Xia (夏 Xià), known in historiography as Hu Xia (胡夏), Northern Xia (北夏), Helian Xia (赫連夏) or the Great Xia (大夏), was a dynastic state of Xiongnu origin established by Helian Bobo during the Sixteen Kingdoms period in northern China. Prior to establishing the Xia, the imperial clan existed as a tribal entity known as the Tiefu (鐵弗 Tiěfú).

Although the Xia only lasted from 407 to 431, its capital Tongwan situated in the Ordos Desert was a heavily fortified and state-of-the-art city that served as a frontier garrison until the Song dynasty. Its ruins were discovered during the Qing dynasty and can still be seen in present-day Inner Mongolia.

The Book of Wei also records that Liu Kuren's tribe, the Dugu, were descended from the Xiongnu. Yao Weiyuan (姚薇元) suggested in the past that 'Dugu' was an alternate form of 'Tuge' (屠各), the Xiongnu aristocratic clan that had adopted the Han Chinese surname of Liu (劉), members of which also ruled the Former Zhao state. This writer further suggests that 'Tuge' is an alternate form of 'Tuhe' (徒河), which is the branch of the Xianbei from which the Murong (慕容) were descended. The Liu (Dugu) were also known as 'Tiefu' (鐵弗), a term which meant that they had Xiongnu fathers and Xianbei mothers. Thus it is reasonable to say that the Dugu were at least half Xianbei.

All rulers of the Xia declared themselves "emperors".

Read more...: Chieftains of the Tiefu and rulers of the Xia   Rulers family tree  

夏（407年-431年）又稱為大夏或北夏，因為建立者赫連勃勃是匈奴鐵弗部人，故又稱胡夏或赫連夏，是407年到431年存在于關中與河套地區的一個國家，國都在大部分時間都位于統萬城（今陝西省靖邊縣紅墩界鄉白城子村無定河北岸）。夏是匈奴鐵弗部首領赫連勃勃在407年自稱大單于後所建。418年，赫連勃勃在攻陷長安後稱帝。427年，北魏太武帝出兵攻陷統萬城並于428年俘虜夏國第二代君主赫連昌。赫連昌之弟赫連定隨後被擁立為君主並在430年滅亡西秦。但431年赫連定被吐谷渾俘虜，之後在432年被送往北魏處死。夏國共存在25年，歷經三代君主。

夏國是五胡十六國中最晚建立的政權，其都城統萬城遺址是至今唯一保存基本完好的早期北方王國都城遺址，也是匈奴人歷史上留下的唯一都城遺址。

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