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What Held the Xiongnu Confederation Together? - The Steppe Empire Built on Tribute | Sleepy Facts About History
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In 200 BCE, the first emperor of the Han dynasty marched north to crush a confederation of pastoral nomads, only to find himself trapped in freezing mountains. To secure his escape, the Chinese emperor was forced to accept humiliating terms: sending a princess as a bride, delivering annual tribute, and recognizing his northern rival as a diplomatic equal. The leader who engineered this defeat was Modu, a steppe ruler who built an empire without bureaucracy, fixed borders, or a unified…
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