Xiongnu

A era of relative prosperity had existed since Jin Wudi unified China in 280: Wu hu tribes residing inside and in the vicinity of China regularly paid taxes to the Jin's court. They traded horses and animal products for agricultural goods and silk. Mecenaries could always be called upon request. Powerful chieftains cannot match the diplomatic measures of the Chinese bureaucracy. The scenario resembled that of Eastern Han Dynasty with one exception: the underlying internal weakness of the dynasty provided the Wu Hu with the inva ...

See also:

Wu Hu, Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions, Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions, Wu Hu - Wu Hu after the fall of Northern Xiongnu, Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai, Wu Hu - Wu Hu in the period of Three Kingdoms, Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty, Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

Read more here: » Wu Hu: Encyclopedia II - Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty

The accession of Emperor Hui in 290 marked the beginning of the crumbling of the Jin Dynasty. Possilby retarded at birth, he was merely a puppet of powerful parties which sought to control the Jin court. During the Rebellion of the Eight Kings, all parties in power attempted to wiped out the former rulers by murder, disloyalty, mass executions or battles. Each struggle grew more violent and bloodier than the one before. Not surprisingly, Wu Hu mecenaries were often called upon. Wu Hu chieftains and herdsmen clearly comprehended the selfishne ...

See also:

Wu Hu, Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions, Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions, Wu Hu - Wu Hu after the fall of Northern Xiongnu, Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai, Wu Hu - Wu Hu in the period of Three Kingdoms, Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty, Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

Read more here: » Wu Hu: Encyclopedia II - Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

The bitter and unstable relationship between the Han court and various nomadic groups lasted from the start of 2nd century to early 160s until the appearance of Tán Shí Huái (檀石槐 b. 120s - d. 181), an illegitimate son of a low ranked military officer of Xianbei mercenaries deployed against the Southern Xiongnu. Despite his low social status among Xianbei herdsmen, he managed to unify all the Xianbei ...

See also:

Wu Hu, Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions, Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions, Wu Hu - Wu Hu after the fall of Northern Xiongnu, Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai, Wu Hu - Wu Hu in the period of Three Kingdoms, Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty, Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

Read more here: » Wu Hu: Encyclopedia II - Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai

Traditional historians interpreted "Hu" as "barbarians"; some further stretched this obsolete analogy to equate "Hu" with the "Xiongnu". Others objected to such similarities, stating that Wu Hu were substantially civilized before the turmoil of the Western Jin Dynasty. Xiongnu was in fact the most powerful non-Chinese ethnic group neighboring the Chinese Han Dynasty therefore the Han simply referred to them as the "Hu" (the "non-Chinese" or the "barbarian"). Both terms were used concurrently. Nevertheless, "Hu" later became the ...

See also:

Wu Hu, Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions, Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions, Wu Hu - Wu Hu after the fall of Northern Xiongnu, Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai, Wu Hu - Wu Hu in the period of Three Kingdoms, Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty, Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

Read more here: » Wu Hu: Encyclopedia II - Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions

Yuanxi (元熙 yuán xī) 304-308 Yongfeng (永鳳 yǒng fèng) 308-309 Guangxing (光興 guāng xīng) 310-311 Jiaping (嘉平 jiā pīng) 311-315 Jianyuan (建元 jiàn yuán) 315-316 Linjia (麟嘉 lín jiā) 316-318 Note: Liu Xi was Liu Yao's crown prince who was thrusted into the leadership role when Liu Yao was captured by Later Zhao's em ...

See also:

Han Zhao, Han Zhao - The Condition of the Xiongnu in Northern China and their uprising, Han Zhao - Rulers of the Han Zhao

Read more here: » Han Zhao: Encyclopedia II - Han Zhao - Rulers of the Han Zhao

Wu Hu means "five nomadic groups", hence giving it another name, the Five Hu. Wu Hu were composed of five nomadic tribes: Xiōngnú (匈奴, sometimes identified with the Huns), Xiānbēi (鮮卑), Dī (氐), Qiāng (羌), and Jié (羯) although different groups of historians and historiographers have their own definitions. The above composition of Wu Hu is the most accepted since those five tribes were the major ones. The term Wu Hu was first ...

