List of historical Chinese ethnonyms and exonyms
This is a list of historical Chinese ethnonyms and exonyms . It contains mainly Chinese terms, sorted alphabetically (according to the Pinyin spelling), but also non-Chinese entries from autochthonous peoples who originally or to this day living within today's borders of China, dynasties founded by non-Chinese peoples on Chinese soil with the names of their states (e.g. Chitan契丹 and Liao辽) and foreign states and peoples with which the Chinese dynasties had 'diplomatic relations' (e.g. Anxi 安息 / Parthia or Baekje百 济). For the national minorities in the People's Republic of China, see the overview in the article Peoples of China .
A.
- Adan阿丹 (Chinese name for Aden in Arabia )
- Ailao哀牢 (an ancient empire in Yunnan during the Han Dynasty )
- Aksu , see Gumo姑 墨
- Anguo安 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia , Tang Dynasty )
- Anxi安息 (Chinese name for Parthia , Han dynasty)
- Avars (erroneous western name for Rouran柔然)
B.
- Ba巴 (old state in what is now Chongqing during the Zhou dynasty )
- Baekje百 濟, see Korea
- Baiji百 濟 (chinese reading from Baekje , Korea)
- Balhae , see Bohai渤海
- Banggela榜 葛 剌 (Chinese name for Bengal )
- Bašmyl拔 悉 蜜 (Turkic people, Tang Dynasty )
- Baximi拔 悉 蜜, see Bašmyl
- Beiwei北魏 ( Northern Wei , dynasty founded by the Tabgatsch people )
- Beshbalik (Bešbalik, Bešbaliq) 別 失 八里 (Turkish state in the area around Ürümqi at the time of the Tang Dynasty)
- Biao驃 (Chinese name for the Pyu empire in Myanmar , Tang Dynasty)
- Bohai渤海 ( Balhae , state in the north of what is now North Korea)
- Buliyate布里雅特 (Chinese name for the steppe people of the Buryats )
- Buyeo , see Fuyu夫 余
C.
- Caoguo曹 國 ( Sogdia State , Tang Dynasty )
- Čerčen , see Qiemo且末
- Chajala茶 札 剌 (Chinese name for the Jalair)
- Cheshi車 師 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Chaoxian朝鮮 (Chinese reading from Joseon , Korea)
- Chile敕 勒 (Turkish steppe people, pre-Tang period)
- Chosŏn , see Korea
- Chu楚 (old state in the central Yangtze region , Zhou dynasty )
D.
- Dada韃靼 ( Tatars , ie the Mongols after the Yuan Dynasty )
- Dali大理 (old state on the territory of today's Yunnan Province , Song Dynasty )
- Dangxiang黨 項 (Chinese name for the Tanguts )
- Daqin大秦 (Chinese name for the Levant , often identified as the Roman Empire)
- Dashi大 食 (Chinese name for the Muslim state of Persia , Tang Dynasty )
- Daxia大 夏 (Chinese name for Bactria , Han dynasty )
- Dayuan大宛 (state in the far west, in today's Uzbekistan , Han dynasty)
- Di狄 (steppe people, general term for "northern barbarians")
- Di氐 (native inhabitants of today's Gansu Province , Han Dynasty to Northern Dynasties )
- Dian滇 (old empire on the territory of today's Yunnan province , Han dynasty)
- Dilie敵 烈 (steppe people, Proto-Mongols, Tang dynasty)
- Dingling丁零 (Steppe People, Proto-Turks, Northern Dynasties)
- Zungars準噶爾, see Oirats
E.
F.
