(Trad.: Watson, B. Records of the Gran Historian of China, vol. II. Nova York, Columbia University Press, 1961.)
(The xiongnu are) wandering from place to place pasturing their animals. The animals they raise consist mainly of horses, cows and sheep, but include such rare beasts as camels, asses, mules and the wild horses known as taotu and teji . They move about in search of water and pasture and have no walled cities or fixed dwellings, nor do they engage in any kind of agriculture. Their lands, however, are divided into regions under the control of various leaders. They have no writing and even promises or agreements are only verbal. The little boys start out by learning to ride sheep and shoot birds and rats with a bow and arrow, and when they get a little older they shoot foxes and hares, which are used for food. Thus all the young men are able to use a bow and act as armed cavalry in time of war. It is their custom to herd their flocks in times of peace and make their living by hunting, but in times of crisis they take up arms and go off on plundering and marauding expeditions. This seems to be their inborn nature. For long range weapons they use bows and arrows, and swords and spears at close range. If the battle is going well for them they will advance, but, if not, they will retreat, for they do not consider it a disgrace to run away. Their only concern is selfadvantage, and they know nothing of propriety or righteousness.
From the chiefs of the tribe on down, everyone eats the meat of domestic animals and wears clothes of hide or wraps made of felt or fur. The young men eat the richest and best food, while the old get what is left over, since the tribe honors those who are young and strong and despises the weak and aged. On the death of his father, a son will marry his stepmother, and when brothers die, the remaining brothers will take the widows for their own wives. They have no polite names but only personal names, and they observe no taboos in the use of personal names. [...]
It is impossible to give an account of the lineage of the xiongnu rulers. When Maodun came to power, however, the xiongnu reached their peak of strength and size, subjugating all of the other barbarian tribes of the north and turning south to confront China as an enemy nation. As a result of this, it is possible to give an acount here of the later xiongnu rulers and of the offices and titles of the nation.
Under the Chanyu there are the Wise Kings of Left and Right (...) Among the other leaders, the more important ones command ten thousand horsemen and the lesser ones several thousand (...). Each group has its own area.