See also:

Wu Hu, Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions, Wu Hu - Origins of the various definitions, Wu Hu - Wu Hu after the fall of Northern Xiongnu, Wu Hu - Xianbei confederacy of Tan Shi Huai, Wu Hu - Wu Hu in the period of Three Kingdoms, Wu Hu - Crisis of the Jin Dynasty, Wu Hu - Outbreak: Rebellion of the Eight Kings

Read more here: » Wu Hu: Encyclopedia II - Wu Hu - Past and Present Definitions

Wu Guang (Traditional Chinese: 吳廣) (d. 209 BC or 208 BC (around the new year)) was a leader of the first rebellion against Qin Dynasty during the reign of Qin Er Shi, following the death of Qin Shi Huang. Less is known about him than Chen Sheng. Wu Guang was born in Yangxia (陽夏, in modern Zhoukou, Henan). In 209 BC, he was a military captain along with Chen Sheng when the two of them were ordered to lead 900 soldiers to Yuyang (漁陽, in modern Beijing) to help defend the northern border against Xiongnu. Due to storms, ...

Read more here: » Wu Guang: Encyclopedia - Wu Guang

The Han Dynasty (Traditional: 漢朝; Simplified: 汉朝; Hanyu Pinyin: Hàn cháo;; Wade-Giles: Han Ch'au; 206 BC–AD 220) followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The dynasty was founded by the Liu family. Han Dynasty - Importance. The Chinese people consider the Han Dynasty to be one of the greatest periods in the entire history of China. As a result, the members of th ...

Including:

• Han Dynasty - Importance
• Han Dynasty - The Emergence
• Han Dynasty - Taoism and Feudal System
• Han Dynasty - Emperor Wu and Confucianism
• Han Dynasty - Beginning of the Silk Road
• Han Dynasty - Rise of landholding class
• Han Dynasty - Interruption of Han rule
• Han Dynasty - Rise and Fall of Eastern Han Dynasty
• Han Dynasty - Sovereigns of Han Dynasty

Read more here: » Han Dynasty: Encyclopedia - Han Dynasty

Qin Shi Huang (秦始皇) (November/December 260 BC-September 10, 210 BC), personal name Zheng, was king of the Chinese State of Qin from 247 BC to 221 BC, and then the first emperor of a unified China from 221 BC to 210 BC, ruling under the name First Emperor. Having unified China, he and his prime minister Li Si passed a series of major reforms aimed at cementing the unification, and they undertook some gargantuan construction projects, most notably the precursor version of the current Great Wall of China. For a ...

Including:

• Qin Shi Huang - Naming conventions
• Qin Shi Huang - Youth and King of Qin: the conqueror
• Qin Shi Huang - Unification of China
• Qin Shi Huang - Death and aftermath
• Qin Shi Huang - Qin Shi Huang in historiography
• Qin Shi Huang - Qin Shi Huang in fiction
• Qin Shi Huang - Miscellaneous

Read more here: » Qin Shi Huang: Encyclopedia - Qin Shi Huang

Wiman Joseon (194 BC - 108 BC), was a continuation of Gojoseon, beginning with the rule of Wiman. It is generally classified as a part of the Gojoseon period, while some consider it a separate period of ancient Korean history. Wiman was originally a refugee from the Chinese state of Yan. He succeeded in driving out King Jun of Gojoseon and taking over the throne. He made the capital in Wanggeomseong (王險城), today's P'yŏngyang. Although culturally ...

Read more here: » Wiman Joseon: Encyclopedia - Wiman Joseon

Yuezhi (Chinese:月氏, also 月支, Wade-Giles: Yüeh-Chih) or Da Yuezhi (Chinese:大月氏, also 大月支, "Great Yuezhi") is the Chinese name for an ancient Central Asian people. They are believed to have been the same as or closely related to the people named Tocharians (τόχαροι) by ancient Greeks. They were originally settled in the Tarim Basin area, in what is today Gansu and Xinjiang, in China, before they migrated to Transoxiana, Bactria and then northern India, where they formed the Kushan Empire. Including:

• Yuezhi - Origins
• Yuezhi - The Yuezhi exodus
• Yuezhi - Settlement in Transoxiana
• Yuezhi - Invasion of Bactria
• Yuezhi - Expansion into the Hindu-Kush
• Yuezhi - Founders of the Kushan empire
• Yuezhi - Yuezhi monarchs

Read more here: » Yuezhi: Encyclopedia - Yuezhi

Wang Mang (王莽, pinyin: Wáng Măng) (45 BC–October 6, 23), courtesy name Jujun (巨君), was a Han Dynasty official who seized the throne from the Liu family and founded Xin (or Hsin) Dynasty (新朝, meaning "new dynasty"), ruling AD 8–23. The Han dynasty was restored after his overthrow, and historians have traditionally viewed Wang as a "usurper," while some others have portrayed him as a visionary and selfless social reformer. Though a learned Confucian scholar who sought to implement the harmonious society he ...

