Yuwen

Rouran epoch Göktürk epoch Uyghur epoch Kirghiz epoch

Rouran First Göktürk Tang rule Second Göktürk Uyghur Kirghiz Huns Western Göktürk Türgesh Karluk Khazar

Rouran 400–554
First Göktürk 552–630
Tang rule 630–682
Second Göktürk 682–744
Uyghur 744–840
Kirghiz 840–924
Huns 370–469
Western Göktürk 552–659
Türgesh 699–766
Karluk 766–800
Khazar 650–969

The Yuwen held the country north-east of the Chinese frontier, in what is now Liaoning and eastern Inner Mongolia. They were one of the three great Xianbei houses of the fourth century, beside the Murong and the Duan. The Murong broke them in 344.

The name outlived the house. The imperial family of the Northern Zhou claimed descent from it. The Northern Zhou fought the first war of the Göktürk khaganate’s southern neighbours in the 560s. Therefore a Xianbei house name stands at the head of the dynasty with which Göktürk history in China begins.