Huns were called Huni or Huna in Rome. They first lived in the northeast steppe of Eurasia around the 1th century BC, and were known by ancient China people at that time. This group of people is the direct ancestor of the Huns, and later divided into two major races on the Eurasian plain, Turkic and Mongolian.
In the 9th to 8th century, the Hu people who were called "Yan Zhen" by the Zhou people at that time were considered as the earliest Huns to deal with China people. At that time, they lived in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi and northern Hebei. During the Spring and Autumn Period, the Xiongnu tribe, known as "Beirong", began to pose a direct threat to border countries such as Yan and Jin.
In the Warring States period, King Wuling of Zhao (reigned from about 32 to 295) changed their heavy chariots into a flexible cavalry (riding and shooting in Hu clothes), and surrendered the Hu tribes in Datong area and Hetao area of Erdos in one fell swoop. Since then, these two areas have been incorporated into Chinese territory and firmly grasped by China people.
during the warring States period, in order to defend against the Huns, China people from Zhao and its neighboring countries, including Qin, Wei and Yan, began to erect the original wall along its northern border. Later, Qin Shihuang unified and completed the construction of the wall and became the Great Wall.
According to Records of the Historian, about the second half of the 3rd century BC, at about the same time when China was reunified, the Huns seemed to have become a unified and powerful nation. They were led by a leader named Shan Yu, and produced their own characters, in which the inherited relationship with the Mongolian and Turkic roots of later generations can be clearly found.
The unified Xiongnu has a vast territory, and Khan lived in the mountainous area on the upper reaches of the Erhun River. Later, Khala and Lin, the capital of Genghis Khan Mongols, were built here, and Zuo Xianwang (in principle, Khan's successor) lived in the east, possibly in the Krulun Highland. You Xianwang lives in the west, near the mountain area of Hang 'ai and the present Uriyasutai. All the members of this nomadic people are organized like an army when marching, so every nomad is a soldier, and their marching direction is always habitually facing south, so the conflict with China is inevitable.
Huns are very fierce. According to historical records, their tactics are often that when they are chased, they will lure China troops into the Gobi Desert or the desolate grassland, then ambush them and punish the pursuers with thunderous arrows until the soldiers in China are dragged down and exhausted by hunger and thirst, and then they will be wiped out in one fell swoop. In the Han Dynasty, the number of China soldiers who were ambushed and slaughtered by Xiongnu was amazing. Coupled with the mobility of Xiongnu cavalry and their advanced bow and arrow technology, Xiongnu army became the enemy of China army.
In 214 BC, Qin Meng Tian drove the Xiongnu out of the Yellow River Hetao area in Erdos again. At the same time, Xiongnu Tou Man Khan defeated the Dayue people in Gansu.
Tou Man's son and successor, Maughton, defeated another barbarian, Donghu, on the border of Manchuria about 29 years ago. Maughton took advantage of the Chu-Han Civil War in China during the Dingge of Qin and Han Dynasties to invade Shanxi Province of China in 21 BC, and surrounded its capital, Taiyuan. Emperor Gaozu went to Taiyuan to drive away the Huns, but he was besieged by the Huns in Baideng Mountain, near Pingcheng, which is now the Datong area on the Shanxi border. After negotiations, the clearance was obtained. In the agreement, Emperor Gaozu gave the Xiongnu preferential treatment. Marry a Chinese princess or maid-in-waiting to Khan as his wife. This was the first military victory of Xiongnu against China.
In about 177 or 176 BC, Maodun completely conquered the Dayue people in western Gansu. Laoshang Khan, the son and successor of modu chanyu, expelled the Dayue people from Gansu and forced them to migrate to the west after ending the threat of Dayue people, thus resulting in the first recorded migration of all ethnic groups originating in the Asian Plateau.
