kingdom · China, Tibet and Mongolia
Western Qin
Origins
The Qifu were a Xianbei clan settled around the upper Yellow River in Gansu. After Former Qin's collapse, Qifu Guoren declared himself ruler in 385, with his capital at Yuanchuan near modern Yuzhong.
Rule and society
Western Qin was a small state of Xianbei herders and Chinese farmers, governed by tribal chiefs alongside Chinese officials. Qifu Gangui briefly submitted to Later Qin from 400 to 409 before restoring the state, which then conquered Southern Liang in 414. Buddhism flourished: an inscription of 420 in the Bingling Temple caves near the later capital Fuhan is the oldest dated one in a Chinese cave temple.
Decline and legacy
Under attack from Northern Liang and Helian Xia, the last ruler, Qifu Mumo, tried to flee to Northern Wei but was captured by Helian Xia, which killed him and his clan in 431.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Southern Liang was conquered by Western Qin414 CE
- Western Qin was conquered by Helian Xia431 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Western Qin. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-qin
- MLA
- “Western Qin.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-qin. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Western Qin.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-qin.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Western Qin’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/western-qin (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