A History of the Xiongnu Empire

Without understanding the grassland civilizations, you can only understand half of Han culture. Where did the Xiongnu come from? How did they rise? Why did they prosper, and what led to their decline?

Throughout five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the grassland peoples have received relatively little attention. In fact, centuries of nomadic life across the grasslands shaped their distinctive cultural character and historical identity: fierce, resilient, and devoted to martial prowess and bloodshed.

As creators and pioneers of grassland civilization, the Xiongnu gradually rose to prominence between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, reached their peak during the Qin and Han dynasties, and slowly faded from the historical stage during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, as the Gaochang and Northern Liang regimes fell. Their history largely ran in parallel with the four-hundred-year Han dynasty.

This history is immensely significant and precious to the study of the past. It deserves to be presented more comprehensively and systematically, and is well worth learning about.