Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of the Later Zhao dynasty's collapse in 351 AD, it completed the unification of northern China in 376 AD during the reign of Fu Jiān (Emperor Xuanzhao), being the only state out of the Sixteen Kingdoms to achieve this. Its capital was Chang'an up to Fu Jiān's death in 385 AD. The prefix "Former" is used to distinguish it from the Later Qin and Western Qin dynasties that were founded later.

In 383 AD, the decisive defeat of the Former Qin by the Jin dynasty at the Battle of Fei River encouraged uprisings, splitting Former Qin territory into two noncontiguous pieces after the death of Fu Jiān. One remnant, at present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi was soon overwhelmed in 386 AD by the Xianbei under the Later Yan, Western Yan and the Dingling. The other struggled in greatly reduced territories around the border of present-day Shaanxi and Gansu until its final disintegration in 394 AD following years of invasions by Western Qin and Later Qin.

All rulers of Former Qin proclaimed themselves "Emperor", except for Fu Jiān who only claimed the title "Heavenly King" (Tian Wang). He was nonetheless posthumously considered an emperor by the Former Qin imperial court.

The Fu clan of Lüeyang Commandery were originally had the surname Pu (蒲) and claimed descent from the legendary Youhu tribe (有扈) that once dwelled near Chang'an during the Xia dynasty according to records. During the fall of Western Jin, many refugees fled to join them, prompting their chieftain, Pu Hong to declare independence by proclaiming himself the Duke of Lüeyang. He became a vassal after the Former Zhao dynasty entered the Guanzhong region, and later submitted to the Jie-led Later Zhao dynasty after they vanquished the former in 329. When Shi Hu seized power in 333, Pu Hong convinced him to resettle the various Di and Qiang tribes in Guanzhong to live around the capital region in Xiangguo. Pu Hong and his family were moved to Fangtou (枋頭, in modern Hebi, Henan), where he supervised the Di tribes as the Colonel Who Protects the Di (護氐校尉) and was highly favoured as a general and advisor by Shi Hu.

After Shi Hu's death in 349, Pu Hong was involved in instigating the Later Zhao princes' internecine struggle for the throne by supporting Shi Zun against Shi Shi. He then took advantage of the confusion to lead his armies west towards Guanzhong, where he planned to establish an independent state. In accordance to a prophecy, he changed his family name to Fu (苻) and, after briefly being a vassal to the Eastern Jin dynasty, proclaimed himself King of the Three Qins. However, en route, he was assassinated by one of his generals.

Fu Hong's son and heir, Fu Jiàn, quickly quelled the rebellion and succeeded his father. Initially, he renounced his father's imperial titles and redeclared himself as a Jin vassal, but once he captured the ancient capital of Chang'an, he declared independence from Jin by claiming the title of Heavenly King of Qin.

Fu Jiàn further elevated himself to Emperor of Qin in 352. During his reign, he expanded his state by defeating remnants of the Later Zhao and wresting for control over the Longxi region with the Former Liang. His most serious challenge was in 354, when the Eastern Jin dynasty commander, Huan Wen launched his first northern expedition against them. Fu Jiàn barely repelled him using a scorched earth strategy, and during the battle, his crown prince, Fu Chang (苻萇), was killed.

Not long after, Fu Jiàn died in 355 and was succeeded by his son Fu Sheng. Traditional historians describe Fu Sheng as a violent ruler, killing many of his high-ranking officials over trivial matters. During his reign, he forced the Former Liang into submission and killed the Qiang warlord, Yao Xiang. However, as he planned to have his cousins killed, he was overthrown in a coup in 357 led his cousin, Fu Jiān (note the different pinyin from his uncle and first ruler, Fu Jiàn).