Xie Xuan
Encyclopedia
Xie Xuan (343–388), courtesy name Youdu (幼度), formally Duke Xianwu of Kangle (康樂獻武公), was a Jin Dynasty (265-420)
general who is best known for repelling the Former Qin
army at the Battle of Fei River
, preventing the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān
from destroying Jin and uniting China.
. Xie Xuan's sister Xie Daoyun
(謝道韞) was known for her literary talent and quick wit. Early in his career, both Xie Xuan and his uncle Xie An served on staff of the paramount general Huan Wen
. Huan Wen greatly prized Xie Xuan's ability, and once commented, with regard to him and his colleague Wang Xun (王珣), both of whom served as his secretaries:
After Huan Wen's death in 373, Xie Xuan initially served on the staff of Huan Wen's brother Huan Huo (桓豁). In 377, when the imperial government was looking for a general capable of defending the northeastern border (modern Jiangsu
) against Former Qin, Xie An, against the usual custom of not recommending one's own clan members, recommended him. The official Chi Chao (郗超), who ordinarily feuded with Xie An on nearly all matters, immediately remarked, "Xie An, in his good judgment, made an uncommonly good move against public sentiment, and Xie Xuan would surely not fail his expectations." Chi made these remarks based on the time when he also served on Huan Wen's staff and saw Xie Xuan's abilities.
Xie Xuan recruited elite soldiers, and among the ones that joined him was Liu Laozhi (劉牢之), who in later campaigns served as his assistant and forward commander. Eventually, Xie put together an army that was the most elite of the Jin forces, known as the Beifu Forces (北府兵). His army first distinguished itself in 378, when Former Qin forces made simultaneous attacks on the important Jin cities Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
), Weixing (魏興, in modern Ankang
, Shaanxi
), and Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
). Xiangyang and Weixing fell to Former Qin, as did Pengcheng, but Xie, charged with relieving Pengcheng, made a fierce counterattack in 379, defeating the Former Qin generals Ju Nan (俱難) and Peng Chao (彭超) and recapturing Pengcheng. This was the first major victory that Jin had over Former Qin in decades, and it was a major morale booster.
, Anhui
, near the Huai River
).
Xie Xuan sent a message to the Former Qin commanding general Fu Rong
(Fu Jiān's brother) with a proposal -- to have Fu Rong order his troops to retreat slightly to allow the Jin forces across, so the armies could engage. Fu Rong, after discussing with Fu Jiān, agreed, and ordered a retreat. However, once the Former Qin troops went into retreat, it panicked, and as Fu Rong tried to calm his troops down, his horse suddenly fell, and he was killed by Jin soldiers. Once that happened, Xie Xuan and other generals, Xie Yan (謝琰) and Huan Yi (桓伊) fiercely attacked Former Qin troops, which then completely collapsed. Former Qin would face major rebellions starting in 384 that eventually led to its disintetgration and would not again pose a threat to Jin.
died in 384, initially Xie Xuan was to succeed him, but Xie An thought the Huan clan might be unhappy about yielding Huan Chong's command to others, so divided Huan Chong's domain into three and distributed them to members of the Huan clan. Later that year, however, Xie Xuan was put in charge of a force targeting the recovery of central China, along with Huan Shiqian (桓石虔). He quickly recovered most of the territory south of the Yellow River
on Jin's behalf, and, in an odd case of enemies quickly turning allies, briefly relieved Fu Jiān's son Fu Pi
, who was defending Yecheng
against rebels led by Murong Chui
, who had just founded Later Yan
.
Xie apparently considered further operations to try to seize territory north of the Yellow River, but as Murong Chui quickly entrenched himself north of the Yellow River, it became clear it would be difficult to do so. In 386, after the generals Zhai Liao
and Zhang Yuan (張願) rebelled, in light of popular opinion that believed that the troops were being worn out, Xie abandoned the plans entirely, and indeed moved his headquarters from Pengcheng south to Huaiyin (淮陰, in modern Huai'an
, Jiangsu
), although Jin continued to hold most of the territory south of the Yellow River.
