The Song Shu is the dynastic history of the Liu Song, who ruled southern China from 420 to 479. Shen Yue compiled it under the Southern Qi in 487 and 488. For the steppe it matters through chapter 95, on the Northern Wei, whom it calls the Suolu, the braided captives. The chapter ends with the Rouran, whom the southern court called Ruirui.[1]

The Ruirui

The Song Shu says that the Tuoba broke the Murong and took possession of China. The Ruirui then occupied the land the Tuoba had left, the northern court of the Xiongnu in Han times.[1] The text gives them two further names, Datan and Tantan, and calls them a separate branch of the Xiongnu.[1] The route to the Song capital ran by the western road and measured more than thirty thousand li.[1] Their ruler bore a great title, and their people were many and strong. Every year they sent envoys to the Song and dealt with it as an equal.[1] The states of the Western Regions on the eastern road, Yanqi, Shanshan, Qiuci and Gumo, served them.[1]

The chapter describes a country without walled towns. The people moved in search of water and grazing and lived in felt tents that moved with them.[1] In the mountains snow lay through the summer. The plain ran for thousands of li without green grass. The horses and cattle grew fat on withered grass and snow.[1] Government was simple. The Ruirui did not know writing and kept records by notching wood. Later they learned to write, and by the time the text was compiled there were a fair number of scholars among them.[1] Their country lay more than a thousand li from the Northern Sea and bordered on the Dingling.[1]

Reliability

The text explains the court’s interest in a single sentence. The Ruirui raided the Tuoba in the south year after year and were their enemies from generation to generation. For that reason the court kept them on a loose rein.[1] The text therefore pictures the Ruirui as an ally against the Wei. The Wei Shu, written in the north, describes the same people as enemies and former subjects. It records that at first they had no writing and counted troops with sheep droppings, and that later they learned to notch wood.[2] On the notched wood the two histories agree from opposite sides of divided China.

The passage

Song Shu 95: the land, the life and the enmity of the Ruirui

無城郭，逐水草畜牧，以氈帳為居，隨所遷徙。

其土地深山則當夏積雪，平地則極望數千里，野無青草。

地氣寒凉，馬牛齕枯噉雪，自然肥健。

國政疎簡，不識文書，刻木以記事，其後漸知書契，至今頗有學者。

去北海千餘里，與丁零相接。

常南擊索虜，世為仇讎，故朝庭每羈縻之。

They had no walled towns. They followed water and grass to herd their animals and lived in felt tents, moving wherever they went.

In the deep mountains of their land snow lay through the summer, and on the plains one could look out for thousands of li with no green grass in the fields.

The air was cold, and the horses and cattle gnawed dry grass and ate snow, and grew fat and strong of themselves.

The government was simple. They did not know writing and notched wood to record matters. Later they gradually learned writing, and now there are quite a few scholars.

It was more than a thousand li from the Northern Sea, and bordered on the Dingling.

They constantly attacked the Suolu in the south and were their enemies from generation to generation, and so the court always kept them on a loose rein.

[1] Song Shu, juan 95

Song Shu 95: the Ruirui, a separate branch of the Xiongnu

而芮芮虜有其故地，蓋漢世匈奴之北庭也。

芮芮一號大檀，又號檀檀，亦匈奴別種。

自西路通京師，三萬餘里。

僭稱大號，部眾殷強，歲時遣使詣京師，與中國亢禮，

西域諸國焉耆、鄯善、龜茲、姑墨東道諸國，並役屬之。

The Ruirui barbarians held their former land, which in Han times had been the northern court of the Xiongnu.

The Ruirui were also called Datan, and also Tantan. They too were a separate branch of the Xiongnu.

By the western road to the capital it was more than thirty thousand li.

They assumed a great title, their people were numerous and strong, and at the seasons they sent envoys to the capital and treated with the Chinese court as equals in ceremony,

and the states of the Western Regions, Yanqi, Shanshan, Qiuci and Gumo, the states along the eastern road, were all made subject to them.

[1] Song Shu, juan 95

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Song Shu, juan 95
  2. ^ Wei Shu, juan 103

Sources

Drawn on by

Nan Shi

Articles resting on this source 7

Li Ling · Murong · Rouran Khaganate · Tuhezhen Khan · Wuti Khan · Yucheng Khan · Yujiulü

Related

What links here3

Persons
Wuti Khan · Yucheng Khan
States
Rouran Khaganate

Cite this article

Yavuz, Emre-E. “Song Shu.” Turkic Atlas, revised 8 November 2026. https://turkicatlas.org/sources/song-shu/

Last revised: 8 November 2026