Liu Xuan (died 4 December 308),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Shize, was a

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...

politician of the

Jin dynasty Jin may refer to: States Jìn 晉 * Jin (Chinese state) (晉國), major state of the Zhou dynasty, existing from the 11th century BC to 376 BC * Jin dynasty (266–420) (晉朝), also known as Liang Jin and Sima Jin * Jin (Later Tang precursor) ...

and

Han-Zhao The Han-Zhao ( zh, s=汉赵, t=漢趙, p=Hàn Zhào; 304–329 AD), or Former Zhao ( zh, s=前赵, t=前趙, p=Qián Zhào), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Liu ( Luandi) clan of Chuge-Xiongnu ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms per ...

dynasty during the

Sixteen Kingdoms The Sixteen Kingdoms (), less commonly the Sixteen States, was a chaotic period in Chinese history from AD 304 to 439 when northern China fragmented into a series of short-lived dynastic states. The majority of these states were founded b ...

period. In 304, he joined a plot led by the Xiongnu aristocracy to break away from the ruling Jin dynasty. He was important in getting his great-nephew, Liu Yuan, to lead the Xiongnu and form

. After the state's establishment, Liu Xuan became its first prime minister and played an influential role in its administration.

Life

Background and early life

Liu Xuan was a member of the ruling-

Luandi The Luandi (; alternatively written as Xulianti ) was the ruling clan of the Xiongnu that flourished from the 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE. The form Luandi comes from the '' Book of Han'', while the form Xulianti comes from the '' Book of Lat ...

clan of the

Xiongnu empire The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 209& ...

. In 50 AD, after the empire was split into two, the southern branch of the Xiongnu surrendered to the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

and moved into their northern frontiers, becoming a vassal state known as the Southern Xiongnu. According to the ''

Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...

'', Liu Xuan was the great-uncle of Liu Yuan, which implies that he was also the son of

Qiangqu Qiangqu (; r. 179–188 AD) was the Western Wise Prince, successor to Huzheng, and ''chanyu'' of the Southern Xiongnu from 179 to 188 AD. Qiangqu's reign coincided with a troublesome time for the Han Empire, and few records address Chin ...

, and the brother of

Yufuluo Chizhi Shizhu Hou (; d. 195), personal name Yufuluo (於夫羅), was a puppet ''chanyu'' of the Southern Xiongnu during the late Han dynasty. In 188, he was appointed ''chanyu'' by the Han court following the murder of his father Qiangqu and wo ...

and

Huchuquan Huchuquan was the last ''chanyu'' () of the Southern Xiongnu during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. He was a younger brother of the ''chanyu'' in exile, Yufuluo. History After Yufuluo died in 195, Huchuquan s ...

, all three who were ''chanyus'' of the Southern Xiongnu. During the fall of Han, the Southern Xiongnu and their

Xiuchuge The Chuge ( zh, c=屠各, p=Chúgè, w=Ch'u-ko), also known as Xiuchuge ( zh, c=休屠各, p=Xiūchúgè, w=Hsiu-ch'u-ko) or Xiuchu ( zh, c=休屠, p=Xiūchú, w=Hsiu-ch'u) were a Xiongnu tribe and later ethnic group that lived in ancient China. ...

allies ousted the ''chanyu'' family from their territory and eventually dissolved their state. In 216, the warlord-statesman,

Cao Cao Cao Cao (; ; ; 15 March 220), courtesy name Mengde, was a Chinese statesman, warlord, and poet who rose to power during the end of the Han dynasty (), ultimately taking effective control of the Han central government. He laid the foundation f ...

had the last ''chanyu'', Huchuquan detained at Ye and reorganized the remaining vestiges of the Southern Xiongnu into the Five Divisions. After Huchuquan's death, the ''chanyu'' position became vacant. The ''Book of Jin'' describes Liu Xuan as a simple and quiet person, but also one who was eager to learn and cultivate. He gained an appreciation for Han culture, and studied under a scholar from

Le'an Commandery Le'an County () is a county of central Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Fuzhou, Jiangxi, Fuzhou. Administrative divisions In the present, Le'an County has 9 towns, 5 townsh ...

, Sun Yan. Liu Xuan proved to be an exceptional student, and was compared by his teacher to the Xiongnu minister,

Jin Midi Jin Midi (134 BC – 29 September 86 BC, zh, c=金日磾, p=Jīn Mìdī, courtesy name Wengshu (翁叔), formally Marquess Jing of Du (秺敬侯)), was a Xiongnu Xiutu prince and a general of the Western Han dynasty. He was referred to as a no ...

. He was familiar with the

Mao Commentary The ''Mao Commentary'' () is one of the four early traditions of commentary on the ''Classic of Poetry''. The ''Mao Commentary'' is attributed to either Mao Chang 萇 or Mao Heng 亨 (both pre 221 BCE; dates unclear). The " Yiwenzhi" of the ''Book ...

and

Zuo Zhuan The ''Zuo Zhuan'' ( zh, t=左傳, w=Tso Chuan; ), often translated as ''The Zuo Tradition'' or as ''The Commentary of Zuo'', is an ancient Chinese narrative history traditionally regarded as a commentary on the ancient Chinese chronicle the '' ...

, and from his reading of the ''

Book of Han The ''Book of Han'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...