- Funan扶 南 (state in the southern part of what is now Vietnam , Song Dynasty )
- Fuyu夫 余 (state in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, Tang Dynasty )
G
- Gaoche高 車 (steppe people, Proto-Turks, Han dynasty )
- Gaogouli高句麗 (Chinese reading from Goguryeo , Korea)
- Gaoli高麗 (Chinese reading from Goryeo , Korea)
- Gelan葛蘭 (Chinese name for Quilon or Kulam in southern India)
- Geluolu葛邏祿 (Chinese name for the Karluken steppe people )
- Goguryeo , see Korea
- Goryeo , see Korea
- Guawa瓜 哇 (Chinese name for Java )
- Guici , see Qiuci龜茲
- Guishuang貴霜 (Chinese name for the state of Kuschan in today's Afghanistan)
- Guli 古 里 (Chinese name for Calicut in southern India)
- Gumo姑 墨 (City-State on the Silk Road )
H
- Hanguo韓國 ( Hanguk ), see Korea
- Heihan黑汗( Qarakhanids -Staaten in the field of today's Xinjiang and Uzbekistan , Song Dynasty )
- Heguo何 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia , Tang Dynasty )
- Hephthalites (white Huns) or Yeda 嚈 噠 (nomads in today's Afghanistan; the Iranian Huns in India are more likely to be understood as the Alchon )
- Hongjila弘 吉 剌 (Chinese name for the Qongirat , a steppe people)
- Hu胡 (general term for steppe peoples)
- Huhu狐 胡 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Huige回 紇 (old Chinese name for the Uighurs)
- Huigu回鶻 (old Chinese name for Uighurs)
- Hulumosi忽 魯 謨 廝 (Chinese name for Hormuz , Oman )
- Huns (mistaken western name for the Xiongnu匈奴)
- Huoxun火 尋 (Kingdom of Sogdia, Tang Dynasty)
I.
J
- Japan日本
- Jie羯 (Steppe People, Northern Dynasties )
- Jilijisi吉利吉思 (Chinese name for the Kyrgyz , steppe people)
- Jin Dynasty金 ( Chinese dynasty founded by the Jurchen )
- Jimsar , see Cheshi車 師 and Tingzhou庭 州
- Jingjue精 絕 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Jiuxiang舊 香 (Chinese name for Palembang , a city in Sumatra , Indonesia)
- Joseon , see Korea
- Jurchen女真 (people of northeast China, ancestors of the Manchu )
K
- Kalmyks , see Oiraten
- Kangguo康 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia , Tang Dynasty )
- Kangju康居 (people of today's Kazakhstan , Han dynasty )
- Karakhanids黑 汗 "Black Khans" (Muslim state on the territory of today's Xinjiang and Uzbekistan )
- Karakum , see Weili尉犁
- Karashahr , see Yanqi焉耆
- Kargan , see Shanshan鄯善
- Karluken (Turkic people)
- Kashgar , see Shule疏勒
- Kelie克烈 (Chinese name for the Keraiten )
- Keraiten (Turkic people)
- Keriya , see Yumi扜 彌
- Kezhi柯 枝 (Chinese name for Cochin in southern India )
- Chitan (steppe people, Proto-Mongols, founder of the Chinese Liao dynasty )
- Chotan , see Yutian于闐
- Kyrgyz (Turkic people)
- Koguryŏ高句麗, see Korea
- Korea朝鮮 / 韓國
- Korla , see Quli渠 犁
- Koryŏ高麗, see Korea
- Kuča , see Qiuci龜茲
- Kushana (an empire in Central Asia and Northern India)
L.
- Liao遼 ( Chinese state founded by the Chitan )
- Lidai黎 代 (Chinese name for litai or lide in Sumatra)
- Liuqiu , see Ryūkyū
- Liushan溜山(Chinese name for the Maldives )
- Lixuan黎 軒 (Eastern Current )
- Loulan樓蘭 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Luoxing裸形 (Chinese name for Nicobar Islands )
M.
