Editing Former Yan (section)

{{Short description|Chinese Sixteen Kingdoms dynastic state (337–370)}}
{{About|the Former Yan established by Murong Huang|the Former Yan established by An Lushan|Yan (An–Shi)}}
{{Infobox country
| native_name            = 燕
| conventional_long_name = Yan
| common_name            = Former Yan
| era                    = <!--- Use: "Napoleonic Wars", "Cold War", etc. --->
| status                 = Empire
| status_text            = <!--- A free text to describe status the top of the infobox. Use sparingly. --->
| empire                 = <!--- The empire or country to which the entity was in a state of dependency --->
| government_type        = [[Monarchy]]

<!--- Rise and fall, events, years and dates --->
<!-- only fill in the start/end event entry if a specific article exists. Don't just say "abolition" or "declaration"-->| year_start             = 
| year_end               = 370
| year_exile_start       = <!--- Year of start of exile (if dealing with exiled government - status="Exile") --->
| year_exile_end         = <!--- Year of end of exile (leave blank if still in exile) --->
| event_start            = [[Murong Huang]]'s claim of princely title
| date_start             = 23 November 337<ref>([咸康三年]冬，十月，丁卯，皝即燕王位，...)</ref><ref>''[[Zizhi Tongjian]]'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷095|vol. 95]].</ref>
| event_end              = <!--- Default: "Disestablished" --->
| date_end               = <!--- Optional: Date of disestablishment --->
| event1                 = [[Murong Jun]]'s claim of imperial title
| date_event1            = 4 January 353<ref>([永和八年]十一月，...戊辰，俊即皇帝位，...)</ref><ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷099|vol. 99]].</ref>
| event2                 = Fall of [[Ye, China|Yecheng]]
| date_event2            = 11 December 370<ref>([太和五年]十一月，....戊寅，燕散骑侍郎馀蔚帅扶馀、高句丽及上党质子五百馀人，夜，开邺北门，纳秦兵，...)</ref><ref>''Zizhi Tongjian'', [[:zh:s:資治通鑑/卷102|vol. 102]].</ref>
| event3                 = 
| date_event3            = 
| event4                 = 
| date_event4            = 
| event_pre              = <!--- Optional: A crucial event that took place before before "event_start"--->
| date_pre               = 
| event_post             = <!--- Optional: A crucial event that took place before after "event_end"--->
| date_post              = <!--- Flag navigation: Preceding and succeeding entities p1 to p5 and s1 to s5 --->
| p1                     = Jin dynasty (266–420)
| flag_p1                = <!--- Default: "Flag of {{{p1}}}.svg" (size 30) --->
| image_p1               = <!--- Use: [[File:Sin escudo.svg|20px|Image missing]] --->
| p2                     = Ran Wei
| flag_p2                = 
| p3                     = Later Zhao
| flag_p3                = 
| p4                     = Duan Qi
| flag_p4                = 
| p5                     = 
| flag_p5                = 
| s1                     = Former Qin
| flag_s1                = <!--- Default: "Flag of {{{s1}}}.svg" (size 30) --->
| image_s1               = <!--- Use: [[File:Sin escudo.svg|20px|Image missing]] --->
| s2                     = 
| flag_s2                = 
| s3                     = 
| flag_s3                = 
| s4                     = 
| flag_s4                = 
| s5                     = 
| flag_s5                = 
| image_flag             = <!--- Default: Flag of {{{common_name}}}.svg --->
| flag                   = <!--- Link target under flag image. Default: Flag of {{{common_name}}} --->
| flag_type              = <!--- Displayed text for link under flag. Default "Flag" --->
| image_coat             = <!--- Default: Coat of arms of {{{common_name}}}.svg --->
| symbol                 = <!--- Link target under symbol image. Default: Coat of arms of {{{common_name}}} --->
| symbol_type            = <!--- Displayed text for link under symbol. Default "Coat of arms" --->
| image_map              = Sixteen Kingdoms 338 AD (2).jpg
| image_map_caption      = Former Yan in 338 AD
| image_map2             = Sixteen Kingdoms 369 AD.jpg
| image_map2_caption     = Former Yan in 369 AD
| capital                = Jicheng (棘城) (337–342)<br>[[Longcheng District|Longcheng]] (342–350)<br>[[Jicheng (Beijing)|Jicheng]] (薊城) (350–357)<br>[[Ye, China|Yecheng]] (357–370)
| capital_exile          = <!-- If status="Exile" -->
| latd                   = 
| latm                   = 
| latNS                  = 
| longd                  = 
| longm                  = 
| longEW                 = 
| national_motto         = 
| national_anthem        = 
| common_languages       = 
| religion               = 
| currency               = <!--- Titles and names of the first and last leaders and their deputies --->
| leader1                = [[Murong Huang]]
| leader2                = [[Murong Jun]]
| leader3                = [[Murong Wei]]
| leader4                = 
| year_leader1           = 337–348
| year_leader2           = 348–360
| year_leader3           = 360–370
| year_leader4           = 
| title_leader           = Emperor
| representative1        = <!--- Name of representative of head of state (eg. colonial governor) --->
| representative2        = 
| representative3        = 
| representative4        = 
| year_representative1   = <!--- Years served --->
| year_representative2   = 
| year_representative3   = 
| year_representative4   = 
| title_representative   = <!--- Default: "Governor"--->
| deputy1                = <!--- Name of prime minister --->
| deputy2                = 
| deputy3                = 
| deputy4                = 
| year_deputy1           = <!--- Years served --->
| year_deputy2           = 
| year_deputy3           = 
| year_deputy4           = 
| title_deputy           = <!--- Default: "Prime minister" --->

