Princess Dowager Helan
Encyclopedia
Princess Dowager Helan (351–396), formally Empress Xianming (獻明皇后, literally "the wise and understanding empress), was, according to official history of the Chinese
/Xianbei
dynasty Northern Wei
, the mother of the founding emperor Emperor Daowu
(Tuoba Gui). Her husband was Tuoba Gui's father Tuoba Shi (拓拔寔), the heir apparent of the Dai
prince Tuoba Shiyijian
(拓拔什翼犍). (However, for reasons why this account may have its problems, see here -- in particular, note below with regard to description of the parentage of Tuoba Gu (拓拔觚).)
Lady Helan was a daughter of the Helan tribal chief Helan Yegan (賀蘭野干), an important general under Tuoba Shiyijian. Because of her beauty, Tuoba Shiyijian selected her to be the wife of his son Tuoba Shi. In 371, when the general Baba Jin (拔拔斤) attempted to assassinate Tuoba Shiyijian, Tuoba Shi took the blunt of the assault personally to protect his father, and he died later that year. After Tuoba Shi's death, Heiress Apparent Helan gave birth to Tuoba Gui. In 377, after Tuoba Shiyijian was assassinated by his son Tuoba Shijun (拓拔寔君), Dai fell to Former Qin
forces. Initially, she took Tuoba Gui to Helan tribe to be taken under the protection of her brother Helan Na (賀蘭訥), but later went to be under the protection of the Xiongnu
chief Liu Kuren (劉庫仁).
Not much was known about Lady Helan or her son for a number of years. In 384, after Former Qin had begun to collapse in light of its defeat at the Battle of Fei River
, Liu Kuren tried to aid the Former Qin prince Fu Pi
, but was assassinated by his own general Muyu Chang (慕輿常). His son Liu Xian (劉顯) later tried to kill Tuoba Gui, but Lady Helan heard the news and allowed her son to flee. Later, both were again at Helan tribe, when similarly her brother Helan Rangan (賀蘭染干) tried to kill Tuoba Gui, but stopped after she interceded.
After Tuoba Gui redeclared the Dai state as its prince with Helan Na's support in 386 and later changed the state's name to Wei, Lady Helan was honored as princess dowager. In 391, when Tuoba Gui sent his younger brother and her son Tuoba Gu as a messenger to Later Yan
to pay tribute, Tuoba Gu was detained by Later Yan, and it was said that she grew ill from her worries for him. She died in 396. (The problem with this account is that if Tuoba Shi had died before Tuoba Gui's death, than she could not have had an even younger son by him—but of course, she might have married another member of the Tuoba clan, perhaps Tuoba Shi's younger brother Tuoba Han (拓拔翰), for Tuoba Gu was also referred to as the younger brother of Tuoba Han's son Tuoba Yi (拓拔儀).) After Tuoba Gui declared himself emperor around the new year 399, he posthumously honored Tuoba Shi as an emperor and her as an empress.
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...
/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:...
dynasty Northern Wei
Northern Wei
The Northern Wei Dynasty , also known as the Tuoba Wei , Later Wei , or Yuan Wei , was a dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 . It has been described as "part of an era of political turbulence and intense social and cultural change"...
, the mother of the founding emperor Emperor Daowu
Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei
Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Gui , né Tuoba Shegui , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. He was the grandson of the last prince of Dai, Tuoba Shiyijian, and after the fall of the Dai state to Former Qin in 376 had been presumed to be the...
(Tuoba Gui). Her husband was Tuoba Gui's father Tuoba Shi (拓拔寔), the heir apparent of the Dai
State of Dai
Dai was a state of the Xianbei clan of Tuoba, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It existed from 310 to 376 AD, with its capital at Shengle ....
prince Tuoba Shiyijian
Tuoba Shiyijian
Tuoba Shiyijian was the last prince of the Tuoba Dai and ruled from 338 to 376 when Dai was conquered by the Former Qin. He was the son of Tuoba Yulü and the younger brother of Tuoba Yihuai , whom he succeeded in 338. In 340 he moved the capital to Shengle...
(拓拔什翼犍). (However, for reasons why this account may have its problems, see here -- in particular, note below with regard to description of the parentage of Tuoba Gu (拓拔觚).)
Lady Helan was a daughter of the Helan tribal chief Helan Yegan (賀蘭野干), an important general under Tuoba Shiyijian. Because of her beauty, Tuoba Shiyijian selected her to be the wife of his son Tuoba Shi. In 371, when the general Baba Jin (拔拔斤) attempted to assassinate Tuoba Shiyijian, Tuoba Shi took the blunt of the assault personally to protect his father, and he died later that year. After Tuoba Shi's death, Heiress Apparent Helan gave birth to Tuoba Gui. In 377, after Tuoba Shiyijian was assassinated by his son Tuoba Shijun (拓拔寔君), Dai fell to Former Qin
Former Qin
The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...
forces. Initially, she took Tuoba Gui to Helan tribe to be taken under the protection of her brother Helan Na (賀蘭訥), but later went to be under the protection of the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
chief Liu Kuren (劉庫仁).
Not much was known about Lady Helan or her son for a number of years. In 384, after Former Qin had begun to collapse in light of its defeat at the Battle of Fei River
Battle of Fei River
The Battle of Fei River or “Feishui” was a battle in 383, where Fu Jiān of the Di Former Qin Empire was decisively defeated by the numerically inferior Jin army of Eastern Jin....
, Liu Kuren tried to aid the Former Qin prince Fu Pi
Fu Pi
Fu Pi , courtesy name Yongshu , formally Emperor Aiping of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
, but was assassinated by his own general Muyu Chang (慕輿常). His son Liu Xian (劉顯) later tried to kill Tuoba Gui, but Lady Helan heard the news and allowed her son to flee. Later, both were again at Helan tribe, when similarly her brother Helan Rangan (賀蘭染干) tried to kill Tuoba Gui, but stopped after she interceded.
After Tuoba Gui redeclared the Dai state as its prince with Helan Na's support in 386 and later changed the state's name to Wei, Lady Helan was honored as princess dowager. In 391, when Tuoba Gui sent his younger brother and her son Tuoba Gu as a messenger to Later Yan
Later Yan
The Later Yan was a Murong-Xianbei state, located in modern day northeast China, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.All rulers of the Later Yan declared themselves "emperors". Later Yan fell to the Goguryeo dynasty.-Rulers of the Later Yan:...
to pay tribute, Tuoba Gu was detained by Later Yan, and it was said that she grew ill from her worries for him. She died in 396. (The problem with this account is that if Tuoba Shi had died before Tuoba Gui's death, than she could not have had an even younger son by him—but of course, she might have married another member of the Tuoba clan, perhaps Tuoba Shi's younger brother Tuoba Han (拓拔翰), for Tuoba Gu was also referred to as the younger brother of Tuoba Han's son Tuoba Yi (拓拔儀).) After Tuoba Gui declared himself emperor around the new year 399, he posthumously honored Tuoba Shi as an emperor and her as an empress.