Moqi Chounu（?–530 CE）was a native of Gaoping（modern Guyuan, Ningxia）, belonging to the Moqi branch of the Xiongnu. He was a prominent rebel leader and supreme insurgent commander during the widespread Guanlong uprisings in the late Northern Wei dynasty. In 524 CE, he joined Hu Chen's revolt against Northern Wei oppression. Following Hu Chen's death in 526 CE, Moqi Chounu assumed command of the rebel contingents, decisively…
?–530 CENorthern Dynasties
PROFILE
Moqi Chounu（?–530 CE）was a native of Gaoping（modern Guyuan, Ningxia）, belonging to the Moqi branch of the Xiongnu. He was a prominent rebel leader and supreme insurgent commander during the widespread Guanlong uprisings in the late Northern Wei dynasty. In 524 CE, he joined Hu Chen's revolt against Northern Wei oppression. Following Hu Chen's death in 526 CE, Moqi Chounu assumed command of the rebel contingents, decisively defeating multiple imperial pacification armies. In 528 CE, he proclaimed himself emperor at Gaoping, establishing the era name Tianshou and appointing imperial civil ministers. Defected Northern Wei commanders such as Xiao Baoyin submitted to his command. In 530 CE, the Northern Wei court dispatched Erzhu Tianguang and Haba Yue to pacify the western frontier; Moqi Chounu was outmaneuvered, captured at Pingting, and executed in Luoyang.
Attribute
Details
Identity
Guanlong Rebel Leader, Regional Commander
Era
Northern and Southern Dynasties（Northern Wei）
Dynasty
Northern Wei
Highest Office
Supreme Commander of Rebel Forces（Self-proclaimed Sovereign）
Date of Birth
Unknown
Date of Death
530 CE（the 1st year of Jianming）
Native Place
Gaoping（present-day Guyuan, Ningxia）
LIFE TIMELINE
Uprising at Gaoping ｜ Joined the Guanlong rebellions under Hu Chen at Open
Uprising at Gaoping ｜ Joined the Guanlong rebellions under Hu Chen at Gaoping against the Northern Wei court.
Command of Rebel Forces ｜ Assumed leadership over the insurgent army fOpen
Command of Rebel Forces ｜ Assumed leadership over the insurgent army following Hu Chen's death, unifying rebel factions across the northwest.
Proclamation of Sovereignty ｜ Declared himself sovereign at Gaoping, eOpen
Proclamation of Sovereignty ｜ Declared himself sovereign at Gaoping, establishing the era name Tianshou and appointing a civil bureaucracy.
Seizure of Dongqin ｜ Captured Dongqin fortress and killed its inspectoOpen
Seizure of Dongqin ｜ Captured Dongqin fortress and killed its inspector, consolidating control over the upper Jing and Wei river basins.
Defeat and Execution ｜ Defeated by Northern Wei commanders Erzhu TiangOpen
Defeat and Execution ｜ Defeated by Northern Wei commanders Erzhu Tianguang and Haba Yue at Pingting; captured and executed in Luoyang.
BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Origins and Outbreak of Rebellion
Moqi Chounu belonged to the Moqi tribe of Xiongnu lineage settled around Gaoping Commandery. During the late Northern Wei dynasty, deep socio-economic inequalities and political marginalization of frontier garrisons culminated in wide-ranging revolts. In 524 CE, Hu Chen initiated an insurrection at Gaoping, rallying thousands of pastoralist nomads and frontier settlers. Moqi Chounu joined the movement as an energetic junior captain, quickly earning distinction for his battlefield bravery.
Supreme Leadership in Guanlong
In 526 CE, following Hu Chen's demise during clashes with imperial loyalists, Moqi Chounu was unanimously acclaimed supreme commander by the insurgent armies. He rapidly reorganized scattered tribal groups and defeated Northern Wei punitive expeditions across northern Shaanxi and eastern Gansu. In 528 CE, capitalizing on the political paralysis in Luoyang triggered by the Heyin Incident, Moqi Chounu declared himself sovereign (Tianzi) at Gaoping, adopting the regnal era Tianshou and establishing an independent administrative hierarchy. Northern Wei Grand Administrator Xiao Baoyin, seeking refuge after a failed uprising, submitted to Moqi Chounu and was appointed Grand Tutor (Taifu). In 529 CE, Moqi Chounu took Dongqin, liquidating local imperial garrisons and consolidating total dominion over the upper basins of the Jing and Wei rivers.
The Western Campaign and Execution
Alarmed by the loss of the western provinces, the Northern Wei court under the paramount general Erzhu Rong dispatched Erzhu Tianguang, accompanied by veteran generals Haba Yue and Houmochen Yue, to suppress the revolt in 530 CE. Haba Yue employed deceptive tactics, releasing rumors that his troops were dispersing to farm while secretly advancing elite cavalry squadrons under cover of night. Surprised at his mountain encampment at Pingting, Moqi Chounu attempted to flee toward Gaoping but was pursued, surrounded, and captured alive by Haba Yue's scouts. Transported to the imperial capital of Luoyang alongside Xiao Baoyin, he was publicly executed, bringing an end to the prominent Guanlong rebellion.
Major Activities
Leading the Western Tribal Insurrection
Between 526 and 530 CE, Moqi Chounu led multi-ethnic insurgent coalitions across the Guanlong region, repelling successive Northern Wei imperial forces and creating a self-governing administrative zone.
Autonomous Imperial Proclamation
In 528 CE, he proclaimed the Tianshou reign title at Gaoping, minting coins, organizing frontier militias, and challenging the legitimacy of the Luoyang court.
Personal Relations
Predecessor Leader: Hu Chen (Original leader of Gaoping rebellion).
Book of Wei (Wei Shu): Recorded that Moqi Chounu exploited regional unrest, establishing a rebellious regime in the northwest before meeting decisive defeat.
History of Northern Dynasties (Bei Shi): Noted his personal valor and mastery over light cavalry tactics, which dominated the upper Wei basin for years.
Zizhi Tongjian: Detailed how his stubborn resistance in the western mountainous redoubts required the concerted strategic coordination of Haba Yue and Erzhu Tianguang.