生平

建義元年（385年）乞伏國仁自稱大都督、大將軍、單于，領秦、河二州牧。任命乾歸為上將軍。建義四年（388年）國仁去世，群臣認為國仁子乞伏公府年幼，乃推乾歸為大都督、大將軍、大單于、河南王，改元太初，遷都金城（今甘肅蘭州）。太初二年（389年）受前秦帝苻登封為金城王。

征戰秦涼

乾歸於太初二年（389年）即討平了休官部落的阿敦及侯年二部，盡降其眾，於是威振西部，鮮卑的豆留螱奇、叱豆渾、南丘鹿結、休官部的曷呼奴及盧水尉地跋都率眾歸降，而乾歸亦各署官爵；枹罕羌彭奚念亦來歸附，乾歸以其為北河州刺史。次年（390年），吐谷渾亦遣使上貢，乾歸又以吐谷渾君主視連為白蘭王、沙州牧。

太初四年（391年），沒弈幹遣使結好，並派兩個兒子為人質請兵一共進攻鮮卑大兜，乾歸答允並領兵進攻大兜的安陽城，大兜退守鳴蟬堡但還是被乾歸攻陷，乾歸於是收擄其部眾回國。戰後乾歸歸還了沒弈干的兩個兒子，但沒弈幹不久又改結劉衞辰，乾歸於是率兵一萬攻伐沒弈幹，並在他樓城射傷沒弈幹的眼睛。

太初七年（394年），苻登知後秦皇帝姚萇去世，認為滅後秦時機已到，於是起兵進攻後秦，又拜乾歸為左丞相、河南王、領秦梁益涼沙五州牧，加賜九錫。可是苻登卻遭姚萇太子姚興擊敗，退屯馬毛山，並派了兒子苻宗為質子，向乾歸請兵，並進封乾歸為梁王。乾歸於是派了乞伏益州率兵一萬營救，但苻登要出迎乞伏益州時被姚興擊敗，更被俘殺。苻登太子苻崇於湟中繼位，但不久乾歸就驅逐苻崇，苻崇只好投奔氐族仇池部隴西王楊定。二人組成聯軍反攻乾歸，乾歸派兵抵抗，終擊敗聯軍，斬楊定及苻崇，前秦滅亡，西秦自此盡有隴西。不久，乾歸自稱秦王，又於次年（395年）遷都苑川西城（今甘肅靖遠）。

早於太初五年（392年），呂光就曾派呂方及呂寶進攻乾歸，乾歸初敗於鳴雀峽，退屯青岸。而呂方屯黃河北，呂寶則渡河追擊，乾歸於是派彭奚念斷絕呂寶歸路，率兵反擊，屢敗呂寶，終呂寶等一萬多人戰死。至太初八年（395年），呂光親自率十萬軍進攻乾歸，左輔將軍密貴周及莫者羖羝就勸乾歸向呂光稱藩，乾歸終聽從並以兒子乞伏敕勃作為人質，呂光亦率軍退還。可是不久乾歸就後悔了，殺了密貴周及莫者羖羝。

太初九年（396年），涼州牧乞伏軻彈因與秦州牧乞伏益州不睦，故出奔呂光，呂光於是以乾歸多次反覆而興兵討伐。其時眾臣都請乾歸出奔成紀迴避，但乾歸不願。呂光派呂延等人攻下了臨洮、武始、河關，又命呂纂進攻金城，乾歸率兵救援，但呂光派了王寶及徐炅率兵五千邊擊，令乾歸恐懼不敢前進，終令金城陷落。乾歸於是行反間計，傳出假消息稱乾歸部眾已潰散，乾歸已東逃到成紀。呂延信以為真，於是輕軍進攻，最終被乾歸擊敗，呂延更戰死。呂延敗後，呂光亦退兵。

攻吐谷渾

太初三年（390年），視連去世，視羆繼位，拒絕接受乾歸的封號。乾歸知道後大怒，但因為忌憚吐谷渾強盛，於是暫時容忍，仍然交好。至太初十一年（398年）就派了乞伏益州、慕兀及翟瑥率二萬騎進攻吐谷渾，在度周川大敗視羆，逼其送兒子宕豈為質求和。

