Northern Dynasties (317-589) and Cultural Change

Han Military expansion, 133-115 BCE

Han Wudi (r. 141-87 BCE)
Settlement of soldiers on the frontier

Xiongnu Crisis

Civil wars over succession, 60-55 BCE

Lost grazing land
Lost tribute

Northern and Southern Xiongnu split, 54 BCE

Tributary relations, 54 BCE

1) S. Xiongnu prince as hostage
2) S. Xiongnu pay homage
3) S. Xiongnu give tribute
4) Chinese gives "gifts"

Unspoken mutual benefits

Military alliance against N. Xiongnu

Increased trade

State-level trade relations: trans-ecologicalcomparative advantage

Chinese imports

Livestock

War horses

Military importance

Xiongnu imports

Silk

Xiongnu graves, N. Mongolia, 1st Century CE

Chinese silk and embroidered silk

Gold ornaments

Designed to suit Xiongnu taste

Political importance

Unintended Consequences

Increased interaction in borderlands

Han Wudi's settlers in NW

Some S. Xiongnu in Han armies as cavalry

Shanyu Bi's move closer to Han, 47 CE

40-50,000 warriors and families

Other tribes drifted south

Xiongnu collapsed in 155
Han civil war from 189 onward

Three Kingdoms

Wei (220-65)-Jin (265-317)

Sima family regents from 249

Coup in 265

Han (221-63)

Wu (222-80)

Significance

Decentralization of power

Personalization of politics

Source of fame

Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Attributed to Luo Guanzhong (ca. 1330-1400)

Published 1522

Official Seals of Tribal Leaders

Sheep

"Marquis of the Loyal Qiang of the Jin" Dynasty [265-317]

Camel

"King of the Loyal Di of the Jin

Fall of W. Jin Western Jin 265-317

War of 7 Princes, 301-7

Sack of Luoyang, 311

“Huns”

Shi Le

Southern “Legitimate” Dynasties