The first Huns: Modu Chanyu and the Xiongnu Empire

For millennia, the Eurasian Steppe Belt served as a barrier between the nomadic tribes to the north and the sedentary states to the south. But societies of both sides frequently clashed, especially on the East Asian side of the steppe belt. Long before Genghis Khan's Mongols conquered all of China and even prior to the expansion of Turkic identity thanks to the Göktürks, the first formal state within the nomadic steppe world was that of the Xiongnu – also called "Huna" (Huns). After gathering virtually all tribes of modern-day Mongolia, the Transbaikal and the Altai regions, the Xiongnu posed an imminent threat to the legendary Han Dynasty of China.

But unbeknownst to the general public is the fact that the Xiongnu were formed in response to frequent Chinese incursions into the steppe region, not the other way around. It was only after the foundation of the Xiongnu that nomadic peoples would migrate and conquer large parts of Eurasia. In a way, the "Huns" laid the foundation for future nomadic empires to come. The ethnic origins in turn may be shrouded in history, but there plenty of clues that point to specific tribal affiliations and subsequently a sophisticated political hierarchy. Further, this "empire" was more of a confederation with many tribes that were independent internally and only united in case of external threats.

Yet, there are two leaders that ruled with an iron fist and were among the most successful in steppe history: Tumen and Modu, also known as Teoman and Mete Han. Under their leadership, the Xiongnu tribes became so powerful that the Chinese were forced to build large parts of the Great Wall and even pay annual tributes to the nomads.

But how did the Xiongnu do that? Where did they really come from and what was their lasting legacy?

In this documentary, we are going to explore both the political system of the Xiongnu during their power-political height as well as the nomadic lifestyle within their territory, their connections to other peoples of Eurasia and, last but certainly not least, delve deep into the question whether the Xiongnu were Turkic or not.

WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/KhansDen
GÖKTÜRK MOVIE 01: https://bit.ly/GokturkMovie1
GÖKTÜRK MOVIE 02: https://bit.ly/GokturkMovie2
GÖKTÜRK MOVIE 03: https://bit.ly/GokturkMovie3
PATREON: http://bit.ly/3BR6M3T
PODCAST: https://bit.ly/KhansDenPodcast
BOOK 1: https://amzn.to/3fwqmKR
BOOK 2: [Coming Soon]

Chapter:
00:00-02:02 Introduction
02:03-04:45 Nomadic Lifestyle
04:03-06:38 Cimmerians, Scythians and pre-Xiongnu Nomads
06:39-10:23 The Turkic Factor and First Appearance
10:24-13:57 Mete Han: Mighty Warrior, Intelligent Leader
13:58-15:59 Political System: Chanyu at the Top
16:00-22:22 The Xiongnu-Han China War
22:23-25:52 After Mete: Slow Downfall
25:53-28:01 Successor States: Hunnic Empire, White Huns, Göktürks