During Helian Bobos reign

It is not known when Helian Ding was born, or who his mother was. In 414, when Helian Bobo created his son Helian Gui (赫連璝) crown prince and the other sons dukes, Helian Chang was created the Duke of Pingyuan. Helian Ding was said to have been a delinquent and frivolous youth, and Helian Bobo had low opinions of him and gave him little authority.

During Helian Changs reign

After Helian Bobo's death in 425, Helian Ding's older brother Helian Chang (who had replaced Helian Gui as crown prince in 424) succeeded him. Helian Chang gave Helian Ding more authorities than before, and Helian Ding quickly became one of the major generals that his brother relied on. After rival Northern Wei's general Daxi Jin (達奚斤) captured the important city of Chang'an in 426, Helian Chang sent Helian Ding south in spring 427 from the capital Tongwan (統萬, in modern Yulin, Shaanxi) to try to capture Chang'an. He became stalemated with Daxi at Chang'an.

Meanwhile, knowing that Helian Ding was occupied, Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei made an attack on Tongwan, and Helian Chang initially wanted to recall Helian Ding from Chang'an; instead, Helian Ding advised him to defend Tongwan securely to wear out the Northern Wei forces, and then he, after capture Chang'an, could then return and attack Northern Wei forces on two sides. Helian Chang agreed and did not engage Northern Wei forces. However, subsequently, receiving false information that Northern Wei forces had run out of food, he decided to attack Northern Wei forces and was soundly defeated, and he fled to Shanggui (上邽, in modern Tianshui, Gansu). Northern Wei captured Tongwan. Upon hearing the news of Tongwayn's fall, Helian Ding abandoned his campaign against Daxi and joined Helian Chang at Shanggui. Daxi gave chase, intending to destroy Xia. It might have been at this time that Helian Chang promoted Helian Ding to the title of Prince of Pingyuan.

In spring 428, after initially withdrawing further from Shanggui to Pingliang (平涼, in modern Pingliang, Gansu), Helian Chang went back on the offensive and sieged Daxi's army, which was then afflicted by illnesses, at Anding (安定, also in modern Pingliang). However, during the siege, the Northern Wei officers Anchi Jia (安遲頡) and Yuchi Juan (尉遲眷) made a surprise attack on him, and he fell off his horse and was captured. Helian Ding gathered the remaining troops and withdrew to Pingliang. He took the throne himself.

Reign

Meanwhile, Daxi, ashamed that he was nearly destroyed by Hellian Chang at Anding and was only saved by his officers Anchi and Yuchi's ingenuity, proceeded further, without adequate food supplies, to try to attack Helian Ding at Pingliang, taking up a dangerous position without adequate water supply as well. A low-level Northern Wei officer who had been charged with crime then fled to the Xia camp and revealed the lack of food and water supplies that Daxi's forces were having. Helian Ding then attacked and captured Daxi. Upon hearing this, the Northern Wei general Qiudun Dui (丘敦堆), who was defending Anding, panicked and fled to Chang'an, and then further fled Chang'an with Chang'an's commanding general Tuoba Li (拓拔禮) to Puban (蒲阪, in modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), allowing Xia forces to recover Chang'an and the surrounding Guanzhong region.

In summer 428, Helian Ding sent an embassy to Northern Wei requesting peace. Instead, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu issued an edict ordering him to surrender, which he did not do. On a hunt at which he could see the old capital Tongwan from a distance, Helian Ding lamented that if Helian Bobo had made him crown prince, Tongwan would not have fallen. However, he himself did not dare to try to recapture Tongwan.

In spring 430, Liu Song launched a major attack against Northern Wei, and Northern Wei in response temporarily abandoned its territory south of the Yellow River. Helian Ding then entered into an alliance with Emperor Wen of Liu Song against Northern Wei, agreeing to destroy Northern Wei and divide its territory north of the Yellow River—with provinces east of the Taihang Mountains going to Liu Song and west of Taihang going to Xia. However, neither party actually intended to attack Northern Wei's territory north of the Yellow River first, waiting for the other to act, and Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu took advantage of this and decided to try to destroy Helian Ding first. In fall 430, he personally launched a direct assault on Pingliang.

