Battle of Fei River
383 battle where the Former Qin Empire (Di tribe) was decisively defeated by the Eastern Jin (Sima Jin)
The Battle of Fei River, also known as the Battle of Feishui (simplified Chinese: 淝水之战; traditional Chinese: 淝水之戰; pinyin: Féishǔi zhī zhàn), took place in the autumn of 383 AD in China, where forces of the Di-led Former Qin dynasty were decisively defeated by the outnumbered army of the Eastern Jin dynasty. The location of the battle, the Fei River, no longer exists but is believed to have flowed through modern Lu'an, Anhui, near the Huai River. The battle is considered to be one of the most significant and pivotal battles in Chinese history, as it ensured the survival of the Eastern Jin and Han-ruled regimes in South China, whereas the Former Qin fell into a massive civil war, resulting in its eventual collapse.
This battle is famous not only because of its significance in history but also because it demonstrated the importance of troop training, morale, loyalty and organized battle command. The battle was also significant in that it ensured South China would remain independent until 589 AD, when North China was again under a Han Chinese regime, the Sui dynasty.
Background
The state of Former Qin, led by ethnic Di (氐) tribesmen, rose rapidly from a string of successes in the 350s. Fu Jiān, the nephew of the founder Fu Jiàn, was a vigorous leader of tremendous drive and ambition. In 370 he conquered the state of Former Yan and in 373 seized modern Sichuan and Chongqing from Jin. In 379, the strategically important city of Xiangyang, gateway to the Middle Yangtze, fell to Qin. By 381, he had conquered all of north China and was preparing for an invasion of the south.
The public source identifies “Battle of Fei River” as 383 battle where the Former Qin Empire (Di tribe) was decisively defeated by the Eastern Jin (Sima Jin). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Battle, River and battle.
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The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 21, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1333898. Authority coordinates are 31.736, 116.520. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Battle of Fei River” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.