Qin Houzhu ((後)秦後主)
Family name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... :	Yao Yao (surname) Yao is one of the most ancient Chinese surnames. It is usually romanised as Yiu in Cantonese. It is ranked 101st in the Hundred Family Surnames, and as the 41st most common surname in Mainland China.- Prominent people :...  (姚; yaó)
Given name Chinese name Personal names in Chinese culture follow a number of conventions different from those of personal names in Western cultures. Most noticeably, a Chinese name is written with the family name first and the given name next, therefore "John-Paul Smith" as a Chinese name would be "Smith John-Paul"... :	Hong (泓, hóng)
Posthumous name Posthumous name A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life... :	None

Yao Hong (姚泓) (388–417), courtesy name Yuanzi (元子), was the last emperor

Emperor

An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...

 of the Chinese

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...

/Qiang state Later Qin

Later Qin

The Later Qin was a state of Qiang ethnicity of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. Note that the Later Qin is entirely distinct from the ancient Qin Dynasty, the Former Qin, and the Western Qin....

. He was the oldest son and heir of Yao Xing

Yao Xing

Yao Xing , courtesy name Zilue , formally Emperor Wenhuan of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin. He was the son of the founding emperor Yao Chang . For most of his reign, he did not use the title of emperor, but used the title Heavenly Prince...

 (Emperor Wenzhao), who was already regarded as kind but weak during his father's reign, and after his father's death, with the state already weakened by attacks by the rebel Xia

Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms)

Tiefu was a pre-state Xiongnu tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Its chieftain Liu Bobo established the state of Xia in 407 and changed his family name into Helian....

 state and with his brothers and cousins repeatedly rebelling, the Jin

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 Liu Yu

Emperor Wu of Liu Song

Emperor Wu of Song , personal name Liu Yu , courtesy name Dexing , nickname Jinu , was the founding emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He came from a humble background, but became prominent after leading a rebellion in 404 to overthrow Huan Xuan, who had usurped the Jin throne in 403...

 took advantage of Yao Hong's weaknesses to conquer Later Qin. After he surrendered, Liu Yu had him delivered to the Jin capital Jiankang

Jiankang

Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...

 and executed.

Under Yao Xing's reign

Yao Hong was born in 388, during the reign of his grandfather Yao Chang

Yao Chang

Yao Chang , courtesy name Jingmao , formally Emperor Wuzhao of Qin , was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin...

 (Emperor Wuzhao), two years after Yao Chang took 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...

 as his capital and created Yao Hong's father Yao Xing

Yao Xing

Yao Xing , courtesy name Zilue , formally Emperor Wenhuan of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin. He was the son of the founding emperor Yao Chang . For most of his reign, he did not use the title of emperor, but used the title Heavenly Prince...

 as his crown prince

Crown Prince

A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

. He was Yao Xing's oldest son. The first historical reference to Yao Hong was in402, when Yao Xing, who became emperor in 394, created him crown prince, after much hesitation, as Yao Hong was described as loving and kind, but weak in his personality and often ill. Yao Hong was also described as favoring arts and literature. Later in 402, when Yao Xing battled Emperor Daowu of Northern Wei

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...

, Yao Hong was in charge at the capital. In 407, Yao Xing transferred some imperial authorities to him. In 409, when Yao Xing was battling the rebel general Liu Bobo, who had established Xia

Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms)

Tiefu was a pre-state Xiongnu tribe during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Its chieftain Liu Bobo established the state of Xia in 407 and changed his family name into Helian....

, Yao Hong was again in charge of the capital when Liu Jue (劉厥) rebelled, and Yao Hong defeated his rebellion. When his subordinates suggested that the victory be commemorated on an open bulletin, written on cloth, Yao Hong declined, reasoning that it was his responsibility to make sure that no rebellion occurred, and that such a victory over a rebel was nothing to be proud of.

