Kebineng was one of the Xianbei chieftains of the Three Kingdoms period. Wikidata's Chinese label is 軻比能, written 轲比能 in simplified characters, with the variant 柯比能, and the Chinese Wikipedia article is also under 軻比能, so the title is unchanged. Wikidata gives his life as 172 to 235, his manner of death as homicide, and his ethnic group as Xianbei.[1][2]
Rise
Chinese Wikipedia says that after the death of Tanshihuai, the leader of the Xianbei confederation, the confederation broke up. Kebineng came from a minor Xianbei clan and was described as brave and strong, fair in judgment and not greedy, so the people chose him as great leader. He held the area of Dai and Shanggu commanderies. His tribe lay near the northern border of Han, and after Yuan Shao took Hebei, many Han people fled beyond the frontier to join him, taught the Xianbei to make weapons, armor and shields, and taught them writing. He ruled his people on the Chinese pattern, set up laws, and hung banners when he went out hunting, directing advance and retreat by drum.[2]
Relations with Cao Wei
The article says that in the Jian'an years he sent tribute to Cao Cao and asked for trade. He helped Cao Cao put down local revolts, but he also raided Han territory and helped the Wuhuan of Dai commandery harass the border, and was heavily defeated by Cao Zhang and driven beyond the frontier, after which he again sent tribute. In 220 he sent envoys with horses, and Cao Pi made him King Who Submits to Righteousness, and Xianbei and Wei traded in peace. He later fought Suli, the great leader of the eastern Xianbei, and Budugen, grandson of Tanshihuai, and forced Budugen back to Taiyuan and Yanmen. In 224 he attacked Suli again, Wei sent troops to intervene and defeated his subordinate Suonu, and he wrote to Wei to explain. After an attack by Tian Yu, colonel who protects the Wuhuan, he rebelled against Wei and raided You and Bing provinces.[2]
Power and end
Afterwards his people grew strong and were said to have over a hundred thousand mounted archers. Whatever plunder he took he shared equally with the others and kept nothing for himself, so his men were ready to die for him and the other great leaders feared and respected him, though he never matched the strength of Tanshihuai. In 228 his son-in-law Yuzhujian was attacked by Tian Yu, and Kebineng sent thirty thousand cavalry to help, surrounding Tian Yu at Macheng, and left only when Yan Zhi persuaded him. In 233 he lured Budugen into a marriage alliance, Budugen joined him, and together they raided Bing province and were defeated by the Wei general Qin Lang and withdrew north of the desert. Kebineng later killed Budugen, absorbed the Xianbei groups and unified most of the land south of the desert. In 235 Wang Xiong, governor of You province in Wei, sent the assassin Han Long, who killed him, and his younger brother was set up as leader. The article also notes that the Book of Jin calls his descendants the Khitan.[1][2]