Liu Bao
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| Liu Bao | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 劉豹 | ||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘豹 | ||
| |||
Liu Bao (fl. 195–274) was a leader of the Xiongnu Five Divisions (五部) who lived during the late Eastern Han dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of China. His son, Liu Yuan, founded the Han-Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
Life
[edit]According to official hustory, Liu Bao was a member of the Luandi clan as the son of the Southern Xiongnu chanyu, Yufuluo. When Yufuluo died in 195, his younger brother Huchuquan inherited the position of chanyu in accordance with the lateral succession order and appointed Liu Bao as the Wise Prince of the Left (or Wise Prince of the Right).[1] In 216, Huchuquan travelled to Ye (present-day Handan, Hebei) to receive nominal titles from the Han imperial court and remained in city. The Southern Xiongnu in Bing province were divided into Five Divisions; they were all placed under the supervision of Huchuquan's uncle, Qubei, and each of the Five Divisions had their own commander, with Liu Bao commanding the Left Division.[2]
During the Jiaping era (249–254), Liu Bao unified the Five Divisions, which caught the attention of the Cao Wei general, Deng Ai. Deng Ai advocated to the Wei paramount ruler, Sima Shi for the Southern Xiongnu to be divided into two, although it would not be until the Xianxi era (264–266) when they were re-split into three and then into four.[3] Liu Bao also had to send his son, Liu Yuan to the imperial capital, Luoyang, as a hostage to prevent him from rebelling. Soon, the Southern Xiongnu in Bing were once again living in Five Divisions.[4] After his death, his positions were inherited by Liu Yuan, who went on to found the Han-Zhao dynasty in 304.
Skepticism and theories on lineage
[edit]Some modern Chinese scholars like Tang Changru (唐长孺) and Chen Yong (陈勇) have cast doubt on the claim of Liu Bao being the son of Yufuluo due to discrepancies in the record, such as the long time span between when Liu Bao was first active as Wise Prince of the Left in 195 and his death after Tufa Shujineng began his rebellion, which should be after 274. It is believed that Liu Bao was a prominent member of the non-related but influential Chuge tribe, also known as Xiuchuge, who overthrew the Southern Xiongnu chanyu and sent Yufuluo into exile in 188. In fact, several passages in historical records refer to Liu Yuan and his family as Chuge. It is likely that Liu Yuan had fabricated his ties to the chanyu family and by extension the Han dynasty through their ancient practice of marrying Han princesses, as a means of establishing his legitimacy with the founding of Han-Zhao.[5][6]
Liu Bao may have also been the Wise Prince of the Left who took the poet Cai Wenji as his concubine after Li Jue's coup in Chang'an in 195. The pair would go on to have two children. However, the powerful warlord Cao Cao arrived and paid a heavy ransom to Liu Bao, demanding that he release Cai Wenji, to which Liu Bao did without hesitation.[7] However, it is highly uncertain if the Wise Prince of the Left was indeed Liu Bao, given that the records do not mention him by name, that he may have instead been the Wise Prince of the Right, and that there are doubts regarding his relationship to Yufuluo.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Some records state that Liu Bao was the Wise Prince of the Right. (是時并州右賢王劉豹並為一部...) Sanguozhi, vol.28 There are also records that assert that the Wise Prince of the Left after Huchuquan's ascension was Qubei. (韓暹及匈奴左賢王去卑...) Hou Hanshu, vol.9
- ^ Bichurin N.Ya., "Collection of information on peoples in Central Asia in ancient times", 1851, vol. 1, p. 147
- ^ (是時并州右賢王劉豹並為一部，艾上言曰：戎狄獸心，不以義親，強則侵暴，弱則內附，故周宣有玁狁之寇，漢祖有平城之圍。每匈奴一盛，為前代重患。自單于在外，莫能牽制長卑。誘而致之，使來入侍。由是羌夷失統，合散無主。以單于在內，萬里順軌。今單于之尊日疏，外土之威浸重，則胡虜不可不深備也。聞劉豹部有叛胡，可因叛割為二國，以分其勢。去卑功顯前朝，而子不繼業，宜加其子顯號，使居雁門。離國弱寇，追錄舊勳，此禦邊長計也。) Sanguozhi, vol.28
- ^ (咸熙之際，以一部太強，分爲三率，泰始之初，又增爲四... 今五部之衆...) Jin Shu, vol.56
- ^ Tang, Changru (December 2010). "〈魏晋杂胡考 一 屠各〉". 《魏晋南北朝史论丛》 (in Chinese). Beijing: Commercial Press. ISBN 9787100074513.
- ^ "［田野调查与研究］去卑监国的败局与屠各刘豹的崛起-文学100". www.wenxue100.com. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
- ^ (興平中，天下喪亂，文姬為胡騎所獲，沒於南匈奴左賢王，在胡中十二年，生二子。曹操素與邕善，痛其無嗣，乃遣使者以金璧贖之，而重嫁於祀。) Hou Hanshu, vol.84
- Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu), Volume 101.