<!--- Legislature --->| legislature            = <!--- Name of legislature --->
| house1                 = <!--- Name of first chamber --->
| type_house1            = <!--- Default: "Upper house"--->
| house2                 = <!--- Name of second chamber --->
| type_house2            = <!--- Default: "Lower house"--->

<!--- Area and population of a given year --->| stat_year1             = <!--- year of the statistic, specify either area, population or both --->
| stat_area1             = <!--- area in square kílometres (w/o commas or spaces), area in square miles is calculated --->
| stat_pop1              = <!--- population (w/o commas or spaces), population density is calculated if area is also given --->
| stat_year2             = 
| stat_area2             = 
| stat_pop2              = 
| stat_year3             = 
| stat_area3             = 
| stat_pop3              = 
| stat_year4             = 
| stat_area4             = 
| stat_pop4              = 
| stat_year5             = 
| stat_area5             = 
| stat_pop5              = 
| footnotes              = <!--- Accepts wikilinks --->
| today                  = [[China]]
}}
'''Yan''', known in historiography as the '''Former Yan''' ({{zh|s=前燕|t=前燕|p=Qián Yān}}; 337–370), was a [[Dynasties of China|dynastic state of China]] ruled by the [[Murong]] clan of the [[Xianbei]] during the [[Sixteen Kingdoms]] period. From [[Liaoning]], the Former Yan later conquered and ruled over [[Hebei]], [[Shaanxi]], [[Shandong]] and [[Henan]] at its peak. They were notably the first of several Xianbei states to have establish their rule over the [[Central Plains (China)|Central Plains]]. The prefix of "Former" is used in historiography to distinguish them from the other Yan states that came after them such as [[Later Yan]].

Initially, [[Murong Huang]] and his son [[Murong Jun]] claimed the [[Jin dynasty (266–420)#Eastern Jin (317–420)|Eastern Jin]]-created title "Prince of Yan", but subsequently, in 352, after seizing most of the former [[Later Zhao]] territory, [[Murong Jun]] would declare himself emperor, and after that point, the rulers of the Former Yan declared themselves "[[Emperor of China|emperors]]". The Yan changed their capital from time to time, with their last capital, [[Ye (Hebei)|Ye]] being the most prestigious due to its status as a major population hub.