Xie An 謝安

Xie An 謝安 (320-385), courtesy name Anshi 安石, was a general of the Eastern Jin period 東晉 (317-420). He hailed from Yangxia 陽夏 in the commandery of Chenjun 陳郡 (today's Taikang 太康, Henan), but his family had to flee to southwest China with the downfall of the Western Jin 西晉 (265-316).

Xie lived in the region of Mt. Guiji 會稽 (present-day Shaoxing 紹興, Zhejiang) and was friends with the calligrapher Wang Xizhi 王羲之 (303-361) and the Buddhist master Zhidun 支遁 (c. 314-366). Together, the friends travelled, made music, and composed poems. At over 40 sui, Xie An decided to enter governmental service. He served as commander of cavalry (sima 司馬) under Huan Wen 桓溫 (312-373) during his western campaigns, governor (taishou 太守) of Wuxing 吳興 commandery, Minister of Personnel (libu shangshu 吏部尚書), and Commander of the Palace Guard (zhonghujun 中護軍). In 371, Huan Wen dethroned Sima Yi 司馬奕 (the Deposed Emperor of Jin 晉廢皇帝, r. 365-371) and made Sima Yu 司馬昱 (Emperor Jianwen 晉簡文帝, r. 371-372) emperor. When he attempted to usurp the throne himself, Xie An was among the loyal ministers who firmly opposed Huan. This occurred a second time under Emperor Xiaowu 晉孝武帝 (r. 372-396). For his loyalty, Xie was bestowed the title of palace attendant (shizhong 侍中) and was given control over nearly all decisions of the court.

Xie An, as Prime Minister, governed with a gentle and lenient approach, avoiding excessive scrutiny in administration. To protect the capital and strengthen the court's military power against threats from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, he recruited northern refugees (qiaomin 僑民; see exile provinces) into a new military force known as the Northern Army (beifubing 北府兵), commanded by his nephew Xie Xuan 謝玄 (343-388). This move shifted the balance of power between the key regions of central China and the east.

While forces of the Former Qin empire 前秦 (351-394) invaded the western provinces and occupied Xiangyang 襄陽, they simultaneously advanced further south into the Huai River 淮河 region in the east. In 383, Fu Jian 苻堅 (r. 351-354) of Former Qin launched an invasion of Jin territory with a purported million-strong army, causing widespread panic in the capital Jiankang 建康 (modern Nanjing 南京, Jiangsu). Xie An, appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Forces (zhengtao da dudu 征討大都督), remained in the capital to direct the strategy. Under his leadership, Xie Xuan and others secured a decisive victory at the Battle of Fei River 肥水, turning the tide in favour of the Eastern Jin.

In the following year, Xie An requested to launch a northern expedition and appointed Xie Xuan as the vanguard. They successfully recovered the six provinces of Xuzhou 徐州, Yanzhou 兗州, Qingzhou 青州, Sizhou 泗州, Yuzhou 豫州, and Liangzhou 梁州. However, Xie An and his relatives faced slander and exclusion from Sima Daozhi 司馬道子 (364-403), the Prince of Guiji 會稽, and were unable to complete their campaign.

In 385, under the pretext of defending against Former Qin, Xie An was compelled to travel north to Guangling 廣陵, where he constructed a new city and remained to organise the defence. In the seventh month, his illness worsened, and he returned to Jiankang, where he soon died.