Rouran Khaganate: Map & History
The Rouran Khaganate, also known as Ruanruan or Juan-juan, was a tribal confederation and later state.
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The Rouran Khaganate, also known as Ruanruan or Juan-juan, was a tribal confederation and later state. The Rouran state was undoubtedly multi-ethnic, most of the historical sources state that they were the descendants of the Xiongnu or a collateral branch of the Xiongnu. Some others state that they were descendants of the Donghu or mixed barbarians beyond the northern border of China Proper. The Book of Song and Book of Liang connected Rourans to the earlier Xiongnu while the Book of Wei connected them to Proto-Mongolic Donghu. The Rouran supreme rulers used the title of khagan, a popular title borrowed from the Xianbei. The Rouran Khaganate lasted from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century with territory that covered all of modern-day Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, as well as parts of Manchuria in Northeast China, Eastern Siberia, Xinjiang, and Kazakhstan. The Hephthalites were vassals of the Rouran Khaganate until the beginning of the 5th century, with the royal house of Rourans intermarrying with the royal houses of the Hephthalites. The Rouran Khaganate ended when they were defeated by a Göktürk rebellion.
Modern Countries Once Part of Rouran Khaganate
At its mapped extent, Rouran Khaganate covered territory in 4 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Mongolia402–554 CE · nearly all
- China402–554 CE · a small part
- Kazakhstan402–554 CE · a small part
- Russia402–554 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Rouran Khaganate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Rouran Khaganate in Depth
History
The Book of Song and Book of Liang, which are primary sources connected Rouran to the earlier Xiongnu while the Book of Wei traced the Rouran's origins back to the Donghu, generally agreed to be Proto-Mongols. Xu proposed that "the main body of the Rouran were of Xiongnu origin" and Rourans' descendants, namely Da Shiwei (aka Tatars), contained Turkic elements, besides the Mongolic Xianbei. Even so, the Xiongnu's language is still unknown and Chinese historians routinely ascribed Xiongnu origins to various nomadic groups, yet such ascriptions do not necessarily indicate the subjects' exact origins: for examples, Xiongnu ancestry was ascribed to Turkic-speaking Göktürks and Tiele as well as Para-Mongolic-speaking Kumo Xi and Khitans.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Rouran Khaganate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rouran Khaganate: Key Facts
| Official language | Xianbei |
|---|---|
| Religion | Tengrism |
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 330 CE |
| Dissolved | 555 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q155361 (CC0).
Rouran Khaganate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Rouran Khaganate appears, with the other states of the time.
Rouran Khaganate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 3,872,480 km² in 408 CE.
Rouran Khaganate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Rouran Khaganate exist?
Rouran Khaganate is dated to 402 CE – 554 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Rouran Khaganate?
The capital of Rouran Khaganate was Ting northwest of Gansu, Mumocheng.
How large was Rouran Khaganate at its peak?
At its peak in 408 AD Rouran Khaganate covered about 3,872,480 km².