kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia

Former Yan

337 CE – 370 CE · capital Longcheng, Ye

The Murong Xianbei kingdom that rose in Liaoning and briefly ruled the North China Plain from Ye, until the Former Qin conquered it in 370.

Origins

The Murong Xianbei settled in western Liaoning in the 3rd century and adopted farming and Chinese administration under Murong Hui. His son Murong Huang declared himself King of Yan in 337, moving the capital to Longcheng (Chaoyang) in 342. He destroyed the Yuwen Xianbei in 344 and sacked the Goguryeo capital in 342.

Rule and society

Former Yan combined Xianbei cavalry with Chinese officials and farmers resettled from the war-torn plain. After Later Zhao collapsed, Murong Jun conquered the north-east plain, captured Ran Min in 352, proclaimed himself emperor and moved the capital to Ye in 357. The regent Murong Ke was a capable administrator and general.

Decline and legacy

After Murong Ke died, court jealousy drove out the talented general Murong Chui, who had defeated Huan Wen at Fangtou in 369; he fled to Former Qin. In 370 the Qin chancellor Wang Meng took Ye and captured the emperor Murong Wei. Murong princes later founded Later Yan, Western Yan and Southern Yan.

Connections (4)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