| Pinyin Romanization |
Names in Chinese characters and Pronunciation |
Approximate residing areas according to Chinese texts |
Time of appearance in Chinese history |
Equivalence(s) in World history |
Time of appearance outside China |
Descendant(s) |
| Miao |
苗 (miao2) |
Various areas stretching from provinces (Hebei, Shanxi) north of Huang he to Yunnan province |
As early as 25th century B.C. to present |
Miao |
see Miao |
Laotians, ethnic groups in China, America and Europe |
| Xiongnu, Xianyun |
匈奴 (xiong1 nu2), 玁狁 (xian3 yun3) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and eastern portion of Xinjiang |
6th century B.C. ? to late 1st century for Northern Xiongnu who migrated westward after that period. Southern Xiongnu remained active until mid 5th century then assimilated into Chinese |
Huns |
late 4th century to mid 6th century in Europe |
No known descendants |
| Wuhuan |
烏桓 (wu1 huan2) |
western portions of Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces) and Inner Mongolia |
4th century B.C. to late 3rd century, assimilated into Chinese |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
No known descendants |
| Xianbei |
鮮卑 (xian1 bei1) |
Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces), Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Moved into areas north of Huang he as they founded a dynasty there. |
4th century B.C. ? to mid 6th century, assimilated into Chinese |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
No known descendants |
| Qiang |
羌 (qiang1) |
Gansu, Qinghai, westren portion of Sichuan, eastern portion of Xinjiang and northeastern portion of Tibet |
4th century B.C. ? to late 5th century, assimilated into Chinese |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
as minorities in Sichuan |
| Di |
氐 (di1) |
Areas of neighboring borders of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Shaanxi |
8th century B.C. ? to mid 6th century, assimilated into Chinese |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
as minorities in Sichuan |
| Jie |
羯 (jie2) |
Shanxi province |
late 2nd century to mid 4th century, assimilated into Chinese |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
No known descendants |
| Dingling, Gaoche, Shule |
丁零 (ding1 ling2), 高車 (gao1 che1), 疏勒 (shu1 le4) |
banks of Lake Baikal and on the borders of Today Mongolia and Russia then migrated to Shanxi province and Xinjiang region |
1st century BC to late 5th century, assimilated into Chinese |
? |
? |
some descendants still living by the lake ? |
| Gaogouli |
高勾驪 (gao1 gou1 li2) |
central and southeastern Manchuria (Today Jilin and eastern portion of Liaoning province) |
1st century BC to mid 7th century, dissipated |
Goguryeo or Koguryo |
1st century to mid 7th century in Korea |
Bohai and Goryeo |
| Rouran, Ruru, |
柔然 (rou2 ran2), 蠕蠕 (ru2 ru2), 茹茹 (ru2 ru2) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and eastern portion of Xinjiang |
early 3rd century to early 6th century |
Avars? |
late 6th century to early 9th century |
descendants living in today Daghestan? |
| Tujue |
突厥 (tu2 jue2) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, eastern portion of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan |
late 5th century to mid 10th century |
Gokturks |
mid 6th century to early 9th century |
The western Turks migrated to modern-day Turkey while the eastern Turks assimiliated to the Uighurs in Xinjiang |
| Huihe |
回紇 (hui2 he2) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia |
early 7th century to mid 10th century |
Uighurs |
early 9th century to present |
largest ethnic group in Xinjiang region |
| Tubo |
吐蕃(tu3 fan1) sometimes pronounced as 吐播 (tu bo1) |
Today Tibet, Qinghai, western border of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi and Southern border of Xinjiang |
mid 6th century to present |
Tibetans |
early 6th century to present |
Tibetans |
| Qidan |
契丹 (qi4 dan1) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, Liaoning, northern border of Shanxi and Hebei and later in Xinjiang and eastern border of Kazakhstan |
late 5th century to mid 13th century |
Khitan |
early 6th century to present |
No known descendants |
| Xi |
奚 (xi1) |
more or less the same residence of the Khitans since regarded as two ethnic groups with one unique ancestry |
mid 6th century to mid 12th century |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
No known descendants |
| Shiwei |
室韋 (shi4 wei2) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria and southern Siberia |
late 6th century - late 10th century |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
conquered by Khitans, splinter groups and remnants re-emerged as Mongols |
| Menggu |
蒙古 (meng2 gu3) |
Today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria, southern Siberia, eastern and central Xinjiang before Genghis Khan |
since late 8th century (?) |
Mongol |
late 12th century to present |
Mongol |
| Dangxiang |
黨項 (dang3 xiang4) |
Ningxia, Gansu, northern portions of Shanxi, southwestern portion of Mongolia, Southeastern portion of Xinjiang |
mid 8th century to early 13th century |
Tanguts |
? |
No known descendants |
| Mohe |
靺鞨 (mo4 he2) |
Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia, established Bohai |
early 7th century to early 10th century. |
No known equivalence |
N/A |
Jurchen (see entry below) |
| Nüzhen or Manzhouren |
女真 (nü3 zhen1), 滿洲人 (man3 zhou1 ren2), 滿人 (man3 ren2) |
Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia |
early 10th century to present, established Jin Dynasty and Qing Dynasty |
Jurchen, Mancho, Manchus or Manchurian |
Since mid 17th century, first encountered by Russians |
largest ethnic group in Dongbei region or Manchuria. Their culture has very much assimilated with the Chinese but some distinctive aspects still remain. |
