The Forgotten Nomads Return to Power

For sixty years after Tuoba Yilu’s assassination by his son Tuoba Liuxiu in 316 AD, the Tuoba Xianbei people vanished from historical records—only to reemerge with dramatic force. This nomadic confederation displayed a peculiar dynastic pattern: every time a strong leader arose, he would inevitably be overthrown by his own heirs.

Tuoba Yilu had unified the three Tuoba tribes in 305 AD, allied with Jin Dynasty governor Liu Kun against the Xiongnu-led Han-Zhao regime, and earned the title “Prince of Dai” from the Jin court in 315. Yet within a year, succession disputes led to his murder, plunging the Tuoba into two decades of chaos—until the rise of their next formidable ruler: Tuoba Shiyijian.

A Childhood Forged in Crisis

Born in 320 AD, Tuoba Shiyijian’s infancy was marked by bloodshed. His father Tuoba Yulü, Prince of Dai, perished in a catastrophic civil war that slaughtered dozens of tribal chiefs. The Dai throne passed to Tuoba Henu, forcing the young prince’s elder brother Tuoba Yihuai to flee to the Helan tribe.

By 329 AD, after shifting alliances between the Helan, Yuwen tribes, and Later Zhao dynasty, the ten-year-old Tuoba Shiyijian was sent as a hostage to Later Zhao’s court—a political pawn that would shape his future reign. This coincided with Later Zhao’s rise as the dominant northern power following its conquest of Former Zhao.

The Brother Who Defied Convention

In 338 AD, a dying Tuoba Yihuai ordered his nobles to recall Tuoba Shiyijian from captivity. Instead, the chiefs murdered another brother, Tuoba Qu, and installed the meek Tuoba Gu as puppet ruler. What followed became legendary:

Tuoba Gu refused the throne, declaring, “This rightfully belongs to my elder brother!” He journeyed to Later Zhao’s capital, offering himself as a replacement hostage. Moved by this act, Later Zhao’s ruler Shi Hu released both brothers. Tuoba Shiyijian ascended the Dai throne in 339 AD, sharing half his kingdom with Tuoba Gu—a rare moment of fraternal loyalty in this brutal era.

Statecraft Through Hostage Experience

Tuoba Shiyijian’s decade as a hostage proved transformative. He established centralized governance modeled on Chinese systems, appointing Han officials like Yan Feng as chancellor and Xu Qian as palace secretary. Recognizing that nomadic strength required bureaucratic reform, he:

– Divided newly subjugated “Wuhuan” tribes under northern and southern overseers
– Instituted annual martial contests at Canhebei (342 AD)
– Pursued strategic marriages with the Murong Xianbei of Former Yan

Yet his ambitions faced limits. In 351 AD, when warlord Ran Min’s revolt created chaos in central China, tribal leaders vetoed Tuoba Shiyijion’s southern expansion plans—revealing lingering decentralized power.

The Perpetual Rebel: Liu Weichen

A key antagonist emerged in Liu Weichen of the Tiefu Xiongnu, whose repeated betrayals (359–365 AD) earned him the nickname “Lü Bu of the Five Barbarians.” After alternating between submitting to Dai and Former Qin, Liu’s final rebellion in 367 AD saw Tuoba Shiyijian cross the frozen Yellow River to crush him, only for Former Qin’s emperor Fu Jian to intervene as power broker.

The Collision with Former Qin

Fu Jian’s meticulous preparations for conquering Dai revealed in his 375 AD interrogation of Dai envoy Yan Feng:

“How many troops does your king command?”
“Hundreds of thousands of mounted archers, with a million horses.”
“You exaggerate the horses!”
“Our autumn pastures stretch 200 li—even that cannot contain them all!”

Recognizing the Tuoba’s mobility, Fu Jian launched a winter campaign in 376 AD with 300,000 troops. Despite initial resistance, Tuoba Shiyijian’s forces collapsed after defeats at Shiziling and disastrous revolts by previously subdued Gaoche tribes.

Two Versions of a King’s End

Here history diverges:

– Wei Shu Records: Tuoba Shiyijian was murdered by his son Tuoba Shijun during the retreat, leading to Dai’s collapse.
– Book of Jin: He surrendered to Former Qin and was humiliated in Chang’an’s Imperial Academy, where Fu Jian mocked nomadic lifespans.

Whichever version holds, the chaos allowed one five-year-old survivor—Tuoba Shiyijian’s grandson Tuoba Gui—to escape. This boy would later refound the Tuoba state as Northern Wei, ultimately unifying northern China.

Legacy: Destruction as Rebirth

Paradoxically, Dai’s destruction cleared obstacles for its successor. The old tribal factions, which had hindered Tuoba Shiyijian’s reforms, were dismantled by Former Qin’s occupation. Like a Go player sacrificing stones to gain advantage, the Tuoba’s apparent defeat set the stage for Northern Wei’s rise—proving that sometimes, collapse precedes greater consolidation.

As Former Qin turned its gaze south toward Eastern Jin in 376 AD, few could foresee that the rescued child Tuoba Gui would shape China’s next epoch. The wheel of northern hegemony kept turning, with the Tuoba Xianbei’s turbulent saga demonstrating history’s relentless capacity for reinvention.