By 411, Yao Hong's brother Yao Bi (姚弼) the Duke of Guangping, who was much favored by Yao Xing for his talents, was conspiring with his associates to seize the crown prince position from Yao Hong. For the next several years, Yao Bi tried to undermine Yao Hong's authority whenever he could, and in 414, Yao Bi falsely accused Yao Hong's associate Yao Wenzong (姚文宗) of crimes, causing Yao Xing to force Yao Wenzong to commit suicide. This caused many imperial officials to fear Yao Bi's power, and many joined his conspiracy. As Yao Xing grew ill that year, Yao Bi secretly planned a coup, causing his brothers Yao Yi (姚懿), Yao Huang (姚洸), and Yao Chen (姚諶) to mobilize their forces to prepare to act against him. Yao Xing, who then recovered somewhat, was then advised by his officials Liang Xi (梁喜) and Yin Zhao (尹昭) to execute or at least strip Yao Bi of his authority. Yao Xing relieved Yao Bi of his posts, and Yao Yi, Yao Huang, and Yao Chen demobilized.

In 412, however, Yao Bi falsely accused another brother, Yao Xuan (姚宣) (who had spoken against him in 411 as well) of crimes, causing Yao Xuan to be imprisoned. Yao Xing gave Yao Xuan's forces to Yao Bi, who then returned to his plots. Yao Xing discovered this and executed Yao Bi's associates Tang Sheng (唐盛) and Sun Xuan (孫玄), but when Yao Xing arrested and was ready to execute Yao Bi as well, Yao Hong pled for Yao Bi's life, and Yao Xing spared Yao Bi.

In 416, Yao Xing went to the vacation palace at Huayin (華陰), and he had Yao Hong formally serve as regent at Chang'an and stay in the palace. Yao Xing grew gravely ill at Huayin, however, and was on the way back to Chang'an when his attendant Yin Chong (尹沖), a conspirator with Yao Bi, planned to assassinate Yao Hong when he comes out of the palace to welcome his father. Yao Hong's associates, however, heard rumors of the plot and persuaded him not to come out of the palace. Yin Chong's assistant Yao Shami (姚沙彌) then suggested to Yin that they deliver Yao Xing to Yao Bi's home and start a rebellion there, but Yin hesitated and did not carry this suggestion out. As soon as Yao Xing returned to the palace, he ordered that Yao Bi's home be searched and that all weapons be seized. When Yao Yin (姚愔) the Duke of Nanyang, another brother who was in alliance with Yao Bi, then attacked the palace with Yin Chong, planning to put Yao Bi on the throne, Yao Xing publicly ordered that Yao Bi be forced to commit suicide, causing Yao Yin's force to collapse. The next day, Yao Xing, after entrusting Yao Hong to his brother Yao Shao (姚紹) the Duke of Dongping, Liang Xi, Yin Zhao, and Lian Manwei (斂曼嵬), died. Yao Hong initially did not announce news of Yao Xing's death, but did so only after executing Yao Yin and Yao Bi's other associates -- including Lü Long

Lü Long

Lü Long , courtesy name Yongji , was the last emperor of the Chinese/Di state Later Liang. He was the nephew of the founding emperor Lü Guang , and he took the throne after his brother Lü Chao assassinated the emperor Lü Zuan in 401 and offered the throne to him...

 the Duke of Jiankang and the former prince of Later Liang

Later Liang

The Later Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin Dynasty in China. It was founded by the Lü family of the Di ethnicity.All rulers of the Later Liang proclaimed themselves "Heavenly Prince" ....

, and Yin Yuan (尹元). Yao Hong then took the throne and, not using the secondary imperial title that his father had used ("Heavenly Prince" (Tian Wang

Tian Wang

Tian Wang , translatable as either "heavenly prince" or "heavenly king," was a Chinese regal title that was most frequently used during the Sixteen Kingdoms era, among the kingdoms founded by members of the Wu Hu tribes, often used as an intermediate stage from claiming a prince/king title to an...

)), directly claimed imperial title.

Reign

Yao Hong, who immediately faced threats from both Jin

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...

 and Xia forces, was heavily dependent on his uncle Yao Shao to face both these external threats, and the rebellions by his brothers and cousins, who apparently believed him to be an easy target to seize the throne from. The Jin general Liu Yu

Emperor Wu of Liu Song

Emperor Wu of Song , personal name Liu Yu , courtesy name Dexing , nickname Jinu , was the founding emperor of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He came from a humble background, but became prominent after leading a rebellion in 404 to overthrow Huan Xuan, who had usurped the Jin throne in 403...

