26 Facts About Qifu Chipan

Qifu Chipan, known by his posthumous name as the Prince Wenzhao of Western Qin, was a prince of the Xianbei-led Chinese Western Qin dynasty.

When he died in 428, he left his state in a troubled position, and by 431, the state was destroyed, and his son Qifu Mumo captured and then killed by the Hu Xia emperor Helian Ding.

In 388, after Qifu Chipan Guoren died, Qifu Chipan Gangui became prince.

The first historical reference to Qifu Chipan was in 393, when Qifu Gangui created Qifu Chipan crown prince.

Qifu Chipan quickly became a key official in his father's administration.

In 400, Qifu Chipan Gangui suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Later Qin emperor Yao Xing, and most of his state was seized by Later Qin.

Qifu Chipan Gangui concluded that he could not sustain a state any more, and instructed his officials to surrender to Later Qin, while he himself surrendered to Southern Liang's prince Tufa Lilugu, who welcomed him as an honored guest.

In 407, concerned that Qifu Gangui was becoming stronger and more difficult to control, Yao Xing detained him while he was visiting Chang'an, and had Qifu Chipan take over his post.

Later that year, when Tufa Rutan, who had nominally been a Later Qin vassal, considered renouncing that status, he sent messengers to Qifu Chipan urging him to join the rebellion.

Qifu Chipan beheaded Tufa Rutan's messengers and sent their heads to Chang'an.

Qifu Chipan became the person that his father relied on the most on military matters.

Qifu Chipan sent his brothers Qifu Zhida and Qifu Muyigan to attack Qifu Gongfu, while moving the capital to Fuhan.

Qifu Chipan was now the undisputed heir, and he claimed the title Prince of Henan.

Early in his reign, Qifu Chipan continued his state's expansion at the expense of Tuyuhun, Southern Liang and Later Qin, and he further forced local tribes which were not under his father's rule into submission.

In 414, upon receiving news that Tufa Rutan was attacking rebellious Tuoqihan and Yifu tribes, leaving Tufa Hutai in command of the Southern Liang capital Ledu, Qiifu Qifu Chipan decided to make a surprise attack on Ledu.

Qifu Chipan quickly arrived at Ledu and put it under siege.

Tufa Rutan's troops, hearing that Ledu had fallen, collapsed, and Tufa Rutan surrendered, ending Southern Liang and allowing Qifu Chipan to seize the remaining Southern Liang territory.

Qifu Chipan welcomed him as an honored guest, creating him the Duke of Zuonan, and created Tufa Rutan's daughter his princess.

In 420, Qifu Chipan created his son Qifu Mumo crown prince.

That year, Qifu Chipan received a nominal commission as a major general from Liu Yu, who had by now seized the Jin throne and established Liu Song.

In 423, Qifu Chipan made the declaration to his officials that he now believed that Northern Wei was the state favored by the gods, and that its emperors were capable, and so he would offer to be a Northern Wei vassal.

Qifu Chipan then sent messengers to Northern Wei, offering suggestions on how to conquer Xia.

Later in 426, Qifu Chipan would suffer a major defeat that would debilitate his state.

Qifu Chipan was attacking Northern Liang when Northern Liang's prince Juqu Mengxun persuaded the Xia emperor Helian Chang to attack Fuhan.

In winter 426, Xia forces commanded by Hulu and Wei attacked Fuhan, forcing Qifu Chipan to move the capital to Dinglian, and Hulu and Wei then captured another important Western Qin city, Xiping, and while they then withdrew, Western Qin had been dealt a major blow.

In 427, Qifu Chipan moved his capital back to Fuhan, and hearing that Northern Wei had captured the Xia capital Tongwan and forced Helian Chang to flee to Shanggui, he sent his uncle Qifu Wotou to offer tributes to Northern Wei.