A direct consequence of the westward migration of the Dayue people was the end of the Greek kingdom of Bactria in Afghanistan (which was founded by the successor of the Greek princes of Alexandria). Around 14-13 BC, nomadic tribes actually took Bactria from the Greek king Hlik and established the Daxia Kingdom. The Daxia Kingdom soon surrendered to the Dayue Kingdom established by the Dayue people in the north of Guishui (that is, between the Amu Darya River and the Syr Darya River). It was annexed by Dayue around 126 years ago. Around the 1st century BC, the Dayue people unified the tribes and established the Guishuang dynasty, which is very famous in ancient history. Its territory expanded from Afghanistan to Punjab in northern India. Among them, it is worth mentioning that in 128 BC, Zhang Qian, the ambassador of Han Dynasty, visited Dayue.
get to the point, and continue to talk about Xiongnu.
In 167 BC, Xiongnu Laoshang Khan entered Shaanxi until Pengyang (west of Chang 'an, the capital) and set fire to a palace here.
In 158 BC, they returned to the north of Weihe River, directly threatening Chang 'an.
in 142 BC, they attacked the Great Wall in the direction of Yanmen near Datong in northern Shanxi.
In 14 BC, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, China was threatened by Xiongnu all over the border.
Immediately after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he made an ambitious plan to drive the Xiongnu back to Mobei (Mobei generally refers to the original residence of Xiongnu (the area north of Hang 'ai Mountain, Erhun River and Krulun River). So he sent Zhang Qian to the western regions, trying to contact the big moon people to deal with the Huns. Zhang Qian made two missions to the Western Regions, which lasted for 2 years, and traversed the Yueshi, Dawan, Kangju and Wusun countries in the Western Regions. Although he failed to persuade the western countries to fight against the Xiongnu, he made great contributions to the connection between China and Central Asia.
From 129 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty began to use troops continuously against the Huns.
in 129 BC, Wei Qing, a general, set out from the northern part of Shanxi, crossed the Gobi, and went on an expedition to Longting on the Wengjin River to drive the Xiongnu away.
in 127 BC, China stationed troops in the north of the Yellow River between Ordos and Alashan to defend the Hetao.
in 124 BC, the Huns invaded the northern border, and Wei Qing drove them away.
in 121 BC, Huo Qubing, a young hero, a general in title of generals in ancient times, led 1, cavalry to drive the Xiongnu away from parts of Gansu province not far from Liangzhou, Ganzhou and Guazhou, which were occupied by the Dayue people and Wusun people. And completed the occupation.
in 119 BC, the Han army won a decisive victory over the Huns. Wei Qing and Huo Qubing-the former started from Kukuhetun area in the north of Shanxi, and the latter started from Shanggu near Xuanhua in the northwest of Beijing-crossed the Gobi and went deep into the center of Xiongnu Empire. She unexpectedly attacked Yizhi Xiekhan, forcing the Huns to flee, and Wei Qing destroyed or captured 2, people. (This figure may account for 5% of the total population of Xiongnu at that time). Huo Qubing made a bolder expedition, going 2 miles into Mobei and reaching the upper reaches of the Erhun River. He captured more than 8 Xiongnu leaders. Shortly after Huo Qubing returned to China, one of the greatest military commanders in China's history died in 117 BC.
This battle made the Huns never threaten the foot of the Great Wall and Monan area in the whole Western Han Dynasty. This battle can be said to be the most successful counterattack against the northern barbarians in the history of China. During the first 127-111 years, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set out to establish four military counties in Gansu, namely Wuwei County, Zhangye County, Jiuquan County and Dunhuang County. Since then, the Silk Road from Lanzhou to Yumenguan has been formally established and will always be owned by China.
After that, the struggle between the Western Han Dynasty and Xiongnu basically revolved around the suzerainty of the Western Regions. In the first 67 years, Zheng Ji, a general, surrendered to Turpan. In the first 65 years, another general, Feng Fengshi, surrendered to Ye Er Qiang. In 6 BC, Zheng Ji formally occupied Turpan, and from then on, the Western Han Dynasty established absolute control over Tarim Basin.
in 6 BC, there was a civil war in Xiongnu, and Huhanye and Zhizhi fought for each other's position. In the first 51 years, Huhanye surrendered to Emperor Xuandi of Han Dynasty, and with the help of the Western Han army, Huhanye defeated Zhizhi Khan and occupied the Xiongnu's hometown, which was called the East Xiongnu.
