When it comes to the diplomatic issues of the Han Dynasty, the first thing that comes to mind is the Xiongnu. Indeed, the Xiongnu of that era often harassed the borders of the Han Dynasty. What made the Han Dynasty love weak was that they did not have much advantage in the face of the powerful Xiongnu.
It can be said that the Han Dynasty suffered a lot under the iron horse of the Xiongnu. However, just when the Huns "amazed" the Han Dynasty, there was another ethnic group that followed the Huns and engaged in the business of "taking advantage of the fire and looting".
This ethnic group is the Xianbei tribe, which flourished in ancient times, and they later developed and grew and established the Northern Wei Dynasty. However, with the passage of time, this ethnic group has gradually disappeared in the long river of history. So, which nation did they evolve into today?
The history of the growth of the Xianbei people
The earliest historical records of the Xianbei people can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the "Chinese", there was such a record: The former kings of the alliance were Yu Qiyang, Chu was Jingman, Mao Mo, set a watch, and Xianbei Shou liao, so he did not make an alliance.
It probably means that King Zhou Cheng feasted on the princes south of Qishan Mountain, but Chu and Xianbei could not go to power to make alliances with other princes because they were barbarians, and could only guard the fire used to worship the gods under the platform.
Of course, although there were already records of Xianbei at this time, the details of it were not clear. Therefore, later experts deduced that the Xianbei mentioned at this time actually referred to the general name of many nomadic tribes in the north.
So, where does Xianbei originate? According to the difference in time, later generations divided the historical Xianbei into two categories: one is the "primitive Xianbei" that originated in the Gaxian Cave. They lived in the Daxianbei Mountains, which is now the Daxing'an Mountains.
The dense Daxing'an Mountains provide them with a superior material environment, they rely on the mountains to eat the mountains, and develop tough living habits. However, the natural environment here also inhibits the expansion of their ethnic group.
In order to expand the race and better continue their descendants, they went out of the Daxing'an Mountains and came to live in the Hulunbuir Grassland. They are constantly blending with the original people who live on this meadow, and the ethnic group is constantly expanding.
Among them, the relationship with Xianbei is quite good, that is, the Xiongnu. As the overlord of this grassland, the Xiongnu naturally took the road of marriage with Xianbei. That is to say, the original Xianbei and xiongnu actually had a good relationship, and the two ethnic groups sometimes married.
However, there was no room for two tigers in one mountain, and with the continuous growth of Xianbei, the Xiongnu began to disagree. After several wars, he was inferior to the Xiongnu and became a vassal of the Xiongnu.
The Xiongnu, who were vast in the land, began to be dissatisfied with the rich materials of the steppe, and they thought of pointing their swords at the Central Plains. The western Han Dynasty, which was first established, was obviously somewhat resistant to beating in front of the iron horse of the Xiongnu. Among them, the Siege of Baideng can be called the humiliating history of the Western Han Dynasty.
So the Western Han had to bow to the Huns, and the Huns easily got everything they wanted: advanced technology, countless sums of money, and princesses of the Western Han Dynasty.
Under the oppression of the Xiongnu, the Western Han Dynasty lived a long period of humiliation. However, the weakness and retreat of the Early Western Han Dynasty made the Xiongnu lower their vigilance, so that they also had the opportunity to recuperate.
By the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the Western Han Dynasty was unprecedentedly powerful. Therefore, Emperor Wu of Han decided to counterattack the Xiongnu. Under the command of Emperor Wu of Han, Wei Qing and Huo Fuyi, two talented generals, attacked the Xiongnu many times. The Huns were beaten to the point of fleeing, and there was almost a danger of extinction.
Just when the two male lions of the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu were fighting happily, the Xianbei who had once followed the Xiongnu gradually developed. Moreover, they also seized the opportunity to break away from the Huns when they were weak.
By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Xianbei had gradually formed several powerful military groups. For example, Murong Bu in Liaodong, Duan Bu in Western Liaoning, Yuwen Bu north of Erbu, Tuoba Bu north of Yanmen, Qifu Bu in Longxi, Bald Hair In Hexi, and so on.
What needs to be clear here is that the Xianbei mentioned earlier cannot actually be called a unified nation. Because before this, although they were all "self-proclaimed humble", the reality that they were independent and supervising each other was also undeniable.
In this case, it was not until after the Battle of Shuishui, after Tuoba Si established the Northern Wei regime headed by Tuoba Bu, that they began to gradually form a unified nation. And this is the second classification in Xianbei: Tuoba Xianbei.
The great unification of the north provided a geographical advantage for the concentrated development of Xianbei. At the same time, the promulgation of the policies of the Northern Wei court also had a positive impact on the formation of ethnic groups in Xianbei.
That is to say, from this time on, this nation, composed of several nomadic tribes in the north, finally formed a unified nation. Its notable sign is that the Northern Wei Dynasty established by Tuoba Bu began to officially call itself Xianbei.
During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Xianbei were definitely one of the most powerful peoples at that time. Unfortunately, after the Sui and Tang dynasties, the Xianbei as a whole no longer existed, and the Xianbei began to gradually withdraw from the historical stage.
Descendants of the Xianbei people
Of course, although Xianbei has withdrawn from the stage of history, they are still not completely absent. In modern times, when re-examined through DNA technology, it is found that the current Xibe population is likely to be the descendants of the ancient Tuoba Xianbei.
The Xibe ethnic group is mainly distributed in Liaoning, Jilin and other provinces and Qabchar Xibe Autonomous County in the Ili region of Xinjiang. The well-known movie star Tong Liya is a Xibe people. The people of this nation are industrious and kind, and they still maintain many traditional national customs.
For example, when they are fighting, all prey must be divided equally, even if they happen to encounter passers-by who are in the siege team, they will get a share of the prey. Because in the eyes of the Xibe people, prey is a reward of nature, and individuals are not entitled to exclusive enjoyment.
Of course, this habit of dividing the prey equally is also a symbol for the Xibe people. After all, this race can only continue if everyone has prey.
epilogue
Today's Xibe people are beginning to prosper, and their existence is also a strong proof of the humble examination. After all, the Xianbei tribe that painted a strong mark in history also had a great influence on future generations.
Because of the influence of the ancestral Chongwu, the current Xibe people still have archery, wrestling, weightlifting and other sports when holding celebrations. These projects not only exercise the physical fitness of the Xibe people, but also a way of expressing their nostalgia for their ancestors.
Moreover, under the influence of the Uighurs in Xinjiang, they will also hold large-scale horse racing, sheep hunting and other types of competitions. Those who perform well are often rewarded.
It is precisely because the Xibe people consciously integrate with the surrounding ethnic groups and learn from each other, so the current Xibe people will get better and better. This has also promoted the development and progress of other nationalities.