CHRONICLES OF CHINESE HISTORY华 夏 历 史 志

104 BCE–102 BCE

Chanyu of the Xiongnupreviously Wise King of the Right

Xulihu Chanyu

呴犁湖单于

Xulihu Chanyu (d. 101 BCE) was a nomadic sovereign of the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. He was the younger brother of Wuwei Chanyu and paternal uncle to Er Chanyu (Wushilu). Prior to his ascension, he held the high aristocratic rank of Wise King of the Right (Youxian Wang). In 102 BCE, Er Chanyu passed away while his son was still an infant; the Xiongnu tribal nobility bypassed the child and elevated Xulihu…

104 BCE–102 BCEWestern Han

PROFILE

Xulihu Chanyu (d. 101 BCE) was a nomadic sovereign of the Xiongnu during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. He was the younger brother of Wuwei Chanyu and paternal uncle to Er Chanyu (Wushilu). Prior to his ascension, he held the high aristocratic rank of Wise King of the Right (Youxian Wang). In 102 BCE, Er Chanyu passed away while his son was still an infant; the Xiongnu tribal nobility bypassed the child and elevated Xulihu as supreme Chanyu. During his year on the throne, the Han Dynasty constructed defensive forward garrisons and watchtowers outside Wuyuan Commandery. In response, Xiongnu armies launched deep raids against Dingxiang and Yunzhong, while the Wise King of the Right assaulted Jiuquan and Zhangye. Xulihu fell mortally ill and passed away in 101 BCE, succeeded by his younger brother Qiedihou.

Alternative Names
Ju Lihu (Book of Han variant)
Era
Emperor Wu Era, Western Han
Dynasty
Xiongnu
Identity
Chanyu of the Xiongnu; previously Wise King of the Right
Ethnicity
Xiongnu
Date of Birth
Unknown
Place of Birth
Unrecorded
Date of Death
101 BCE（the 4th year of Taichu）
Reign Period
102 BCE to 101 BCE
Predecessor
Er Chanyu (Wushilu)
Successor
Qiedihou Chanyu
Major Events
Succeeded Er Chanyu; conducted military raids along the northern frontiers of the Han Dynasty

LIFE TIMELINE

Ascension to Throne ｜ Enthroned as Chanyu by the Xiongnu aristocracy following the death of Er Chanyu.
Frontier Raids ｜ Launched cavalry offensives against Dingxiang, Yunzhong, Jiuquan, and Zhangye, destroying Han perimeter watchtowers.
Death and Succession ｜ Died of illness after roughly a year of rule; succeeded by his younger brother Qiedihou.

BIOGRAPHY

Biography

Succession from Wise King of the Right

Xulihu was the younger brother of Wuwei Chanyu and paternal uncle to Er Chanyu Wushilu. Neither standard Chinese histories nor imperial sources record his birth date or the exact year he was invested as Wise King of the Right. In 102 BCE, upon Er Chanyu's premature death, the Xiongnu elders concluded that the heir was too young to maintain frontier command amid intensifying Han pressure, formally selecting Xulihu to assume the supreme seat at the Ordo court.

Military Confrontations with Western Han

Immediately following Xulihu's ascension, the Han court dispatched General Xu Ziwei beyond Wuyuan to build fortified bastions and observation towers extending northward to Luqu, backed by garrisons commanded by Han Yue and Wei Kang. In autumn of 102 BCE, Xulihu dispatched heavy cavalry divisions into Dingxiang and Yunzhong, capturing supplies and leveling frontier outposts. Simultaneously, the Wise King of the Right led separate raiding forces against the Hexi Corridor garrisons of Jiuquan and Zhangye before being driven back by Han imperial reinforcements.

Toward the close of his brief reign, Xulihu planned an assault against the strategic Han forward stronghold of Shouxiangcheng. However, before the expedition could advance, Xulihu contracted a fatal illness and died in 101 BCE. His younger brother, Left Grand Commander Qiedihou, was elevated to the Chanyuship.

Major Activities

Maintaining Dynastic Continuity and Border Pressure

Xulihu's brief tenure maintained the royal lineage of Wuwei Chanyu atop the steppe confederation. Standard records in the Shiji document his coordinated cavalry counteroffensives against Han border fortifications in Shanxi and the Hexi Corridor.

Personal Relations

  • Wuwei Chanyu: Elder brother and predecessor.
  • Er Chanyu (Wushilu): Nephew and immediate predecessor.
  • Qiedihou Chanyu: Younger brother and royal successor.
  • Emperor Wu of Han: Contemporary imperial rival in Chang'an.

Historical Assessment

The Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) records Xulihu's ascension and frontier offensives without moralistic commentary, depicting him as a pragmatic steppe ruler who resisted Han defensive encroachment during a period of intense geopolitical friction.

LOCAL NETWORK

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Bibliography

  • Sima Qian, Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), vol. 110, Account of the Xiongnu.
  • Ban Gu, Book of Han (Han Shu), vol. 94A, Account of the Xiongnu.