Qubei
Qubei (Chinese: 去卑; pinyin: Qùbēi), (fl. 195–216) was a leader of the Southern Xiongnu who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty.
| Qubei | |||||||||
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| Chinese | 去卑 | ||||||||
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Life
There is uncertainty surrounding Qubei's family background. The Book of Wei indicates that he was a member of the ruling-Luandi clan of the Southern Xiongnu, with the History of the Northern Dynasties clarifying that he was the brother of the chanyu, Qiangqu. However, the New Book of Tang instead claims that he was the son of Wuli (烏利), a descendant of a Han dynasty prince-turned-Xiongnu noble, Liu Jinbo (劉進伯). When Huchuquan ascended as chanyu in 195, Qubei was bestowed the title of "Worthy Prince of the Right" (右賢王; known in the Book of Wei as the "Worthy Prince of the Left").
That same year, when Emperor Xian of Han made his escape from Chang'an to Luoyang, his minister, Dong Cheng called upon Qubei and the White Wave Bandits to assist him in repelling Li Jue and Guo Si's pursuing forces. Qubei and the others intially routed them, but suffered a heavy defeat when Li Jue returned with more troops. Regardless, the emperor was able to escape safely to Anyi (安邑; in present-day Xia County, Shanxi).
In 196, Emperor Xian reached Luoyang and was placed under the care of the warlord, Cao Cao. Qubei accompanied Cao Cao in moving the capital to Xuchang before returning home. In 216, Cao Cao detained Huchuquan in Ye, abolished the chanyu title and divided the Southern Xiongnu into five divisions around Taiyuan Commandery. He then appointed Qubei to supervise the Southern Xiongnu in Huchuquan's stead.
Qubei had two sons: Liu Meng and Liu Gaoshengyuan, although the former may have been a brother instead according to the New Book of Tang. Liu Meng led a rebellion against the Jin dynasty (266–420) but was killed in 272. His son, Liu Fulun (劉副崙) fled to the Tuoba-Xianbei tribe, where he and his descendants intermarried with the ruling Tuoba clan and became known as the Dugu tribe. Meanwhile, Liu Gaoshengyuan took over Liu Meng's people following his death, and Gaoshengyuan's son, Liu Hu, became the founder of the Tiefu tribe. In 407, Liu Hu's descendant, Helian Bobo, established one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, the Hu Xia dynasty.
References
- Book of the Later Han, vol.89
- Book of Wei, vol.95
- History of the Northern Dynasties, vol.53
- New Book of Tang, vol.75