Junchen (,

Old Chinese Old Chinese, also called Archaic Chinese in older works, is the oldest attested stage of Chinese language, Chinese, and the ancestor of all modern varieties of Chinese. The earliest examples of Chinese are divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones ...

( ZS): *''kun-gin''; r. 161–126 BCE) was the son and successor to

Laoshang Chanyu Laoshang (; r. 174–161 BCE), whose personal name was Jiyu (), was a c''hanyu'' of the Xiongnu Empire who succeeded his father Modu Chanyu in 174 BCE. Under his reign, the Xiongnu Empire continued to expand against the Yuezhi with the Xiongnu ...

. As ''chanyu'' of the

Xiongnu Empire The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 209& ...

, Junchen outlived the Han emperors

Wen Wen, wen, or WEN may refer to: * One of several Chinese surnames: ** Wen (surname 文) ** Wen (surname 溫) ** Wen (surname 闻) * Wen, alternate spelling for Wynn (Ƿ ƿ), a letter of the Old English alphabet * Wen, common name for trichilemmal ...

(r. 180–157 BC) and Jing (r. 157–141 BC). He died during the reign of the

Emperor Wu of Han Emperor Wu of Han (156 – 29 March 87BC), born Liu Che and courtesy name Tong, was the seventh Emperor of China, emperor of the Han dynasty from 141 to 87 BC. His reign lasted 54 years – a record not broken until the reign of the Kangxi ...

(r. 141–87 BC). All three Han emperors confirmed the ''

heqin ''Heqin'', also known as marriage alliance, refers to the historical practice of Chinese monarchs marrying princesses—usually members of minor branches of the ruling family—to rulers of neighboring states. It was often adopted as an appeasem ...

'' peace and kinship treaty with the Xiongnu.

Life

Junchen succeeded his father,

, in 161 BCE. Although peace with the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...

generally persisted under his reign, Xiongnu raids still occurred in 158, 148, 144, and 142 BCE. The Chinese annals note that mutual relations were imperiled on a number of occasions, which included appeals of the Chinese contenders for the Xiongnu's assistance and protection, the Xiongnu's retaliatory raids as punishments for violation of the treaty terms, and one direct Chinese assault against the ''Chanyu''. The Xiongnu were especially sensitive about unimperiled trade relations, which were one of the terms of the ''heqin'' treaty, and the Chinese annals specifically note a number of instances of the border trade opening, implying that the border trade was at times banned. In mid 133 BCE, Junchen led a force of 100,000 to attack Mayi in Shuofang, Dai Commandery. Wang Hui and two other generals attempted to ambush the Xiongnu at Mayi with a large force of 300,000, but Junchen retreated after learning about the ambush from a captured local warden. Wang Hui decided not to give chase and was sentenced to death. He committed suicide. The Han army abandoned chariots after this point. After the failed ambush, the treaty was practically repealed, relations soured and border traders were assaulted. In early 129 BC,

Wei Qing Wei Qing (died Jun 106 BC?In Emperor Wu's biography in ''Book of Han'' and volume 21 of ''Zizhi Tongjian'', the record of Wei Qing's death appeared after the 4th month of the 5th year of the ''Yuan'feng'' era. Thus, it is likely (but not certai ...

and three other generals led a cavalry force of 40,000 in an attack on the Xiongnu at the frontier markets of Shanggu. Wei Qing successfully killed several thousand Xiongnu and took 700 prisoners. General Gongsun Ao was defeated and lost 7,000 men. He was reduced to commoner status. Li Guang was defeated and captured but escaped by feigning death and returned to base. He was also reduced to commoner status. Gongsun He failed to find the Xiongnu. Later Xiongnu attacked Yuyang in

You Province You Prefecture or You Province, also known by its Chinese language, Chinese name Youzhou, was a prefecture (''Zhou (country subdivision), zhou'') in North China, northern China during its imperial era. "You Province" was cited in some ancient so ...

in retaliation. In late 128 BC,

and Li Xi led a force of 40,000 and defeated the Xiongnu north of Yanmen Commandery. In 127 BC the Chinese army attacked and expelled the Xiongnu tribes Loufan and Bayan from the Ordos, and then built fortifications and forts to retain the captured territory. In 126 BC, the Xiongnu led a force of 90,000 under the Wise King ( Tuqi) of the Right to attack Dai Commandery, killing its grand administrator Gong You. They also raided Dingxiang and Shang, taking several thousand captives. Junchen died in the same year and his younger brother, an ''Eastern Luli-Prince'' Yizhixie Chanyu (or ''Ichisye'') ascended the throne (r. 126–114 BCE).Bichurin N.Ya., ''"Collection of information on peoples in Central Asia in ancient times"'', vol. 1, Sankt Petersburg, 1851, p. 32–37

Footnotes

References

*Bichurin N.Ya., ''Collection of information on peoples in Central Asia in ancient times'', vol. 1, Sankt Petersburg, 1851, reprint Moscow-Leningrad, 1950 * * * {{authority control Chanyus 2nd-century BC monarchs in Asia 126 BC deaths