Western Qin

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Western Qin (西秦) 苑川 (387–388) 河南 (388–389, 394, 411–414) 金城 (389–394) 梁 (394–395) 秦 (395–400, 409–411, 414–431)
385–400, 409–431
Western Qin and its neighbors in 391 AD
Western Qin and its neighbors in 423 AD
Status	Vassal of Former Qin, Later Qin, Jin Dynasty (266–420), Northern Wei
Capital	Yongshicheng (385–388) Yuanchuan (400, 410–412) Jincheng (388–395) Xicheng (395–400) Dujianshan (409–410) Tanjiao (412) Fuhan (412–429) Dinglian (429–430) Nan'an (430–431)
Government	Monarchy
King
• 385–388	Qifu Guoren
• 388–400, 409–412	Qifu Qiangui
• 412–428	Qifu Chipan
• 428–431	Qifu Mumo
Preceded by Succeeded by Former Qin Southern Liang (Sixteen Kingdoms) Xia (Sixteen Kingdoms) Northern Liang
Today part of	China

The Western Qin (Chinese: 西秦; pinyin: Xī Qín; 385–400, 409–431) was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Qifu clan of Xianbei ethnicity during the era of Sixteen Kingdoms.^[1] All rulers of the Western Qin declared themselves "wang", translatable as either "king" or "prince." They ruled an area corresponding to modern-day southwestern Gansu in Northwest China, also known as the Longxi region, along with parts of northeastern Qinghai in the later years. The state went by various different names as their rulers opted for lesser peerages while they were acting as vassals, and they were only known as "Qin" (秦) from 395 to 400, from 409 to 411 and from 414 to 431.

The Western Qin was briefly discontinued in 400 after Qifu Gangui surrendered to the Later Qin before it was revived in 409. They also frequently shifted their capital from time to time, with Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia, Gansu) as their longest-serving capital at 18 years without interruption. They are given the prefix of "Western" in historiography to distinguish them with the Former Qin and Later Qin as they were situated to the west of the two states.