Chedihou Chanyu

Chedihou Chanyu (aka pinyin Qiedihou Chinese: 且鞮侯; r. 101–99? BCE), whose name was probably Chedi (Qiedi), was a Chanyu of the Huns (Ch. Xiongnu), the successor to Guilihu Chanyu, he was a fourth generation after Maodun Chanyu. Chedihou Chanyu reigned during the reign of the Han emperor Wudi Liu Che 武帝 劉徹 (r. 141–87 BC), after Wudi broke the heqin 和親 peace and kinship treaty with the Huns. Chedi was a younger brother of the Eastern Great Duyui, his succession followed the rules of the lateral succession after his uncle Guilihu Chanyu died after just one-year reign during a campaign against a newly built Chinese fort Shuofang in occupied Ordos.

Chedihou Chanyu reigned during one of the most aggressive periods in the Chinese history, and one of the many troubled periods in the Hunnic history. In 101 BCE Chedihou Chanyu, wishing to establish relations with the Han, said immediately after accession to the throne: “I am a child. How can I view the Han Emperor as an enemy when I have a venerable old man in front of me?” He returned to the Han all detained ambassadors.

Considering the Chedihou Chanyu words and actions favorable for China, Wu Di decided to get his old goal, persuading Shanyu to give up independence and submit his allegiance to China. The difficult economic situation in China, created by long struggle with the eastern, western, and southern neighbors, prompted Wu Di to try to settle relations with the Huns through peaceful negotiations. In 101 BC an embassy headed by Su Wu (蘇武) left to the Huns loaded with rich gifts. However, contrary to the Chinese expectations, Chedihou Shanyu was very arrogant, and the question of allegiance was not even raised. In addition, a Su Wu deputy, a man called Zhang Sheng (張勝), established links with Chinese prisoners and conspired with them to revolt, kidnap Shanyu's mother, assassinate Shanyu's half-Chinese advisor Wei Lü (衛律), and flee home. Zhang Sheng also tried to bribe the Chanyu's Prince of Gou (緱王) and Yu Chang (虞常). The plot was uncovered, and one of its leaders fingered Zhang Sheng. A furious Shanyu executed conspirators, and urged the members of the embassy to admit their guilt and switch to the side of the Huns. When Su Wu refused to betray his country, he was sent to Lake Baikal, where he spend 19 years before he could return.

After the failure of the peace talks, Wu Di resumed hostilities. In 99 BC three groups were sent to a campaign. A commander of one of them, Li Guang-li, attacked the Right (Western) Jükü-Prince (Ch. Yu Xian wang 右贤王) from the Tyanynan mountains, killing and capturing more than 10 thousand people. On the way back the Huns surrounded Li Guang-li, he lost about 70% of his troops, and barely managed to escape. A second prong did not encounter any enemy and returned empty-handed. The third commander, Li Lin, fought strenuously with Shanyu, but was surrounded, and surrendered after exhausting ammunition and food. Only 400 of his warriors returned to the Han. In a few years, Li Lin was appointed a viceroy to the Enisei Kirgizes, where he spent the rest of his life.

In 97 BC Western Han mounted a new major offensive under a command of Li Guang-li. The main battle took place south of the river Yuyu. After more than ten days fighting, the Chinese were forced to retreat.

After successfully repelling two Chinese offensives, the Huns again began raiding frontier lands. In 91 BC they invaded district Zhang, Uyuan and Jiuquan, killed two district commanders, and captured officials and people. In response, in 90 BC three armies of Chinese troops crossed the border again. A commander Shangqiu Cheng started from the Sihe district, and invaded the steppe leading more than 30 thousand soldiers. Without meeting anybody, he turned back. During his retreat the Huns attacked him, fighting arduously non-stop in scattered places for nine days. In the end, another commander, Man Tong heading 40 thousand horsemen came to the Tyanynan foothills. The Shanyu troops, seeing masses of Chinese, pulled back.

Initially, the offensive of the main 70 thousand-strong army headed by the commander Li Guang-li went on successfully. They defeated a 5,000-strong Hun detachment that blocked their way in a gorge, and vigorously pursued the fleeing enemy. At that time Li Guang-li learned that his family was imprisoned on charges of engaging in shamanic spells, conjuring the spirits to send down calamities on this or that person. The practice boiled down to an elementary ritual. A wooden figurine of man that depicted a person for whom a disaster was called for was buried in the soil, and then a shaman uttered spells over it.

Li Guang-li understood the threat hanging over him, and decided to buy a mercy of the Emperor with his warfare victories. He recklessly advanced to the north, and defeated a 20,000-strong Hun unit. However, the lightheaded actions of Li Guang-li raised protest among senior commanders, who conspired to take him into custody. Li Guang-li executed all participants in the conspiracy, but nonetheless began a retreat. Exploiting the fatigue of the Han troops, Chedihou Shanyu with 50 thousand cavalry personally blocked Li Guang-li path by the Yan-jan mountain. In the ensuing battle, both sides suffered heavy casualties. At night, the Huns dug up a trench in front of the Han troops, and in the morning they burst down on them from the rear. The Chinese panicked, Li Guang-li gave up, and his whole army has perished. China has suffered an unprecedented defeat, which undermined all progress achieved so far against the Huns. The annals add: the family of the commander Li Guang-li was executed, and that induced him to join the Huns.

Chedihou had two sons; the elder was Eastern Jükü-Prince, the second Eastern Great Leader. Before his death Chedihou bequeathed that Eastern Jükü-Prince should ascend the throne under a name of Hulugu Chanyu (rightful Lateral Succession); appointed the Eastern Great Leader as Eastern Jükü-Prince (rightful advance in the line to the throne). The next news in the annals was about Hulugu Shanuy.