Xianyun
Encyclopedia
The Xianyun is the name of an ancient nomadic tribe that invaded China during legenary times.
They are usually associated with the Xiongnu
.
(827/25–782 BC). The Book of Songs contains four songs about military actions between the Zhou and the Xianyun. The song "Gathering sow thistle" (Cai qi) mentions 3,000 Zhou chariots in battle against the Xianyun. The song "Sixth month" (Liu yue) says that the battlefield was between the lower courses of the Jing
(泾河) and Luo
rivers and the Wei
valley, very close to the center of the Zhou state.
Written records place the first incursions against Zhou under the name Western Rong in 843 BC. In 840 BC, the fourteenth year of reign of King Li of Zhou
, the Xianyun reached the Zhou capital Haojing
. Apparently, the "Western Rong" and Xianyun were the same people here, named in the first case by a generic term meaning "warlike tribes of the west" and in the second case by their actual ethnonym.
The Xianyun attacked again in 823 BC, the fifth year of reign of King Xuan. Their military tactics characterized by sudden attacks could only have been carried out by highly mobile troops, most likely on horseback. Some scholars relate the appearance of the Xianyun to the appearance of Scythians and Cimmerians
migrating from the west, although there is no definite evidence that they were nomadic warriors. A Duo You bronze ding
vessel inscription unearthed in 1980 near Xi'an
tells that ca. 816 BC Xianyun forces attacked a Jing (京) garrison in the lower Ordos
region, drawing a Zhou military response. It indicated that like the Zhou, the Xianyun fought on horse-drawn chariots. Contemporary evidence does not indicate that the increased mobility of the Xianyun is related to the emergence of mounted nomads armed with bows and arrows.
Later Chinese annals contain a number of references to the Xianyun, such as by Sima Qian
(ca. 145/135–86 BCE), Ying Shao
(140-206 CE), Wei Zhao
(204-273 CE), and Jin Zhuo
(late 3rd–4th c. CE). Without giving specific arguments, they stated that Xunyu
(獯鬻) or Xianyun were terms that designated nomadic people who later during the Han dynasty
were transcribed as "Xiongnu
" (匈奴). This view was also held by the Tang dynasty
commentator Sima Zhen
(ca. 8th c. CE). Wang Guowei
(1877–1927), as a result of phonetical studies and comparisons based on the inscriptions on bronze and the structure of the characters, came to the conclusion that the tribal names "Guifang
" (鬼方), "Xunyu
" (獯鬻), "Xianyu
" (鮮虞), Xianyun, "Rong
" (戎), "Di
" (狄), and "Hu
" (胡) given in the annals designated one and the same people, who later entered history under the name Xiongnu.
On the linguistic affiliation of the northern pastoral nomadic tribes with the Xiongnu, the Book of Wei
stated at around 554 CE that:
The exact time period when the name "Hun" had the phonetization "Xianyun" remains determined only vaguely: Sima Qian stated that in the earlier pre-historic period the Huns were called "Hu" and "Jung", in the late pre-historic period they were called "Xunyu", in the literate period starting with the Yin Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) they were called "Guifang
", in the Zhou
period (1045–256 BC) they were called "Xianyun", starting from the Qin
period (221–206 BC) the Chinese annalists called them "Xiongnu".
They are usually associated with the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
.
Overview
The earliest record is attributed to the reign of King Xuan of ZhouKing Xuan of Zhou
King Xuan of Zhou was the eleventh sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 827-782 BC or 827/25-782 BC.He worked to restore royal authority after the Gong He interregnum. He fought the 'Western Barbarians' and another group on the Huai River to the southeast. In...
(827/25–782 BC). The Book of Songs contains four songs about military actions between the Zhou and the Xianyun. The song "Gathering sow thistle" (Cai qi) mentions 3,000 Zhou chariots in battle against the Xianyun. The song "Sixth month" (Liu yue) says that the battlefield was between the lower courses of the Jing
Jing River
The Jing River or Jing He , also called Jing Shui , is a tributary of the Wei River , which in turn is the largest tributary of the Yellow River....
(泾河) and Luo
Luo River (Shaanxi)
Luo River is a tributary of the Wei River. It flows through the Loess Plateau and has a length of about 680 km. The area between the Luo and the Yellow River was called 'Hexi' and was fought over by Qin and Wei .-See also:*Luo River...
rivers and the Wei
Wei River
The Wei River is a major river in west-central China's Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. It is the largest tributary of the Yellow River and very important in the early development of Chinese civilization....
valley, very close to the center of the Zhou state.
Written records place the first incursions against Zhou under the name Western Rong in 843 BC. In 840 BC, the fourteenth year of reign of King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou
King Li of Zhou was the tenth sovereign of the Chinese Zhou Dynasty. Estimated dates of his reign are 877–841 BC or 857–842 BC ....
, the Xianyun reached the Zhou capital Haojing
Haojing
This article is about the ancient Zhou Dynasty capital, for Haojing'ao see MacauHaojing was one of the two settlements comprising the capital of the Western Zhou Dynasty , the other of which was Fēngjīng . Together they were known as Fēnghào and stood on opposite banks of the Feng River with...
. Apparently, the "Western Rong" and Xianyun were the same people here, named in the first case by a generic term meaning "warlike tribes of the west" and in the second case by their actual ethnonym.
