Family background

Ran Min's father Ran Liang (冉良), who later changed his name to Ran Zhan (冉瞻), was from Wei Commandery (魏郡, roughly modern Anyang, Northern Henan) and was a descendant of an aristocratic family, but one who must have, in the serious famines circa 310, joined a group of refugees led by Chen Wu (陳午). When Later Zhao's founder Shi Le defeated Chen in 311, he captured the 11-year-old Ran Zhan as well, and for reasons unknown, he had his nephew Shi Hu adopt Ran Zhan as his son and change his name accordingly to Shi Zhan. Ran Min's mother was named Wang (王). It is not known when he was born, but he would have been known as Shi Min.

A Shi Zhan was mentioned to have died in battle when Shi Hu was defeated by Han Zhao's emperor Liu Yao in 328, but it is not clear whether this Shi Zhan was Shi Min's father.

During Shi Hus reign

In the Book of Jin, Shi Min was described as over 1.9 meters tall and possessed unusual physical strength. As Shi Min grew in age, Shi Hu became impressed by his bravery in battle and battlefield tactics, and he treated Shi Min as his own son. The first mention in history of him as a general was in 338, when Shi Hu unsuccessfully tried to destroy the rival state Former Yan but saw his army collapse after sieging the Former Yan capital Jicheng (棘城, in modern Jinzhou, Liaoning) for about 20 days but failing to capture it. The only army group that remained intact was the one commanded by Shi Min.

During the remainder of Shi Hu's reign, Shi Min was often referred to as a general he turned out to be. For example, in 339, when the Jin general Yu Liang considered launching a major campaign against Later Zhao, Shi Hu chose to react, and he had his general Kui An command five generals, one of whom was Shi Min, to attack Jin's northern regions. (Shi Min's later ally Li Nong was one of the other generals, while Shi Hu's son Shi Jian the Prince of Yiyang was another.) Shi Min was successful in his task, and the five generals together inflicted heavy damages, thwarting Yu's plans. For his accomplishments, Shi Min was created the Duke of Wuxing.

During the confusion after Shi Hus death

After Shi Hu's death in 349, his youngest son and crown prince Shi Shi became emperor, but the government was controlled by Shi Shi's mother Empress Dowager Liu and the official Zhang Chai. Shi Shi's older brother Shi Zun, the Prince of Pengcheng, was unhappy about the situation, and a number of generals who were unimpressed with Empress Dowager Liu and Zhang, including Shi Min, suggested that he march to the capital Yecheng and overthrow them. Shi Zun did so – and also promised to create Shi Min crown prince if they were victorious. In summer 349, Shi Zun defeated Shi Shi's forces and deposed and killed him, along with Empress Dowager Liu and Zhang Chai. Shi Zun claimed the imperial title. However, he did not appoint Shi Min crown prince as promised, but rather appointed another nephew Shi Yan (石衍) crown prince. Further, while he gave Shi Min important posts, he did not allow him to have control of the government, as Shi Min wished. Shi Min became disgruntled.

In winter 349, in fear of Shi Min, Shi Zun summoned a meeting of the princes before his mother, Empress Dowager Zheng, announcing that he would execute Shi Min. Empress Dowager Zheng opposed, reasoning that Shi Min's contributions during the coup against Shi Shi had to be remembered. Shi Zun hesitated, and meanwhile, Shi Jian, one of the princes attending the meeting, quickly reported the news to Shi Min, who acted quickly and surrounded the palace, capturing and executing Shi Zun, Empress Dowager Zheng, Shi Zun's wife Empress Zhang, Shi Yan, and several key officials loyal to Shi Zun. He made Shi Jian emperor, but he and Li Nong seized the control of the government.

Shi Jian could not endure Shi Min's hold on power, and he sent his brother Shi Bao, the Prince of Leping, and the generals Li Song (李松) and Zhang Cai (張才) against Shi Min, but after they were defeated Shi Jian pretended as if they had acted independently and executed them all. Another brother of his, Shi Zhi the Prince of Xinxing, then rose in the old capital Xiangguo (襄國, in modern Xintai, Hebei), in alliance with the Qiang chieftain Yao Yizhong and the Di chieftain Pu Hong against Shi Min and Li Nong. Shi Jian then tried to have the general Sun Fudu (孫伏都), a fellow ethnic Jie, attack Shi Min, but Shi Min quickly defeated him, and Shi Jian, trying to absolve himself, then ordered Shi Min to execute Sun. Shi Min, however, began to realize that Shi Jian was behind Sun's attack, and he decided that he needed to disarm the Jie people, who knew that he was not a Jie but ethnically Chinese. He ordered that all non-Chinese not be allowed to carry arms, and most non-Chinese fled Yecheng after that. Shi Min put Shi Jian under house arrest with no outside communication.

