Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms)

Xia 夏
407–431
Helian Xia in 423
Capital	Tongwan (418–427) Shanggui (427–428) Pingliang (428–430)
Government	Monarchy
Emperor
• 407–425	Helian Bobo
• 425–428	Helian Chang
• 428–431	Helian Ding
History
• Established	407
• Helian Bobo's claim of imperial title	418
• Fall of Tongwan	11 July 427[1][2]
• Disestablished	431
• Helian Ding's death	13 May 432[3][4]
Preceded by Succeeded by Later Qin Western Qin Northern Wei Tuyuhun Liu Song dynasty
Today part of	China

Xia (Chinese: 夏; pinyin: Xià), known in historiography as Hu Xia (胡夏), Northern Xia (北夏), Helian Xia (赫連夏) or the Great Xia (大夏), was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Helian clan of Xiongnu ethnicity during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Prior to establishing the Xia, the imperial clan existed as a tribal entity known as the Tiefu (simplified Chinese: 铁弗; traditional Chinese: 鐵弗; pinyin: Tiěfú).^[5] The dynasty was founded by Helian Bobo (Emperor Wulie).

Although the Xia only lasted from 407 to 431, its capital Tongwan situated in the Ordos Desert was a heavily fortified and state-of-the-art city that served as a frontier garrison until the Song dynasty. Its ruins were discovered during the Qing dynasty and can still be seen in present-day Inner Mongolia.

The Book of Wei also records that Liu Kuren's tribe, the Dugu, were descended from the Xiongnu. Yao Weiyuan (姚薇元) suggested in the past that 'Dugu' was an alternate form of 'Tuge' (屠各), the Xiongnu aristocratic clan that had adopted the Han Chinese surname of Liu (劉), members of which also ruled the Former Zhao state. This writer further suggests that 'Tuge' is an alternate form of 'Tuhe' (徒河), which is the branch of the Xianbei from which the Murong (慕容) were descended. The Liu (Dugu) were also known as 'Tiefu' (鐵弗), a term which meant that they had Xiongnu fathers and Xianbei mothers. Thus it is reasonable to say that the Dugu were at least half Xianbei.

All rulers of the Xia declared themselves "emperors".