兵敗亡國

太初十三年（400年），乾歸復遷都苑川（今甘肅榆中縣北）。同年，後秦姚碩德來攻，乾歸率眾到隴西對抗。兩軍對峙期間，姚碩德軍柴草缺乏，後秦王姚興於是親自出軍。乾歸見已是國家存亡的危機，於是放手一搏，決定集中力量消滅姚興軍隊，殺死姚興，欲求消除危機之餘更吞併後秦。乾歸因而命慕兀率二萬兵為中軍，駐柏楊（今甘肅清水縣西南）；羅敦率四萬兵為外軍，駐侯辰谷。而自己就率數千騎等候姚興軍。但一晚，乾歸遇上大風和大霧，與中軍失去聯絡，被逼與外軍會合。天亮後乾歸就與姚興軍交戰，大敗。乾歸敗歸苑川，接著又逃到金城，並命手下各豪帥留下來歸降後秦，自己西走允吾（今甘肅皋蘭縣西北），望一天復興國家時再見。西秦滅亡。乾歸到允吾後向禿髮利鹿孤投降，被禿髮傉檀迎到晉興，待以上賓之禮。

後秦退兵後，南羌梁戈等人招引乾歸，乾歸打算前赴，但事情卻洩漏給禿髮利鹿孤知道，禿髮吐雷因而出屯捫天嶺。乾歸恐為禿髮利鹿孤所殺，於是送妻子及乞伏熾磐等諸子到西平為人質，自己出奔枹罕（今甘肅臨夏市），向後秦投降。

乾歸到長安後，受封為持節、都督河南諸軍事、鎮遠將軍、河州刺史、歸義侯，隔年（401年）更被派還西秦故都苑川鎮守，並歸還其部眾。至後秦弘始四年（402年），乞伏熾磐逃奔後秦，姚興也授他官位，不久更加乾歸散騎常侍、左賢王。乾歸於降後秦時期，曾經受命與齊難等後秦將領到姑臧（今甘肅武威）接受後涼王呂隆投降。乾歸又屢攻仇池，先後攻破仇池所領的皮氏堡和西陽堡。乾歸更於405年攻破吐谷渾，其中吐谷渾君主大孩更在敗走後不久去世，乾歸俘擄了一萬多人。

復國與遇刺

弘始九年（407年），姚興認為乾歸的勢力逐漸強大，難以控制，於是趁其入朝的機會將其留在長安當主客尚書，讓其子乞伏熾磐代領其眾。弘始十一年（409年），乞伏熾磐攻伐彭奚念，攻陷其佔領的枹罕。其時乾歸正隨姚興在平涼，得到熾磐的通報後就逃回苑川。乾歸回去後不久到枹罕聚集三萬部眾，並帶他們遷居度堅山，留熾磐守枹罕，接著乾歸更稱秦王，改元「更始」，再次置官爵並讓手下恢復原來在西秦的職位，正式復國。

乾歸復國後，先派兵進攻薄地延，將其部落遷至苑川，後又派兵攻下後秦的金城郡，並置守戍，從而於更始二年（410年）遷都回苑川。略陽、南安、隴西等後秦轄郡都先後遭西秦軍攻下。當時後秦無力討伐，只得任命乾歸為使持節、散騎常侍、都督隴西北匈奴雜胡諸軍事征西大將軍、河州牧、大單于、河南王。乾歸當時正欲攻取河西地區，於是暫時接受。

乾歸又派兵攻伐南涼，擊敗了南涼太子禿髮虎台。另又率兵攻下後秦略陽太守姚龍的柏龍堡及南平太守王憬的水洛城。後又攻殺襲據枹罕的彭利髮，收復了枹罕。更始四年（412年），乾歸更率二萬騎攻破吐谷渾支統阿若干，令吐谷渾向其投降。

