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Xiongnu

East Asia & PacificHeartland today: Mongolia

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A confederation of steppe peoples under a ruler called the chanyu, built by Modu from about 209 BCE on the Mongolian plateau. It was the Han dynasty's chief rival until it split in two in the 1st century CE and the northern half broke apart.

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Key events

  1. Modu kills his father Touman and becomes chanyu

    The Shiji gives no year. Wikipedia gives 209 BCE.

  2. Xiongnu cavalry surround Emperor Gaozu of Han at Baideng for seven daysDisputed

    The Shiji gives no year. Wikipedia dates the siege to 200 BCE; the University of Washington essay says 201 BCE.

  3. Han and Xiongnu agree a marriage alliance, with a Han princess and yearly giftsDisputed

    The Shiji gives no year. Wikipedia dates the agreement to 198 BCE.

  4. Han armies under Wei Qing and Huo Qubing defeat the Xiongnu north of the Gobi
  5. Huhanye submits to Han as the Xiongnu empire splits in civil warDisputed

    Wikipedia's Xiongnu article gives 60–53 BCE for the civil war and 51 BCE for Huhanye's submission to Han. The Hanshu describes the steps (the move south, the hostage son, the visit to the Han court) without a BCE year, and the exact year of each step varies between accounts.

  6. Bi leads the southern Xiongnu to submit to Han, and the Xiongnu divide into north and southDisputed

    The Hou Hanshu records Bi's approach to Han in the 24th year of Jianwu, which is 48 CE. The University of Washington essay gives 47. The Hou Hanshu blames drought, locusts and famine, and a succession dispute.

  7. – Han and southern Xiongnu armies defeat the northern Xiongnu, whose chanyu flees