kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Former Qin

351 CE – 394 CE · capital Chang'an

The Di-led empire of Fu Jian, which unified northern China for the first time since 316, then collapsed after its defeat at the Fei River in 383.

Origins

Fu Hong, a Di chieftain of eastern Gansu, served Later Zhao and moved west when it collapsed. His son Fu Jian (the elder) took Chang'an in 351 and proclaimed the state of Qin. In 357 his nephew Fu Jian overthrew the tyrannical emperor Fu Sheng and took the title Heavenly King.

Rule and society

Fu Jian and his chief minister Wang Meng built an effective Chinese-style administration, promoted Confucian learning and agriculture and treated defeated peoples generously. They conquered Former Yan in 370, Chouchi in 371, Former Liang and Dai in 376 and the Han River fortress of Xiangyang in 379, uniting northern China and reaching into the Tarim Basin.

Decline and legacy

Fu Jian's invasion of the south ended in rout at the Fei River in 383 against the Eastern Jin. Former subjects rebelled, founding Later Yan and Later Qin, and in 385 Yao Chang captured and killed Fu Jian. Remnants under Fu Deng and Fu Chong lingered until 394.

Connections (10)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