生平

勇猛怖敵

桓石虔有才幹，矯健敏捷更是無與倫比。其父桓豁自昇平五年（361年）起出駐荊州，桓石虔亦跟隨。一次圍捕狩獵活動中，有一猛獸中了數支箭，伏在地上，眾將向來知道桓石虔勇猛，於是戲弄他，要他去拔箭。桓石虔迅速到了猛獸旁並拔了一箭，猛獸跳起，桓石虔也跳起，跳得比猛獸還高，及至猛獸落地再伏下，桓石虔再拔一箭才離開。

永和十年（354年），桓溫北伐，桓石虔亦隨軍進攻前秦。在一場戰事中，叔父桓沖被前秦丞相苻雄所圍，快要被俘，桓石虔竟乘馬突入，從亂軍中救回桓沖，竟沒有人敢阻截他，威震敵軍。因為他的勇猛，對瘧疾的人大喊一聲：「桓石虔來了」，患病的人多數會被嚇好，可見人們對桓石虔的畏懼。

屢建戰功

太和四年（369年），袁真以壽春叛歸前燕，桓石虔以寧遠將軍、南頓太守率眾攻打壽春，攻克了南城。太和六年（371年），前秦派了王鑒及張蚝來救援堅守壽春的袁瑾，桓石虔與桓伊等人迎擊，在石橋擊敗王鑒，獲五百匹戰馬。後桓石虔任竟陵太守。

寧康元年（373年），前秦攻佔了蜀地，梁、益二州皆失。但次年（374年）就有蜀人張育叛秦並圍攻成都，派使者到東晉稱藩。當時朝廷就派了桓石虔及益州刺史竺瑤領三萬兵進攻墊江。雖然張育不久就被前秦所滅，但桓石虔卻在墊江擊敗了駐屯當地的前秦寧州刺史姚萇，令其退守五城，而桓石虔就與竺瑤回屯巴東郡。

太元三年（378年），前秦出兵侵略淮南地區，朝廷下詔授桓石虔為奮威將軍、南平太守。不久進號冠軍將軍。太元六年（381年），前秦荊州刺史都貴率閻振和吳仲攻竟陵，桓沖派桓石虔和桓石民去抵抗，並擊敗敵軍，逼令其退守管城，以滶水阻拒晉軍。桓石虔卻以計夜渡滶水，到對岸後敵軍才發現，在桓石虔的力戰下終攻下管城，擒獲閻振和吳仲，殺敵七千並俘虜萬人以及大批戰利品。都貴退保襄陽，而桓石虔就加領河東太守。太元八年（383年），桓沖自荊州舉兵攻伐前秦，桓石虔進據樊城，在武當與郭銓擊敗前來救援的前秦兗州刺史張崇，掠二千戶南歸。

太元九年（384年），桓沖去世，豫州刺史桓伊代其出任江州刺史，而桓石虔就冠軍將軍被授以監豫州揚州五郡軍事、豫州刺史。但同年就因母喪而離職，由朱序代任。太元十二年（387年），桓石虔復原職，而朱序已經將治所從姑孰移至馬頭，桓石虔則請改鎮歷陽，獲得准許。

太元十三年（388年），桓石虔去世，朝廷追贈右將軍，又追論其平定閻振的功勳，追封作唐侯。

子女

• 桓洪，桓石虔長子，襄城太守。

• 桓振，桓洪弟，桓玄篡位敗死後曾攻陷江陵劫持晉安帝，後在與劉懷肅的作戰中被殺。

• 桓誕，桓石虔五子，嗣爵。

• 桓氏，桓振妹，嫁章武王司馬秀。

Early career

Huan Shiqian was the son of Huan Huo, who in turn was the brother Jin's famed general Huan Wen. From a young age, he was noted for possessing a physically strong body. He first distinguished himself in 354 during his uncle's first northern campaign. During the campaign, his other uncle, Huan Chong was surrounded by thousands of Former Qin troops led by Fu Jian. Shiqian charged alone into the enemies to save him. Although they outnumbered him, the Qin soldiers did not dare attack him and Shiqian retrieved his uncle. Due to this event, Huan Shiqian became widely-feared and it was said that it became a popular thing at the time to tell the sick "Huan Shiqian has arrived! (桓石虔來!)" as a way to get them to recover.