The Xianyun attacked again in 823 BC, the fifth year of reign of King Xuan. Their military tactics characterized by sudden attacks could only have been carried out by highly mobile troops, most likely on horseback. Some scholars relate the appearance of the Xianyun to the appearance of Scythians and Cimmerians
Cimmerians
The Cimmerians or Kimmerians were ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.According to the Greek historian Herodotus, of the 5th century BC, the Cimmerians inhabited the region north of the Caucasus and the Black Sea during the 8th and 7th centuries BC, in what is now Ukraine and Russia...
migrating from the west, although there is no definite evidence that they were nomadic warriors. A Duo You bronze ding
Ding (vessel)
A ding is an ancient Chinese cauldron with legs, a lid and two handles opposite each other. They were made in two shapes with round vessels having three legs and rectangular ones four....
vessel inscription unearthed in 1980 near Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
tells that ca. 816 BC Xianyun forces attacked a Jing (京) garrison in the lower Ordos
Ordos
-Places:*Ordos Loop of the Yellow River, a region of China*Ordos Desert, in Inner Mongolia*Ordos City, city and district in Inner Mongolia*Ordos International Circuit, a race track in Ordos City.-People:...
region, drawing a Zhou military response. It indicated that like the Zhou, the Xianyun fought on horse-drawn chariots. Contemporary evidence does not indicate that the increased mobility of the Xianyun is related to the emergence of mounted nomads armed with bows and arrows.
Later Chinese annals contain a number of references to the Xianyun, such as by Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
(ca. 145/135–86 BCE), Ying Shao
Ying Shao
Ying Shao , also called Ling Shao in the Shi Yu, style name Zhongyuan , was a Chinese writer and historian of the late Eastern Han period , an author of the famous work Fengsu Tongyi, an encyclopedic work about the folk customs and legends that existed in the Eastern Han state...
(140-206 CE), Wei Zhao
Wei Zhao
Wei Zhao , style name Hongsi , was a scholar and politician of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history....
(204-273 CE), and Jin Zhuo
Jin Zhuo
Jin Zhuo was a Chinese scholar and commentator from the Jin state of the late 3rd–4th c. CE. His works are cited by ancient and modern scholars, and in many cases his comments are only known from the works of the Chinese classical historians...
(late 3rd–4th c. CE). Without giving specific arguments, they stated that Xunyu
Xunyu
The Xunyu is the name of an ancient nomadic tribe which invaded China during legenary times. They are often identified as the Xiongnu.-Identification:...
(獯鬻) or Xianyun were terms that designated nomadic people who later during the Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
were transcribed as "Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
" (匈奴). This view was also held by the Tang dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
commentator Sima Zhen
Sima Zhen
Sima Zhen , courtesy name Zizheng , was a Chinese historian born in what is now Jiaozuo, Henan during the Tang Dynasty.Sima Zhen was one of the most important commentators on the Shiji...
(ca. 8th c. CE). Wang Guowei
Wang Guowei
Wang Guowei , courtesy name Jing'an or Baiyu , was a Chinese scholar, writer and poet...
(1877–1927), as a result of phonetical studies and comparisons based on the inscriptions on bronze and the structure of the characters, came to the conclusion that the tribal names "Guifang
Guifang
Guifang is an ethnonym for the most ancient nomadic tribes that invaded China during legendary times. Sima Qian stated that in the literate period starting with the Shang Yin period , the Hu and Jung Huns were called Guifang...
" (鬼方), "Xunyu
Xunyu
The Xunyu is the name of an ancient nomadic tribe which invaded China during legenary times. They are often identified as the Xiongnu.-Identification:...
" (獯鬻), "Xianyu
Xianyu
Xianyu is a township-level division situated in Baoding, Hebei, China....
" (鮮虞), Xianyun, "Rong
Rong
Rong is an village in Øygarden, Norway, located on the island of Rongøy. It is connected to Toftøy via the Rongesundet Bridge, which crosses the sound Rongesundet....
" (戎), "Di
Di
Di may refer to:* The diminutive form of the name Diana, Diane and Dianne. Dai is the Welsh diminutive form of the name David.*Diana, Princess of Wales.*Di , an ancient ethnic group in China....
" (狄), and "Hu
Hu
- People :* Hu , a Chinese family name represented by the character 胡** Hu Jintao , current General Secretary of the CPC and President of the PRC...
" (胡) given in the annals designated one and the same people, who later entered history under the name Xiongnu.
On the linguistic affiliation of the northern pastoral nomadic tribes with the Xiongnu, the Book of Wei
Book of Wei
The Book of Wei is a classic Chinese historical writing compiled by Wei Shou from 551 to 554, and serves as an important historical text describing the Northern Wei and Eastern Wei from 386 to 550....
stated at around 554 CE that:
The exact time period when the name "Hun" had the phonetization "Xianyun" remains determined only vaguely: Sima Qian stated that in the earlier pre-historic period the Huns were called "Hu" and "Jung", in the late pre-historic period they were called "Xunyu", in the literate period starting with the Yin Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) they were called "Guifang
Guifang
Guifang is an ethnonym for the most ancient nomadic tribes that invaded China during legendary times. Sima Qian stated that in the literate period starting with the Shang Yin period , the Hu and Jung Huns were called Guifang...
", in the Zhou
Zhou
Zhou may refer to:*Zhou Dynasty , a Chinese Dynasty *Zhou Predynastic Lineage, the antecedents to the above Zhou Dynasty*Northern Zhou , a Chinese Dynasty...
period (1045–256 BC) they were called "Xianyun", starting from the Qin
Qin
-Chinese dynasties and states:*Qin , a state of China during the Eastern Zhou Dynasty*Qin Dynasty , which followed Qin's unification of China in 221 BC and ended in 206 BC*Da Qin , Roman Empire, 202 BC to AD 220...
period (221–206 BC) the Chinese annalists called them "Xiongnu".