Touman

Touman (Chinese: 頭曼), from Old Chinese (220 BCE): *do-mɑnᴬ,^[1] is the earliest named chanyu (leader) of the Xiongnu tribal confederation,^[2] reigning from c. 220–209 BCE, directly preceding the formation of the Xiongnu empire.

Touman 頭曼
Chanyu
Maximum extent of domain and influence of the Xiongnu[citation needed]
Chanyu of the Xiongnu
Reign	c. 220–209 BCE
Successor	Modu
Died	209 BCE

Life

Competing with the Xiongnu for supremacy were the Dōnghú or 'Eastern Barbarians' and the Yuezhi. In 215 BCE, Qin Shi Huang, the founding emperor of the Qin dynasty, sent a 300,000-strong army headed by General Meng Tian into the Ordos region and drove the Xiongnu northward for 1000 li (about 416 kilometres (258 mi)).^[3] "Touman, unable to hold out against the Qin forces, had withdrawn to the far north, where he held out for over ten years."^[4]

After the death of the Qin general Meng Tian in 210 BCE, Touman led the Xiongnu across the Yellow River to regain their previous territory.^[5][6]

A legend says that Touman favoured a younger son from another concubine. To get rid of his eldest son, Modu, Touman sent him to the Yuezhi as a hostage and then made a sudden attack on them. In retaliation, the Yuezhi prepared to kill Modu, but he managed to steal a horse and escape back to the Xiongnu. Touman was impressed by his bravery and put Modu in command of a force of 10,000 horsemen. Modu was very successful in training and his men obeyed him absolutely. In 209 BCE, Modu commanded his men to shoot his father, killing him as well as his stepmother, younger brother, and high officials who refused to take orders from him. Thereafter, Modu became chanyu.^[3]