Part J
China and Xiongnu
In the second century of China, the northwest portion was ruled by the Xiongnu, a nomadic society. They competed with the Han dynasty for control of the region. Han China set up an outpost at Wulei to guard and oversee the area. The Xiongnu raided China constantly for many years and they were always a threat to the region of Northwest China. They first started invading in the fifth century BCE, causing the construction of the Great Wall of China to begin. When the Xiongnu united with other tribes, they posed the greatest threat to China. They ruled the Northeast provinces including Mongolia and Manchuria. They were warriors mounted on horses and were skilled at archery, and were able to outdo the chariots of Chinese armies. The Great Walls’ completion in the North hindered but did not completely end the Xiongnu raids. Up until the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu raids occurred frequently and Chinese authorities tried to halt these raids by offering beautiful Chinese princesses to the leaders of the Xiongnu. The raids caused a harsh policy against them to be formed, and Chinese forces ventured out to fight them and forge alliances. The Xiongnu Empire split into an Eastern and a Western band in 51 BCE. The Eastern bands acknowledged the Chinese and were subject to them, but the Western band continued their raids on China. The weakening of the Han Dynasty caused the Chinese to enlist Generals that were of the Xiongnu Empire. These generals betrayed the Chinese and established small, separated dynasties of their own. The raids finally stopped around the fifth century Common Era as the Tujue nomadic peoples replaced them. The Tujue were of Turkish and Xiongnu descent.
Sources
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~aycui/xiongnu.htm
In the second century of China, the northwest portion was ruled by the Xiongnu, a nomadic society. They competed with the Han dynasty for control of the region. Han China set up an outpost at Wulei to guard and oversee the area. The Xiongnu raided China constantly for many years and they were always a threat to the region of Northwest China. They first started invading in the fifth century BCE, causing the construction of the Great Wall of China to begin. When the Xiongnu united with other tribes, they posed the greatest threat to China. They ruled the Northeast provinces including Mongolia and Manchuria. They were warriors mounted on horses and were skilled at archery, and were able to outdo the chariots of Chinese armies. The Great Walls’ completion in the North hindered but did not completely end the Xiongnu raids. Up until the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu raids occurred frequently and Chinese authorities tried to halt these raids by offering beautiful Chinese princesses to the leaders of the Xiongnu. The raids caused a harsh policy against them to be formed, and Chinese forces ventured out to fight them and forge alliances. The Xiongnu Empire split into an Eastern and a Western band in 51 BCE. The Eastern bands acknowledged the Chinese and were subject to them, but the Western band continued their raids on China. The weakening of the Han Dynasty caused the Chinese to enlist Generals that were of the Xiongnu Empire. These generals betrayed the Chinese and established small, separated dynasties of their own. The raids finally stopped around the fifth century Common Era as the Tujue nomadic peoples replaced them. The Tujue were of Turkish and Xiongnu descent.
Sources
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~aycui/xiongnu.htm
This depicts the Xiongnu warriors and their skill in horseback riding. This is how historians believe the Xiongnu dressed. As you can see the Xiongnu wore some body armor and they had bows and arrows.
http://imageshack.us/a/img138/9046/xiongugorelik1ts0.jp
http://imageshack.us/a/img138/9046/xiongugorelik1ts0.jp
As you can see, the Xiongnu controlled most of Northern China and they raided the Han Empire which lay to the South. Their Control even spread to central Asia.
http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/English/gml_pics/hph03.png
Gupta and the White Huns
The White Huns were also known as the Hephthalites and were of different central Asian origins. The Greeks referred to them as Ephtalites, and the Indians and Hunas. They were an agricultural based society. Their invasion of India resulted in their expansion into the Ganges valley. They overthrew the Gupta Empire but only for a short while as they were forced to exit India in 528 Common Era by a Hindu army that consisted of different unified small armies. In India, the White Huns had the greatest influence by adjusting the Hindu social system known as the caste system and by replacing the hierarchy of high class families that were the rulers. Kushan leaders were overthrown by white Huns, and the Gupta Empire was exterminated by the White Huns. Bactria was conquered by the White Huns. They killed many people of the Gupta empire and it seemed that their reign would never end. They were just as fierce as the Huns who invaded the Roman empire. They were very skilled in horseback riding which gave them an advantage over their enemies.
Sources
http://controversialhistory.blogspot.com/2008/03/myth-of-huns-invasion-of-india.html
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infoplease.com%2Fencyclopedia%2Fsociety%2Fwhite-huns.html&ei=DHfkUtDcCOeisQTf0oCoCw&usg=AFQjCNHSOMQISfBTO_byvu7ieZyVBqnsKg
http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/English/gml_pics/hph03.png
Gupta and the White Huns
The White Huns were also known as the Hephthalites and were of different central Asian origins. The Greeks referred to them as Ephtalites, and the Indians and Hunas. They were an agricultural based society. Their invasion of India resulted in their expansion into the Ganges valley. They overthrew the Gupta Empire but only for a short while as they were forced to exit India in 528 Common Era by a Hindu army that consisted of different unified small armies. In India, the White Huns had the greatest influence by adjusting the Hindu social system known as the caste system and by replacing the hierarchy of high class families that were the rulers. Kushan leaders were overthrown by white Huns, and the Gupta Empire was exterminated by the White Huns. Bactria was conquered by the White Huns. They killed many people of the Gupta empire and it seemed that their reign would never end. They were just as fierce as the Huns who invaded the Roman empire. They were very skilled in horseback riding which gave them an advantage over their enemies.
