Kebineng

Chinese
t=軻比能
s=轲比能

Ke Bineng (172 - 235) was one of many Xianbei chieftains that rose in power following the victory of Cao Cao over the Wuhuan tribe. In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Ke Bineng was an ally of Cao Wei against the kingdom of Shu Han. According to the same book, Ke Bineng was a Xianbei chieftain who was bribed by Wei to assault Shu, but ended up fleeing when he learned that the powerful Shu general Ma Chao was in command of the army dispatched to stop him. The reason it is believed he fled was because of Ma Chao's reputation a great warrior among the Qiang whom formed the bulk of Ke's unit.

Overview

When Ta Dun of the Wuhuan was defeated by Cao Cao, Ke Bineng and several other Xianbei tribal leaders decided to send tribute to Cao Cao. Because of this deed, Ke Bineng and these other chiefs were given kingly status. According to the Zizhi Tongjian, Ke Bineng was a just, honest and charismatic man who managed to win the support of most of the Xianbei. Ke Bineng’s greatest political rival was another Xianbei chief named Bu Dugen. After Ke Bineng lured Bu Dugen’s brother into a trap and killed him, Bu Dugen and Ke Bineng would war incessantly. Bu Dugen’s clan weakened in strength from this fighting, though Ke Bineng’s faction grew greatly in power from military victory, numbers, and support from Wei.

After Bu Dugen went to the Imperial Chinese court to offer tribute, Ke Bineng decided to assault the Eastern branch of the Xianbei. The Han began to deem Ke Bineng as a threat and Tian Yu, the Han-appointed protector of the Wuhuan people, decided to strike at Ke Bineng’s rear while Ke Bineng was on campaign. After this incident, relations between the Xianbei tribe under Ke Bineng’s leadership and the Han Empire (and later the Wei Empire) became strained. Though the Zizhi Tongjian states that on a number of occasions generals like Tian Yu and Liang Xi heavily defeated Ke Bineng, it is highly unlikely that Ke Bineng’s clan was completely overwhelmed every time it engaged Han and Wei troops in battle.

On one occasion when Tian Yu went to besiege Ke Bineng's father-in-law for instance, Ke Bineng came to assist with tens of thousands of cavalry and would have defeated Tian Yu had he not been persuaded by his advisors and a diplomat named Yen Zhi to call for a cease-fire. The power of Ke Bineng’s tribe did not significantly wane in any case until his death, but before Ke Bineng did die, he managed to initiate several devastating raids on the provinces of Yu, Ping and Bing. When Ke Bineng finally did meet his end, there was a period of relative peace between the Xianbei and China for several decades.

ee also

*Three Kingdoms
*Personages of the Three Kingdoms
*"Records of Three Kingdoms"
*"Romance of the Three Kingdoms"