Origin of the Alans

[Michael Kerr]

Just on the Wusun, there seems to be a few differences between the 2 main sources, The Shih Chi of Sima Qian and the Han Shu about the Wusun. Whether there was new information or some information from the original Shih Chi book 123 was missing I don't know. I think both were written on strips of bamboo or wood. So assuming Sima Qian was a methodical historian maybe there were later scribal errors as well. Hope it is not too long winded but there were quite a few differences in the two versions.

 The Shih Chi says the king of the Wusun was called K’un-mo and his father ruled over a small country on the western borders of the Hsiung-nu. The Hsiung-nu attacked and killed his father and K’un-mo was abandoned alive in the wilderness. A crow brought meat in its bill and a wolf came and suckled him. The Shan-yü marvelled thinking him divine, and received him and brought him up. When he was full grown the Shan-yü put him in charge of troops. He frequently won distinction. The Shan-yü gave K’un-mo back to his father’s people and ordered him to defend forever the western regions. K’un-mo gathered together and fostered his people and attacked small countries round about. He had several tens of thousands of bowmen practised in warfare.

 When the Shan-yü died, K’un-mo led his people and moved far away. He made himself independent and was no longer willing to go to the Hsiung-nu court. The Hsiung-nu sent crack troops to attack him but they were not victorious. They regarded him as divine and avoided him. So they treated him as a vassal but did not make major attacks on him.

The Han Shu seemed to have a few extra details including the K’un-mo’s father’s name, Nan-tou-mi as well as a different location for the original home of the Wusun as it states the Wusun shared pastures with the Yuehchi between Ch’i-lien and Tun-huang (roughly the north-western part of Kansu leading to the Tarim Basin.

 According to the Han Shu it was the Yuehchi who attacked the Wusun and not the Hsiung-nu, they killed Nan-tou-mi and took away his territory. The son, K’un-mo, was newly born. His guardian Pu-chiu Hsi-hou (Hsi-hou seems to be a title for a minor chief or king of the clan) carried him away and set him down on the grass to look for food for the child. When he returned he saw a wolf suckling him; and a crow carrying meat in his beak, hovering by his side. (Very symbolic a crow feeding meat to a new born child.) He thought him divine and took the child to the Hsiung-nu. The Shan-yu loved him and brought him up. When he was full grown, the Shan-yü gave K’un-mo his father’s people and put him in command of troops where he frequently won distinction.

 At the time the Yuehchi had already been defeated by the Hsiung-nu and gone west and attacked the Sai king. The Sai king fled south and moved far away and the Yuehchi occupied his territory. Having become strong, K’un-mo asked the Shan-yü to be allowed to take vengeance for his father. So he went west and attacked and defeated the Ta-Yuehchi as they were called since they split into two groups and were sent packing by the Hsiung-nu, and they fled west and south and moved to the land of the Ta Hsia. K’un-mo captured some of their people and kept them in his new lands. His army became somewhat stronger. The story continues but is the same as he earlier Shi Chi.  

Regards

Michael Kerr