Zhizhi Khan attacked the west, defeated Wusun and Kangju people in the Aral Sea basin, and established his own country, known as the Western Xiongnu. However, this Xiongnu who didn't want to submit to China still didn't escape the blow of China. In 36 BC, Chen Tang, a captain of the Western Regions, reached the Chu River in an unusually bold attack and killed Zhizhi. The Western Xiongnu quickly disintegrated and fled to the west.
Because of the lack of contact with other civilized forces, this Xiongnu who migrated westward was not recorded for the next 4 years. It was not until the end of the 4th century that they crossed the Volga River and the Don River and invaded Europe that these Xiongnu and their leaders Balamir and Attila shocked the world again.
Let's talk about the Eastern Xiongnu.
Due to the absolute superiority of the Western Han Dynasty over the Eastern Xiongnu, the Eastern Xiongnu was not only unable to pose a threat to the northern border of China, but also unable to compete with the Western Han Dynasty for control of the Western Regions.
But when the New Han Dynasty changed, China lost control of the Western Regions, and the Huns seized control of Turpan and the Western Regions.
However, the luck of the Huns was never very good. China quickly recovered from the chaos, and the rapid stability and prosperity of the Eastern Han regime was quite fatal to the Huns.
in 48 ad, the eastern Xiongnu split, and eight Xiongnu tribes in the south, led by their leaders, rose up against Punu Khan and joined China. Guangwudi placed them as allies in Inner Mongolia, on the southern border of Gobi, and on the border between Shanxi and Gansu. The Southern Xiongnu State was established, which was actually a protected territory of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and was subordinate to the frontier officials of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and there was no threat to the Eastern Han Dynasty.
The northern Xiongnu continued to be enemies of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At this time, the Eastern Han government began to support Xianbei tribes in Liaodong to deal with the northern Xiongnu, and Xianbei people began to appear on the stage of China history.
the eastern Han dynasty began an all-round attack on the northern Xiongnu in 73 ad. in the western regions, Ban Chao and Geng Gong, the generals of Dou Xian, used a very small number of troops, went deep into the tiger's den, smashed the Kuqa, captured Kashgar, wiped out Kuqa and leveled the chariots, and constantly repelled many rebellions of the western countries instigated by Xiongnu. In ten years, the eastern Han empire regained absolute control in the western regions. Ban Chao and Geng Gong deserve to be the most outstanding special operations heroes in the history of China.
In 89 AD, the main force of the Eastern Han Dynasty, led by Dou Xian, defeated the Xiongnu in the north and pursued the Xiongnu ministries in the north, leaving more than 3, miles, and the Xiongnu surrendered more than 8 troops, and ordered Ban Gu to remember Han Weide and carve stones in Yanran Mountain (now Hangzhou Ai Mountain) and return them.
in 91 ad, China's general Geng kui made the Huns suffer another decisive defeat. He marched into outer Mongolia, and probably reached the Erhun River. In Jinwei Mountain, he captured the mother who went it alone and all the members of her family, and made Chanyu's younger brother as his successor.
In p>93, when China was rebelled against by Chu, China sent a Xianbei people from Manchuria border to deal with him. They defeated and killed Xin Khan, and the northern Xiongnu never recovered and gradually disappeared. Finally, in the 2nd century, it was completely surrendered by Xianbei people. Its history as a nation and tribe is basically over. After the defeat of the Northern Xiongnu, the ministries of Xianbei occupied the land of the original Xiongnu Empire, but they were far from threatening China until the national migration in the 4th century.
Let's go back to the fate of another Xiongnu, that is, the Southern Xiongnu attached.
