Murong Chao
| Murong Chao | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reign | September 19, 405 – March 25, 410 | ||||||||
| Born | 385 | ||||||||
| Died | 410 | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Dynasty | Southern Yan | ||||||||
| Full name | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Era name and dates | |
| Tàishàng (太上): September 19, 405 – March 25, 410 |
Murong Chao (Chinese: 慕容超; 385–410), courtesy name Zuming (祖明), was the last emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Southern Yan. He was the nephew of the founding emperor Murong De (Emperor Xianwu) who was trapped under the rule of Later Qin, but was welcomed to Southern Yan after his uncle found out about his existence. Because Murong De had no surviving sons, Murong Chao inherited his throne after his death in 405. Initially considered able, Murong Chao turned out to be capricious and thoroughly unwilling to accept criticism once he became emperor, and after he provoked Jin, the Jin general Liu Yu captured and killed him in 410, ending Southern Yan.
Murong Chao's father Murong Na (慕容納) was the Prince of Beihai during Former Yan, being a son of Murong Huang (Prince Wenming) and a younger brother of Murong Jun (Emperor Jingzhao). After Former Yan's destruction by Former Qin in 370, the Former Qin emperor Fu Jiān initially made Murong Na a commandery governor, but later Murong Na was relieved from that post and relocated, along with his mother Lady Gongsun and Lady Duan to be with his younger brother Murong De, who was the governor of Zhangye Commandery (張掖, roughly modern Zhangye, Gansu). (Murong Na and Murong De had the same mother.) Later, when Murong Na's brothers Murong De and Murong Chui rebelled against Former Qin in 384, with Murong Chui establishing Later Yan and becoming its emperor, Fu Chang (苻昌) the new governor of Zhangye arrested and executed Murong Na and all sons of Murong De and Murong Na. At that time, Lady Duan was not executed because she was pregnant, but she was imprisoned to await execution after she gave birth.
...
Wikipedia