Ran Min facts for kids

Ran Min (simplified Chinese: 冉闵; traditional Chinese: 冉閔; pinyin: Rǎn Mǐn; died 352), also known as Shi Min, was a strong military leader in ancient China. He lived during a time called the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Ran Min was the only emperor of a short-lived state known as Ran Wei.

He is remembered for a difficult period when many people, both Han and non-Han, were killed between 349 and 350. This happened under his orders. After his death, he was given the special title of Heavenly King Wudao of (Ran) Wei by the Former Yan state.

Ran Min's Early Life and Family

Ran Min's father, Ran Liang, came from an important family in the Wei region. Around the year 310, there was a serious famine, and Ran Liang joined a group of people looking for food and safety.

In 311, a powerful leader named Shi Le defeated this group. He captured Ran Liang, who was only 11 years old at the time. For reasons we don't know, Shi Le's nephew, Shi Hu, adopted Ran Liang as his own son. Ran Liang's name was then changed to Shi Zhan. Ran Min was born later and was known as Shi Min. His mother's name was Wang.

A Strong General Under Shi Hu

The historical book Book of Jin describes Shi Min as a very tall and strong person. As he grew up, Shi Hu was very impressed by Shi Min's bravery in battles and his smart military plans. Shi Hu treated Shi Min like his own son.

Shi Min first became known as a general in 338. Shi Hu tried to conquer a rival state called Former Yan. His army surrounded the Former Yan capital, Jicheng, for about 20 days but couldn't capture it. Shi Hu's army fell apart, but the only group that stayed strong and organized was the one led by Shi Min.

After this, Shi Min often served as a general for Shi Hu. For example, in 339, when the Jin state planned a big attack against Later Zhao, Shi Hu reacted quickly. He sent five generals, including Shi Min, to attack Jin's northern areas. Shi Min was very successful, and his group caused a lot of damage, stopping Jin's plans. Because of his achievements, Shi Min was given the title of Duke of Wuxing.

Power Struggles After Shi Hu's Death

When Shi Hu died in 349, his youngest son, Shi Shi, became emperor. However, Shi Shi's mother, Empress Dowager Liu, and an official named Zhang Chai, held the real power.

Shi Shi's older brother, Shi Zun, was unhappy about this. Several generals, including Shi Min, who didn't like Empress Dowager Liu and Zhang, suggested that Shi Zun march to the capital, Yecheng, and remove them from power. Shi Zun agreed and also promised to make Shi Min his crown prince if they won.

In the summer of 349, Shi Zun defeated Shi Shi's forces. He then removed and killed Shi Shi, Empress Dowager Liu, and Zhang Chai. Shi Zun became the new emperor. However, he did not keep his promise to Shi Min. Instead, he made another nephew, Shi Yan, the crown prince. Shi Min was given important jobs, but he wasn't allowed to control the government, which he wanted. This made Shi Min very unhappy.

In late 349, Shi Zun became afraid of Shi Min. He called a meeting with other princes and his mother, Empress Dowager Zheng. He announced that he planned to execute Shi Min. Empress Dowager Zheng disagreed, saying they should remember Shi Min's help in taking power. Shi Zun hesitated.

Meanwhile, one of the princes at the meeting, Shi Jian, quickly told Shi Min what was happening. Shi Min acted fast. He surrounded the palace, captured, and executed Shi Zun, Empress Dowager Zheng, Shi Zun's wife, Shi Yan, and several key officials loyal to Shi Zun. Shi Min then made Shi Jian the new emperor, but Shi Min and his ally, Li Nong, took control of the government.

Ran Min's Rise to Power

Shi Jian did not like Shi Min's control. He tried to get rid of Shi Min by sending his brother Shi Bao and other generals to attack him. But they were defeated. Shi Jian then pretended they had acted on their own and executed them all.

Another of Shi Jian's brothers, Shi Zhi, then started a rebellion in the old capital, Xiangguo. He allied with leaders of other groups, the Qiang and Di, against Shi Min and Li Nong. Shi Jian then tried to have a general named Sun Fudu attack Shi Min. But Shi Min quickly defeated Sun. Shi Jian, trying to clear himself, ordered Shi Min to execute Sun.

However, Shi Min began to realize that Shi Jian was behind the attack. He decided he needed to disarm the Jie people, who knew he was not a Jie but ethnically Chinese. He ordered that no non-Chinese people be allowed to carry weapons. Most non-Chinese people then fled Yecheng. Shi Min placed Shi Jian under house arrest, meaning he couldn't leave or talk to anyone outside.

As non-Chinese groups continued to leave Yecheng, Shi Min realized he couldn't rely on them. He then issued a new order to the ethnic Chinese. He said that any government worker who killed a "Hu" (a term for non-Chinese people) would be promoted. A military officer would be given a higher position. Ran Min himself led Chinese people in killing "Hu" people, regardless of their age or gender. In total, over 200,000 people were killed. Many of these were actually ethnic Chinese who had features like large noses or thick beards, which were sometimes mistaken for non-Chinese traits.

