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Sima Xun (306 – c.July 366), courtesy name Weichang, was a military general and warlord of the Chinese Eastern Jin dynasty. Following the destruction of the Han-Zhao dynasty in 329, Sima Xun fled south to the Eastern Jin based in Jiankang, where he grew to hold both military and provincial power. Based in Liangzhou, he participated in a series of northern expeditions in the mid-4th century but was ultimately unsuccessful. Sima Xun was cruel and ambitious, and in 365, he rebelled in hopes of claiming independence in Liangzhou. However, his rebellion was quelled by Zhu Xu in a matter of months, and he was subsequently executed by Huan Wen.

Early life

Sima Xun claimed to be the great-great-grandson of Sima Xún (司馬恂), a brother of Sima Yi. He was nine years old and living in Chang'an in 316 when the city fell to Han-Zhao forces led by Liu Yao that year. Liu Yao's general, Linghu Ni (令狐泥) discovered Sima Xun and decided to adopt him as his own son. Growing up under Linghu Ni, he learnt to ride horses and excelled in archery, so much so that he was capable of firing a bow with either one of his hands.

Han-Zhao was destroyed by its rival state Later Zhao in 329. Xun was able to escape the Guanzhong region and made his way to Jiangnan. In 331, he arrived in Jiankang, where a branch of the Sima clan had relocated and made it their dynasty's new capital. There, he declared "I am the great-great-grandson of the Empress's Chamberlain, Xun, the great-grandson of the Champion General and Prince Hui of Jinan, Sui, and the son of the Administrator of Lueyang, Guan." The imperial court believed him and welcomed him back, making him Supervisor of the Internuncios. Despite being acknowledged as a Sima, he was never given a princely title throughout his time in Jin.

Service under the Jin dynasty

Early career

In 336, Sima Xun was sent to Hanzhong to gather and populate the area with Jin subjects. At the time, Hanzhong was a part of Cheng-Han's domain. When the Han emperor Li Qi, noticed Xun's activities, he sent his general Li Shou to attack him. Xun was routed, and after he fled, Li Shou reinforced the area by appointing new local administrators.

By 344, Sima Xun had grown to become Yu Yi's Army Advisor. That year, the Inspector of Liangzhou, Huan Xuan (桓宣) passed away, so Yu Yi appointed Xun to replace him. At the time of Xun's appointment, Cheng-Han held a portion of Liangzhou, so his control was only limited to Jin's half of the province. The situation changed in 347, when the general Huan Wen conquered Han and took back the remaining parts of Yizhou and Liangzhou for Jin. After this event, Sima Xun's territory and influence expanded.

Northern expeditions

In 349, Later Zhao went through a hasty decline after the death of its emperor, Shi Hu. His successor, Shi Shi, was removed in a coup by his brother Shi Zun just a month into his reign. Shi Zun's coup riled up his brothers and a number of rebellions sprung up in Zhao. Seeing this vulnerability, Jin decided to react quickly and began holding expeditions to reclaim the north. Sima Xun saw his opening that year when the people of Yongzhou urged him to overthrow the prince, Shi Bao (石苞), who was infamously incompetent and was planning to attack Shi Zun.

Sima Xun marched through the Luo Valley (駱谷; southwest of present-day Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi) and captured Changcheng. He camped at Xuangou (懸鈎) before sending his general Liu Huan (劉煥) to capture the ancient capital of Chang'an. While doing so, Liu Huan killed the Zhao Administrator of Jingzhao, Liu Xiuli (劉秀離) and captured Hecheng (賀城, in present-day Zhouzhi County, Shaanxi). The people around the region killed any Zhao officials they could find and welcomed the Jin forces. Faced with this crisis, Shi Bao called off his plans and sent Ma Qiu and Yao Guo (姚国) to repel Sima Xun. Shi Zun also sent Wang Lang to help Shi Bao, and Xun, feeling that the Zhao forces had him outnumbered, decided not to advance. When winter came, Xun decided to retreat. Along the way, in c.November, he captured the city of Wancheng from Zhao and killed their Administrator of Nanyang, Yuan Jing (袁景) before returning to his base in Liangzhou.