As the non-Chinese tribes continued fleeing Yecheng, Shi Min realized that he would not be able to use the Hu (胡 Barbarians), so he issued an order to the ethnic Chinese according to which each civil servant who killed one Hu (胡) and brought his head to him would be promoted in rank by three degrees, and a military officer would be transferred to the service at his Supreme Command. Shi Min himself led Chinese in killing the Hu (胡) people without regard for sex or age; during the day tens of thousands of heads were severed. In total over 200 thousand people were killed; their bodies were dumped outside the city. Troop commanders in various parts of the state received a rescript from Shi Min to kill the Hus (胡); as a result half of the people with high noses and bushy beards were killed. Among the 200,000 people who died in the massacre many were in fact ethnic Chinese who had high big noses, deep-set eyes and thick full beards, which in combination were considered to be the indicators of non-Hanness.

In 350 Shi Jian, still the nominal head of the state, changed the name of his state from Zhao to Wei (衛) and the imperial clan name from Shi to Li (李), under pressure from Shi Min. Many key officials fled to Shi Zhi. Local generals throughout the empire effectively became independent, waiting for the conflict to be resolved. As Shi Min's troops were busy against Shi Zhi's, Shi Jian made one final attempt against Shi Min, ordering general Zhang Shen (張沈) to attack the capital after Shi Min had left it. However, Shi Jian's eunuchs reported that to Shi Min and Li Nong, and they quickly returned to Yecheng and executed Shi Jian, also killing 38 of Shi Hu's grandsons and the rest of the Shi clan. Shi Min, restoring his father's original family name of Ran (冉), then took the throne as the emperor of a new state, Wei (魏, note different character from the state name declared previously).

Ran Wei

Ran Wei (冉魏) was a short-lived state (350–352) established by Ran Min, as its emperor.

Ran Min honored his mother Lady Wang with a title of empress dowager. He appointed his wife Lady Dong an empress, and his oldest son Ran Zhi a crown prince. His other sons and his ally Li Nong were made princes, Li Nong's sons were given titles of dukes. He proclaimed a general amnesty, hoping to have the generals who became independent abide by his edicts, but few of them accepted, though most Han generals outwardly did not defy him either. For unknown reasons, he soon killed Li. He sent a letter to Emperor Mu of Jin's court with a mixed message, appearing to invite Jin to send forces north and agreeing to submit, but the letter could also be read as a defiant challenge. Jin did not react, although it began to also seek allegiance of the generals in the former territory of Later Zhao southern provinces.

Ran Min's brief reign was characterized by rash decisions and massive executions. He would often react violently to advisors who suggested ideas different from his own, including killing them, and then regret those violent reactions after he realized that he was wrong.

In spring 351, Ran Min set a siege of the Shi Zhi's capital Xiangguo. Shi Zhi sought aid from Former Yan's prince Murong Jun and was able to deal Ran a major defeat. At this time, the Xiongnu soldiers in Yecheng rebelled, captured his son Ran Yin, and surrendered to Shi Zhi, who executed Ran Yin. Ran Min was thought to be dead, but when he appeared in Yecheng, the city was calmed. Shi Zhi had his general Liu Xian (劉顯) siege Yecheng, but Ran Min defeated Liu in battle and awed him so much that Liu agreed that once he returned to Xiangguo, he would kill Shi Zhi and surrender. He did so and sent Shi Zhi's head to Ran Min, and Ran Min had Shi Zhi's head be burned on a busy street in Yecheng. Later Zhao was at its final end.

