Cheniu

Cheniu was chieftain of the Goulong clan and chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu from 142 to 143 AD.[1]

Chanyu
Reign	c.142-143 AD
Predecessor	Xiuli
Successor	Doulouchu

In 140 AD, Cheniu, Wusi, and Yiti rebelled. They led 8,000 men in raids across the northern Ordos region and attacked the Southern Xiongnu capital of Meiji. Han General Ma Xu repelled them with 20,000 men.[2]

In 142 AD, the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Xiuli committed suicide. Cheniu claimed the title of chanyu and his followers, now in the tens of thousands, in attacks across the northern frontier. However Han forces under Zhang Dan retaliated in force and dealt several defeats to the rebel Xiongnu. By 143 AD, Cheniu had surrendered and Wusi was killed.[3] The title of chanyu went to the hostage prince, Doulouchu, held captive at the Han court.[4] Cheniu's name in Old Chinese pronunciation ("djwniu") may mean "daj" ("uncle") in Proto-Turkic, or it may be a form of "Yabghu".

Footnotes

1. Crespigny 2007, p. 899.
2. Crespigny 2007, p. 59.
3. Crespigny 2007, p. 60.
4. Crespigny 2007, p. 795.

References

• Barfield, Thomas (1989), The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China, Basil Blackwell
• Bichurin N.Ya., "Collection of information on peoples in Central Asia in ancient times", vol. 1, Sankt Petersburg, 1851, reprint Moscow-Leningrad, 1950
• Chang, Chun-shu (2007), The Rise of the Chinese Empire 1, The University of Michigan Press
• Cosmo, Nicola Di (2002), Ancient China and Its Enemies, Cambridge University Press
• Cosmo, Nicola di (2009), Military Culture in Imperial China, Harvard University Press
• Crespigny, Rafe de (2007), A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms, Brill
• Loewe, Michael (2000), A Biographical Dictionary of the Qin, Former Han, and Xin Periods, Brill
• Taskin B.S., "Materials on Sünnu history", Science, Moscow, 1968, p. 31 (In Russian)
• Whiting, Marvin C. (2002), Imperial Chinese Military History, Writers Club Press