同年六月，乾歸為其侄乞伏公府所弒，十餘個兒子一併遇害。乞伏熾磐消滅乞伏公府後繼位，諡乾歸為武元王，廟號高祖，葬於枹罕。

妻兒

王后

• 邊王后

• 苻王后

子

• 乞伏熾磐

• 乞伏敕勃

• 乞伏木奕幹

• 乞伏審虔

• 乞伏曇達

• 乞伏婁機

• 乞伏千年

• 乞伏沃陵

• 乞伏什寅（429年被乞伏暮末處決）

• 乞伏白養（430年被乞伏暮末處決）

• 乞伏去列（430年被乞伏暮末處決）

大臣

• 出連乞都（丞相）

• 悌眷（御史大夫）

• 密貴周

• 辛靜，399年由金城郡太守被任命為右丞相。

• 乞伏熾磐領尚書令（以下392年任命）

• 左長史邊芮為尚書左僕射

• 右長史秘宜為右僕射

• 翟瑥為吏部尚書

• 翟勍為主客尚書

• 杜宣為兵部尚書

• 王松壽為民部尚書

• 樊謙為三公尚書

• 方弘、麴景為侍中

參考

• 《晉書·第125卷》

• 《十六國春秋·第14卷》

• 《資治通鑑》（第106卷，第107卷，第108卷，第109卷，第110卷，第111卷，第112卷，第113卷，第114卷，第115卷，第116卷）

Early life

The first reference to Qifu Gangui in history was in 385, when his brother Qifu Guoren declared himself Chanyu and changed era name, thus signifying independence from Former Qin. At that time, Qifu Guoren named Qifu Gangui a major general. Nothing else is known about his life before or during Qifu Guoren's reign, other than an implied reference that he defeated the Former Qin general Wang Guang (王廣) in battle.

In 388, Qifu Guoren died. His son Qifu Gongfu was considered too young to take over the leadership, and the officials and generals supported Qifu Gangui to succeed Qifu Guoren, with the titles Grand Chanyu and Prince of Henan. (This title does not imply dominion over modern Henan; rather, it signified dominion over the portions of modern Gansu and Qinghai that are south of the Yellow River.)

First reign

Qifu Gangui created his wife Lady Bian princess, and he also established a governmental structure designed similarly to a Han Chinese governmental structure. Over the next several years, Qifu Gangui used a variety of military and diplomatic pressure to get the various people around his—including people of Xianbei, Qiang, and Han ethnicities, to submit to him. Later in the year, he moved the capital from Yongshi (勇士城, in modern Lanzhou, Gansu) to Jincheng (also in Lanzhou).

In 389, the Former Qin emperor Fu Deng, to whom Qifu Guoren had nominally submitted as a vassal, created Qifu Gangui the Prince of Jincheng—a title that signified less dominion than his original title of Prince of Henan, because Jincheng Commandery only roughly corresponded to modern Lanzhou—but Qifu Gangui accepted the title.

In 390, the khan of Tuyuhun, Murong Shilian (慕容視連), submitted to Western Qin as a vassal, and Qifu Gangui created him the Prince of Bailan. However, after Murong Shilian died later that year and was succeeded by his more ambitious son Murong Shipi (慕容視羆), Murong Shipi rejected that title.

In 391, Qifu Gangui's general Yuezhi Jiegui (越質詰歸) rebelled, but after Qifu Gangui personally led an army against him, Yuezhi surrendered—and Qifu Gangui married the daughter of a clansman to Yuezhi, showing Qifu Gangui's tendency to try to personally connect with tribal chiefs to get them to submit to him. However, later 391, the strategy could have said to have backfired as the tribal chief Mo Yigan (沒奕干) initially submitted and sent two sons as hostages to him, seeking his aid in a campaign against another tribal chief, Da Dou (大兜). Qifu Gangui aided him and defeated Da in battle, and then sent Mo's sons back to him, to try to get Mo to be more grateful of him. However, Mo instead turned against Qifu Gangui and aligned himself with the Xiongnu chief Liu Weichen (劉衛辰), and Qifu Gangui, in anger, attacked Mo and, in battle, fired an arrow that struck Mo's eye. During the campaign against Mo, however, Lü Guang the prince of Later Liang took this opportunity to attack Western Qin, forcing Qifu Gangui to withdraw to face him. This incident appeared to start several years of intermittent battles between Western Qin and Later Liang.

In 393, Qifu Gangui created his son Qifu Chipan as crown prince.

