Xiongnu (Hsiung-nu)-Han Dynasty War and Diplomacy, 133 BCE-150 CE

*Han Wudi (r. 141-87 BCE) the Consolidator and Warrior

Han Wudi’s decision to fight Xiongnu

Practical motives

Perceived failure of “Peace and Kinship” relations

Raiding

Ideological motives

Loss of face to “Barbarians”

Expansion of tax base

Eliminated Power of Kingdoms in east

Wudi’s methods

Financial demands

New inheritance rules

Partible inheritance

Monopolies

Iron

Salt

Liquor

Failed Diplomacy

*Zhang Qian’s mission to Yuezhi, 138-128 BCE

Northern Campaigns

*Ordos Captured, 124 BCE

Mongolia campaign, 119 BCE

Xiongnu strategic retreat

Western Campaigns and Chinese Settlement of Eastern Silk Road

*Gansu (Hexi) Captured, 121-119, 111 BCE

Zhang Qian’s failed mission to Wusun, 116 BCE

Colonization by over 1 million, 115-72 BCE

Dayuan [Ferghana] campaign, 103 BCE

Xiongnu Crisis

Discontent of subordinate tribes

Lost grazing land

Lost tribute

Civil wars over succession, 60-55 BCE

Northern and Southern Xiongnu split, 54 BCE

Tributary relations, 54 BCE

Han Emperor Xuan, r. 74-49 BCE

1) S. Xiongnu prince as Han hostage

2) S. Xiongnu pay homage

3) S. Xiongnu give tribute

4) Han emperor gives gifts

Unwritten mutual benefits

Military alliance against N. Xiongnu

Increased trade

State-level trade relations

Trans-ecological
comparative advantage

Chinese imports

Livestock

Especially war horses

Military importance

Xiongnu imports

Silk

Gold ornaments

Designed to suit Xiongnu taste

Political importance?

Embroidered Silk

Xiongnu grave

N. Mongolia

1st Century CE

Unintended Consequences

Increased interaction in borderlands

Han Wudi’s settlers in Northern Ordos, Gansu and Tarim Basin (Xinjiang)

Some S. Xiongnu in Han armies as cavalry

Shanyu Bi’s move closer to Han, 47 CE

40-50,000 warriors and families

Settlement of Chinese oases in Gansu

Han settlers

Evidence of Painted bricks in Gansu

3rd-to-5th-c. tombs

Discussion: Hansen 13-24, 30-34 (docs. 3-5)

1. What was the purpose of Zhang Qian’s diplomatic mission?

• Why has he become famous? Is he overrated, just as modern historians generally consider Christopher Columbus to be overrated?
• Why does Zhang Qian deserve recognition? How did he increase knowledge of Inner Asia in Han Dynasty China?

2. What is the context of the Xuanquan documents (pp. 14-18)?

• Why are these examples of the Han Dynasty’s infrastructure of empire? Like watchtowers, how did they help explain how the Han Dynasty retained control over Silk Road oases?
• What do documents 4a and 4b teach us about diplomacy on the Han frontier?

3. What is the context of document 5? How accurate was Han Chinese knowledge of the Roman Empire, based on document 5?