Xie An
Rising again from Mount Dong, he directed the Battle of Fei River, where the few defeated the many and preserved the Eastern Jin.
Life
Reclining at Dongshan
Xie An came from the Xie Clan of Chen Commandery. In his youth he lived in seclusion on Mount Dong in Kuaiji, repeatedly refusing summonses to office, and only entered service after 40, giving rise to the idiom "Rising again from Mount Dong."
Resisted Huan Wen
Together with Wang Tanzhi, he resisted the powerful minister Huan Wen's attempt to usurp the throne. After Huan Wen's death he became chancellor and recommended his nephew Xie Xuan to form the Beifu Army.
Battle of Fei River
In 383, when the great army of Former Qin came south, Xie An calmly made his dispositions, sending Xie Shi and Xie Xuan to meet it, and they crushed the Qin army at the Fei River. When the news of victory arrived he was playing go with a guest; after reading it he merely said, "The youngsters have beaten the enemy." He died in 385.
Legacy
Xie An was known for his calm composure; the victory at the Battle of Fei River allowed the Han Chinese regime in the South to survive, and he is regarded as the Eastern Jin's most outstanding chancellor.
Major works & achievements
- Directed the Battle of Fei River
- Preserved Eastern Jin
Did you know? The idiom "rising again from Mount Dong" (making a comeback) comes from him.
Key dates
- 360Rising again from Mount Dong
- 373Resisted Huan Wen's usurpation
- 377Recommended Xie Xuan to form the Beifu Army
- 383Directed the Battle of Fei River
- 385Died