A nomad people roaming the area of modern Outer Mongolia during the 5th and 6th centuries, probably affiliated to the Xianbei 鮮卑 or to the Xiongnu 匈奴, some western scholars tried to identify them with the Avars. They used to knot their hairs, lived in yurts and recorded events by scribing symbols into wooden plates. Their ancestor Mugulü 木骨閭 is said to have been a slave of the Xianbei. The chieftains of the Rouran had the surname of Yujiulü 郁久閭. The Xianbei called them Ruanruan 蠕蠕 “worms”, but they are also known under the names Rouruan 蝚蠕, Ruirui 芮芮, or Ruru 茹茹. Mugulü’s grandson Shelun 社崙 is said to be the first chieftain who was able to unify the Rouruan tribes and to found the power of the Rouran by swallowing the rests of the Gaoche 高車 and Xiongnu. Shelun was also the first to adopt the title of Qaghan/Qaγan (Khan; Chinese: kehan 可汗) that was later used by the Huihu 回鶻, the Turks (Tujue 突厥), and the Mongols (Menggu 蒙古). There was intensive economic relationship to the neighboring peoples and states (the Sixteen Kingdoms, Shiliuguo 十六國), and through the Tuyuhun 吐谷渾 even with the Southern Dynasties (Nanchao 南朝). But under the Qaghan Datan 大檀 the Rouran fought against the Xianbei that had founded the Northern Wei Dynasty (Beiwei 北魏). Although often victorious at the begin, in 429 the Xianbei defeated the Rouran armies badly, and then again in 470. In the course of interstate relationships with the Xianbei many Rouruan girls were given to the Xianbei rulers as wifes. After 460 the Rouran occupied more and more cities and territory in the west and finally were able to control the silk-road, and after the collapse of the Northern Wei empire they profited from the weak political situation of the northern Chinese rulers. Meanwhile the Turks had founded a strong empire and in 555 the last Rouran Qaghan fled to the Western Wei (Xiwei 西魏) court.

The Rouran Qaγans imperial title ----reign mottos personal name (Chinese version) 4th cent. (Mugulü 木骨閭) 4th cent. (Cheluhui 車鹿會) "Qiudoufa" Qaγan 丘豆伐可汗 402-410 Shelun 社崙 "Aikugai" Qaγan 藹苦蓋可汗 410-414 Hulü 斛律 "Mouhanheshenggai" Qaγan 牟汗紇升蓋可汗 414-429 Datan 大檀 "Chilian" Qaγan 敕連可汗 429-444 Wuti 吳提 "Chu" Qaγan 處可汗 444-450 Tuhezhen 吐賀真 "Shouluobuzhen" Qaγan 受羅部真可汗 450-485 ----Yongkang 永康 464-484 Yucheng 予成 "Fumingdun" Qaγan 伏名敦可汗 ("Fugudun" 伏古敦) 485-492 ----Taiping 太平 485-491 Doulun 豆崙 "Houqifudaikezhe" ("Houqizhangdaikezhe" 候其仗代庫者) Qaγan 侯其伏代庫者可汗 492-506 ----Taian 太安 492-505 Nagai 那蓋 "Tuohan" Qaγan 佗汗可汗 ("Tahan" 他汗) 506-508 ----Shiping 始平 506-507 Futu 伏圖 "Douluofubadoufa" Qaγan 豆羅伏跋豆伐可汗 508-520 ----Jianchang 建昌 508-520 Chounu 醜奴 "Chiliantoubingdoufa" Qaγan 敕連頭兵豆伐可汗 520-552 Anagui 阿那瓌 "Mi'oukeshegou" Qaγan 彌偶可社句可汗 521-524 Poluomen 婆羅門 552-553 Tiefa 鐵伐 553 Dengzhu 登注 553 Kangti 康提 553-554 Anluochen 菴羅辰 555< Deng Shuzi 鄧叔子/td>