Meanwhile, Western Qin's prince Qifu Mumo, unable to stand pressures from Northern Liang and Tuyuhun, sought to surrender to Northern Wei, and with Northern Wei promising to give Xia's Pingliang and Anding Commanderies to him as his domain, he abandoned his capital Fuhan (枹罕, in modern Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu) and headed east, intending to join Northern Wei forces at Shanggui. Upon hearing this, Helian Ding personally tried to intercept Qifu Mumo, who was forced to stop at Nan'an (南安, in modern Longxi, Gansu), with his territory having otherwise all fallen to Tuyuhun.

By this time, though, the Northern Wei emperor had arrived at Pingliang, and, with Helian Chang (whom he had created Prince of Qin) with him, he had Helian Chang to try to persuade the defender of Pingliang, Helian Ding's younger brother Helian Shegan (赫連社干) the Duke of Shanggu to surrender. Helian Shegan initially refused. Helian Ding, hearing that Pingliang was under attack, tried to return to Pingliang to relieve it, but on the way he encountered the Northern Wei general Tuxi Bi (吐奚弼), who tricked him by pretending to be a weak force, drawing an attack from him. Tuxi then defeated Helian Ding, who was then forced to withdraw to Chungu Plains (鶉觚原, in modern Pingliang). Northern Wei forces surrounded him, and his army became hungry and thirsty. After several days, he forcibly fought his way out of the siege, but his forces mostly collapsed, and he himself was badly injured. He gathered the remaining forces and fled to Shanggui.

Around the new year 431, Helian Shegan and another brother, Helian Duluogu (赫連度洛孤) the Duke of Guangyang, surrendered Pignliang to Northern Wei, and Anding fell as well. The Northern Wei emperor seized Helian Ding's empress and gave her to his general Doudai Tian (豆代田) as a concubine. The other Xia cities' defenders also fled or were captured, allowing Northern Wei to take those cities. Helian Ding himself felt he could not hold Shanggui much further, sent his uncle Helian Weifa (赫連韋伐) the Duke of Beiping to attack Western Qin's only remaining city, Nan'an. The people of Nan'an suffered from the lack of food so much that they engaged in cannibalism. Qifu Mumo, unable to do anything else, surrendered. Helian Weifa delivered Qifu Mumo to Shanggui, and Helian Ding executed Qifu Mumo and his clan.

Helian Ding then headed west and crossed the Yellow River at Zhicheng (治城, in modern Linxia), intending to attack Northern Liang and seize its territory. However, the khan of Tuyuhun, Murong Mugui (慕容慕璝), had anticipated this and sent his brothers Murong Muliyan (慕容慕利延) and Murong Shiqian (慕容拾虔) to intercept Helian Ding, and as the Xia army was crossing the river, Tuyuhun forces attacked and captured Helian Ding, ending Xia.

After capture by Murong Mugui

Murong Mugui did not kill Helian Ding initially. In fall 431, however, he sent messengers to Northern Wei to declare his loyalty and to indicate that he was willing to deliver Helian Ding to Northern Wei. In response, Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu created Murong Mugui the Prince of Xiqin and gave him rewards, and in spring 432 Murong Mugui delivered Helian Ding to Northern Wei. The Northern Wei emperor executed Helian Ding.

Empress

Very little is known about the wife of Helian Ding, not even her name. Helian Ding took the throne in 428 after his brother Helian Chang was captured by rival Northern Wei's forces, and it was sometime after that he created her empress. When his brothers Helian Shegan (赫連社干) the Duke of Shanggu and Helian Duluogu (赫連度洛孤) the Duke of Guangyang surrendered his capital Pingliang (平涼, in modern Pingliang, Gansu) to Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei in 430, she was captured. Emperor Taiwu gave her to his general Doudai Tian (豆代田) as a concubine. Nothing further is known about her.

Personal information

• Father

　• Helian Bobo (Emperor Wulie)

• Wife

　• (name unknown)

生平

稱帝

胡夏武烈帝赫連勃勃戎馬一生，征服許多地區，但他統治末期出現了皇位繼承的鬥爭，赫連勃勃想廢掉大兒子的太子之位而傳位於二兒子，導致兄弟鬩牆，彼此之間互相交戰，結果二兒子赫連倫被太子赫連璝所殺，但三兒子赫連昌也介入鬥爭，殺死了長兄而繼位為帝。胡夏國內皇族的互相攻伐導致國家大亂，也給了北魏討伐胡夏的時機。

夏國承光三年，北魏太武帝拓拔燾率軍來犯，皇帝赫連昌命令他率領兩萬名士兵前往長安，他和魏軍在長安一帶對峙，但不久後方卻傳來一項糟糕的消息，胡夏的首都統萬城已經陷落，皇帝則逃往上邽，赫連定只能前往上邽和哥哥會合。而赫連昌也在此時將他加封為平原王。