- Malgal , see Mohe靺 鞨
- Man蠻 (general name for residents in southern China)
- Manlajia滿 剌 加 (Chinese name for Malacca )
- Menggu蒙古 (Chinese name for the Mongols)
- Merkites (steppe people)
- Miao苗 (general name for residents in southwest China)
- Mie'rqi蔑 兒 乞, see Merkites
- Miguo米 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia , Tang Dynasty )
- Mohe靺 鞨 (Tungus people in northeast China)
- Mongols (steppe people, founded the Chinese Yuan dynasty )
N
- Naboli那 浡 里 (Chinese name for Lamuri in Sumatra)
- Nagu'r那 孤兒 (Chinese name for Nagur or Nakur in Sumatra)
- Naimanen乃蠻 (Turkic people)
- Nanzhao南詔 (old state on the territory of today's Yunnan Province , Tang Dynasty )
- Northern Wei北魏(the people of tuoba formed Chinese dynasty)
- Nüzhen女真 (Chinese name for the Jurchen )
O
- Oirats斡 亦 剌 (steppe people, also called Djungars )
- Okinawa , see Ryūkyū
- Oil soldering , see Oiraten
- Onggiraten , see Qongiraten 弘 吉 剌
- Ongud汪 古 (steppe people)
P
- Paekche百 濟, see Korea
- Parhae , see Bohai渤海
- Parthia , see Anxi安息
- Pu濮 (resident of the central Yangtze region, Zhou dynasty )
- Puyŏ , see Fuyu夫 余
Q
- Qiang羌 (general name for the Tangut people)
- Qibi契 苾 (Turkic people, Tang Dynasty )
- Qidan契丹 (Chinese name for the Chitan )
- Qiemo且末 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Qiuci龜茲 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Qule渠 勒 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Quli渠 犁 (City-State on the Silk Road)
R.
- Rong戎 (general term for nomads of the west)
- Ronglu戎 盧 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Rouran柔然 (Proto-Turkic, Han Dynasty to Northern Dynasties )
- Rouzhi , see Yuezhi 月氏 (Chinese name for the Tocharer )
- Ruoqiang婼 羌 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Ryūkyū (Islands in the East China Sea)
S.
- Sai塞 (Chinese name for the Saks )
- Saken (Indo-European people in western China, Han dynasty )
- Shache莎車 (city-state on the Silk Road )
- Shan撣 (native of the mountainous north in what is now Myanmar )
- Shanguo山 國 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Shanshan鄯善 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Shatuo Turks沙陀 突厥
- Shendu身 毒 (Chinese name for India , see Tianzhu天竺)
- Shiguo石 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia , Tang Dynasty )
- Shiguo史 國 (Kingdom of Sogdia, Tang Dynasty)
- Shiwei室韋 (people of northeast China)
- Shu蜀 (old state in what is now Sichuan , Zhou dynasty )
- Shule疏勒 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Silla新 羅, see Korea
- Scythians (mistaken western name for the Yuezhi月氏 or Tocharer )
- Sogdia粟特 (region in southern Kyrgyzstan and northern Afghanistan )
- Sumendala蘇門答臘 (Chinese name for Sumatra )
- Sushen肅慎 (people of northeast China, Zhou dynasty)
- Sute粟特, see Sogdia
- Syr-Tarduš薛延陀 (Turkic people)
T
- Tabgatsch ( Xianbei Tribe , Founders of the Northern Wei Empire)
- Tanguts黨項(with the Tibetan people related, founder of the Western Xia Empire)
- Tatars (Chinese name for the Mongols after the Yuan Dynasty )
- Tatars (European name for the Manchu )
- Tianfang天 方 (Chinese name for Mecca )
- Tianzhu天竺 (Chinese name for India )
- Tibet吐 藩 / 西藏
- Tiele鐵勒 (Chinese name for Tölöš )
- Tocharer , see Yuezhi月氏
- Tocharistan吐火羅, region inhabited by the Tochar people in what is now Kazakhstan and Afghanistan
- Tölöš (Turkic people)
- Tuoba拓跋 (Chinese name for tabgach)
- Tubo吐 藩 (ancient state in Tibet, Tang Dynasty )
- Tufan吐 藩 (erroneously for tubo )
- Tujue突厥 (Chinese name for Turks )
- Türgiš (Turkic people)
- Tuqishi突 騎 施 (Chinese name for the Türgiš )
- Turkestan , East Turkistan or Chinese Turkestan (Xinjiang 新疆)
- Turkic peoples
- Tuguhun (erroneously for Tuyuhun吐谷渾)
- Turfan吐魯番, see also Cheshi車 師 and Xizhou西 州
- Turpan , see Turfan吐魯番
- Tuyuhun吐谷渾 (Tangut people in the area of today's Gansu and Qinghai , Tang Dynasty)
U
- Uyghurs (Turkic people)
- Uš , see Aksu Konaxeher溫宿
V
- Vietnam越南 (Việt Nam)
W.
