Once the Xiongnu state weakened, however, the Donghu rebelled.

Based on Chinese historical texts the ancestry of the Mongol peoples can be traced back to the Donghu, a nomadic confederation occupying eastern Mongolia and Manchuria.

The Xianbei were descendants of the Donghu, which used to be believed to represent the “ Eastern Hu ” based on the Chinese record.

The languages of Donghu, Wuhuan and Xianbei might be related to Proto-Mongolic, as might be Tabghach ( the language of the founders of the Northern Wei dynasty ) and Khitan.

The language of the Donghu, unlike that of the Xiongnu, is believed to be proto-Mongolic to modern scholars.

The Wuhuan were of the direct Donghu line and got involved in many relations with the Chinese due to their more southern location ( around Liaodong ).

The Xianbei were the northern branch of the Donghu ( or Tung Hu, the Eastern Hu ), a proto-Mongol and / or Tunguz group mentioned in Chinese histories as existing as early as the 4th century BC.

The Mongolic-speaking Xianbei originally formed a part of the Donghu confederation, but existed even before that time, as evidenced by a mention in the Guoyu (" 晉語八 " section ) which states that during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou ( reigned 1042-1021 BC ) the Xianbei came to participate at a meeting of Zhou subject-lords at Qiyang ( 岐阳 ) ( now Qishan County ) but were only allowed to perform the fire ceremony under the supervision of Chu ( 楚 ), since they were not vassals by covenant ( 诸侯 ).

The Mongolic-speaking Xianbei originally formed a part of the Donghu confederation, but existed even before that time, as evidenced by a mention in the Guoyu (" 晉語八 " section ) which states that during the reign of King Cheng of Zhou ( reigned 1042-1021 BC ) the Xianbei came to participate at a meeting of Zhou subject-lords at Qiyang ( 岐阳 ) ( now Qishan County ) but were only allowed to perform the fire ceremony under the supervision of Chu ( 楚 ), since they were not vassals by covenant ( 诸侯 ).

In the east Wuhuan and Xianbei ( former Donghu ) become independent and are paid by Chinese to attack northern Chanyu.

Chinese historical texts unequivocally state that the Xianbei were descendants of the Donghu.

Now most Chinese historians believe that Donghu by itself was an ethnonym, rather than having derived from their location on the east of the Xiongnu.

Whereas Donghu was a Chinese transcription, the Mongolian reference was “ Tünghu ”.

The governments headed by various people such as the Korean kingdoms as Gojoseon, Goguryeo, Balhae, the Chinese as Yan ( state ), Han Dynasty, and the Nomadic peoples as Donghu, Xianbei, Khitan and Jurchen ruled Liaoning.

Whereas " Donghu " was a Chinese transcription, its Mongolian reference was " Tünghu ".

If the Mongols had descended from the Xianbei, as the Chinese scholars characterized, the Mongols would have shared the same ethnic origins with the Xianbei of the Tuyühu Empire and not have called them as " the Donghu people " in reference of Western Xia.

After general population movement toward south, southwest, and southeast ( due in part to influx of northern and western groups such as Huaxia and Donghu ), the tribe of Chiyou split into two smaller splinter tribes, the Miao and the Li ( Chinese: 黎 ; pinyin: lí ).

During the early years of his reign the Kingdom of Zhao was constantly harassed by the Donghu, the Linhu ( Simplified and Traditional Chinese: 林胡 ), the Liufan ( Simplified Chinese: 楼烦 ) and the Xiongnu, all nomadic animal husbandry tribes.

* Donghu people ( 東胡 ), Mongolic nomadic tribe

The Xianbei may have come to Qiyang as one of the Donghu tribes or as a separate Mongolic tribe.

The fact that the Weishu states the Kumo Xi spoke the same language as the Khitan and that the Hou Hanshu states the Wuhuan spoke the same language as the Xianbei indicate relative linguistic homogeneity within the Xianbei and a common Mongolic identity of the Wuhuan and Xianbei as remnants of the Donghu confederation.

The Donghu spoke Mongolic language and was formed by the federation of the Donghu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei.

As a nomadic confedation composed mainly of the Xianbei and Wuhuan, the Donghu were prosperous in the 4th century BC during the later Zhou dynasty, forcing surrounding tribes to pay tribute and constantly harassing the State of Zhao ( 325 BC, during the early years of the reign of Wuling ) and the State of Yan ( in 304 BC Qin Kai, general of King Zhao of Yan, was given as a hostage to the Donghu ).

Two historically significant Hu names are this Donghu 東胡 ( literally " Eastern Barbarians ") " ancient Mongolian nomadic group " and the Wu Hu 五胡 (" Five Barbarians ") " five nomadic tribes involved in the Wu Hu uprising " ( 304-316 CE ) against the Jin Dynasty.

Before the Tang Dynasty, the region was inhabited by several nomad tribes in the northeastern border area of China including Sushen and Donghu.

Various ethnic groups and their respective kingdoms, including the Sushen, Donghu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, Mohe, Khitan and Jurchens have risen to power in Manchuria.

Various ethnic groups and their respective kingdoms, including the Sushen, Donghu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, Mohe and Khitan have risen to power in Manchuria.

After the Donghu were defeated by Modu Chanyu the Xianbei and Wuhuan survived as the main remnants of the confederation.

Donghu, and therefore the Xianbei, were also heirs of the horse-riding nomadic way of life first seen in the Afanasevo culture ( 3500-2500 BC ) in Mongolia.

After the Donghu were defeated by Modu Chanyu around 208 BC the Xianbei and Wuhuan survived as the main remnants of the confederation.

The Donghu was a federation formed by the Mongolic-language speaking groups of the Donghu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei.

That the Mongolian term " Tangut " represented " the Donghu people ," the Xianbei and their descendants who had founded the Tuyühu and Western Xia empires, would validate the theories of the Outer Mongolian scholars that the Mongols had descended from the Xiongnu.

The fact that there were Wuhuan groups, who were part of the Donghu federation and followed Tuyühu Khan in the westward migration, would make the interpretation that " Tangut " represented " the Donghu people " stronger, not only from reflecting that the Wuhuan joined the Xianbei in the Tuyühu and Western Xia empires, but also contrasting that the Mongols had descended from the Xiongnu.

By the 1st century AD, two major subdivisions of the Donghu had developed: the proto-Mongolic Xianbei in the north and the Wuhuan in the south.

After the Donghu were defeated by Modu Chanyu around 209 BC the Xianbei and Wuhuan survived as the main remnants of the confederation.

The Wuhuan and Xianbei were remnants of the Donghu who fled east.

The Xianbei, of the lateral Donghu line, resided to the north of the Wuhuan.

During the Zhou Dynasty, central and western Inner Mongolia ( the Hetao region and surrounding areas ) were inhabited by nomadic peoples such as the Loufan, Linhu, and Dí, while eastern Inner Mongolia was inhabited by the Donghu.

The Donghu were among the first peoples conquered by the Xiongnu.

The original religion of the Mongols from the time of the Donghu was Tengriism.

* from Mongol people from Donghu people

: Modu conquers the Donghu to the east creating an empire from the Ordos to Manchuria.

Their earliest origins from the Donghu are reflected in their account of the unique wedding ceremony attributed to Madam Lushi, who organized an ambush through an elaborate banquet combined with liquor and singing in order to subdue a bully named " Wang Mang ".

They were descended from the Donghu, who were defeated by the Xiongnu.