When Huan Huo was stationed in Jingzhou in 361, Shiqian also followed him there. During a hunting trip, Huan Huo's generals had heard of his strength, so they challenged Shiqian to take down a beast. Supposedly, as he drew his bow, the beast he was hunting pounced on him but Shiqian managed to jump higher than it. Once he landed on the ground, he drew his bow again and killed it.

War with Yuan Zhen and Former Qin

Huan Shiqian first commanded an army during Huan Wen's quelling of the Yuan clan in Shouchun in 370. Just a year before, Huan Wen lost his chance to conquer Former Yan after he was defeated at the Battle of Fangtou. He shifted blame to his general Yuan Zhen who had failed to secure their supply lines by building a canal. Yuan Zhen in response rebelled in Shouchun but passed away shortly and was succeeded by his son Yuan Qin (袁瑾). Yuan Qin received support from Former Qin and Former Yan so Huan Wen sent Shiqian and Zhu Yao (竺瑤) to stop them.

Shiqian conquered the southern part of Shouchun. Yuan Qin lasted for a year but was on the verge of falling in early 371, so Fu Jian sent his generals Wang Jian (王堅) and Zhang Ci to reinforce the city. However, Shiqian and Huan Yi intercepted them at Shiqiao (石橋, around present-day Lu'an, Anhui) . They repelled Wang Jian and Zhang Ci, allowing Huan Wen to take Shouchun with no interference. Yuan Qin and his followers would be executed as a result. Shiqian then served as Prefect of Jingling.

Former Qin forces conquered the Shu region from Jin in 373. The next year, a native uprising led Zhang Yu (張育) and Yang Jian (楊光) occurred, with Qin and Jin being quick to respond. Qin brought in Deng Qiang to quell the rebellion while Jin sent Shiqian and Zhu Yao in support of it. Shiqian and Zhu Yao attacked Diejiang, where they drove out Yao Chang. Zhang Yu declared himself King of Shu but soon started fighting with his subordinates. Deng Qiang and Yang An took advantage of this and routed them. Deng Qiang then head east, where headed east and defeat Shiqian and Zhu Yao. Zhang Yu was killed later that year, so Former Qin retained the region.

War between Qin and Jin intensified at Fu Jian intended to conquer the south once and for all. His general Dou Gui (都貴) ordered his officers Yan Zhen (閻振) and Wu Zhong (吳仲) to invade Jingling in 381. Shiqian and his brother, Huan Shimin marched to faced them in battle. The brothers defeated the Qin forces and chased them back to Guancheng, where they captured the city. They captured the commanders and ten thousands of captives while executing a few thousand soldiers.

Shiqian later followed his uncle Huan Chong to attack Xiangyang in 383. Shiqian and Guo Quan (郭銓) defeated Zhang Chong (張崇) at Wudang. However, Huan Chong was enticed into retreating after Murong Chui tricked him by setting torches to make his army appear bigger. His defeat would be avenged later that year when Xie Xuan won a decisive victory over Fu Jian at the Battle of Fei River. The battle drove out Qin forces from the south, and for Shiqian's merits, he was made Inspector of Yuzhou in 384.

Final years

Seeing that the north fell into chaos after Feishui, the Jin court ordered Xie Xuan to lead an expedition to capture northern territory. Shiqian was supposed to follow Xie Xuan but had to resign after hearing that his mother died and wanted to carry out a mourning session for her. His positions were thus given to Zhu Xu instead, who had just returned to Jin after defecting from Qin. Shiqian only returned to office in 387 and had his positions restored but only held them for a year before he passed away in 388. Huan Shiqian was posthumously appointed General of the Right and named Marquis of Zuotang (作唐侯).

His son, Huan Zhen was one of Huan Xuan's general who served during the brief period of Huan Chu between 403 and 404. After Xuan was killed by coalition forces in 404, Zhen and his cousin Huan Qian led a last ditch effort by recapturing Emperor An of Jin. However, Zhen too was later killed by the coalition in 405, shattering the Huan clan's hope of restoring their state.