The Western Yan (西燕 Xī Yān; 384–394) was a state of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms in China. It was founded by Murong Hong in 384 in the aftermaths of Former Qin's defeat by Jin dynasty (266–420) at the Battle of Fei River, with the stated intent of permitting the Xianbei, whom Former Qin's emperor Fu Jiān had relocated to Former Qin's capital region after destroying Former Yan in 370. It initially also was intended to rescue the last Former Yan emperor Murong Wei, until he was executed by Fu Jiān in 385. It was a state that was characterized by extreme political instability and internal fighting, as all seven of its rulers (during a short span of 10 years) died of unnatural causes. After eviscerating Former Qin, the people of the state abandoned the Guanzhong region and headed east back toward their homeland, but eventually settled down in modern Shanxi. It was destroyed in 394 as Later Yan's emperor Murong Chui wanted to reunite the people formerly of Yan and conquered it.

Some rulers of the Western Yan declared themselves emperors while some declared themselves wang (translatable as either "king" or "prince").

Read more...: Rulers of the Western Yan  

西燕（）是中國十六國時期慕容氏諸燕之一，由鮮卑慕容泓建立的政權。共存在10年。

前秦苻堅滅前燕後，盡徙鮮卑入關中。苻堅淝水兵敗後，政權陷于瓦解。晉太元九年（384年），前燕皇帝慕容暐之弟慕容泓起兵反秦，在華陰（今陝西華陰縣東南）自稱濟北王。因其地處于後燕、南燕、北燕之西，史稱「西燕」。

其弟慕容衝也起兵反秦，兵敗後歸于慕容泓。慕容泓兵勢大振，有眾10萬。後謀臣高蓋等因慕容泓執法苛暴，殺慕容泓，擁立慕容衝為皇太弟。

次年（385年）慕容衝稱帝于阿房（今陝西西安市西），率軍陷長安（今陝西西安西北），縱兵暴掠。鮮卑貴族都想東歸，不願留在關中，太元十一年（386年）殺慕容衝。此後有數位前燕貴族和將領被擁立為君主，最後慕容廆族孫慕容永立為河東王，率眾東歸，擊敗前秦苻丕，據有長子（今山西長子縣西），稱帝。西燕強盛時，統治南抵軹關，北至新興，東依太行，西臨黃河。

西燕中興九年（394年），後燕發兵先勝于臺壁、再陷長子，殺死慕容永及其公卿大將三十多人，西燕亡。西燕政治混亂，政變不斷，國祚僅10年，經歷了7位君主，除了末代君主慕容永外皆死于政變。其中386年，竟然一年之內連續5位君主被殺。

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