In 350, Shi Jian, who was still officially the emperor, changed the name of his state from Zhao to Wei and the imperial family name from Shi to Li. This was because of pressure from Shi Min. Many important officials fled to Shi Zhi. Local generals across the empire became independent, waiting to see who would win the conflict.

While Shi Min's troops were fighting Shi Zhi's, Shi Jian made one last attempt against Shi Min. He ordered a general named Zhang Shen to attack the capital after Shi Min had left it. However, Shi Jian's palace servants reported this to Shi Min and Li Nong. They quickly returned to Yecheng and executed Shi Jian. They also killed 38 of Shi Hu's grandsons and the rest of the Shi family. Ran Min then took back his father's original family name, Ran, and became the emperor of a new state, Wei.

Ran Wei's Brief Reign

As emperor, Ran Min gave his mother, Lady Wang, the title of empress dowager. He made his wife, Lady Dong, the empress, and his oldest son, Ran Zhi, the crown prince. His other sons and his ally Li Nong were made princes.

Ran Min announced a general pardon, hoping that other generals would accept his rule. Few did, though most Han generals didn't openly fight him. For unknown reasons, Ran Min soon killed Li Nong. He also sent a message to the Emperor Mu of Jin's court. The message was unclear, seeming to invite Jin forces north but also sounding like a challenge. Jin did not react, but it did start to gain support from generals in the southern parts of the former Later Zhao territory.

Ran Min's short time as emperor was marked by quick decisions and many executions. He often reacted violently to advisors who disagreed with him, sometimes killing them. He would then regret these actions later when he realized he was wrong. He also changed his mind about his policy against the "Hu" people, hoping to win their support again. He made his son, Ran Yin, the Grand Chanyu, a leader in charge of managing the tribes. He even executed an official who suggested he continue being hostile towards the "Hu."

In spring 351, Ran Min surrounded Shi Zhi's capital, Xiangguo. Shi Zhi asked for help from Murong Jun, a prince of Former Yan. With this help, Shi Zhi was able to defeat Ran Min's army. At this time, some Xiongnu soldiers in Yecheng rebelled. They captured Ran Yin and surrendered to Shi Zhi, who then executed Ran Yin. People thought Ran Min was dead, but when he appeared in Yecheng, the city calmed down.

Shi Zhi then had his general Liu Xian surround Yecheng. But Ran Min defeated Liu in battle. Liu was so impressed that he agreed to kill Shi Zhi and surrender once he returned to Xiangguo. He did so and sent Shi Zhi's head to Ran Min, who had it burned in a public street in Yecheng. This was the final end of the Later Zhao state.

However, wars continued. Liu Xian, after briefly submitting to Ran Min, declared himself emperor. The western areas were taken over by Fu Jiàn, who started the Former Qin state. Most of the southern areas switched their loyalty to Jin. Meanwhile, Former Yan, which had already taken over northern regions and moved its capital, continued to move south.

In early 352, Ran Min captured Xiangguo and executed Liu Xian. He then decided to go north to face Former Yan's army. This was against the advice of several officials who thought his army needed rest. Former Yan's general Murong Ke, Murong Jun's brother, pretended to lose some small fights and then retreated. This tricked Ran Min and his Chinese foot soldiers into an open field. Murong Ke then used his skilled Xianbei cavalry to surround Ran Min's soldiers, causing huge losses.

Ran Min himself fought fiercely with two weapons, causing many casualties among the Xianbei soldiers. But his famous horse, Zhu Long ("Red Dragon"), suddenly died, and he fell off. He was then captured. Former Yan's forces took him to Murong Jun. Ran Min insulted Murong Jun, who had him whipped and then executed. However, Murong Jun later feared that Ran Min's spirit was causing a drought, so he honored him with the special title of Daowu.

Ran Min's wife, Empress Dong, and their son Ran Zhi, held out for several more months but eventually surrendered later that year. This ended the short existence of the Ran Wei state.

Ran Min is mostly known for his order to execute many of the Wu Hu people, especially the Jie. After this, he fought with other groups in the Jizhou area. Millions of people from different groups tried to flee, but on their way, they often attacked each other. Only a small number of people were able to return to their homes.

Personal Information

• Father: Ran Zhan (冉瞻), later adopted by Shi Hu and named Shi Zhan (石瞻). He likely died in 327 fighting against Han-Zhao. He was later honored as Emperor Gao.
• Mother: Empress Dowager Wang
• Wife: Empress Dong
• Children:
  • Ran Zhi (冉智), the Crown Prince (made crown prince in 350). He was later made the Marquess of Haibin by Former Yan.
  • Ran Yin (冉胤), Prince of Taiyuan (made prince in 350, killed by Later Zhao emperor Shi Zhi in 351).
  • Ran Ming (冉明), Prince of Pengcheng (made prince in 350).
  • Ran Yu (冉裕), Prince of Wuxing (made prince in 350).
  • Ran Cao (冉操)

See Also

• Jie (ethnic group)
• Wu Hu
• List of past Chinese ethnic groups
• Later Zhao
• Shi Hu
• Former Yan