, seeing Later Qin's internal unrest as an opportunity, launched a major attack in fall 416 and quickly seized the eastern half of Later Qin, including the important city of Luoyang

Luoyang

Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...

.

Late 416, Yao Yi, who was in charge of Puban (蒲阪, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi

Shanxi

' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....

), rebelled, but with little popular support, Yao Shao was able to quickly capture Puban and arrest him. However, rebellions continued. In 417, Yao Hong's cousin Yao Hui (姚恢) the Duke of Qi rebelled, abandoning his post of Anding (安定, in modern Pingliang

Pingliang

Pingliang is a prefecture-level city in eastern Gansu Province in China. Pingliang is famous for a local mountain range that includes Kongtong Mountain, a site sacred to Taoism and mythical meeting place of the Yellow Emperor and Guangchengzi, an immortal....

, Gansu

Gansu

' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...

) and using all forces at Anding (a major defense post during Later Qin) against Yao Hong. Yao Shao and his son Yao Zan (姚讚), however, were able to capture and kill Yao Hui quickly as well.

Meanwhile, however, Jin forces continued to advance, and when Yao Shao and Yao Zan then engaged Liu Yu's generals Tan Daoji

Tan Daoji

Tan Daoji was a high level general of the Chinese dynasty Liu Song. He was one of the most respected generals during the Southern and Northern Dynasties era...

 and Shen Linzi (沈林子), they were unable to stop them, and Yao Shao, humiliated by the defeats, died of illness. Yao Zan tried to continue to resist, but was continuously defeated.

Yao Hong decided to lead an army of several tens of thousands against Liu Yu's main army, commanded by Tan and Shen, but concerned that a branch force commanded by Shen Linzi's brother Shen Tianzi (沈田子), which in actuality had less than 1,000 men but had advanced to Qingni (青泥, in modern Xi'an

Xi'an

Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...

, 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...

), would attack his rear, tried to attack Shen Tianzi first, but was defeated by the heavily outnumbered Shen Tianzi, causing his army to collapse, and he was forced to return to Chang'an without having faced Liu Yu's main army. Liu Yu's fleet, commanded by Wang Zhen'e (王鎮惡), then arrived at Chang'an, and the soldiers, after landing, attacked the Later Qin garrison at the city gates overlooking the Wei River

Wei River

The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....

. Yao Hong tried to personally relieve the garrison at the city gates, but his army and the garrison force trampled themselves and collapsed without engaging Wang, and he fled back to the palace.

Back at the palace, Yao Hong considered surrendering. His 10-year-old son Yao Fo'nian (姚佛念) opined that they would be executed anyway, and that it would be better to commit suicide. Yao Hong declined, and Yao Fo'nian himself climbed up a wall and jumped to his death. Yao Hong, instead, along with his empress

Yao Hong's empress

Yao Hong's empress was the wife of Yao Hong, the last emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin. Very little is known about her other than her existence -- not even her name -- and the fact that she was his empress...

, surrendered to Wang, who arrested him and had him delivered to the Jin capital Jiankang

Jiankang

Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...

. Yao Hong was executed there, and most members of the Yao clan who were captured or who surrendered were also executed. Later Qin was at its end.

Personal information

• Father
  • Yao Xing
    Yao Xing
    Yao Xing , courtesy name Zilue , formally Emperor Wenhuan of Qin , was an emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin. He was the son of the founding emperor Yao Chang . For most of his reign, he did not use the title of emperor, but used the title Heavenly Prince...
    
     (Emperor Wenzhao)
• Wife
  • Empress
    Yao Hong's empress
    Yao Hong's empress was the wife of Yao Hong, the last emperor of the Chinese/Qiang state Later Qin. Very little is known about her other than her existence -- not even her name -- and the fact that she was his empress...
    
    (name unknown)
• Children
  • Yao Fo'nian (姚佛念) (b. 407, committed suicide 417)