Map Introduction

The Rouran were a nomadic tribal confederation active on the Mongolian Plateau from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD. Formed through the fusion of Xianbei, Xiongnu, and other groups, at its peak its sphere of influence stretched across the northern steppes, the Western Regions, and parts of Central Asia. Its historical evolution can be divided into three key stages:

Foundation and Rise

The founder of the Rouran, Mugulü, was originally a slave of the Tuoba Xianbei. After escaping punishment, he gathered over a hundred followers and attached himself to the Hetulin tribe in the Yin Mountains region. His son, Cheluhui (Yujiulü Cheluhui), established a polity in the late 4th century, adopting the name "Rouran." Initially nominally subordinate to the Northern Wei, they simultaneously engaged in covert raids on northern Han territories. Through prolonged raiding and tribal confederation expansion, they amassed tens of thousands of cavalry by the early 6th century, becoming a major power on the northern steppes.

Confrontation with the Northern Wei

The Rouran and the Northern Wei were locked in a prolonged stalemate. Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Tuoba Tao, led multiple campaigns against them but failed to eradicate them completely. The two sides fought repeatedly over areas like the Yin Mountains and the Ordos Loop. The Rouran sustained themselves by plundering Han regions for supplies, becoming one of the primary northern threats to the Northern Wei. At the zenith of their power, their influence reached Lake Baikal to the north, extended to the Ili River Valley in the west, and controlled Western Regions states such as Gaochang and Khotan.

Decline and Disappearance

After the rise of the Göktürks in the mid-6th century, the Rouran suffered devastating defeats. In 552 AD, pressured by a rebellion of Turkic tribes, they were forced to migrate westwards. Their remnants sought refuge with the Western Wei, leading to their final collapse. Some of their people were assimilated into the Göktürks or migrated west to Europe, potentially becoming the people known as the "Avars," while others merged into groups like the Khitan, ultimately vanishing from the historical stage.

As a representative of ancient northern nomadic civilizations, the rise and fall of the Rouran was closely linked to the expansion of agrarian civilizations and processes of ethnic integration, profoundly influencing the patterns of migration across the Eurasian steppe.