Zhao continued to deteriorate as Ran Min took over the government later in 349. In 351, Former Qin forces drove out Du Hong (杜洪) and Zhang Ju (張舉) from the Guanzhong region. The two men asked Sima Xun for assistance, so he marched back north again. Qin's ruler, Fu Jian personally met his forces at Wuzhang Plains and repeatedly defeated him. Sima Xun eventually forfeited and retreated to Nanzheng.

Meanwhile, Du Hong and Zhang Ju were falling out with each other. Du considered his family superior to Zhang's and constantly berated him. Angered, Zhang ordered his men to injure Du. Du knew how much Xun was worried of Zhang's power, and so managed to persuade him to kill Zhang. In 352, Sima Xun pretended to invite Zhang Ju over to meet him but instead had him arrested and executed. Zhang Ju's brother (whose name was not recorded) attacked Sima Xun, but the two agreed to a truce and Sima Xun returned south. Du declared himself King of Qin, but he was killed by Fu Jian's forces not long after.

Xiao Jingwen's rebellion

Back in 347, a Jin general by the name of Xiao Jingwen (蕭敬文) had rebelled in Fucheng and declared himself King of Chengdu, stirring trouble in Baxi (巴西; around present-day Langzhong, Sichuan) and Hanzhong. The Inspector of Yizhou, Zhou Fu (周撫) campaigned against him for the next five years but could not capture his capital. In late 352, Huan Wen sent Sima Xun to help Zhou Fu, and the two generals finally managed to kill Xiao Jingwen and put down his rebellion.

Huan Wen's 1st northern expedition

In March 354, Huan Wen launched his first northern expedition in collaboration with Sima Xun and Former Liang. Sima Xun harassed Qin through the Ziwu Valley (子午谷; east of present-day Yang County, Shaanxi) while Liang's general, Wang Zhuo captured the city of Chencang . Huan Wen defeated Qin in the early stages of the Battle of Bailu Plains, so the Qin commander Fu Xiong shifted his focus to retaking areas in the west. Fu Xiong routed Sima Xun, causing him to retreat to Fort Nüwa (女媧堡). Fu Xiong then returned to Bailu Plains, where this time he defeated Huan Wen and forced him to turn back. Sima Xun faced Fu Xiong again at Chencang together with Wang Zhuo, but they too were defeated. Xun retreated to Hanzhong while Wang fled to Lueyang, officially ending the expedition in failure.

Rebellion and death

For the next decade, Sima Xun remained in Liangzhou, seeing little to no action at all. He was cruel in administrating his province and was prone to killing his critics regardless of their positions. Sometimes, he would personally carry out their executions, using a bow and arrow to kill them. More worrying to some was that he had ambitions to break away from the state. Huan Wen knew of this and tried to appease Xun by making his son, Sima Kang (司馬康), the Administrator of Hanzhong. However, this was not enough to dissuade Xun.

Sima Xun was fearful of the Inspector of Yizhou, Zhou Fu, when he was alive, but after Zhou died on 20 July 365, Xun began planning his rebellion. His officers, Yong Duan (雍端) and Kui Cui (隗粹) were against this but Sima Xun had them both killed. In November 365, he declared himself Governor of Liangzhou and Yizhou and the King of Chengdu before attacking Fucheng. The city was abandoned by Guanqiu Wei (毌丘暐), so Sima Xun swiftly captured it before marching on to Chengdu and besieging the new Inspector of Yizhou, Zhou Chu (周楚) on 14 December.

Huan Wen responded by sending his general, Zhu Xu to lift the siege. His brother, Huan Huo, also sent his general Huan Pi (桓羆) to attack Nanzheng to help in the campaign against Sima Xun. In the middle of 366, Zhu Xu arrived at Chengdu, where he and Zhou Fu jointly attacked Sima Xun's army. Sima Xun's soldiers scattered, and soon after Xun and his officials were all captured by Zhu. Zhu Xu handed them over to Huan Wen, who had them beheaded and sent their heads to Jiankang.

Note

1. This is based on the account in Sima Xun's biography in the Book of Jin. Fu Jian's biography in the same record tells a completely different account with no mention of Sima Xun nor of Zhang's unnamed brother. In Fu Jian's version, the role of Du and Zhang had been roughly switched. The reason for their fallout remains the same but it was Zhang who killed Du and declared himself King of Qin. Zhang was also killed by Fu Jian's forces shortly after.

