# Chanyu

Chanyu (simplified Chinese: 单于; traditional Chinese: 單于; pinyin: Chányú) or Shanyu (Chinese: 善于), short for Chengli Gutu Chanyu (Chinese: 撐犁孤塗單于; pinyin: Chēnglí Gūtu Chányú), was the title used by the supreme rulers of Inner Asian nomads for eight centuries until superseded by the title "Khagan" in 402 CE. The title was most famously used by the ruling Luandi clan of the Xiongnu during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE) and Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). It was later also used infrequently by the Chinese as a reference to Tujue leaders.

## Etymology

According to the Book of Han, "the Xiongnu called the Heaven (天) 'Chēnglí' (撐犁) and they called a child (子) gūtú (孤塗). As for Chányú (單于), it is a "vast [and] great appearance" (廣大之貌).".
L. Rogers and Edwin G. Pulleyblank argue that the title chanyu may be equivalent to the later attested title tarkhan, suggesting that the Chinese pronunciation was originally dān-ĥwāĥ, an approximation for *darxan. Linguist Alexander Vovin tentatively proposes a Yeniseian etymology for 撐犁孤塗單于, in Old Chinese pronunciation *treng-ri k$^w$a-la dar-ɢ$^w$ā, from four roots: **tɨŋgɨr- "heaven", *k$^w$ala- "son, child", *dar "lower reaches of the Yenisei" or "north", and *qʌ̄j ~ *χʌ̄j "prince"; as a whole "Son of Heaven, Ruler of the North".

## List of Xiongnu Chanyus

| Title | Reconstructed Han period's late Old Chinese and Later Han Chinese pronunciations | Personal Name | Reign |
| Touman (頭曼單于/头曼单于) | *do-mɑnᴬ | | 220–209 BC |
| Modu Chanyu (冒頓單于/冒顿单于) | *mouᴴ-tuən/mək-tuən < *mûh-tûn/mə̂k-tûn | | 209–174 BC |
| Laoshang Chanyu (老上單于/老上单于) | *lou$^B$-dźaŋ$^C$ | Jiyu (稽鬻) | 174–161 BC |
| Junchen Chanyu (軍臣單于/军臣单于) | *kun-gin | | 161–126 BC |
| Yizhixie Chanyu (伊稚斜單于/伊稚斜单于) | *ʔi-ḍiᴴ-ja | | 126–114 BC |
| Wuwei Chanyu (烏維/乌维) | *ʔɑ-wi | | 114–105 BC |
| Er Chanyu (兒單于/儿单于) | *ńe | Wushilu (烏師廬/乌师庐) | 105–102/101 BC |
| Xulihu Chanyu (呴犛湖/呴犁湖) / Goulihu (句犁湖) | *hɨo-li-gɑ / *ko-li-ga | | 102/101–101/100 BC |
| Qiedihou (且鞮侯) | *tsiɑ-te-go | | 101/100–96 BC |
| Hulugu Chanyu (狐鹿姑單于/狐鹿姑单于) | *ɣuɑ-lok-kɑ | | 96–85 BC |
| Huyandi Chanyu (壺衍鞮單于/壺衍鞮单于) | *ɣɑ-jan$^{B/H}$-te | | 85–68 BC |
| Xulüquanqu Chanyu (虛閭權渠單于/虚闾权渠单于) | *hɨɑ-liɑ-gyan-gɨɑ | | 68–60 BC |
| Woyanqudi Chanyu (握衍朐鞮單于/握衍朐鞮单于) | *ʔɔk-jan$^{B/H}$-hɨo-te | Tuqitang (屠耆堂/ 屠耆堂) | 60–58 BC |
| Huhanye Chanyu (呼韓邪單于/呼韩邪单于) | *hɑ-gɑn-ja | Jihoushan$^{:59}$ ( 稽侯狦) | 58 – 31 BC Tuqi 屠耆單于, 58–56 BC Hujie 呼揭單于, 57 BC Juli 車犂單于, 57–56 BC Wuji 烏籍單于, 57 BC Runzhen 閏振單于, 56–54 BC Zhizhi Chanyu 郅支單于, 55 – 36 BC Yilimu 伊利目單于, 49 BC |
| Fuzhulei Ruodi Chanyu$^{:86}$ (復株纍若鞮單于/复株累若鞮单于) | *ńak-te | Diaotaomogao (彫陶莫皋/雕陶莫皋)$^{:86}$ | 31–20 BC |
| Souxie Chanyu$^{:86}$ (搜諧若鞮單于/搜谐若鞮单于) | *so-gɛi / *ṣu-gɛi | Jumixu$^{:86}$ (且麋胥) | 20–12 BC |
| Juya Chanyu$^{:87}$ (車牙若鞮單于/车牙若鞮单于) | *kɨɑ-ŋa | Jumoju$^{:87}$ (且莫車/攣鞮且莫車) | 12–8 BC |
| Wuzhuliu Chanyu$^{:p.87}$ (烏珠留若鞮單于/乌珠留若鞮单于) | *ʔɑ-tśo-liu | Nangzhiyasi/Zhi (囊知牙斯) | 8 BC – 13 AD |
| Wulei Chanyu$^{:105–107}$ (烏累若鞮單于/乌累若鞮单于) | *ʔɑ-lui | Xian (鹹/挛鞮咸) | 13–18 AD |
| Huduershidaogao Chanyu$^{:108–109}$ (呼都而屍道皋若鞮單于/呼都而尸道皋若鞮单于) | *hɑ-tɑ-ńɨ-śi-dou$^H$-kou | Yu (輿/挛鞮舆) | 18–46 AD |
| Wudadihou (烏達鞮侯/乌达鞮侯)$^{:878}$ | *ʔɑ-dɑt-te-ɡo | | 46 AD |