Xie An
Encyclopedia
Xie An (320–385), courtesy name Anshi (安石), formally Duke Wenjing of Luling (廬陵文靖公), was a Jin Dynasty (265-420)
statesman
who, despite his lack of military ability, led Jin through a major crisis—attacks by Former Qin
. His line became one of the two most honored during the subsequent Southern Dynasties
-- the other being Wang Dao
's line—and in the minds of the people no less honored than imperial clans.
's father), Wang Meng (王濛), and Wang Dao
with his talent. He later served as a low-level assistant to the prime minister, but he later quit from governmental service and effectively became a hermit, and he repeatedly rejected governmental commissions. However, by popular reputation, the people had great expectations of him.
He taught his children and the children of his siblings literature, philosophy and debate. His favourite niece was Xie Daoyun
(謝道韞), who would become famous as a writer and debater. She would later defend him against criticism from Huan Xuan
.
It was not, however, until his brother Xie Wan (謝萬), a governor and a general, was defeated in battle in 359 and reduced to commoner status, that Xie An considered reentering governmental service. He went to see the general Huan Wen, who had been impressed with him previously, and Huan took him in as an assistant. However, he did not share in Huan's plan to take over imperial title. When Emperor Jianwen
died in 372, Huan recommended Xie to be one of the key officials in the imperial government, but instead of controlling the imperial government on Huan's behalf, Xie soon joined forces with Wang Tanzhi (王坦之) to deny Huan the official title of regent
for Emperor Jianwen's 10-year-old son Emperor Xiaowu
, instead inviting Emperor Xiaowu's cousin, Emperor Kang
's wife Empress Dowager Chu
to serve as regent. Huan therefore resented Xie and Wang.
In 373, when Huan visited the capital, Wang and Xie were sent to welcome him, and there were rumors that Huan was going to execute Xie and Wang and then usurp the throne. Wang was very fearful, while Xie calmly stated, "Our journey will determine whether the empire survives or not." As Huan arrived, he put on a great display of his army, and Wang was so anxious that his clothes were wet from his sweat, and the writing tablet he held in his hand was upside down. Xie, however, was very calm in seating himself, and then persuaded Huan to put away his display of army. After Huan died later that year, Xie came up with a plan to keep Huan's clan satisfied yet weakening them—he divided Huan's military command into three and gave them to Huan's brothers Huan Chong
and Huan Huo (桓豁) and nephew Huan Shixiu (桓石秀). The fears of a Huan usurpation dissipated, particularly because Huan Chong was committed to the survival of the imperial government.
In the start of Emperor Xiaowu's reign, Xie shared power with Wang Tanzhi and Wang Biaozhi (王彪之). However, Wang Tanzhi soon became a military commander and governor, and then died in 375. Xie An became effectively the sole prime minister.
Meanwhile, Jin's rival Former Qin was expanding itself in the north, destroying Former Yan
in 370, seizing Jin's Liang (梁州, modern southern Shaanxi
) and Yi (益州, modern Sichuan
and Chongqing
) Provinces in 373, and destroying Dai
and the nominal Jin vassal Former Liang
in 376. In 378, Former Qin launched attacks on the key Jin cities of Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
, Hubei
), Weixing (魏興, in modern Ankang
, Shaanxi
), and Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou
, Jiangsu
). While Xie An's nephew, the general Xie Xuan
, was able to repel the Former Qin attack on Pengcheng, Xiangyang and Weixing fell in 379, and Jin's position appeared even more desperate. However, it was said that Xie, through his calmness, calmed the hearts of the people. In 383, Huan Chong launched a counterattack to try to recapture Xiangyang, but after some inconclusive battles, Huan withdrew.
launched a major attack, hoping to destroy Jin and unite China. Xie sent his brother Xie Shi (謝石) to command the forces resisting Former Qin. As Xie Xuan, the advance general under Xie Shi's command, was ready to depart for the frontlines, he sought further instruction from Xie An, who only stated, "I will have additional instructions later." Xie Xuan did not dare to ask anything further. They then went to Xie An's vacation home, where they played Go
-- a game that Xie Xuan was typically far better than Xie An at, but Xie Xuan, anxious about the coming battle, lost to the far calmer Xie An. Meanwhile, Huan, believing that the capital Jiankang
needed additional defenses, sent several thousand elite soldiers to help the capital defense; instead, Xie sent them back to Huan, stating that the capital was already well-guarded and that the troops would be better off defending the western provinces (under Huan's command).