In 394, after the death of the Later Qin emperor Yao Chang, Fu Deng prepared a major offensive against Yao Chang's son and successor Yao Xing, and as part of the preparation he requested aid from Qifu Gangui and created Qifu Gangui the Prince of Henan and bestowed on him the nine bestowments. However, Fu Deng's campaign ended in failure, as his forces were defeated by Yao Xing's, and his brother Fu Guang (苻廣) and son Fu Chong abandoned his bases, forcing him to flee into the mountains. He then married his sister the Princess Dongping to Qifu Gangui as his princess and created him the Prince of Liang. Qifu Gangui sent his brother Qifu Yizhou (乞伏益州) to aid Fu Deng, but as Fu Deng came out of the mountains to join Qifu Yizhou's forces, Yao Xing ambushed and captured him, and then executed him. Qifu Yizhou then withdrew.

Fu Deng's son Fu Chong fled to Huangzhong (湟中, in modern Xining, Qinghai), then under Qifu Gangui's control, and claimed imperial title. However, in winter 394, Qifu Gangui expelled him, and he fled to one of his father's last remaining generals, Yang Ding the Prince of Longxi. Yang led his forces to join Fu Chong's to attack Qifu Gangui. Qifu Gangui sent Qifu Yizhou and two other generals, Qifu Ketan (乞伏軻彈) and Yuezhi Jiegui against Yang and Fu Chong, and Yang was initially successful against Qifu Yizhou. However, the three Western Qin generals then counterattacked and killed Yang and Fu Chong in battle.

Around the new year 395, Qifu Gangui claimed the title Prince of Qin—a greater title that implicitly made himself a rival of Later Qin, and the state thus became known in history as Western Qin. In the summer, he sent Qifu Yizhou to attack the unsubmitting Di chief Jiang Ru (姜乳), despite warnings that Qifu Yizhou had become arrogant from his victories. Qifu Yizhou indeed became unattentive and was defeated by Jiang. Later in the year, Qifu Gangui moved his capital from Jincheng to Xicheng (西城, in modern Baiyin, Gansu).

In fall 395, Lü Guang made a major attack on Western Qin. Under the advice of his officials Mi Guizhou (密貴周) and Mozhe Gudi (莫者羖羝), Qifu Gangui submitted to Lü Guang as a vassal and sent his son Qifu Chibo (乞伏敕勃) as a hostage to Lü Guang, and Lü Guang withdrew. However, Qifu Gangui soon regretted this arrangement and executed Mi and Mozhe.

In 397, determined to punish Qifu Gangui, Lü Guang launched a major attack against Xicheng . This frightened Qifu Gangui's officials enough that they recommended a retreat to Chengji (成紀, in modern Tianshui, Gansu) to the east, but Qifu Gangui, seeing weaknesses in Later Liang's forces despite their numbers, stood his ground. Later Liang forces were initially successful, capturing several major Western Qin cities, but Qifu Gangui tricked Lü Guang's brother and major general Lü Yan (呂延) the Duke of Tianshui into believing that he was retreating, and Lü Yan fell into a trap Qifu Gangui set and was killed. Lü Guang, in fear, withdrew to his capital Guzang (姑臧, in modern Wuwei, Gansu). In 398, Qifu Gangui sent Qifu Yizhou to attack Later Liang, and he recovered some of the territory previously lost.

Later in 398, Qifu Yizhou battled Murong Shipi and defeated him. Murong Shipi, in fear, sent his son Murong Dangqi (慕容宕豈) as a hostage and sought peace. Qifu Gangui married the daughter of a clansman to Qifu Dangqi.

In 400, Qifu Gangui moved his capital from Xicheng to Wanchuan (苑川, also in Baiyin).