However, wars continued. Liu Xian, after briefly submitting to Ran Min, proclaimed himself emperor. The western provinces were taken over by Fu Jiàn, who established Former Qin. The southern provinces largely switched their allegiance to Jin. Meanwhile, Former Yan, which had already captured Youzhou (modern Beijing, Tianjin, and northern Hebei) and moved its capital to Jicheng (modern Beijing), continued to advance south. Ran Min, who captured Xiangguo in early 352 and executed Liu Xian, decided to head north to face the Former Yan army, against the advice of several officials who felt that his army needed a rest. The Former Yan general Murong Ke, Murong Jun's brother, pretended to lose several skirmishes and then retreat, tricking Ran Min and his Chinese infantry into the open field, and then used his elite Xianbei cavalry to surround Ran Min's, inflicting great losses. Ran Min himself wielded two weapons, one in each hand, and fought fiercely, inflicting much casualties on the Xianbei soldiers. However Ran Min's famous horse Zhu Long (literally meant "Red Dragon") suddenly died, and he fell off and was captured. Former Yan forces delivered him to Murong Jun, and he insulted Murong Jun. Murong Jun had him whipped 300 times and then executed, although was soon fearful that his spirit was causing a drought, and therefore honored him with the posthumous name Daowu. Ran Min's wife Empress Dong and her son Ran Zhi would hold out for several more months, but eventually surrendered later that year, ending Ran Wei's brief existence.

Ran Min is now mostly known for his order to execute all of the Wu Hu, particularly the Jie. Then he fought with Hu armies in Jizhou, lead to several millions of migrants of different races to flee, and in the way they attacked each other and only 2-3/10 people was able to go back to their origins. The North however soon again fell under control of the Xianbei.

Personal information

• Father

　• Ran Zhan (冉瞻), later adopted by Shi Hu and name changed to Shi Zhan (石瞻), likely died 327 in battle against Han Zhao, posthumously honored as Emperor Gao

• Mother

　• Empress Dowager Wang

• Wife

　• Empress Dong

• Children

　• Ran Zhi (冉智), the Crown Prince (created 350), later created the Marquess of Haibin by Former Yan

　• Ran Yin (冉胤), Prince of Taiyuan (created prince 350, killed by Later Zhao emperor Shi Zhi 351)

　• Ran Ming (冉明), Prince of Pengcheng (created prince 350)

　• Ran Yu (冉裕), Prince of Wuxing (created prince 350)

　• Ran Cao (冉操)

生平

冉閔的父親冉瞻（後改名石瞻）是漢人，原乞活軍陳午部下，隨陳午投降石勒。在十六國中後趙的國君羯人石虎的部下擔任將領，並成為石虎養子，於是改姓石。史書記載，石瞻「驍猛多力，攻戰無前。歷位左積射將軍、西華侯」。石瞻在咸和三年（328年）石虎和前趙劉曜部隊交戰中被劉曜部隊殺死於新絳，但記載並無明確說明戰死的石瞻便是冉閔之父。

石虎在位時，冉閔歷任北中郎將、游擊將軍。

仇殺

永和五年（349年），石虎死，石世即位。同年五月，石遵得到冉閔支持發動政變推翻石世。即位後，冉閔任中外諸軍事、輔國大將軍、錄尚書事。又打敗起兵討伐石遵的沛王石衝。

起初，石遵答應立冉閔為皇儲，後來卻立石衍為皇儲，引發冉閔的不滿。孟準等人勸石遵誅殺冉閔，石遵便與其兄石鑒及母親鄭櫻桃商議，鄭櫻桃認為石遵之所以能夠即位，冉閔有功勞，不可殺他。會後，石鑒將此事密報冉閔。冉閔遂協同漢族將領李農和王基遂推翻並誅殺鄭櫻桃與石遵、石衍，改立石鑒。冉閔被任命為大將軍，封武德王，並掌控大權。

石鑒篡位後，指使石苞及中書令李松、殿中將軍張才等在琨華殿誅殺冉閔和李農，但是謀殺計劃失敗，石鑒假裝不知此事連忙殺掉了石苞和李松。

後來，石虎的另一個兒子石祗在襄國起兵，聯合羌族姚弋仲、氐族蒲洪，發兵誅討冉閔、李農。石鑑於是下詔派兵討伐石祗。大軍外出，鄴城空虛，石氏宗室的中領軍石成、侍中石啟、前河東太守石暉密謀趁機殺死冉閔和李農，謀殺計劃又一次失敗，反被冉閔和李農殺掉。

羯族將領孫伏都秘密集結三千多羯族士兵企圖殺冉閔，故帶隨三十個甲士前往劫持皇帝石鑒，並向其宣稱李農等人要造反，得到石鑒的鼓勵，于是孫伏都攻打冉閔和李農，結果突襲失效，未能成功，只得退回皇宮。石鑒因而騎馬去向冉閔和李農宣稱孫伏都要造反，于是冉閔縱兵直入，血洗宮禁，孫伏都連同黨羽數千被殺，「橫尸相枕，流血成渠」，而石鑒也被幽禁在御龍觀，冉閔派尚書王簡、少府王鬱率數千人看守，用繩子把食物吊給他。

