Qin's campaign against the Xiongnu
| Qin's campaign against the Xiongnu | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Map of the Ordos region | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Qin dynasty | Xiongnu | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Meng Tian | Touman | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Reported as 100,000 or 300,000 troops | — | ||||||||
In 215 BC, Qin Shi Huang ordered General Meng Tian to set out against the Xiongnu tribes in the Ordos region, and establish a frontier region at the loop of the Yellow River. Believing that the Xiongnu were a possible threat as they had repeatedly raided Chinese lands before, the emperor launched a preemptive strike against the Xiongnu with the intention to expand his empire.