuhun and also permission to graze in the Chishui (赤水, probably the headwaters area of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
) area, Emperor Gaozong rejected the proposal. Around 666, Emperor Gaozong created Murong Nuohebo the Prince of Qinghai -- a greater title than the title of Prince of Heyuan -- perhaps to try to show Tufan that he still intended to restore Tuyuhun. In 669, Emperor Gaozong decreed that the Tuyuhun people be settled in the Qilian Mountains, but many officials opined that this would expose them to Tufan attacks and that an attack against Tufan would be necessary first. The Tang chancellor Yan Liben
Yan Liben
Yan Liben , formally Baron Wenzhen of Boling , was a Chinese painter and government official of the early Tang Dynasty. His most renowned work is the Thirteen Emperors Scroll...
opposed on account that much of Tang had suffered through a crop failure in 668 and could not afford a major military campaign, and thereafter, the Tuyuhun people were not settled in the Qilian.
In 670, Tufan launched a major attack on Tang's Xiyu garrisons, capturing 18 prefectures from Tang. In response, Emperor Gaozong sent the general Xue Rengui
Xue rengui
Xue Ren'gui , formal name Xue Li but went by the courtesy name of Rengui, was one of the most famous Chinese generals during the early Tang Dynasty, due to references to him in popular literature...
, assisted by the generals Ashina Daozhen (阿史那道真) and Guo Daifeng (郭待封) with the stated missions of recapturing the Tuyuhun lands to permit the Tuyuhun people to return to their territory. However, the campaign was plagued by disagreements between Xue and Guo, and Tang forces eventually suffered a major defeat by Lu Dongzan's son and successor Lun Qinling (論欽陵), ending hopes of allowing the Tuyuhun people to return. In 672, Emperor Gaozong, apparently giving up on the idea, settled the Tuyuhun people at Shan Prefecture (鄯州, in modern Haidong Prefecture
Haidong Prefecture
Haidong Prefecture is a prefecture of Qinghai province in Western China. Its name literally means "east of the Lake."-Geography:...
, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
), but even Shan Prefecture was considered too exposed to Tufan attacks, and so soon the Tuyuhun people were settled in Ling Prefecture (靈州, roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia
Ningxia
Ningxia, formerly transliterated as Ningsia, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Located in Northwest China, on the Loess Plateau, the Yellow River flows through this vast area of land. The Great Wall of China runs along its northeastern boundary...
), but establishing a separate prefecture for them -- Anle Prefecture (安樂州). Murong Nuohebo was made its prefect. (There is thus a split among historians between treating 663 or 672 as the end of Tuyuhun's existence as a state.)
Murong Nuohebo died in 688. His son Murong Zhong (慕容忠) inherited his titles, and the titles were passed on for at least four more generations before the line died out and the titles were abolished, even though there was no longer any realistic chance for Tuyuhun's restoration.