After that point, it appeared that Xie suffered a series of illnesses that made it impossible for him to conduct any further campaigns and which also made him to repeatedly try to resign his command. Eventually, he was made the governor of Kuaiji Commandery (roughly modern Shaoxing
, Zhejiang
) -- an important, but almost entirely civilian, post. He died in 388 while still serving as the governor of Kuaiji.
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
general who is best known for repelling the 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...
army 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....
, preventing the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān
Fu Jian
Fu Jian may refer to:* Fú Jiàn , founding emperor of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Jingming* Fú Jiān , ruler of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Xuanzhao-See also:...
from destroying Jin and uniting China.
Early career
Xie Xuan's father Xie Yi (謝奕) was an older brother of the Jin prime minister Xie AnXie An
200px|right|thumb|Statue of xie anXie An , courtesy name Anshi , formally Duke Wenjing of Luling , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who, despite his lack of military ability, led Jin through a major crisis—attacks by Former Qin...
. Xie Xuan's sister Xie Daoyun
Xie Daoyun
Xie Daoyun was a Chinese poet, writer, scholar, calligrapher and debater of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.-Family:She belonged to the Xie clan from what is now Henan and was a sister of the general Xie Xuan. Though her mother is unknown, it is known that she gave birth to five more children. She was...
(謝道韞) was known for her literary talent and quick wit. Early in his career, both Xie Xuan and his uncle Xie An served on staff of the paramount general Huan Wen
Huan Wen
Huan Wen , courtesy name Yuanzi , formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery , was a general of the Jin Dynasty...
. Huan Wen greatly prized Xie Xuan's ability, and once commented, with regard to him and his colleague Wang Xun (王珣), both of whom served as his secretaries:
- By age 40, Mr. Xie will possess a great general's banner and staff, and Mr. Wang will be a prime minister even while his hair is black. Both are uncommon talents.
After Huan Wen's death in 373, Xie Xuan initially served on the staff of Huan Wen's brother Huan Huo (桓豁). In 377, when the imperial government was looking for a general capable of defending the northeastern border (modern Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
) against Former Qin, Xie An, against the usual custom of not recommending one's own clan members, recommended him. The official Chi Chao (郗超), who ordinarily feuded with Xie An on nearly all matters, immediately remarked, "Xie An, in his good judgment, made an uncommonly good move against public sentiment, and Xie Xuan would surely not fail his expectations." Chi made these remarks based on the time when he also served on Huan Wen's staff and saw Xie Xuan's abilities.
Xie Xuan recruited elite soldiers, and among the ones that joined him was Liu Laozhi (劉牢之), who in later campaigns served as his assistant and forward commander. Eventually, Xie put together an army that was the most elite of the Jin forces, known as the Beifu Forces (北府兵). His army first distinguished itself in 378, when Former Qin forces made simultaneous attacks on the important Jin cities Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), Weixing (魏興, in modern Ankang
Ankang
Ankang is a city in Shaanxi province, China.- Geography :Ankang is geographically considered to be part of southern China. However, on administrative terms, as Shaanxi is officially part of Northwestern China, it is considered to be part of the Northwest....
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), and Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). Xiangyang and Weixing fell to Former Qin, as did Pengcheng, but Xie, charged with relieving Pengcheng, made a fierce counterattack in 379, defeating the Former Qin generals Ju Nan (俱難) and Peng Chao (彭超) and recapturing Pengcheng. This was the first major victory that Jin had over Former Qin in decades, and it was a major morale booster.
The Battle of Fei River
In 383, as Former Qin launched a major assault with intent to destroy Jin once and for all, Xie Xuan and his Beifu Force was sent to the frontline, reporting to the command of his uncle Xie Shi (謝石). Xie Shi, initially intimidated by the much larger Former Qin force, considered merely trying to block Former Qin progress without major engagement, but after he was advised otherwise by the Former Qin ambassador Zhu Xu (朱序) -- a Jin general who was captured by Former Qin in 379 but who secretly remained loyal to Jin -- and chose to engage Former Qin forward troops that arrived first. Xie Xuan, charged with engaging Former Qin forces, along with Liu Laozhi, dealt them minor defeats, reducing their morale. When Former Qin troops gradually arrived, the Former Qin and Jin forces became stalemated across the Fei River (which no longer exists but probably flowed through Lu'anLu'an
Lu'an , is a prefecture-level city in western Anhui Province, People's Republic of China, with a population of 5,612,590 inhabitants at 2010 census. Its built up area is home to 1,482,729 inhabitants spread out on 2 urban districts...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
, near the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
).
