Yuwen Mogui

Yuwen Mogui (Chinese: 宇文莫圭 or 宇文莫珪 or 宇文莫廆; pinyin: Yǔwén Mòguī; Wade–Giles: Yü-wen Mo-kuei, died after 302) was a chieftain of the Yuwen tribe. He succeeded his father Yuwen Qiubuqin as chieftain, likely in 299,[1] and was succeeded by his son Yuwen Xunniyan.[2] He waged frequent wars on the Murong and other tribes, and greatly expanded Yuwen's territory and prestige. Under his leadership, the Yuwen tribe controlled an area extending from modern Hebei in the west to Chaoyang, Liaoning in the east, including the Shira Muren and the Laoha River valleys.[3]

In 299, he entered into a marriage alliance with the Tuoba tribe, as his son Yuwen Xunniyan married Tuoba Luguan's eldest daughter.[4] This alliance protected the Tuoba against incursions by the Murong tribe and their Duan allies.[5]

In late 302, Yuwen Mogui took the title shanyu and dispatched a force led by his younger brother, Yuwen Quyun (宇文屈雲), to fight against the Murong chieftain Murong Hui. Yuwen Quyun was unsuccessful, so he recruited a tribal leader named Sunuyan (素怒延),[6] possibly a Tuoba, to attack Murong Hui. Sunuyan besieged Murong Hui in his capital but, unable to conquer it, was eventually routed by the Murong army.[7]

Yuwen Mogui
Regnal titles
Preceded by Chieftain of the Yuwen
299–? 		Succeeded by
  1. ^ In 299, Yuwen Mogui's son Yuwen Xunniyan went to offer tribute to the Tuoba leader Tuoba Luguan and married Tuoba Luguan's eldest daughter; see Holmgren, p. 59. This most likely took place when Yuwen Mogui first became the chieftain.
  2. ^ The Book of Wei confused Yuwen Xunniyan with the military commander Yuwen Xiduguan (宇文悉獨官), see Holmgren, p. 33.
  3. ^ Xu, Elina-Qian (2005). Historical Development of Pre-Dynastic Khitan (PDF) (M.A. thesis). University of Helsinki. p. 92. ISBN 952-10-0498-3. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  4. ^ Holmgren, p. 59.
  5. ^ Holmgren, pp. 31–32.
  6. ^ The Book of Wei calls him Suyan (素延), see Holmgren, p. 32.
  7. ^ Holmgren, p. 32.