2014/02/11 by Bryan K. Miller · 79 citations
Arts and Humanities · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Social Sciences · #Ancient Near East History #Ancient history #Archaeology #Archaeology and ancient environmental studies #Art #Elite #Empire #Eurasian Exchange Networks #History #Law #Literature #Narrative #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Power (physics) #Sociology #Steppe
paper · doi:10.1163/15685209-12341340
published in Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 57(1), 1-43 (Brill)
openalex publication_date 2014/02/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Abstract Descriptions of the political order of the Xiongnu empire rely heavily upon Chinese historical narratives and, as a result, often simplify steppe politics and gloss over provincial political agents. This paper therefore discusses the entire spectrum of “kings” and regional elites in the steppes in order to elucidate shifting power politics over the course of the Xiongnu empire. Furthermore, a comparison of historical dynamics with the archaeological record suggests that competition from local leaders against the ruling factions spurred changes in material regimes of the imperial political culture, leading to a bifurcation of the steppe elite and pronounced expressions of authority.