RouranFirst GöktürkTang ruleSecond GöktürkUyghurKirghizHunsWestern GöktürkTürgeshKarlukKhazar
This article: 337–370
- 400
- 500
- 600
- 700
- 800
- 900
- 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 Former Yan was the first of the states the Murong built. It was proclaimed in 337 in the north-east. Three years earlier, in 334, the Jin court had given its founder Murong Huang the titles of Great Chanyu and Lord of Liaodong.[1] The Jin Shu never calls him khan.[1] In the 340s it broke Buyeo and struck Goguryeo. It then turned south and took the North China plain. The Former Qin destroyed it in 370.
It was the first steppe-descended state to rule the whole of northern China. Everything the Northern Wei did afterwards was done on ground the Yan had prepared.
References
Literature
- Peter B. Golden, An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples (1992)
- Shiratori Kurakichi (übers. İbrahim Gökbakar), Kaghan Unvanının Menşei (1945)
Cite this article
Yavuz, Emre-E. “Former Yan.” Turkic Atlas, revised 22 October 2026. https://turkicatlas.org/polities/former-yan/
Last revised: 22 October 2026
