Editing Xianbei (section)

===Xianbei Confederation===
{{See also|Tanshihuai}}
Around the mid-2nd century, a chieftain, [[Tanshihuai]], unified the Xianbei tribes and established an imperial court at Mount Danhan (彈汗山; in present-day [[Shangyi County]], [[Hebei]]). Under Tanshihuai, the Xianbei attacked the [[Wusun]] in the west and repelled the [[Dingling]] from the north and [[Buyeo]] from the east. He divided the Xianbei empire into three sections, each governed by an appointed chieftain.<ref name="Rene">{{Cite book |last=Grousset |first=Rene |url=https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppesh00prof/page/53 |title=The Empire of the Steppes |publisher=Rutgers University Press |year=1970 |isbn=978-0-8135-1304-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/empireofsteppesh00prof/page/53 53–54]}}</ref><ref>"Nomads in Central Asia." N. Ishjamts. In: ''History of civilizations of Central Asia, Volume II. The development of sedentary and nomadic civilizations: 700 B.C. to A.D. 250''. Harmatta, János, ed., 1994. Paris: UNESCO Publishing, pp. 155–156.</ref><ref>SGZ 30. 837–838, note. 1.</ref>{{blockquote|Tanshihuai of the Xianbei divided his territory into three sections: the eastern, the middle and the western. From the [[You Beiping]] to the [[Liao River]], connecting the Fuyu and Mo to the east, it was the eastern section. There were more than twenty counties. The darens (chiefs) (of this section) were called Mijia 彌加, Queji 闕機, Suli 素利 and Huaitou 槐頭. From the You Beiping to Shanggu to the west, it was the middle section. There were more than ten counties. The darens of this section were called Kezui 柯最, Queju 闕居, Murong 慕容, et al. From Shanggu to Dunhuang, connecting the Wusun to the west, it was the western section. There were more than twenty counties. The darens (of this section) were called Zhijian Luoluo 置鞬落羅, Rilü Tuiyan 曰律推演, Yanliyou 宴荔游, et al. These chiefs were all subordinate to Tanshihuai.|''[[Records of the Three Kingdoms]]''<ref>SGZ 30. 837–838, note. 1.</ref>}}Throughout his reign, Tanshihuai aggressively raided the Han dynasty's northern borders, with his first recorded raid being in 156. In 166, he even allied with the [[Southern Xiongnu]] and [[Wuhuan]] to attack [[Shaanxi]] and [[Gansu]]. These raids devastated the border commanderies and claimed many lives. Though the Han was able to repel them at times, they were concerned that they would not be able to subdue Tanshihuai. The Han attempted to appease him by offering him the title of King, but Tanshihuai rejected them and continued to harass their borders.

In 177, [[Xia Yu (Han dynasty)|Xia Yu]], [[Tian Yan (Han dynasty)|Tian Yan]] and the Southern Xiongnu [[Chanyu]], [[Tute Ruoshi Zhujiu]] led a force of 30,000 against the Xianbei. They were defeated and returned with only one-tenth of their original forces.{{sfn|Cosmo|2009|p=107}} A memorial made that year records that the Xianbei had taken all the lands previously held by the Xiongnu and their warriors numbered 100,000. Han deserters who sought refuge in their lands served as their advisers and refined metals as well as wrought iron came into their possession. Their weapons were sharper and their horses faster than those of the Xiongnu. Another memorial submitted in 185 states that the Xianbei were making raids on Han settlements nearly every year.{{sfn|Twitchett|2008|p=445}}

Despite the constant raids, the loose Xianbei confederacy lacked the organization of the Xiongnu empire, and they were struggling to sustain their growing population.{{sfn|de Crespigny|2017|p=401}} Tanshihuai died in 181 and was succeeded by his son, Helian, but he lacked his father's abilities and was killed in a raid on [[Beidi Commandery|Beidi]] during the last years of [[Emperor Ling of Han]].{{sfn|de Crespigny|2007|p=320}} Helian's son, Qianman was too young at the time of his father's death, so the chieftains elected his nephew, Kuitou, to succeed him. Once Qianman came of age, however, he challenged his cousin to succession, destroying the last vestiges of unity among the Xianbei.
[[File:Iron_broadsword,_Xianbei_nation_during_the_Han_dynasty_(206_BCE_to_220_CE),_from_Xianbei_tomb_in_Yushu,_Jilin_Province.jpg|center|thumb|Iron broadsword, Xianbei nation during the [[Han dynasty]] (206 BCE to 220 CE), from a Xianbei tomb in [[Yushu, Jilin|Yushu]], [[Jilin Province]]]]