'', he idolized the famed officials,

Xiao He Xiao He (257 BC – 16 August 193 BC''xinwei'' day of the 7th month of the 2nd year of Emperor Hui's reign, per vol. 12 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'') was a Chinese calligrapher and politician of the early Western Han dynasty. He served Emperor Gaozu of ...

and

Deng Yu Deng Yu (2 – June 585th month of the 1st year of the ''Yong'ping'' era, per Emperor Ming's biography in ''Book of the Later Han''. The month corresponds to 11 Jun to 9 Jul 58 in the Julian calendar.), courtesy name Zhonghua, was a Chinese sta ...

. After completing his studies, he returned to his hometown and lived in recluse for many years.

Service under the Jin dynasty

During the early days of the

, the Inspector of Bingzhou, Wang Guang, recommended Liu Xuan to

Emperor Wu of Jin Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was a grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty a ...

. Following a meeting between the two, Emperor Wu became impressed by Liu Xuan's character, and so appointed him as Commander of the Right Tribe. During his tenure, Liu Xuan was well-loved by his tribe due to his integrity. Afterwards, he became Chief Commandant of the Northern Division and Worthy Prince of the Right.

Rebellion against Jin

Between 300 and 306, northern China was engulfed in civil wars due to the

War of the Eight Princes The War of the Eight Princes, Rebellion of the Eight Kings, or Rebellion of the Eight Princes ( zh, t=八王之亂, s=八王之乱, p=bā wáng zhī luàn, w=pa wang chih luan) was a series of coups and civil wars among kings/princes (Chinese: '' ...

. During the Cao Wei and Jin dynasty, the Xiongnu nobles, including Liu Xuan, began to resent their subservient status. In 304, taking advantage of the civil war, they began plotting to break away from Jin, and Liu Xuan played vital part in their planning. During a secret meeting, Liu Xuan said to the conspirators: Liu Xuan also recommended that they choose his great-nephew, the Worthy Prince of the Left, Liu Yuan, to become their leader. The conspirators accepted and acclaimed Liu Yuan as their grand ''chanyu''. During this time, Liu Yuan was a general of the Prince of Chengdu,

Sima Ying Sima Ying (司馬穎) (279 – December 306), courtesy name Zhangdu (章度), was a Jin dynasty imperial prince who served briefly as his half-brother Emperor Hui of Jin's regent and crown prince. He was the sixth of eight princes commonly assoc ...

in Yecheng. The Xiongnu then sent an affiliate, Huyan You, to inform him of the plot, which Liu Yuan agreed. However, he initially failed to convince Sima Ying to let him return home, so he ordered Huyan You to instruct Liu Xuan and the conspirators to rally the five tribes first. After receiving permission, Liu Yuan went to Lishi (in modern

Lüliang Lüliang ( zh, s=吕梁 , t=呂梁 , p=Lǚliáng), also spelled as Lvliang or Lyuliang, is a prefecture-level city in western Shanxi province, People's Republic of China. It borders Shaanxi province across the Yellow River to the west, Jinzhong ...

, Shanxi), where Liu Xuan and the others saluted him as grand ''chanyu''. Shortly after returning to the Xiongnu, Sima Ying was defeated by the Jin warlord, Wang Jun, with the help of the

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were an ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. The Xianbei were likely not of a single ethnicity, but rather a multiling ...

and

Wuhuan The Wuhuan (, < Eastern Han Chinese: *''ʔɑ-ɣuɑn'', <

Huhanye Huhanye (), born Jihoushan (), was a ''chanyu'' of the Xiongnu Empire, the son of Xulüquanqu Chanyu. He rebelled in 59 BC with the aid of Wushanmu and Woyanqudi Chanyu soon committed suicide, leaving the Xiongnu torn apart by factional strife. ...

. Although Liu Yuan took their advice, he added that instead of following Huhanye, he should strive to be like

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...

and Cao Cao. Hearing this declaration, Liu Xuan and the others kowtowed and exclaimed that Liu Yuan had surpassed all three.

Service under Han-Zhao

Later in 304, Liu Yuan established his state of Han (renamed Zhao in 319) and named himself King of Han. Liu Xuan and the others wanted him to proclaim him as emperor, but Liu Yuan preferred to follow in Emperor Gaozu’s footsteps. Because Liu Xuan had been pivotal in getting him on the throne, Liu Yuan greatly appreciated and respected him. Thus, Liu Xuan became the state’s first prime minister. For the next four years, he was heavily involved in the state’s military as well as foreign and domestic affairs. It was said that no one in Han, including his other relatives, was able to reach his level of achievements. Soon, Liu Xuan also became grand marshal and chief controller of all military affairs. In 308, he, along with 64 other officials, finally convinced Liu Yuan to declare himself emperor. However, just one month after Liu Yuan’s declaration, Liu Xuan died of natural causes on 4 December 308.(丙午，漢都督中外諸軍事、領丞相、右賢王宣卒。) ''Zizhi Tongjian'', vol.86 If he was indeed Liu Yuan's great-uncle and Qiangqu's son, he would have lived up to at least 120, as Qiangqu died in 188.

References

* Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). ''

'' (''Jin Shu''). * Sima, Guang (1084). ''

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

'' * Cui, Hong (501-522). ''

Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms'', also known by its Chinese title ''Shiliuguo Chunqiu'' () is a Chinese biographical historical work of the Sixteen Kingdoms compiled by the Northern Wei official Cui Hong between 501 and 5 ...

'' (''Shiliuguo Chunqiu'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Xuan Former Zhao people Jin dynasty (266–420) government officials 308 deaths