Helian Bobo 赫連勃勃

Family

• Descendant of Chunwei (淳維)
  distant descendant 遠裔
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 298
• Child of Weichen (衛辰)
  father 父 · paternal line
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 283
• Descendant of Xun'er (訓兒)
  high ancestor 高祖 · paternal line
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 283
• Child of Empress Huanwen (桓文皇后)
  mother 母 · maternal line
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 283
• Parent of Chang (昌)
  son 子
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 288
• Parent of Ding (定)
  son 子
  Strongly inferred · Book of Jin 130, passages 288-289

• Kinship Role heirs · Quantity unspecified
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 297

Origins and identity

• Ethnicity Tiefu Xiongnu / barbarian breed 犬熏醜種類
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 292

Career and standing

• ruler 在位
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 287
• Held
  Usurping ruler
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 288

Places and affiliations

• AD 420 宋受禪
  Polity Id liu-song · Relation Contemporary of
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 287
• Polity Helian Xia 夏 · Relation Ruled
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 287-288
• At border territories 邊宇 · Relation Resided
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 292
• At Shuofang 朔方 · Relation Held
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 292
• At Yin Mountains 陰山 · Relation Associated origin · Uncertain true
  Uncertain · Book of Jin 130, passage 295

Works and attributed material

• Eulogy · Subject · Direct quotation · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 298-301
• Historian comment · Subject · Direct quotation · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 292-297

Events and relationships

• Built palaces in place of felt tents
  Architectural · Builder
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 293, 300
• Howled with desert groups and raided
  Military · Raider · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 299
• Mutilated and executed ministers
  Legal · Perpetrator
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 285, 296
• Named capital gates
  Administrative · Namer · At south Attending Song, east Summoning Wei, west Serving Liang, north Pacifying Shuo 朝宋門、招魏門、服涼門、平朔門
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 282
• Personally killed those he resented
  Personal · Perpetrator · At city wall 城上
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 285
• Posthumously honored ancestors
  AD 413 to AD 425 在位十三年 · Ritual · Bestower · With Xun'er (訓兒), Wu (武), Baozi (豹子), Weichen (衛辰), Empress Huanwen (桓文皇后)
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 283

Assessments and attributes

• Assessment barbarian breed who seized the north and unleashed wickedness · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 292
• Assessment destruction should have fallen on him yet reached his heirs; not misfortune · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 297
• Assessment fierce, violent, and murderous, without regard for stable rule · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 284
• Assessment keen insight and remarkable bearing · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 294
• Assessment strategy surpassed others but cruelty unreformed; rejected remonstrance · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 296
• Assessment though he wielded imperial regalia he was still a treacherous bandit chief · Mode historian-judgment
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 301

Source notes

• Historicity historical
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passages 284, 292
• reigned thirteen years; Song received the mandate during his time
  Field reign-length
  Directly stated · Book of Jin 130, passage 287