隨後冉閔宣布六夷胡人有敢持兵器的一律斬首，於是出現胡人逃亡的現象。後來冉閔下令安撫人心，宣告「近日孫、劉構逆，支黨伏誅，良善一無預也。今日已後，與官同心者留，不同者各任所之。敕城門不復相禁」，結果是「趙人百里內悉入城，胡、羯去者填門」。冉閔認為胡人不為己用，班令：「內外趙人，斬一胡首送鳳陽門者，文官進位三等，武職悉拜牙門。」，一日之中，斬首數萬。屯據四邊的各鎮，也根據冉閔命令四處捕殺羯胡。由于以驗首計功，以至有羯胡以外的人也因為鼻子高一些的，眼窩比較深的，甚至鬍子濃密而被濫殺。同年十一月，冉閔以其子冉胤為大單于，收攏一千名投降的胡人為其部下，光祿大夫韋謏因反對接受投降的胡人而進諫，但被冉閔所殺。

隨後在冉閔與石祗交戰，兵敗而退，降胡1000人隨即叛亂並殺害大單于冉胤等人而向石祗投降，「于是人物殲矣。賊盜蜂起，司、冀大飢，人相食」，後趙的混戰在中國北部造成了極大混亂，「青、雍、幽、荊州徙戶及諸氐、羌、胡、蠻數百餘萬，各還本土，道路交錯，互相殺掠，且飢疫死亡，其能達者十有二三。諸夏紛亂，無複農者」，於是冉閔後悔殺害韋謏，追贈韋謏為大司徒。

稱帝

350年正月，冉閔改後趙國號為魏，恢復冉姓。石鑒密遣宦者齎書召張沈等密謀反冉閔，宦者告之冉閔、李農，閔、農馳還，廢石鑒殺之，並誅石虎孫三十八人。此後冉閔自稱帝，改國號魏。過一個月，冉閔恢復自己祖父和父親少年時的冉姓。建都于鄴城（今河北邯鄲市臨漳縣城西南20公里鄴城遺址），改年號永興。冉閔遣使臨江告東晉：「胡逆亂中原，今已誅之。若能共討者，可遣軍來也。」由于冉閔已稱帝，加上之前曾參與攻打東晉的戰爭，所以冉魏無法得到東晉支持。

結局

冉閔的政策引來胡人的反抗。350年，石虎庶子石祗于襄國（今河北邢台）稱帝，非漢人的將官紛紛響應。351年，石祗聯合鮮卑、羌人夾擊冉閔，冉閔起初大敗，部眾大量死亡。此戰後，冉閔所據的徐州、豫州、兗州和洛陽等紛紛歸降東晉，冉閔繼續與胡人攻戰。期間冉閔誅殺齊王李農及其三子。

四月，石祗部下劉顯殺死石祗，投降冉閔，後趙滅亡。後來劉顯攻打鄴城並自行稱帝，亦被冉閔攻滅。當時占據遼東並由鮮卑族慕容氏所建的前燕乘機占據幽州，分三路軍隊南下。352年四月丙子（5月17日），慕容恪帶領的前燕軍在廉台（今河北石家莊東部無極縣東北）攻冉閔。起初冉閔出擊，十戰十勝。後來中計陷入鮮卑騎兵重圍，冉閔突圍東走二十餘里，坐騎朱龍突然死亡。冉閔於是被趕上的前燕兵生擒。留守鄴的冉魏部下向前燕投降，前燕占領鄴城，冉魏滅亡。冉閔被送往薊城（今北京），慕容俊質問冉閔：「汝奴僕下才，何自妄稱天子？」冉閔回答：「天下大亂，爾曹夷狄，人面獸心，尚欲篡逆。我一時英雄，何為不可作帝王邪！ 」慕容俊怒，鞭之三百。352年五月辛卯（6月1日），冉閔在龍城（今遼寧朝陽）被斬首，諡號為武悼天王。冉閔的疑似後人冉華（染華）的墓誌上稱冉閔為平帝，羅新教授認為這可能是冉魏政權給冉閔上的謚號。

大臣

家庭

父

• 烈祖高皇帝 冉瞻

母

• 王太后

后妃

• 董皇后

• 仇世婦

子

• 太子 冉智，後為前燕海賓侯

• 太原王 冉胤，351年被石祇所殺

• 彭城王 冉明

• 武興王 冉裕

• 冉操

• 冉叡，燕散騎常侍、海冥縣侯