Chanyu

Emperor title of the Xiongnu Reconstruction of a Xiongnu chief warrior, 2nd century BC – 1st century AD, by archaeologist A.N. Podushkin. Central State Museum of Kazakhstan. 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pinyin: Chēnglí Gūtu Chányú), was the title used by the supreme rulers of Inner Asian nomads for eight centuries until superseded by the title "Khagan" in 402 AD. The title was most famously used by the ruling Luandi clan of the Xiongnu during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD). It was later also used infrequently by the Chinese as a reference to Tujue leaders. Etymology "Chanyu from Heaven" Tiles, Inner Mongolia Museum According to the Book of Han, 匈奴謂天為「撐犁」，謂子為「孤塗」，單于者，廣大之貌也 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 att