The Former Qin forces quickly captured the important city of Shouyang. However, after the armies stalemated at the Fei River (which no longer exists, but probably flowed through Lu'an, near the Huai River
), Former Qin forces, in an effort to try to draw Jin forces across the river, retreated—and then oddly enough panicked and collapsed. When news of the victory arrived at Xie An's headquarters, he was playing Go with a guest, but did not display particular emotion, but only stated, "The kids won a battle." However, his excitement became evident when, after the game, he was going back to his bedroom, and he forgot about the threshold to his bedroom and broke his wooden sandle without realizing it.
the Prince of Kuaiji, leading to the emperor no longer trusting Xie An as much, although he remained prime minister.
In 384, Huan Chong died, and initially most officials favored having Xie Xuan replace Huan, but Xie An, not wanting his own clan to wield too much power and also apprehensive that the Huan clan may feel slighted, declined, and divided Huan Chong's domain between his nephews Huan Shimin (桓石民) and Huan Shiqian (桓石虔), and another member of the Huan clan, Huan Yi (桓伊).
Later that year, Xie An requested permission to lead an army north to try to regain territory in light of Former Qin's collapse. However, while Xie Xuan recovered the territory south of the Yellow River
, and other generals regained the Liang and Yi Provinces, Xie An himself did not appear to actually carry out a campaign, although he did leave the capital to avoid confrontation with Sima Daozi, who wanted to take over as prime minister. When he grew ill in fall 385, he required permission to return to the capital, and he died soon thereafter. Emperor Xiaowu posthumously created him the Duke of Luling (a greater dukedom than Jianchang, which he was previously the duke of) and buried him with the same honors that Huan Wen was given.
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
who, despite his lack of military ability, led Jin through a major crisis—attacks by Former Qin
Former Qin
The Former Qin was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms in China. Founded by the Fu family of the Di ethnicity, it completed the unification of North China in 376. Its capital had been Xi'an up to the death of the ruler Fu Jiān. Despite its name, the Former Qin was much later and less powerful than...
. His line became one of the two most honored during the subsequent Southern Dynasties
Southern dynasties
The Southern dynasties comprise the Liu Song, Southern Qi, Liang Dynasty and Chen Dynasty, whose capital were at Jiankang , and Emperor Yuan of Liang, as well as the later Western Liang emperors , also set their...
-- the other being Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
's line—and in the minds of the people no less honored than imperial clans.
Early career
Xie An's father Xie Pou (謝裒) was a minister in the Jin government. When Xie An was a child, he had already impressed the Jin officials Huan Yi (桓彝) (Huan WenHuan Wen
Huan Wen , courtesy name Yuanzi , formally Duke Xuanwu of Nan Commandery , was a general of the Jin Dynasty...
's father), Wang Meng (王濛), and Wang Dao
Wang Dao
Wang Dao , courtesy name Maohong , formally Duke Wenxian of Shixing , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who served important roles in the administrations of Emperor Yuan, Emperor Ming, and Emperor Cheng, including as Emperor Cheng's regent...
with his talent. He later served as a low-level assistant to the prime minister, but he later quit from governmental service and effectively became a hermit, and he repeatedly rejected governmental commissions. However, by popular reputation, the people had great expectations of him.
He taught his children and the children of his siblings literature, philosophy and debate. His favourite niece was Xie Daoyun
Xie Daoyun
Xie Daoyun was a Chinese poet, writer, scholar, calligrapher and debater of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.-Family:She belonged to the Xie clan from what is now Henan and was a sister of the general Xie Xuan. Though her mother is unknown, it is known that she gave birth to five more children. She was...
(謝道韞), who would become famous as a writer and debater. She would later defend him against criticism from Huan Xuan
Huan Xuan
Huan Xuan , courtesy name Jingdao , nickname Lingbao , formally Emperor Wudao of Chu , was a Jin Dynasty warlord who briefly took over the imperial throne from Emperor An of Jin and declared his own state of Chu in 403, but was defeated by an uprising led by the general Liu Yu in 404 and killed...
.
