Said to be a tribe of the Xiongnu 匈奴 or Xianbei 鮮卑 federation, roaming the area between modern Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang province. This nomad steppe people was subjugated by the Northern Wei (Beiwei 北魏) in 388. When the Northern Wei Dynasty disengaged, the Xi (or Kumoxi 庫莫奚; Turkish: Tatabi) divided into five divisions of which the tribe of chieftain (irkin, Chinese: yijin 俟斤) Ahui 阿會 was the mightiest. After a short period of submission to the Turks, the Xi presented their tributs to the new-founded Tang Dynasty 唐. Their territory was administered as protectorate (dudufu 都督府) Raole 饒樂, and their chieftain granted the surname Li 李 of the Tang emperors (a method also often used by the Han Dynasty 漢 of the family Liu 劉). The Xi were allowed to govern their own territory autonomously as long as they accepted their dependance of the Tang court. Xi rulers were even bestowed the title of Prince (wang 王) and were given Chinese princesses. The whole 8th century there was an intensive trade with social and cultural exchange with Tang China, but form the 9th century on the Xi tribes disengaged and divided into an eastern and a western branch. At the same time the Khitan (Chinese: Qidan 契丹) won strength and power and incorporated the rest of the Eastern Xi tribes (Liubu Xi 六部奚) into their empire of Liao 遼. Their mightiest chieftain was given the title of Prince and run his own subcourt (Xiwangfu 奚王府) at the Liao capital. For administration, many Chinese officials were employed, and Chinese peasants were robbed and resettled in the area of the Six Xi. Emperor Liao Shenzong dissolved the Xi subcourt but installed a secondary capital within the old Xi territory. The Xi people at that time partially followed the traditional nomad lifestyle, but also cultivated fields. With the conquest of the Jurchen (Chinese: Ruzhen 女真) and their foundation of the Jin Dynasty 金 the Xi belonged to this new empire. The Xi empire, founded by Xiao Gan 蕭幹 (Huilibao 回離保) only survived eight months. The Jurchen installed their own generals as governors of the Xi commandery (Jurchen-Chinese: meng'an mouke 猛安謀克), and their people merged with the Jurchen and the Chinese.