References

1. The Book of Jin did not have a biography for Sima Guan, and his lineage cannot be determined. Vol.37 of Book of Jin recorded that Sima Ji (司马缉), second son of Sima Sui, died without issue in battle against Wang Jun, and his Princedom of Zhongshan was allowed to lapse (...缉继。成都王颖以缉为建威将军，与石熙等率众距王浚，没于阵，薨。); this battle likely took place in September or October 304 (八月戊辰，....。安北将军王浚遣乌丸骑攻成都王颖于邺，大败之。), per Emperor Hui's biography in the same work. The 8th month of the 1st year of the Yong'xing era corresponds to 16 Sep to 15 Oct 304 in the Julian calendar. Emperor Hui's biography also recorded that Sima Dan (司马耽), elder brother of Sima Ji, died on 8 Oct 292 (yi'you day of the 9th month of the 2nd year of the Yuan'kang era), whereas Dan's biography recorded that he died without issue in 277, the same year where he was made Prince of Zhongshan.
2. Vol.101 of Zizhi Tongjian placed Sima Xun's execution after the death of Empress Yu Daolian, which was on 5 Jul 366 in the Julian calendar. The 5th and 6th months of the 1st year of the Tai'he era correspond to 24 Jun to 21 Aug 366 in the Julian calendar.
3. The term used in Book of Jin (年十馀岁）is ambiguous and could mean that Sima Xun was then in his teens.
4. (後遂之曾孫勳字偉長，年十餘歲，湣帝末，長安陷，劉曜將令狐泥養為子。及壯，便弓馬，能左右射，咸和六年，自關右還，自列云「是大長秋恂之玄孫，冠軍將軍濟南惠王遂之曾孫，略陽太守瓘之子」，遂拜謁者僕射，以勇聞。) Book of Jin, Volume 37
5. (先是，晉建威將軍司馬勳屯漢中，期遣李壽攻而陷之，遂置守宰，戍南鄭。) Book of Jin, Volume 121
6. not to be confused with the more famous son of Huan Wen with a similar name.
7. (時石季龍死，中國亂，雍州諸豪帥馳告勳。) Book of Jin, Volume 37
8. (司馬勛出駱谷，破趙長城戍，壁于懸鈎，去長安二百里，使治中劉煥攻長安，斬京兆太守劉秀離，又拔賀城；三輔豪杰多殺守令以應勛，凡三十餘壁，衆五萬人。趙樂平王苞乃輟攻鄴之謀，使其將麻秋、姚國等將兵拒勛。趙主遵遣車騎將軍王朗帥精騎二萬以討勛爲名，因劫苞送鄴。勛兵少，畏朗，不敢進。冬，十月，釋懸鈎，拔宛城，殺趙南陽太守袁景，複還梁州。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 98. The 10th month of that year corresponds to 28 Oct to 26 Nov 349 in the Julian calendar.
9. (初，杜洪之奔也，招晉梁州刺史司馬勳。至是，勳率步騎三萬入秦川，健敗之于五丈原。) Book of Jin, Volume 112
10. (勳乃偽請琚，於坐殺之。琚弟走池陽，合眾攻勳，頻戰不利，請和，歸梁州。) Book of Jin, Volume 37
11. (二月，乙丑，桓溫統步騎四萬發江陵。水軍自襄陽入均口，至南鄉，步兵自淅川趣武關，命司馬勳出子午道以伐秦。) Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 99. The month did not have an yi'chou day, but has a ji'chou (己丑) day, which corresponds to 21 March 354 in the Julian calendar.
12. wu'zi day of the 6th month of the 3rd year of the Xing'ning, per vol.101 of Zizhi Tongjian
13. (冬十月，梁州刺史司馬勳反，自稱成都王。十一月，帥衆入劍閣，攻涪，西夷校尉毌丘暐棄城而遁。乙卯，圍益州刺史周楚于成都，桓溫遣江夏相朱序救之。) Book of Jin, Volume 8. The 10th month of that year corresponds to 31 Oct to 29 Nov 365 in the Julian calendar.
14. (朱序攻司馬勳于成都，衆潰，執勳，斬之。) Book of Jin, Volume 8

• Fang, Xuanling (ed.) (648). Book of Jin (Jin Shu).
• Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.

• 365 deaths
• Jin dynasty (266–420) generals
• People executed by the Jin dynasty (266–420)
• Former Zhao people