Helian Bobo

Helian Bobo (赫連勃勃, Middle Chinese: Guangyun: ; 381–425), né Liu Bobo (劉勃勃), courtesy name Qujie (屈孑), formally Emperor Wulie of Xia (夏武烈帝), was the founding emperor of the Chinese/Xiongnu state Xia. He is generally considered to be an extremely cruel ruler, one who betrayed every benefactor that he had, and whose thirst for killing was excessive even for the turbulent times that he was in. He built an impressive capital for his state at Tongwan (統萬, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi) that remained difficult to siege, even hundreds of years later during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. (Confusingly, the Book of Wei refers to him as Helian Qugai (赫連屈丐), based on a derogatory term that Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei used to refer to him.)