Xiongnu: Map & History
The Xiongnu were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD.
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The Xiongnu were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 209 BC, founded the Xiongnu Empire.
Modern Countries Once Part of Xiongnu
At its mapped extent, Xiongnu covered territory in 5 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Mongolia208 BCE – 105 CE · nearly all
- China208 BCE – 90 CE · a large part
- Kazakhstan170 BCE – 153 CE · a small part
- Kyrgyzstan144–67 BCE · a small part
- Russia208–67 BCE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Xiongnu's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Xiongnu in Depth
History
The territories associated with the Xiongnu in central/east Mongolia were previously inhabited by the Slab Grave Culture (Ancient Northeast Asian origin), which persisted until the 3rd century BC. Genetic research indicates that the Slab Grave people were the primary ancestors of the Xiongnu, and that the Xiongnu formed through substantial and complex mixture with West Eurasians.
During the Western Zhou (1045–771 BC), there were numerous conflicts with nomadic tribes from the north and the northwest, variously known as the Xianyun, Guifang, or various "Rong" tribes, such as the Xirong, Shanrong or Quanrong. These tribes are recorded as harassing Zhou territory, but at the time the Zhou were expanding northwards, encroaching on their traditional lands, especially into the Wei River valley.
Ethnolinguistic origins
Historians disagree on whether the Xiongnu were of Iranian, Turkic, Mongolic or Yeniseian origin. However, some fragments from Chinese chronicles may indicate that the Xiongnu were of Turkic rather than Mongolian origin. Fragments relating to the Six Kingdoms period state that the Xiongnu spoke a language different from that of the Xianbei, who were of Mongolian or Paramongolian origin. However, the origin of the Xiongnu remains a subject of speculation.
The Xiongnu empire is widely thought to have been multiethnic. There are several theories on the ethnolinguistic identity of the Xiongnu, though there is no consensus among scholars as to what language was spoken by the Xiongnu elite.
Culture
Within the Xiongnu culture more variety is visible from site to site than from "era" to "era," in terms of Chinese chronology, yet all form a whole that is distinct from that of the Han and other peoples of the non-Chinese north. In some instances, the iconography cannot be used as the main cultural identifier, because art depicting animal predation is common among the steppe peoples. An example of animal predation associated with Xiongnu culture is that of a tiger carrying dead prey. A similar motif appears in work from Maoqinggou, a site which is presumed to have been under Xiongnu political control but is still clearly non-Xiongnu. In the Maoqinggou example, the prey is replaced with an extension of the tiger's foot.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Xiongnu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Xiongnu: Key Facts
| Capital | Chanyu Ting |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Hunnic, Mongolian |
| Form of government | khaganate |
| Founded | 3rd century BCE |
| Dissolved | 5th century |
Facts from Wikidata Q188836 (CC0).
Xiongnu Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Xiongnu appears, with the other states of the time.
Xiongnu Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 5,619,496 km² in 136 BCE.
Xiongnu: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Xiongnu exist?
Xiongnu is dated to 208 BCE – 153 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Xiongnu?
The capital of Xiongnu was Longcheng.
How large was Xiongnu at its peak?
At its peak in 136 BC Xiongnu covered about 5,619,496 km².
How did the map of Xiongnu change over time?
Xiongnu appears on 4 dated world maps in the atlas, from 200 BCE to 117 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.