As a vassal of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Southern Xiongnu was basically at peace with the Eastern Han Dynasty except for a small rebellion in 144 AD. However, at the end of Han Dynasty, due to the further rise of Xianbei people, the southern Xiongnu had to flee the Inner Mongolia grassland, further attached to it, and moved south to the Hetao. Even settled within the Great Wall, Huchu Spring of the Southern Xiongnu Khan lived in Pingyang, the hinterland of Shanxi, before and after the Battle of Guandu (22), and changed his surname to Liu. I probably want to take the surname of Princess Han, a distant ancestor. And gradually become stronger.
In p>34, Liu Yuan, the Xiongnu leader in Taiyuan, won the title of Five Tribes Khan from the Western Jin Dynasty. In 38, he led 5, Xiongnu troops on the pretext that the legitimate heir of the Han Dynasty proclaimed himself emperor in Taiyuan for the former Zhao Dynasty.
in p>311, Liu Cong, the son of Liu Yuanzi, occupied Luoyang, jindun, burned the imperial palace, captured Emperor Huai of Jin, and then approached Chang 'an, where he slaughtered half the residents (in 312). The ferocious side of the Huns broke out again after 2 years of dormancy.
The captured Puhuaidi was sent to Pingyang, Liu Cong, and forced to serve as a sommelier in Liu Cong until he was killed in 313.
In p>316, Liu Cong made a comeback and surrounded Chang 'an, forcing Emperor Chen of Jin to surrender. After the collapse of the Western Jin Dynasty, the Xiongnu emperor once again met the captured Emperor China in Pingyang, forcing him to wash dishes at the banquet, and finally, he was executed in 318.
However, the short-lived Xiongnu regime was destroyed in 329 by the Jie nationality Hou Zhao.
However, the southern Xiongnu tribe still existed until 35 AD, when Ran Min, a general of Han nationality in the post-Zhao Dynasty, founded the country and slaughtered the Hu people. When he saw the high nose and deep purpose, more than 2, people died suddenly in the wild (mainly Huns and Jie people, as well as some Xianbei and Di people, Qiang and Ba Di people), and the remaining Huns were almost wiped out. Since then, the history of Huns in Asia and as a nation has ended.
The history of the Huns is not over yet, but its final chapter, like a supernova explosion, is dazzling and cruel.
After the Huns in Asia were basically wiped out, they were not forgotten by the world. In 375 AD, a stronger Hun suddenly appeared on the left bank of the Don River and embarked on a conquest journey that shocked Europe.
Now we can basically guess that the origin of this Hun is the descendant of Shan Yu, a West Hun who was conquered by the Western Han Dynasty in 36 BC. As for their 4-year history, it is impossible to test because they have no contact with any civilized forces at that time.
As soon as the Huns entered Europe, European civilized countries and semi-civilized countries that had not been attacked by barbarians in the Eurasian plain were almost helpless to them.
in 375, the Huns conquered the Arameans between the Don River and the Terek River. The surviving Arameans moved to the south of Gaul and became the ancestors of modern Catalans.
In 376 AD, the Huns defeated the Eastern Gothic kingdom west of the Dnieper River at that time, which made most ostrogoths submit. The remaining East Gothic tribes entered the Balkans.
in the same year, the visigoths were forced to give up their land in the central European plain, cross the danube and enter the Roman empire in order to avoid the invasion of Huns.
Due to the departure of the East and West Goths, by about 45 years, the Huns had completely occupied the vast grassland between the Urals and Carpathians, and began to attack Europe.
in p>46, they occupied the Hungarian plain through the gap in Carpathian Mountain, and they expanded to the right bank of the Danube River and became neighbors of the Roman Empire.
In the next 3 years, although the Xiongnu Empire was full of longing for the great wealth of the Roman Empire, the border between the two empires remained basically calm because it was busy with its own internal power struggle.
It was not until 435, when Attila killed his brother and ascended the throne, that Attila unified the whole territory of Xiongnu, and the terrible "whip of God" began to wave.
In p>441, Attila declared war on the Eastern Rome. He crossed the Danube River, crossed present-day Serbia and Bulgaria, and then plundered Thrace, the powerful phalanx of heavy infantry in the Eastern Roman Empire. Attila's cavalry archers were almost vulnerable. (Attila's attack was basically eliminated.