Imperial Monarchy and the Nomad Warriors of the Steppe

However, it is important to note one major innovation in Han practice that entailed a significant elevation of the position of the Han emperor prior to the reign of Emperor Wu. At the same time that the Han Empire emerged in the valley of the Yellow River, just to the north a major nomadic confederation led by the Xiongnu formed a rival imperial state.

To the north of the long walls [i.e., the Great Wall] are the states of those who draw the bow, and they receive commands from the chanyu [the ruler of the Xiongnu]. To the south of the long walls are the households of those who wear caps and girdles, and I control them.^[590]

While later scholars view such policies and rhetoric as signs of imperial weakness, at this time when many political actors in the Han realm were not controlled by the emperor, and when shifting of alliances between the emperor and the chanyu were not uncommon, the assertion that there were two equal rulers who were absolute masters of their own respective realms was in fact a highly ambitious claim for the Han ruling house. Similarly, the claim to unique rights to establish kin ties with the Xiongnu rulers through marriage, to send them gifts, and to communicate with them on matters of state all constituted a significant elevation of the position of the emperor^[591] within a larger East Asian world. Also significant at this time for future developments of imperial power were the beginnings of Han cavalry armies, and the first recruiting of steppe peoples to assist as scouts who facilitated the later Han push into Central Asia.^[592]