Sianbe

The XIONGNU were succeeded in the territory of Mongolia by the Sianbe (also Sienpi or Hsien-pi), descendants of the early Dunhu people. The Sianbe tribes were united in 150 CE by Tanshihuai, son of a military commander, and went on to conquer nearly all the territory that had been ruled by the XIONGNU. Like their predecessors, the Sianbe divided their state into three territories, which were administered by a total of 12 leaders. By the third century the tribal union had begun to weaken, and several aimags broke away - including those of the Muyun and Toba tribes, who established long-lasting states in what is now northern China.

Like the XIONGNU, the Sianbe mainly subsisted by NOMADIC PASTORALISM. They were also hunters, and used Chinese whom they had captured as slave farmers. Many aspects of the old tribal structures remained in Sianbe society, but social stratification increased. Significant advances were made in the political and cultural spheres, including the development of a literate culture using a script similar to that of the XIONGNU, recorded in the form of wood notchings.

Also like the XIONGNU, the Sianbe used a calendar based on a cycle of twelve years named after different animals. They are known to have been especially fond of music and poetry; some Sianbe songs continue to exist in Chinese translation. Shamans and soothsayers were particularly respected in their society.

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