Battle of the Fei River
Fei River, near present-day Lu'an, Anhui, China
What happened
Fu Jiān, ruler of the Former Qin state in northern China, fought the Eastern Jin dynasty of southern China, whose generals were Xie An, Xie Shi and Xie Xuan. Fu Jiān had conquered all of northern China and marched south with a huge army to conquer the Eastern Jin. The two armies faced each other across the Fei River, and the Jin general asked Fu Jiān to pull his army back a little so the Jin could cross and fight. Fu Jiān agreed, planning to attack during the crossing, but his army's backward move turned into panic and then a rout.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The victory saved the Eastern Jin and kept southern China independent of the north for about two centuries. Fu Jiān's empire fell apart soon afterward.
What came next
Former Qin fell into civil war and collapsed. Fu Jiān died in 385.
Did you know?
Before the battle, Fu Jiān boasted that his army was so big that if his soldiers all threw their whips into the Yangtze River, they could stop it flowing.
Timeline
- Before 383Fu Jiān unites northern China under Former Qin.
- Autumn 383The Eastern Jin defeat Former Qin at the Fei River.
- 394Former Qin collapses.
- 589China is reunited under one dynasty.