Wulei

Wulei (Chinese: 烏累), born Xian, was a chanyu of the Xiongnu Empire. The brother and successor of Wuzhuliu, he reigned from 13 to 18 AD. Xian took part in subjugating Wuhuan lands and as a result upset the Han dynasty. Han envoys attempted to split up the Xiongnu by creating 15 different chanyus. Xian was one of them, the Xiao Chanyu. He sent his two sons to be educated in Chang'an. When Wuzhuliu died in 13 AD, the Xiongnu Princess Xubu Juci Yun wished to remain on good relations with the Han, so she arranged for the succession to go to Xian, who became Wulei Chanyu. Wulei initially acquiesced to Han demands to return fugitives who had fled to the Xiongnu, but changed his mind when he realized his son, Deng, had died while still living in Chang'an. Xiongnu raiding on Han territory resumed once more. In 15 AD, Wang Mang sent to Wulei the body of his son together with presents, however Wulei continued to allow raiding into Han territory. Wulei died in 18 AD and was succeeded by his half-brother Huduershidaogao Chanyu.[1]

Xian
Wulei Chanyu
Domain and influence of the Eastern Huns
Reign	c. 13–18 AD
Predecessor	Wuzhuliu Chanyu
Successor	Huduershidaogao Chanyu
Dynasty	Modu Chanyu
Father	Huhanye

Footnotes

1. Loewe 2000, p. 167.

References

• Barfield, Thomas (1989), The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China, Basil Blackwell
• Bichurin N.Ya., "Collection of information on peoples in Central Asia in ancient times", vol. 1, Sankt Petersburg, 1851, reprint Moscow-Leningrad, 1950
• Chang, Chun-shu (2007), The Rise of the Chinese Empire 1, The University of Michigan Press
• Cosmo, Nicola Di (2002), Ancient China and Its Enemies, Cambridge University Press
• Cosmo, Nicola di (2009), Military Culture in Imperial China, Harvard University Press
• Loewe, Michael (2000), A Biographical Dictionary of the Qin, Former Han, and Xin Periods, Brill
• Taskin B.S., "Materials on Sünnu history", Science, Moscow, 1968, p. 31 (In Russian)
• Whiting, Marvin C. (2002), Imperial Chinese Military History, Writers Club Press