Xie Xuan sent a message to the Former Qin commanding general Fu Rong
Fu Rong
Fu Rong , style name Boxiu , formally Duke Ai of Yangping , was an official and general of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin. He was a younger brother of Fu Jiān, the third emperor of the state.-Early life:...
(Fu Jiān's brother) with a proposal -- to have Fu Rong order his troops to retreat slightly to allow the Jin forces across, so the armies could engage. Fu Rong, after discussing with Fu Jiān, agreed, and ordered a retreat. However, once the Former Qin troops went into retreat, it panicked, and as Fu Rong tried to calm his troops down, his horse suddenly fell, and he was killed by Jin soldiers. Once that happened, Xie Xuan and other generals, Xie Yan (謝琰) and Huan Yi (桓伊) fiercely attacked Former Qin troops, which then completely collapsed. Former Qin would face major rebellions starting in 384 that eventually led to its disintetgration and would not again pose a threat to Jin.
After the Battle of Fei River
Due to his achievements at the Battle of Fei River, Xie Xuan was created the Duke of Kangle. When the major general Huan ChongHuan Chong
Huan Chong ), formally Duke Xuanmu of Fengcheng , was a Jin Dynasty governor and general and the youngest brother of Huan Wen. Contrary to the ambitious Huan Wen, who at times considered seizing the throne, Huan Chong was known to be dedicated to the preservation of the imperial government...
died in 384, initially Xie Xuan was to succeed him, but Xie An thought the Huan clan might be unhappy about yielding Huan Chong's command to others, so divided Huan Chong's domain into three and distributed them to members of the Huan clan. Later that year, however, Xie Xuan was put in charge of a force targeting the recovery of central China, along with Huan Shiqian (桓石虔). He quickly recovered most of the territory south 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...
on Jin's behalf, and, in an odd case of enemies quickly turning allies, briefly relieved Fu Jiān's son Fu Pi
Fu Pi
Fu Pi , courtesy name Yongshu , formally Emperor Aiping of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Di state Former Qin...
, who was defending Yecheng
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
against rebels led by Murong Chui
Murong Chui
Murong Chui , courtesy name Daoming , formally Emperor Wucheng of Yan was a great general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Former Yan who later became the founding emperor of Later Yan...
, who had just founded 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:...
.
Xie apparently considered further operations to try to seize territory north of the Yellow River, but as Murong Chui quickly entrenched himself north of the Yellow River, it became clear it would be difficult to do so. In 386, after the generals Zhai Liao
Zhai Liao
Zhao Liao was the founder of the Chinese/Dingling state Wei. During his reign, he used the title "Heavenly Prince" , roughly equivalent to emperor.-Early career:...
and Zhang Yuan (張願) rebelled, in light of popular opinion that believed that the troops were being worn out, Xie abandoned the plans entirely, and indeed moved his headquarters from Pengcheng south to Huaiyin (淮陰, in modern Huai'an
Huai'an
Huai'an , known as Huaiyin before 2001, is a prefecture-level city in northern Jiangsu province of Eastern China. It borders Suqian to the northwest, Lianyungang to the north, Yancheng to the east, Yangzhou to the southeast, and the province of Anhui to the southwest.The municipality has 4,799,889...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
), although Jin continued to hold most of the territory south of the Yellow River.
After that point, it appeared that Xie suffered a series of illnesses that made it impossible for him to conduct any further campaigns and which also made him to repeatedly try to resign his command. Eventually, he was made the governor of Kuaiji Commandery (roughly modern Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...
, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
) -- an important, but almost entirely civilian, post. He died in 388 while still serving as the governor of Kuaiji.