Background The Duan tribe was founded within the
Great Wall at
Liaoxi Commandery, where the
Wuhuan tribes once resided as vassals to the
Han dynasty. Following their defeat at the
Battle of White Wolf Mountain in 207, the power of the Wuhuan gradually declined as they were scattered and assimilated with the surrounding
Han Chinese and
Xianbei. The founder of the Duan tribe was said to be
Rilujuan (or Jiulujuan), a Xianbei slave of a Wuhuan family in
Yuyang Commandery, the Kunuguan (庫辱官). When a famine broke out in Yuyang, the Kunuguan sent him to Liaoxi to scour for food, but he instead took the opportunity to escape. He gathered a group of exiles and rebels to establish a base at Lingzhi (令支, in present-day
Qian'an,
Hebei), a city that had been abandoned during the
Han dynasty. They adopted the
Han Chinese family name of "Duan" (段) as their tribe's name. Rilujuan was succeeded by his younger brother
Qizhen, who was then succeeded by his son,
Duan Wuwuchen. By the
Western Jin dynasty, the tribe had grown to 30,000 families and had around 45,000 cavalry under their wing. The Duan under Wuwuchen were recognized as a vassal by the Jin court.
Liaoxi dukedom (303–338) During the
War of the Eight Princes, the Jin Chief Controller of
You province,
Wang Jun sought to secure his position by allying with the surrounding
Xianbei and
Wuhuan people. He entered a marriage alliance with Duan Wuwuchen, offering him a fiefdom as the "Duke of Liaoxi" in return for his tribe's military service. Wang Jun's barbarian auxiliaries were a deciding factor in the civil wars, with the Duan playing a role in his victory against the Prince of Chengdu,
Sima Ying in 304. The Duan continued to support Wang Jun in his war against the
Xiongnu state of
Han-Zhao, battling the
Jie warlord,
Shi Le with much success. Wuwuchen died around 310, and was succeeded by his son,
Duan Jilujuan. In 313, after some negotiations, Jilujuan agreed with Shi Le to break off relations with Wang Jun and withdraw from the conflict. Wang Jun was defeated by Shi Le in 314, but soon after, Jilujuan's brother,
Duan Pidi, led a branch of the Duan loyal to Jin and seized control of Wang Jun's old capital in
Jicheng. The Duan was effectively split into two, but civil war only broke out following the death of Jilujuan in 318. That year, Jilujuan's cousin,
Duan Mobo, seized power from his uncle,
Duan Shefuchen, and fought with Pidi over full control of the tribe. In 321, Pidi was captured and later killed by Shi Le's state of
Later Zhao, making Mopei the sole leader of the Duan. At this point, the Duan's state of Liaoxi stretched from Yuyang Commandery to the
Liao River. After Mopei died in 325, his brother and successor,
Duan Ya was quickly overthrown by his cousin,
Duan Liao after he attempted to move the capital. Throughout his reign, Duan Liao fought with the rival
Murong-Xianbei tribe in Liaodong, but suffered repeated losses. In 338, the Murong, who by now had established the
Former Yan, allied with the Later Zhao to destroy the Duan. Duan Liao was defeated and surrendered to Former Yan, thus ending the Duan's independent state.
Later history While Duan Liao was killed for rebelling in 339, the Duan remained a prominent family within the Former Yan and their successors states of
Later Yan,
Western Yan and
Southern Yan as maternal relatives due to a number of their women such as
Duan Yuanfei and
Duan Jifei marrying into the Murong family. Other Duan members fled to Later Zhao where they became generals, including
Duan Lan and
Duan Qin. During the collapse of the Later Zhao, Duan Lan's son,
Duan Kan, founded the short-lived
Duan Qi state in
Shandong in 350, while Duan Qin declared himself the Emperor of Zhao in 352; both were eventually captured and executed by the Former Yan. According to the
Book of Zhou, Duan Pidi's ancestors changed their family name from Duan to Kudi (庫狄), later
sinicized to
Di (狄). ==Chieftains of the Duan==