It was not, however, until his brother Xie Wan (謝萬), a governor and a general, was defeated in battle in 359 and reduced to commoner status, that Xie An considered reentering governmental service. He went to see the general Huan Wen, who had been impressed with him previously, and Huan took him in as an assistant. However, he did not share in Huan's plan to take over imperial title. When Emperor Jianwen
Emperor Jianwen of Jin
Emperor Jianwen of Jin , personal name Sima Yu , courtesy name Daowan , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China. He was the younger brother of Emperor Ming and installed by military leader Huan Wen...
died in 372, Huan recommended Xie to be one of the key officials in the imperial government, but instead of controlling the imperial government on Huan's behalf, Xie soon joined forces with Wang Tanzhi (王坦之) to deny Huan the official title of regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
for Emperor Jianwen's 10-year-old son Emperor Xiaowu
Emperor Xiaowu of Jin
Emperor Xiaowu of Jin , personal name Sima Yao , courtesy name Changming , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty in China...
, instead inviting Emperor Xiaowu's cousin, Emperor Kang
Emperor Kang of Jin
Emperor Kang of Jin , personal name Sima Yue , courtesy name Shitong , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . He was a son of Emperor Ming and younger brother of Emperor Cheng...
's wife Empress Dowager Chu
Empress Chu Suanzi
Empress Chu Suanzi , formally Empress Kangxian , at times as Empress Dowager Chongde , was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
to serve as regent. Huan therefore resented Xie and Wang.
In 373, when Huan visited the capital, Wang and Xie were sent to welcome him, and there were rumors that Huan was going to execute Xie and Wang and then usurp the throne. Wang was very fearful, while Xie calmly stated, "Our journey will determine whether the empire survives or not." As Huan arrived, he put on a great display of his army, and Wang was so anxious that his clothes were wet from his sweat, and the writing tablet he held in his hand was upside down. Xie, however, was very calm in seating himself, and then persuaded Huan to put away his display of army. After Huan died later that year, Xie came up with a plan to keep Huan's clan satisfied yet weakening them—he divided Huan's military command into three and gave them to Huan's brothers Huan Chong
Huan Chong
Huan Chong ), formally Duke Xuanmu of Fengcheng , was a Jin Dynasty governor and general and the youngest brother of Huan Wen. Contrary to the ambitious Huan Wen, who at times considered seizing the throne, Huan Chong was known to be dedicated to the preservation of the imperial government...
and Huan Huo (桓豁) and nephew Huan Shixiu (桓石秀). The fears of a Huan usurpation dissipated, particularly because Huan Chong was committed to the survival of the imperial government.
In the start of Emperor Xiaowu's reign, Xie shared power with Wang Tanzhi and Wang Biaozhi (王彪之). However, Wang Tanzhi soon became a military commander and governor, and then died in 375. Xie An became effectively the sole prime minister.
Prior to the Battle of Fei River
As prime minister, Xie tried to show leniency to people, and that was manifested by a number of general pardons that the Jin imperial government declared. He also changed the tax system from based on land ownership to a head tax in 376.Meanwhile, Jin's rival Former Qin was expanding itself in the north, destroying Former Yan
Former Yan
The Former Yan was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China.Initially, Murong Huang and his son Murong Jun claimed the Jin Dynasty -created title "Prince of Yan," but subsequently, in 352, after seizing most of the former Later Zhao territory, Murong Juan would...
in 370, seizing Jin's Liang (梁州, modern southern Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
) and Yi (益州, modern Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
) Provinces in 373, and destroying Dai
State of Dai
Dai was a state of the Xianbei clan of Tuoba, during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It existed from 310 to 376 AD, with its capital at Shengle ....
and the nominal Jin vassal Former Liang
Former Liang
The Former Liang was a state of the Sixteen Kingdoms during the Jin dynasty in China. It was founded by the Zhang family of the Han Chinese...
in 376. In 378, Former Qin launched attacks on the key Jin cities of Xiangyang (襄陽, in modern Xiangfan
Xiangfan
Xiangyang is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province of the People's Republic of China. It was formed from two famous ancient cities, Xiangyang and Fancheng...
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
), Weixing (魏興, in modern Ankang
Ankang
Ankang is a city in Shaanxi province, China.- Geography :Ankang is geographically considered to be part of southern China. However, on administrative terms, as Shaanxi is officially part of Northwestern China, it is considered to be part of the Northwest....
, Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
), and Pengcheng (彭城, in modern Xuzhou
Xuzhou
Xuzhou , otherwise known as Pengcheng in ancient times, is a major city in and the fourth largest prefecture-level city of Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China...
, Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
). While Xie An's nephew, the general Xie Xuan
Xie Xuan
Xie Xuan , courtesy name Youdu , formally Duke Xianwu of Kangle , was a Jin Dynasty general who is best known for repelling the Former Qin army at the Battle of Fei River, preventing the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān from destroying Jin and uniting China.- Early career :Xie Xuan's father Xie Yi was...
, was able to repel the Former Qin attack on Pengcheng, Xiangyang and Weixing fell in 379, and Jin's position appeared even more desperate. However, it was said that Xie, through his calmness, calmed the hearts of the people. In 383, Huan Chong launched a counterattack to try to recapture Xiangyang, but after some inconclusive battles, Huan withdrew.
The Battle of Fei River
In fall 383, Former Qin's emperor Fu JiānFu Jian
Fu Jian may refer to:* Fú Jiàn , founding emperor of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Jingming* Fú Jiān , ruler of Former Qin, posthumous name Emperor Xuanzhao-See also:...
launched a major attack, hoping to destroy Jin and unite China. Xie sent his brother Xie Shi (謝石) to command the forces resisting Former Qin. As Xie Xuan, the advance general under Xie Shi's command, was ready to depart for the frontlines, he sought further instruction from Xie An, who only stated, "I will have additional instructions later." Xie Xuan did not dare to ask anything further. They then went to Xie An's vacation home, where they played Go
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
-- a game that Xie Xuan was typically far better than Xie An at, but Xie Xuan, anxious about the coming battle, lost to the far calmer Xie An. Meanwhile, Huan, believing that the capital Jiankang
Jiankang
Jiankang was the capital city of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and Southern Dynasties. Its walls are extant ruins in the modern municipal region of Nanjing.-History:...
needed additional defenses, sent several thousand elite soldiers to help the capital defense; instead, Xie sent them back to Huan, stating that the capital was already well-guarded and that the troops would be better off defending the western provinces (under Huan's command).
The Former Qin forces quickly captured the important city of Shouyang. However, after the armies stalemated at the Fei River (which no longer exists, but probably flowed through Lu'an, near the Huai River
Huai River
The Huai River is a major river in China. The Huai River is located about mid-way between the Yellow River and Yangtze River, the two largest rivers in China, and like them runs from west to east...
), Former Qin forces, in an effort to try to draw Jin forces across the river, retreated—and then oddly enough panicked and collapsed. When news of the victory arrived at Xie An's headquarters, he was playing Go with a guest, but did not display particular emotion, but only stated, "The kids won a battle." However, his excitement became evident when, after the game, he was going back to his bedroom, and he forgot about the threshold to his bedroom and broke his wooden sandle without realizing it.
After the Battle of Fei River
After the battle, however, Xie's power began to wane. Part of it was that his son-in-law Wang Guobao (王國寶), a son of Wang Tanzhi, whose behavior Xie disapproved of, began to attack him before both Emperor Xiaowu and his brother Sima DaoziSima Daozi
Sima Daozi , formally Prince Wenxiao of Kuaiji , was a regent during the reign of his nephew Emperor An of Jin, being the younger brother of Emperor Xiaowu.-Early life:...
the Prince of Kuaiji, leading to the emperor no longer trusting Xie An as much, although he remained prime minister.
In 384, Huan Chong died, and initially most officials favored having Xie Xuan replace Huan, but Xie An, not wanting his own clan to wield too much power and also apprehensive that the Huan clan may feel slighted, declined, and divided Huan Chong's domain between his nephews Huan Shimin (桓石民) and Huan Shiqian (桓石虔), and another member of the Huan clan, Huan Yi (桓伊).
Later that year, Xie An requested permission to lead an army north to try to regain territory in light of Former Qin's collapse. However, while Xie Xuan recovered the territory south of the Yellow River
Yellow River
The Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
, and other generals regained the Liang and Yi Provinces, Xie An himself did not appear to actually carry out a campaign, although he did leave the capital to avoid confrontation with Sima Daozi, who wanted to take over as prime minister. When he grew ill in fall 385, he required permission to return to the capital, and he died soon thereafter. Emperor Xiaowu posthumously created him the Duke of Luling (a greater dukedom than Jianchang, which he was previously the duke of) and buried him with the same honors that Huan Wen was given.
Younger Brothers
- Xie Wan (谢万)
- Xie Shi (谢石), military commander of Battle of Feishui
- Xie Tie (谢铁)