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Qubei

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Qubei
Chinese去卑
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinQùbēi
Wade–Gilesch`üpei

Qubei (Chinese: 去卑; pinyin: Qùbēi), (fl. 195–216) was a leader of the Southern Xiongnu who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty.[1]

Life

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According to the Book of Wei, Qubei was a member of the imperial Luandi clan of the Southern Xiongnu, with the History of the Northern Dynasties specifying that he was the brother of the chanyu, Qiangqu. However, a much later and dubious account from 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 initially 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. According to a memorial sent by the general, Deng Ai in the 250s, after Qubei's death, his sons were initially not allowed to inherit his domain. Liu Meng was eventually given a title, but later rebelled against the Jin dynasty (266–420) and was killed in 272. Meng's 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, 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

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  1. ^ Psarras, Sophia-Karin (2004). "Han and Xiongnu: A Reexamination of Cultural and Political Relations (II)". Monumenta Serica. 52 (1): 55. doi:10.1080/02549948.2004.11731409.