Sources
http://controversialhistory.blogspot.com/2008/03/myth-of-huns-invasion-of-india.html
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCQQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infoplease.com%2Fencyclopedia%2Fsociety%2Fwhite-huns.html&ei=DHfkUtDcCOeisQTf0oCoCw&usg=AFQjCNHSOMQISfBTO_byvu7ieZyVBqnsKg
These are White Huns. As you can see, they were called White because they sometimes wore white masks. They were a nomadic people, and they were skilled horseback riders and archers just as the Xiongnu were.
http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/huns.html
http://earlyworldhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/huns.html
The purple and bluish areas show the areas in which the White Huns invaded. As you can see, the White Huns invaded northwest India just south of Central Asia. They penetrated as far south as the Ganges valley.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephthalite_Empire
Romans and their northern and eastern neighbors
The most problematic neighbors to the North of Rome were the Germanic tribes, and to the East were the Huns. The Germanic peoples lived east of the Rhine River and North of the Danube River. The two main Germanic tribes were the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. They were both herding societies that were partly nomadic. They relished skill in battle and warrior strength. They were polytheistic as they worshipped multiple deities. They were big in size and brutish but stupid in character. They attacked the frontiers of the Roman Empire for hundreds of years. While Augustus was the Roman emperor, Roman defenses attempted to rid the lands of the Germanic tribes, but failed in 9 C.E. at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. After 300 C.E. a peace existed and remained strong for almost a century between the Roman Empire and the Germanic peoples. During this era of peace, some people of the Germanic tribes were allowed to go into the Roman Empire and settle there. The Germanic people that were captured in battle entered the Roman Empire as slaves.
The Huns came from the east to the Roman Empire and they took control of the Ostrogoths in Eastern Europe. Then, out of fear, the Visigoths tried to enter the Roman Empire so that they wouldn’t face the Huns, and the Romans let them in unharmed in exchange for peaceful settlement. However, the Visigoths started to starve as they were not provided food and they attacked Roman cities. Attempts were made to stop the Germanic people, but they failed and the Germanic peoples managed to capture all of Rome and make easier the fall of Rome as they sacked, burned, and pillaged great Roman cities including Rome. In addition to these hardships, Attila the Hun led the Huns into the Roman Empire and they enslaved and killed Germanic and Roman peoples. The Romans and Germans united and fought against Attila and defeated him in 451 C.E.
http://www.korcula.net/ppages/markomarelic_german.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephthalite_Empire
Romans and their northern and eastern neighbors
The most problematic neighbors to the North of Rome were the Germanic tribes, and to the East were the Huns. The Germanic peoples lived east of the Rhine River and North of the Danube River. The two main Germanic tribes were the Ostrogoths and the Visigoths. They were both herding societies that were partly nomadic. They relished skill in battle and warrior strength. They were polytheistic as they worshipped multiple deities. They were big in size and brutish but stupid in character. They attacked the frontiers of the Roman Empire for hundreds of years. While Augustus was the Roman emperor, Roman defenses attempted to rid the lands of the Germanic tribes, but failed in 9 C.E. at the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. After 300 C.E. a peace existed and remained strong for almost a century between the Roman Empire and the Germanic peoples. During this era of peace, some people of the Germanic tribes were allowed to go into the Roman Empire and settle there. The Germanic people that were captured in battle entered the Roman Empire as slaves.
The Huns came from the east to the Roman Empire and they took control of the Ostrogoths in Eastern Europe. Then, out of fear, the Visigoths tried to enter the Roman Empire so that they wouldn’t face the Huns, and the Romans let them in unharmed in exchange for peaceful settlement. However, the Visigoths started to starve as they were not provided food and they attacked Roman cities. Attempts were made to stop the Germanic people, but they failed and the Germanic peoples managed to capture all of Rome and make easier the fall of Rome as they sacked, burned, and pillaged great Roman cities including Rome. In addition to these hardships, Attila the Hun led the Huns into the Roman Empire and they enslaved and killed Germanic and Roman peoples. The Romans and Germans united and fought against Attila and defeated him in 451 C.E.
http://www.korcula.net/ppages/markomarelic_german.htm
This picture shows people of Germanic tribes. As you can see, they were large and brutish. They did not usually wear body armor, but they had wooden shields and axes and spears. They did not dress like soldiers but rather like civilians.
http://seccioneuropea.wordpress.com/early-middle-ages/
http://seccioneuropea.wordpress.com/early-middle-ages/
This is Attila the Hun. He helped to cause the fall of Rome as he pushed the Germanic peoples who in turn attacked Romans. He was ruthless and fearless, and he is known for ripping the limbs off of his captured enemies. He led the Huns to attack Rome.
http://www.opsrules.com/supply-chain-optimization-blog/bid/291048/Attila-the-Hun-Inventory-Optimization
By Eric Garcia and Josh Moak
http://www.opsrules.com/supply-chain-optimization-blog/bid/291048/Attila-the-Hun-Inventory-Optimization
By Eric Garcia and Josh Moak