Rouran Khaganate

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Rouran Khaganate



Capital Mumo city, Orkhon River, Mongolia
Religion Shamanism
Political structure Khanate
 •  330 Yùjiǔlǘ Mùgǔlǘ
 •  555 Yujiulü Dengshuzi
Legislature Kurultai
Historical era 1st millennium
 •  Established 330
 •  Disestablished 555
Today part of  Mongolia
Chinese 柔然
Traditional Chinese 蠕蠕
Simplified Chinese 茹茹
Chinese 檀檀

The Rouran Khaganate (Chinese: 柔然; pinyin: Róurán), Ruru (Chinese: 蠕蠕/茹茹; pinyin: Rúrú), or Tantan[3] (Chinese: 檀檀; pinyin: Tántán) was the name of a state of Eurasian nomads, presumably proto-Mongols, from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century.[4] It has sometimes been hypothesized that the Rouran are identical to the Pannonian Avars who later appeared in Europe.[5]




Origin and expansion[edit]

The Rouran were a confederation led by Xianbei people who remained in the Mongolian steppes after most Xianbei migrated south to Northern China and set up various kingdoms. They considered that Tuoba and Rourans descended from common ancestors.[7] Also some contemporary historians studying history of Northern Wei, like Kwok Kin Poon, proposed that Rourans descended specifically from Xianbei of Donghu heritage.[8] They were first noted as having defeated the Tiele and establishing an empire extending all the way to the Hulun, an alliance in eastern Inner Mongolia. During the reign of Yujiulü Shelun king (402-410) Rouran became powerful empire. To the west of the Rouran Khaganate was the Hephthalite Empire (408–670), which was a vassal of the Rouran until the beginning of the 5th century.[9][10]



The Rouran Khaganate arranged for one of their princesses, Khagan Yujiulü Anagui's daughter Princess Ruru to be married to the Han Chinese ruler Gao Huan of the Eastern Wei.[11]


The Rouran Khaganate, c. 500
Northern Wei and Tuyuhun, c. 500

Little is known of the Rouran ruling elite, which the Book of Wei cited as an offshoot of the Xianbei. The Rouran subdued modern regions of Xinjiang, Mongolia, Central Asia, and parts of Siberia and Manchuria from the late 4th century. Their frequent interventions and invasions profoundly affected neighboring countries. Though they admitted the Ashina of Göktürks into their federation, the power of the Rouran was broken by an alliance of Göktürks, the states of Northern Qi and Northern Zhou, and Central Asian tribes in 552. The Northern Wei, for instance, established the Six Garrisons bordering the Rouran, which later became the foci of several major mutinies in the early 6th century.

Khaghans of the Rouran[edit]

The Rourans were the first people who used the titles Khagan and Khan for their emperors (which are, therefore, assumed to be proto-Mongols), replacing the Chanyu of the Xiongnu, whom Grousset and others assume to be Turkic.[12]

  1. Yujiulü Mugulü, 4th century
  2. Yujiulü Cheluhui, 4th century
  3. Yujiulü Tunugui, 4th century
  4. Yujiulü Bati, 4th century
  5. Yujiulü Disuyuan, 4th century
  6. Yujiulü Pihouba, 4th century
  7. Venheti, 4th century
  8. Yujiulü Mangeti, 4th century
  9. Yujiulü Heduohan, 4th century
  10. Yujiulü Shelun, 402–410
  11. Yujiulü Hulü, 410–414
  12. Yujiulü Datan, 414–429
  13. Yujiulü Wuti, 429–444
  14. Yujiulü Tuhezhen, 444–450
  15. Yujiulü Yucheng, 450–485
  16. Yujiulü Doulun, 485–492
  17. Yujiulü Nagai, 492–506
  18. Yujiulü Futu, 506–508
  19. Yujiulü Chounu, 508–520
  20. Yujiulü Anagui, 520–552
  21. Yujiulü Poluomen, 521–524
  22. Yujiulü Tiefa, 552–553
  23. Yujiulü Dengzhu, 553
  24. Yujiulü Kangti, 553
  25. Yujiulü Anluochen, 553–554
  26. Yujiulü Dengshuzi, 555


  5. ^ Findley (2005), p. 35.
  9. ^ Grousset (1970), p. 67.