Irregular Accession ｜ Elevated as Chanyu by Empress Zhuanqu and Duolongqi following the death of Xulüquanqu Chanyu.
60 BCE–58 BCE
Wise King of the RightChanyu of the Xiongnu
Woyanqudi Chanyu
屠耆堂
Woyanqudi Chanyu (d. 58 BCE), personal name Tuqitang, was a supreme nomadic ruler of the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Western Han. A distant descendant of Wuwei Chanyu, he originally served as the Wise King of the Right. In 60 BCE, upon the death of Xulüquanqu Chanyu, Empress Zhuanqu and her brother Duolongqi preemptively installed Tuqitang before all royal princes could assemble. Tuqitang immediately executed…
60 BCE–58 BCEWestern Han
PROFILE
Woyanqudi Chanyu (d. 58 BCE), personal name Tuqitang, was a supreme nomadic ruler of the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Western Han. A distant descendant of Wuwei Chanyu, he originally served as the Wise King of the Right. In 60 BCE, upon the death of Xulüquanqu Chanyu, Empress Zhuanqu and her brother Duolongqi preemptively installed Tuqitang before all royal princes could assemble. Tuqitang immediately executed former senior ministers and stripped the late ruler's kin of their titles, replacing them with his own sons and relatives. His tyranny provoked widespread rebellion: Rizhu King Xianxiandan surrendered tens of thousands of horsemen to the Han Dynasty, and regional commanders in the east and west revolted. In 58 BCE, allied tribal princes enthroned Jihoushan as Huhanye Chanyu. Deserted by his troops, Tuqitang committed suicide, precipitating the devastating five-way civil war of the Xiongnu.
- Title
- Woyanqudi Chanyu
- Era
- Emperor Xuan Era, Western Han
- Dynasty
- Xiongnu
- Identity
- Wise King of the Right, Chanyu of the Xiongnu
- Ethnicity
- Xiongnu
- Date of Birth
- Unknown
- Date of Death
- 58 BCE（the 4th year of Shenjue）
- Reign Period
- 60 BCE to 58 BCE
- Predecessor
- Xulüquanqu Chanyu
- Successor
- Huhanye Chanyu (Jihoushan)
- Major Events
- Usurped the Chanyuship with Empress Zhuanqu; purged royal princes, triggering the defection of Rizhu King and civil war
LIFE TIMELINE
Aristocratic Defections ｜ Purged ministers and executed brothers of Rizhu King Xianxiandan, who surrendered to the Han.
Collapse and Suicide ｜ Defeated by forces supporting Huhanye Chanyu; committed suicide after being denied sanctuary.
BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Accession as Wise King of the Right
Tuqitang was a distant descendant of Wuwei Chanyu who inherited his father's rank as Wise King of the Right. When Xulüquanqu Chanyu fell gravely ill, Empress Zhuanqu advised Tuqitang to remain close to the court. Upon Xulüquanqu's death in 60 BCE, Prince Xingweiyang attempted to convene the traditional council of princes to select an heir. Before the assembly could gather, Empress Zhuanqu and her brother Duolongqi unilaterally proclaimed Tuqitang as supreme Chanyu, violating customary steppe consultation.
Loss of Aristocratic Support
Upon ascending the throne, Tuqitang dispatched his brother Shengzhi to Chang'an to renew tributary relations. Concurrently, he executed Xingweiyang and other veteran statesmen, installed Duolongqi in supreme command, and stripped Xulüquanqu's sons of their aristocratic privileges. Fearing for his life, Xulüquanqu's son Jihoushan fled to his father-in-law Wuchanmu. Meanwhile, Rizhu King Xianxiandan—long alienated by the new Chanyu—led several tens of thousands of tribal cavalry to defect to the Han Dynasty, where he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Guide. Tuqitang subsequently executed Xianxiandan's two brothers despite widespread objections. When the King of the Left Aojian died, Tuqitang installed his own infant son, prompting local chieftains to rebel.
Defeat and Suicide
In 58 BCE, the Wuhuan raided eastern Xiongnu territory, inflicting heavy losses on Prince Guxi. When Tuqitang angrily censured him, Guxi formed a military coalition with Wuchanmu and western nomadic grandees, officially proclaiming Jihoushan as Huhanye Chanyu. Leading forty to fifty thousand cavalry eastward, the rebel coalition advanced toward the court. Tuqitang's armies disintegrated without offering battle. Fleeing into the wilderness, Tuqitang appealed to his brother for refuge, but was rebuffed for murdering his own kin. In despair, Tuqitang committed suicide.
Major Activities
Steppe Purges and Internal Rebellion
Tuqitang's aggressive purges alienated the core aristocratic clans of the steppe confederation, precipitating large-scale defections to the Western Han and fragmenting the northern realm.
Personal Relations
- Wuwei Chanyu: Ancestor.
- Empress Zhuanqu & Duolongqi: Patrons who engineered his irregular succession.
- Xulüquanqu Chanyu: Predecessor.
- Huhanye Chanyu (Jihoushan): Imperial rival who overthrew his regime.
- Rizhu King Xianxiandan: Defected to Western Han with his entire division.
Historical Assessment
The Book of Han (Han Shu) records Tuqitang's brief reign as an instructive case of administrative tyranny, demonstrating how the violation of tribal consensus and execution of imperial kin catalyzed the fragmentation of the Xiongnu empire.
FIGURES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DYNASTY
Bibliography
- Ban Gu, Book of Han (Han Shu), vol. 94A, Account of the Xiongnu.