kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Eastern Xia

1215 CE – 1233 CE · capital Kaiyuan

A breakaway Jurchen state in eastern Manchuria founded by the Jin general Puxian Wannu, which held out between Jin, Mongols and Goryeo until 1233.

Origins

Puxian Wannu, a Jin dynasty (1115-1234) commander in Liaodong, was sent against the rebel Yelü Liuge of Eastern Liao but was defeated. In 1215 he rebelled himself and proclaimed the kingdom of Great Zhen, later called Eastern Xia, moving north-east into the old Jurchen homeland along the Tumen and Ussuri rivers.

Rule and society

The state was organised on Jin lines, with Jurchen military units and walled towns such as its capital near modern Yanji. Puxian Wannu submitted to the Mongols in 1216 and sent a son as hostage, but acted independently whenever possible, raiding and trading with Goryeo.

Decline and legacy

Once the Mongols were ready to finish the Jin, they turned on Eastern Xia. In 1233 a Mongol army under Güyük captured Puxian Wannu, and the state was absorbed into the Mongol Empire.

Lineage

Jin dynasty (1115-1234) 1115 CE – 1234 CEEastern Xia

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Eastern Xia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eastern-xia
MLA
“Eastern Xia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eastern-xia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Eastern Xia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eastern-xia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Eastern Xia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/eastern-xia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