Chanyu

E389352

Chanyu was the imperial title used by the supreme rulers of the ancient Xiongnu confederation, a powerful nomadic empire in Central Asia.

All labels observed (8)

Label Occurrences
Modu Chanyu 2
Chanyu canonical 1
Huhanye Chanyu 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf imperial title
royal title
analogousTo Chinese Huangdi (emperor)
linked to: Huangdi

Roman emperor
appearsInContext Han–Xiongnu wars
linked to: Han–Xiongnu War

Sino-Xiongnu relations
associatedWithPeople steppe nomads
associatedWithPolityType nomadic empire
associatedWithTitleHolder Huhanye Chanyu
Laoshang Chanyu
Modu Chanyu
Zhizhi Chanyu
attestedInSource Book of Han
Records of the Grand Historian
culturalSphere Inner Asian steppe polities
diplomaticStatus peer of the Han emperor in some treaties
equivalentTo emperor (functional equivalence)
etymologyStatus uncertain origin and meaning
genderRestriction typically male title
governsOver Xiongnu confederation territory
Xiongnu tribes
linked to: Xiongnu
hasSymbolicRole sacral ruler in Xiongnu society
hierarchicalPosition highest rank within Xiongnu political structure
languageOfOrigin Xiongnu language
politicalRole commander-in-chief of Xiongnu military forces
head of state of the Xiongnu confederation
recognizedBy Han dynasty China (as foreign sovereign)
linked to: Han dynasty
relatedInstitution Xiongnu imperial court
linked to: Xiongnu
status sovereign title
successionType hereditary within ruling clan
successorTitlesComparedWith Khagan
linked to: Great Khan

Khan
titleHolderOf supreme ruler of the Xiongnu
transcribedInChineseAs 單于
linked to: Chanyu

撣于
usedBy Xiongnu
Xiongnu confederation
linked to: Xiongnu
usedInPeriod 1st century BCE
1st century CE
2nd century BCE
2nd century CE
3rd century BCE
usedInRegion Central Asia
Eastern Eurasian Steppe
linked to: Eurasian Steppe

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (9)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Xiongnu notableLeaderTitle Chanyu
Xiongnu notableLeader Modu Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Xiongnu notableLeader Laoshang Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Xiongnu notableLeader Huhanye Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Xiongnu notableLeader Zhizhi Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Han–Xiongnu War opposingCommander Modu Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Han–Xiongnu War opposingCommander Junchen Chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Longcheng governedBy Xiongnu chanyu
linked to: Chanyu
Chanyu transcribedInChineseAs 單于
linked to: Chanyu