Including:

• Wang Mang - Early life and career
• Wang Mang - First tenure as the commander of the armed forces
• Wang Mang - Retirement during Emperor Ai's reign
• Wang Mang - Regency and buildup of personality cult
• Wang Mang - As acting emperor
• Wang Mang - Early reign: mistakes
• Wang Mang - Economic policies
• Wang Mang - Deterioration of the relationship with Xiongnu and other vassals
• Wang Mang - Paralysis and corruption of the government
• Wang Mang - Middle reign: agrarian rebellions
• Wang Mang - Late reign: hopelessness
• Wang Mang - Reasons for Wang Mang's failure
• Wang Mang - Personal information

Read more here: » Wang Mang: Encyclopedia - Wang Mang

Xinjiang (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ (Shinjang); Chinese: 新疆; Hanyu Pinyin: Xīnjiāng; Wade-Giles: Hsin1-chiang1; Postal Pinyin: Sinkiang), full name Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Uyghur: شىنجاڭ ئۇيغۇر ئاپتونوم رايونى (Shinjang Uyghur Aptonom Rayoni); Simplified: 新疆维吾尔自治区; Traditional: 新疆維吾爾自治區; Hanyu Pinyin: Xīnj ...

Including:

• Xinjiang - History
• Xinjiang - Subdivisions
• Xinjiang - Geography
• Xinjiang - Economy
• Xinjiang - Demographics
• Xinjiang - Culture
• Xinjiang - Miscellaneous topics

Read more here: » Xinjiang: Encyclopedia - Xinjiang

The report of Zhang Qian's travels is quoted extensively in the 1st century BCE Chinese historic chronicles "Records of the Great Historian" (Shiji) by Sima Qian. Zhang Qian visited directly the kingdom of Dayuan in Ferghana, the territories Yuezhi in Transoxonia, the Bactrian country of Daxia with it remnants of Greco-Bactrian rule, and Kangju (Sogdiana). He also made reports on neighbouring countries that he did not visit, such as Anxi (Parthia), Tiaozhi (Mesopotamia), Shendu (India) and the Wusun. < ...

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Zhang Qian, Zhang Qian - First embassy to the West, Zhang Qian - Zhang Qian's report, Zhang Qian - Dayuan Ferghana, Zhang Qian - Yuezhi Tocharians?, Zhang Qian - Daxia Bactria, Zhang Qian - Shendu India, Zhang Qian - Anxi Parthia, Zhang Qian - Tiaozhi, Zhang Qian - Kangju Sogdiana, Zhang Qian - Yancai, Zhang Qian - Return to China, Zhang Qian - Development of East-West contacts, Zhang Qian - Zhang Qian of today

Read more here: » Zhang Qian: Encyclopedia II - Zhang Qian - Zhang Qian's report

The Oghuz Turks have perhaps been the most successful branch of Turkic peoples and families. Their history as kings, statesmen, warriors, as well as an enormous tribal union and large communal branch begins in the pre-Islamic period, yet their achievements and progression in the centuries after the arrival of Islam have left their mark on history and civilization. The original homeland of the Oghuz, like other Turks, was the Ural-Altay region of Central Asia known as Turkestan or Turan, which has been the domain of Turkic peopl ...

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Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turks - Name, Oghuz Turks - Origins, Oghuz Turks - Anthropology, Oghuz Turks - Social Unit, Oghuz Turks - Homeland in Transoxiana, Oghuz Turks - Dynasties, Oghuz Turks - Turcoman & Turkmen, Oghuz Turks - Literature

Read more here: » Oghuz Turks: Encyclopedia II - Oghuz Turks - Origins

From 629 to 648, a reunited China--under the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-906) --destroyed the power of the Eastern Türk north of the Gobi; established suzerainty over the Kitan, a semi-nomadic Mongol people who lived in areas that became the modern Chinese provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin; and formed an alliance with the Uighurs, who inhabited the region between the Altai Mountains and Lake Balkash. Between 641 and 648, the Tang conquered the Western Türk, reestablishing Chinese sovereignty over Xinjiang and exacting tribute f ...

See also:

Mongols before Genghis Khan, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Origins of the Mongols, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Xiongnu and Yuezhi, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Donghu Toba and Ruruan, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Rise of the Türk, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Influence of Tang China, Mongols before Genghis Khan - Sources

Read more here: » Mongols before Genghis Khan: Encyclopedia II - Mongols before Genghis Khan - Influence of Tang China

Emperor Xuan of Han - Parentage disaster and a barely spared young life. Liu Bingyi was born in 91 BC to Liu Jin, the son of then-Crown Prince Liu Ju, and his wife Consort Wang. (Jin's age at the time of his son's birth is not known, although Prince Ju himself was 37 years old at the time, making Jin likely to be in his late teens.) As the grandson of the Crown Prince, Bingyi likely was born in Prince Ju's palace. That same year, however, disaster would strike. With conspirators accusing him of using witch ...

