Institution

Chanyu

Chanyu was the title of the supreme ruler of the Xiongnu Empire, roughly equivalent to emperor. The chanyu presided over a hierarchy of kings and tribal leaders and conducted relations with Han China. Modu Chanyu, who reigned from 209 to 174 BCE, unified and organised the Xiongnu state.

Chanyu
Image: Davide Mauro · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Xiongnu EmpireFoundation, Socioeconomy, Military, Governance, Decline, SummaryYuezhiMilitary, SummaryXianbeiFoundation, Summary

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kangju

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chanyu. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/chanyu
MLA
“Chanyu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/chanyu. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Chanyu.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/chanyu.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chanyu’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/chanyu (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