- Wa 倭 (old Chinese name for the Japanese )
- Wala 瓦剌 (Chinese name for the Oirats )
- Wanggu汪 古 (Chinese name for the Önggüd)
- Weili尉犁 (city-state on the Silk Road )
- White Huns , see Hephthalites
- Weitou尉 頭 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Weiwu'r維吾爾 (modern Chinese name the Uighurs )
- Weixu危 須 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Wensu溫宿 (city-state on the Silk Road)
- Western Xia西夏 ( Chinese style dynasty founded by the Tanguts )
- Woyila斡 亦 剌 (Chinese name for the Oiratén )
- Wu吳 (old state on the territory of today's Zhejiang and Jiangsu , Zhou dynasty )
- Wugu烏 古 (Steppe People, Liao Dynasty and Jin Dynasty )
- Wuji勿吉, alternative transcription for Mohe 靺 鞨
- Wuhuan烏桓 (steppe people in northern China, Han dynasty )
- Wulei烏 壘 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Wusun烏孫 (steppe people in northwest China, Han dynasty)
X
- Xi奚 (People of Northeast China, Tang Dynasty )
- Xianbei鮮卑 (Proto-Turkic People, Northern Dynasties )
- Xianluo暹 羅 (Chinese name for Siam, today's Thailand )
- Xiaowan小宛 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Xilan錫蘭 (Chinese name for Ceylon , today's Sri Lanka )
- Xinjiang新疆 (East or Chinese Turkmenistan)
- Xinluo新 羅 (Chinese reading from Silla , Korea)
- Xiongnu匈奴 (steppe people)
- Xixia西夏 ( Western Xia , Chinese style dynasty founded by the Tangut people)
- Xueyantuo薛延陀 (Chinese name for Syr-Tarduš )
Y
- Yalu啞 魯 (Chinese name for Aru in Sumatra)
- Yanqi焉耆 (City-State on the Silk Road )
- Yarkant , see Shache莎車
- Yarkhoto , see Cheshi車 師
- Yeda嚈 噠, see Hephthalites
- Yengisar , see Wulei烏 壘
- Yi夷 (general term for eastern barbarians, later for barbarians in general and especially for those arriving by sea)
- Yili Bali亦 力 八里 (Ili Balik, Ili Baliq, Ilibalik, Ilibaliq, Turkish state in what is now Xinjiang)
- Yili Basin 伊犁 盆地 (Ili)
- Yilou挹 婁 (Tungus people in northeast China)
- Yue越 (old state on the territory of today's Zhejiang, Zhou dynasty )
- Yue越, Bai Yue百越 or 百 粵 / 百 粤 "Hundred Yue" (locals in southern China)
- Yuezhi月氏 (Tocharians, Indo-European people in western China)
- Yumi扜 彌 (City-State on the Silk Road)
- Yutian于闐 (City-State on the Silk Road)
Z
- Zhancheng占城 (Chinese name for Champa , a state in what is now southern Vietnam and Cambodia )
- Zhenla真 臘 (Chinese name for a state in Cambodia)
- Zhunga'r準噶爾(Chinese name for the Zungars or Oirats )
- Zubu阻 卜 (Mongolian tribe, alternative name for the Tatars )
- Zufa'r祖 法 兒 (Chinese name for Dhofar in Arabia )