Kebineng

Kebineng (172 - 235) was one of many Xianbei chieftains that rose in power following the victory of Cao Cao over the Wuhuan tribe.

Overview

When Tadun of the Wuhuan was defeated by Cao Cao, Kebineng and several other Xianbei tribal leaders decided to send tribute to Cao Cao. Because of this deed, Kebineng and these other chiefs were given kingly status. According to the Zizhi Tongjian, Kebineng was a just, honest and charismatic man who managed to win the support of most of the Xianbei. Kebineng’s greatest political rival was another Xianbei chief named Budugen. After Kebineng lured Budugen’s brother into a trap and killed him, Budugen and Kebineng would war incessantly. Budugen’s clan weakened in strength from this fighting, though Kebineng’s faction grew greatly in power from military victory, numbers, and support from Wei.

After Budugen went to the Imperial Chinese court to offer tribute, Kebineng decided to assault the Eastern branch of the Xianbei. The Han began to deem Kebineng as a threat and Tian Yu, the Han-appointed protector of the Wuhuan people, decided to strike at Kebineng’s rear while Kebineng was on campaign. After this incident, relations between the Xianbei tribe under Kebineng’s leadership and the Han Empire (and later the Wei Empire) became strained. Though the Zizhi Tongjian states that on a number of occasions generals like Tian Yu and Liang Xi heavily defeated Kebineng, it is highly unlikely that Kebineng’s clan was completely overwhelmed every time it engaged Han and Wei troops in battle.

On one occasion when Tian Yu went to besiege Kebineng's father-in-law for instance, Kebineng came to assist with tens of thousands of cavalry and would have defeated Tian Yu had he not been persuaded by his advisors and a diplomat named Yen Zhi to call for a cease-fire. The power of Kebineng’s tribe did not significantly wane in any case until his death, but before Kebineng did die, he managed to initiate several devastating raids on the provinces of Yu, Ping and Bing. When Kebineng finally did meet his end, there was a period of relative peace between the Xianbei and China for several decades.

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms

In the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Kebineng was an ally of Cao Wei against the kingdom of Shu Han. According to the same book, Kebineng was a Xianbei chieftain who was bribed by Wei to assault Shu, but ended up fleeing when he learned that the powerful Shu general Ma Chao was in command of the army dispatched to stop him. The reason it is believed he fled was because of Ma Chao's reputation a great warrior among the Qiang whom formed the bulk of Kebineng's unit.

Translation of "Kebineng"

Korean: 가비능, Japanese: 軻比能, Chinese: 軻比能.