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Emperor Xuan of Han, Emperor Xuan of Han - Family background and early life, Emperor Xuan of Han - Parentage disaster and a barely spared young life, Emperor Xuan of Han - Childhood, Emperor Xuan of Han - Young adulthood and marriage, Emperor Xuan of Han - Succession to the throne, Emperor Xuan of Han - Early reign, Emperor Xuan of Han - The destruction of the Huo clan, Emperor Xuan of Han - Middle reign, Emperor Xuan of Han - Late reign, Emperor Xuan of Han - Era names, Emperor Xuan of Han - Personal information

Read more here: » Emperor Xuan of Han: Encyclopedia II - Emperor Xuan of Han - Family background and early life

Emperor Ming of Han - The Chu and Huaiyang-related mass executions. Emperor Ming was, early in his reign, known for his generosity and affection for his brothers. This, however, apparently caused some of them to engage in behavior that were considered taboo at the time and, ironically, caused them to be severely punished by Emperor Ming, leading also to two major mass executions that blotted Emperor Ming's reign. The first of these incidents happened in 66-67 and was relatively bloodless. The ambitious Pri ...

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Emperor Ming of Han, Emperor Ming of Han - Family background, Emperor Ming of Han - As Duke/Prince of Donghai and crown prince, Emperor Ming of Han - Early reign, Emperor Ming of Han - Late reign, Emperor Ming of Han - The Chu and Huaiyang-related mass executions, Emperor Ming of Han - Campaigns against North Xiongnu and reassertion of suzerainty over Xiyu, Emperor Ming of Han - Death, Emperor Ming of Han - Era name, Emperor Ming of Han - Personal information

Read more here: » Emperor Ming of Han: Encyclopedia II - Emperor Ming of Han - Late reign

Emperor Wu immediately sought to change what he saw as what doomed Cao Wei -- the lack of power that the imperial princes held. In 265, immediately after he took the throne, he created many of his uncles, cousins, brothers, and sons as imperial princes, each with independent military commands and full authority within their principalities. This system, while it would be scaled back after the War of the Eight Princes and the loss of northern China, would remain in place as a Jin institution for the duration of ...

See also:

Emperor Wu of Jin, Emperor Wu of Jin - Life before establishment of the Jin Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Jin - Early reign: establishment of the Jin political system, Emperor Wu of Jin - Middle reign: unification of the Chinese empire, Emperor Wu of Jin - Late reign: setting the stage for disasters, Emperor Wu of Jin - Era names, Emperor Wu of Jin - Personal information

Read more here: » Emperor Wu of Jin: Encyclopedia II - Emperor Wu of Jin - Early reign: establishment of the Jin political system

As emperor, Emperor Yuan immediately started a regimen of reducing governmental spending, with the objective of reducing the burdens of the people in mind. He also started a program for social assistance to provide stipends for the poor and new entrpreneurs. He also, contrary to his father's governing philosophy, heavily relied on Confucian scholars and put them into important governmental positions. In 48 BC, Emperor Yuan created Consort Wang Zhengjun, the mother of his first born son Prince A ...

See also:

Emperor Yuan of Han, Emperor Yuan of Han - Family background, Emperor Yuan of Han - Childhood and career as crown prince, Emperor Yuan of Han - Reign as emperor, Emperor Yuan of Han - Factionalism, Emperor Yuan of Han - Victory over western Xiongnu and complete hegemony over central Asia, Emperor Yuan of Han - Succession issues, Emperor Yuan of Han - Era names, Emperor Yuan of Han - Personal information

Read more here: » Emperor Yuan of Han: Encyclopedia II - Emperor Yuan of Han - Reign as emperor

Empress Dowager Deng died in 121, and Emperor An, at the age of 27, finally had the reins of the imperial administration. He posthumously honored his father Prince Qing as Emperor Xiaode and his mother Consort Zuo as Empress Xiaode; his paternal grandmother Consort Song as Empress Jingyin; and his stepmother Consort Geng with the unique title of "Grand Consort of Ganling" (甘陵大貴人, Ganling being Prince Qing's tomb) -- a title inferior to his mother's, even though Consort Geng was his father's wife. He, however, was close to her and her brother Geng Bao (耿寶), and he quickly made his step ...

See also:

Emperor An of Han, Emperor An of Han - Family background and ascension to the throne, Emperor An of Han - Early reign: regency by Empress Dowager Deng, Emperor An of Han - Late reign, Emperor An of Han - Era names, Emperor An of Han - Personal information

Read more here: » Emperor An of Han: Encyclopedia II - Emperor An of Han - Late reign