Wu Hu - The Southern Xiongnu

The Southern Xiongnu

The Xiongnu were a people who had migrated in and out of China proper, especially during times of turmoil, apparently at least since the days of the Qin. Huhanye Shanyu (呼韓邪, 58-31 BCE) (also called Hu Hanxie Chanyu) signed a heqin agreement or Peace and Kinship Treaty with Han China in 53 BC.

In 48 CE, after a dynastic conflict within the Xiongnu confederacy, a contending Shanyu Hiloshy Jodi Bi Huhanye (48-56 CE), who was a son of Uchjulu Jodi-Chanyu (8-13 BCE) and a grandson of Huhanye Shanyu, split off and brought eight tribes of the Western Wing to China under a renewed Peace and Kinship Treaty, creating a polity of Southern Xiongnu in vassalage to China, and a polity of Northern Xiongnu who maintained their independence.

As the Northern Xiongnu declined under internal and external conflicts, the Southern Xiongnu received waves of new migrants, and by the end of the 1st c. CE a majority of the Xiongnu resided in China proper and along its northern borders.

In the 190's CE the Southern Xiongnu revolted against attempts of the Chinese Court to appoint a puppet Southern Shanyu (Shanyu or rather Chanyu meaning 'Son of Eternal Sky' and equating with the title of King) against their will:

"Dong Xian, who was boastful of his victories, forsook the rules which could keep peace, and was unfair and greedy, seized the right to frighten and pardon, again installed Shanyu for Northern Hu, returned him to the old court, began favoring both Shanyus, and thus, for his own prosperity, violated the principles of justice and have sown seeds of great evil".

The Southern Xiongnu then elected Shanyu Gudu-heu from the Suibu tribe, and the puppet Shanyu Yufuluo (188-195 CE) fled back to the Chinese Court. After the death of Shanyu Gudu-heu (188-196 CE), most of the Southern Xiongnu left to join the Northern Xiongnu, and only five tribes remained in China.

The War of the Eight Princes during the Western Jin Dynasty triggered a large scale Southern Xiongnu uprising from 304, which resulted in the sacking of the Chinese capitals at Luoyang (311) and Chang'an. The Xiongnu Kingdom of Han Zhao captured and executed the last two Jin emperors as the Western Jin Dynasty collapsed in 317. Many Chinese fled south of the Yangtze River as numerous tribesmen of the Xiongnu and remnants of the Jin wreaked havoc in the north. Fu Jiān temporarily unified the north but his achievement was destroyed after the Battle of Feishui. The Northern Wei Dynasty unified northern China again in 439 and ushered in the period of the Northern Dynasties.