Xin, King of Han

Early life

Hán Xin was a grandson of King Xiang of the Hán state from the Warring States period. Around 207 BC, Hán Xin joined Liu Bang's rebel army in Henan and followed Liu to overthrow the Qin Dynasty. After the fall of Qin in 206 BC, Xiang Yu divided the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms and granted Liu Bang the title of "Prince" or "King of Han" (漢王) and relocated Liu to the remote Bashu region (in present-day Sichuan).

Chu–Han contention

In late 206 BC, Liu Bang led his army out of Bashu to attack the Three Qins. This marked the beginning of a four-year-long power struggle for supremacy over China between Liu and Xiang Yu, which became known as the Chu–Han Contention. At that time, the Hán kingdom was ruled by Zheng Chang, who was appointed "King of Hán" (韓王) by Xiang Yu. Liu Bang promised to help Hán Xin gain back his kingdom, and appointed him as a marshal before sending him to attack Zheng Chang. By the following year, Hán Xin conquered more than ten cities in the Han kingdom and forced Zheng Chang to surrender. Liu Bang granted Hán Xin the title of "Prince" or "King of Hán" (韓王). In 204 BC, Liu Bang was defeated by Xiang Yu at the Battle of Xingyang and Hán Xin was captured by Xiang Yu in battle and temporarily surrendered. Hán Xin managed to escape and return to Liu Bang's side later.

Hán Xin was reinstated as "Prince" or "King of Hán" (韓王) and became a vassal of the Han Dynasty after Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu in 202 BC and became Emperor of China. He was granted the lands around Yingchuan (穎川; in present-day Henan) as his fief and built his capital at Yangzhai (陽翟; present-day Yuzhou City, Henan).

Death

In 201 BC, Emperor Gaozu felt that Hán Xin's fief was in a strategic location and was worried that Hán might pose a threat to him. Hence, under the pretext of sending him to defend the northern border, Gaozu had Hán Xin relocated to Taiyuan (太原) commandery, with Jinyang (晉陽; present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi) as Han's capital. Hán Xin requested to have his capital at Mayi (present-day Shuozhou, Shanxi) instead and Gaozu approved.

Not long later, the Xiongnu attacked Mayi and Gaozu suspected Hán Xin of secretly conspiring with the Xiongnu against him. Gaozu sent an imperial edict to Hán Xin, reprimanding him. Hán Xin was afraid of being exterminated and formed an alliance with the Xiongnu against the Han Empire. In late 200 BC, Gaozu personally led an army to attack Hán Xin and forced him to retreat to Xiongnu territory. However, Gaozu lost to the Xiongnu at the Battle of Baideng and retreated. Hán Xin and the Xiongnu constantly raided the northern border in the following years.

In 196 BC, Hán Xin allied with the Xiongnu again to attack the Han Empire. The Han general Chai Wu (柴武) wrote a letter to Hán, asking him to surrender, but Hán Xin refused. Hán Xin was later killed in action during the battle against Han forces.