Qin and Han · Tribal Leader

Modu 冒頓

Mòdú

Attested BC 209 - BC 174

Passages: 13
Chapters: 7
Histories: 3

Overview

The translated histories identify Modu as a ruler and tribal leader. This record brings together 13 passages from 7 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Modu	冒頓	Mòdú
Title	Chanyu	單于	Chanyu
Personal	Modu	冒頓	Modu
Personal name	Modu	冒頓	Modu
Title	Modu Chanyu	冒頓單于	Modu Chanyu
Personal name	Modun	冒頓	Modun
Personal	Modun	冒頓	Modun
Personal	Modun	冒顿	Modun
Alternate name	Modun	冒頓	Modun

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0114, houhanshu:089:s0051, shiji:099:s0049
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:104:s0033

Roles

Ruler
Tribal Leader

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 冒顿 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 174
Explicit · houhanshu:089:s0051
Source Date: Text: 匈奴冒頓…來為邊害 · Western Interval: Start: BC 200 · End: BC 180
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:104:s0033, shiji:104:s0020
Source Date: Text: 匈奴冒頓 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 174
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0114
Source Date: Text: 漢七年後 · Western Year: BC 200
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:099:s0049

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Spouse of Commoner girl titled eldest princess (家人子)
Kinship Term: wife / 妻 · Union Category: marriage · Relationship State: formed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 和親 · Western Year: BC 198
Child of Father of Modu (冒頓之父)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father

Kinship Role: father-widows · Count: 2 · Note: 群母: plural; exact count not stated
Explicit · shiji:099:s0052

Origins and identity

Label: Xiongnu / 匈奴
Explicit · shiji:104:s0033

Places and affiliations

Label: Xiongnu / 匈奴 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · shiji:099:s0049
Polity: Xiongnu · Relation: ruled
Explicit · houhanshu:089:s0051

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: raided Han frontier after subjugating northern tribes
Explicit · shiji:104:s0033

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 42Volume 33: Wei Bao, Tian Dan and Hán Xin (King of Han) · 4 passages

秋，匈奴冒頓大入圍信，信數使使胡求和解。 That autumn, Modu of the Xiongnu made a major incursion and besieged Xin, who repeatedly sent envoys to seek peace with the Hu.

與其將白土人曼丘臣、王黃立趙苗裔趙利為王，復收信散兵，而與信及冒頓謀攻漢。 Together with his generals Manqiu Chen of Baitu and Wang Huang, he established Zhao Li, a descendant of the Zhao line, as king, gathered Xin's scattered soldiers again, and plotted with Xin and Modu to attack Han.

聞冒頓居代谷，上居晉陽，使人視冒頓，還報曰「可擊」。 Hearing that Modu was at Daigu, the emperor remained at Jinyang and sent scouts to observe him. They returned and reported, "He can be attacked."

閼氏說冒頓曰：「今得漢地，猶不能居，且兩主不相厄。」 The consort persuaded Modu, saying, "Even if we now gain Han territory, we still cannot hold it. Moreover, two rulers should not drive each other to extremes."

Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 1 passage

漢與楚相距，士卒罷敝，而匈奴冒頓新服北夷，來為邊寇，孟舒知士卒罷敝，不忍出言，士爭臨城死敵，如子為父，以故死者數百人，孟舒豈敺之哉！ Han and Chu were deadlocked and the army was on its last legs, while Modun had just bent the northern tribes to his will and unleashed them on the frontier. Meng Shu knew his men were too spent to bear another order to battle—yet they stormed the walls like sons defending a father, and hundreds died. That was not Meng Shu driving them to their deaths.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

乃探平城之事，錄冒頓以來數為邊害，籍兵厲馬，因富民以攘服之。 He brooded on the humiliation of Pingcheng, reviewed how Modu and his heirs had ravaged the frontier, mobilized armies and bred horses, and drew on the wealthy to fund conquest until the steppe submitted.

Book of Han, Chapter 96Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye · 1 passage

方今四夷賓服，皆為臣妾，北無薰粥冒頓之患，南無趙佗、呂嘉之難，三垂晏然，靡有兵革之警。 The barbarians are all tributary; the north holds no Xiongnu threat like Modun's day, the south no rebellion like Zhao Tuo or Lu Jia; the frontiers are calm and no call to arms sounds.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 89Volume 80a: Biographies of Writers 1 · 1 passage

是时，孝武因其余财府帑之蓄，始有钩深图远之意，探冒顿之罪，校平城之仇。 Then Emperor Wu, drawing on overflowing treasuries, first dreamed of distant schemes—to reckon Modun's offenses and settle scores for the humiliation at Pingcheng.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 99Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong · 4 passages

當是時，冒頓為單于，兵彊，控弦三十萬，數苦北邊。 At that time, Modu was the Chanyu. His forces were formidable—he commanded three hundred thousand mounted archers and repeatedly ravaged the northern frontier.

冒頓殺父代立，妻群母，以力為威，未可以仁義說也。 Modu killed his father and seized the throne, took his father's widows as wives, and rules by force and intimidation—he cannot be won over with benevolence and righteousness.

冒頓在，固為子婿； While Modun is present, he firmly serves as son-in-law;

上竟不能遣長公主，而取家人子名為長公主，妻單于。 In the end, the Emperor could not bring himself to send the eldest princess. Instead, he took a girl from a common family, bestowed on her the title of eldest princess, and married her to the Chanyu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 104Biography of Tian Shu · 1 passage

匈奴冒頓新服北夷，來為邊害，孟舒知士卒罷敝，不忍出言，士爭臨城死敵，如子為父，弟為兄，以故死者數百人。 The Xiongnu under Modu Chanyu, having recently subjugated the northern tribes, came to raid the frontier. Meng Shu knew his soldiers were utterly spent and could not bring himself to order them out to battle. Yet the men fought of their own accord, mounting the walls and throwing themselves at the enemy as sons would for their fathers and younger brothers for their elders. For this reason several hundred perished.