In summer 400, Later Qin's general, Yao Xing's uncle Yao Shuode (姚碩德) launched a major attack against Western Qin. Initially, Qifu Gangui was successful in cutting off Yao Shuode's supply line, but Yao Xing then personally came to Yao Shuode's aid. Qifu Gangui divided his army to try to ascertain Later Qin's intentions, but the armies lost communication in the fog, and Later Qin attacked them and greatly defeated them, taking nearly the entire Western Qin army captive. Yao Xing advanced to Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu), forcing Qifu Gangui to flee back to Jincheng. With his army lost, however, Qifu Gangui concluded that he could not sustain a state any more, and instructed his officials to surrender to Later Qin, while he himself surrendered to Southern Liang's prince Tufa Lilugu, who welcomed him as an honored guest. Tufa Lilugu's brother Tufa Juyan (禿髮俱延) suspected Qifu Gangui's intentions, and suggested that Tufa Lilugu exile him to the Yifu (乙弗) tribe (probably west of the Qinghai Lake), a suggestion that Tufa Lilugu rejected. However, worried that Qifu Gangui would try to reestablish his state, he sent an army to watch over him. Qifu Gangui, fearing that he would be executed, then regained trust from Tufa Lilugu by sending Qifu Chipan, his brothers, and their mother to the Southern Liang capital Xiping as hostages. He himself, however, as soon as the Southern Liang guard was down, fled to Fuhan and surrendered to Later Qin.

As Later Qin general

Upon Qifu Gangui's arrival in the Later Qin capital Chang'an, Yao Xing created him the Marquess of Guiyi. In 401, Yao Xing inexplicably gave Qifu Gangui his entire captured army back to him and had him defend his old capital Wanchuan, effectively putting him back in the position he had before, but now as a Later Qin vassal. He quickly put his governmental structure back in place, but now with inferior titles to show submission to Later Qin. Later in 401, Yao Xing sent Qifu Gangui to serve as Yao Shuode's assistant in a major campaign against Later Yang's emperor Lü Long (Lü Guang's nephew), forcing Lü Long's submission.

In 402, Qifu Chipan, who had previously made an unsuccessful attempt to escape from Southern Liang to join his father, succeeded in fleeing to Wanchuan. The Southern Liang prince Tufa Rutan sent Qifu Chipan's wife (who might be Tufa Rutan's daughter) and children to join him.

In 403, Lü Long decided to give up his state (now consisting of little more than the capital city of Guzang) to Later Qin, ending Later Liang, and Qifu Gangui was one of the generals whom Yao Xing sent to escort Lü Long to Chang'an and to escort his replacement, the Later Qin general Wang Shang (王尚) to Guzang, which was at the point effectively surrounded by Southern Liang and Northern Liang forces.

For the next few years, Qifu Gangui appeared to begin to act more independently again. For example, in 405, apparently without Later Qin sanction, he attacked Murong Dahai (慕容大孩), the khan of Tuyuhun, and later in the year he battled fellow Later Qin vassal Yang Sheng (楊盛), the ruler of Chouchi.

Around the new year 407, Qifu Gangui went on an official visit to Chang'an. Yao Xing, apprehensive about Qifu Gangui's strength and independence, detained him and made him a minister, giving his command to Qifu Chipan.

In 408, with Tufa Rutan, who had previously submitted as a Later Qin vassal, acting independently but yet suffering many internal problems, Yao Xing became resolved to destroy Southern Liang, and Qifu Gangui was one of the generals he sent under the command of his son Yao Bi (姚弼) to try to destroy Southern Liang. However, Yao Bi's campaign resulted in failure, and while Tufa Rutan nominally continued to submit for a time, he soon declared full independence. In 409, Qifu Gangui himself escaped and returned to Wanchuan. Later in the year, he redeclared the Western Qin state with the title Prince of Qin and changed his era name.

Second reign

After his restoration, Qifu Gangui again created his wife Princess Bian as princess and Qifu Chipan as crown prince, and he temporarily set his capital at Dujianshan (度堅山, in modern Baiyin, Gansu). In 410, he attacked Later Qin's Jincheng Commandery and captured it, and later in 410 moved the capital back to Wanchuan. He then captured several more Later Qin commanderies. However, in spring 411, he returned the captured officials to Later Qin and sought peace, offering to again submit as a vassal. Yao Xing created him the Prince of Henan. However, in winter 411 he again captured several Later Qin commanderies. In spring 412, he moved the capital to Tanjiao (譚郊, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu), and left Qifu Chipan in charge of Wanchuan.

In summer 412, Qifu Guoren's son Qifu Gongfu killed Qifu Gangui in a coup and also killed more than 10 of Qifu Gangui's sons. After a short campaign between Qifu Gongfu and Qifu Chipan, Qifu Chipan succeeded and killed Qifu Gongfu. He took the throne as Prince Wenzhao.