夏國勝光元年二月，魏軍前來攻打上邽，夏國皇帝赫連昌兵敗被俘，押往北魏。此時擔任胡夏大將軍的赫連定則率領殘存的夏軍逃離，這支由他領導的數萬名夏軍一路逃至平涼。爾後赫連定在此稱帝並改元勝光。

企圖聯宋伐魏

勝光元年四月，不敵北魏的胡夏國遣使請求和北魏和解，但北魏太武帝卻要求他們向北魏投降。

五月，赫連定計畫收復舊都統萬城，因此率軍出擊，一路到了候尼城，但不敢再繼續前進，最後決定撤退。

勝光三年九月，赫連定派軍攻打北魏，但卻遭受北魏猛烈的反擊，夏軍大敗，一萬多人戰死，主帥也逃走了。赫連定又親自出征，率領數萬名夏軍截擊北魏，平涼城則由他的兩個弟弟負責鎮守。此時他決定遣使向南方的劉宋政權和解，並提出要和宋一起消滅北魏，同時也約定在事成之後，兩國共同瓜分北魏的領土。北魏太武帝得知了這個消息之後，自然不能坐以待斃，他立刻動員軍隊，準備再度向胡夏發起進攻，要徹底滅掉胡夏。魏軍在太武帝的指揮下，向平涼城發動襲擊。

另一方面，赫連定又遭遇另一國的來襲，這個國家是西秦，此時西秦苦於北涼帶來的威脅，於是向北魏請求援助，北魏則表示可以將胡夏統治下的平涼、安定兩個城池讓給他們，西秦國王乞伏暮末便立刻率軍前往胡夏的上邽，赫連定得知這個消息後，也立刻準備抵抗，乞伏暮末最終也沒能得到胡夏的領土。

軍事失利

勝光三年十一月，北魏軍隊抵達平涼，一開始，太武帝派出先前被他俘虜的前任皇帝赫連昌，要他勸守城的兩個弟弟向北魏投降，但沒有成效。太武帝又派兵攻打安定，得到消息的赫連定率軍準備返回安定，又命令一批部隊前往平涼支援。赫連定的大軍在返回安定的路上，遭遇了來犯的北魏軍隊。赫連定在和魏軍交戰的過程中，中了敵方主帥誘敵深入的計謀，結果，赫連定的軍隊大敗，損失數千人，又被北魏軍隊團團包圍，他們將他困住後，又切斷夏軍的水源和糧草運輸，夏軍飢渴不已，又相當飢餓，不得已的情況下，赫連定率軍殺出重圍，卻又遭遇魏軍的截擊，最終，夏軍死傷慘重，一萬多人被殺，赫連定自己也身受重傷。赫連定最終只能集結殘兵和百姓，逃往上邽。而遭到魏軍攻擊的平涼、安定兩城也未支撐許久，很快這兩地便被北魏軍攻陷。

消滅西秦

勝光四年，無路可退的赫連定決定向西擴展，避免和魏軍交鋒，他選擇出師攻打情勢同樣緊迫的西秦，成功打敗西秦大將姚獻，並乘勝追擊，向乞伏暮末所在的南安城發動攻擊。當時南安爆發飢荒，大量西秦臣子又不斷向胡夏投降，乞伏暮末窮途末路，只能出城投降，赫連定將他押往上邽，並在不久後將他連同西秦皇室五百多人一起斬殺。

遇害

攻滅西秦後，赫連定準備進一步渡過黃河，攻打北涼，以奪取北涼的國土來繼續苟延殘喘，但在渡河的過程中，赫連定終於遭遇死劫。吐谷渾可汗派三萬大軍趁夏軍渡河時發動偷襲，夏軍潰敗，赫連定也被吐谷渾軍隊生擒，胡夏政權終於滅亡。

被俘虜的赫連定終究難逃一死，吐谷渾遣使到北魏，表示願意將赫連定交給北魏處理。北魏延和元年三月，吐谷渾將他獻給北魏，北魏將赫連定斬殺。

性格

根據史書記載，赫連定性格兇暴無賴。

魏收《魏書》：『兇暴無賴。』

司馬光《資治通鑑》：『夏主少兇暴無賴，不為世祖所知。』

（備註：『世祖』是赫連勃勃的廟號）