Location of the Great Hunnic Empire
The Xiongnu were a people who inhabited an area from the Mongolian steppes to northern China. Their lineage is unclear, but they may be a blend of Mongolic and Turkic peoples. Modu Chanyu expanded their power and was the de facto ruler of Western Han. They were later attacked by Emperor Wu of Western Han and went into decline, splitting into east and west populations. Around the first century, the Eastern Xiongnu further split into north and south. The Southern Xiongnu served the Eastern Han, and during the Three Kingdoms period, Yufuluo and Liu Bao used them in their forces.