| Murong Chao 慕容超 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emperor of Southern Yan | |||||||||
| Reign | September 19, 405[1][2] – March 25, 410[3][1] | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Murong De | ||||||||
| Born | 385[3][4] | ||||||||
| Died | 410 (aged 24–25)[3] Jiankang, Eastern Jin | ||||||||
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| House | Murong | ||||||||
| Dynasty | Southern Yan | ||||||||
Murong Chao (Chinese: 慕容超; 385–410), courtesy name Zuming (祖明), was the second and last emperor of the Xianbei-led Chinese Southern Yan dynasty. He was the nephew of the founding emperor Murong De (Emperor Xianwu) who was trapped under the rule of the Later Qin dynasty, but was welcomed to the Southern Yan after his uncle found out about his existence. Because Murong De had no surviving sons, Murong Chao inherited his throne after his death in 405. Initially considered able, Murong Chao turned out to be capricious and thoroughly unwilling to accept criticism once he became emperor, and after he provoked the Eastern Jin dynasty, the Eastern Jin general Liu Yu captured and killed him in 410, ending the Southern Yan. The Book of Jin described Murong Chao as a handsome man about 1.96 metres tall.