| A universal guide for China studiesChinese History - The Sixteen Kingdoms 五胡十六國 (300~430) |
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The Sixteen Kingdoms |  period before (Jin Dynasty)-- Southern Dynasties -- Northern Wei next period (Sui)  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |  The empire of Western Yan (Xiyan 西燕) is not counted among the Sixteen Kingdoms. Its founders were descendants of the Former Yan (Qianyan 前燕) Empire and had been resettled near Chang'an 長安 (modern Xi'an) by the Former Qin (Qianqin 前秦) Empire. When this empire came to its end, Murong Hong 慕容泓 (might be written 慕容弘 or 慕容宏) adopted the title of King of Jibei 濟北王 and founded his empire of (Western) Yan. On their way back to the east, the house of Murong was weakened by permanent power struggles and was finally defeated by the empire of Later Yan (Houyan 後燕). The Yan empire is named after the old feudal state of Yan 燕 during the Zhou Dynasty 周.  See also titles of rulers.Note: The rulers of the sideline dynasties are usually not called with their posthumous dynastic titles but with their personal names as they are not accepted as righteous rulers by official historiographies.
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