They were described as the most influential among the Xiongnu tribes that resettled within the Great Wall, and a branch of them, the Liu clan, founded the Han-Zhao dynasty in 304 AD during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.
One common theory among modern Chinese historians is that the Chuge were descendants of the Xiutu (休屠), also transcribed as Xiuchu, who lived around Wuwei in the Hexi Corridor and were among the earliest of the Xiongnu to surrender to the Han dynasty in 121 BC.
After the marquis of Xubu's death, the chanyu position was abolished and a nominal king was installed instead in the rebel's territory, although Yufuluo still claimed to hold the title.
The Southern Xiongnu state began to disintegrate, and while the other tribes distanced themselves from the chaos of the ongoing Han civil war, the Xiuchuge or Chuge were drawn into the conflicts instead.
Several passages in records refer to Liu Yuan and his family members as "Chuge", but at the same time, he claimed to be the grandson of Yufuluo and a direct descendant of the Southern Xiongnu chanyus, who were of the Luandi clan.
They had various Chinese surnames such as Bi (畢), Zhang (張), Li (李), Guo (郭), Dong (董), Cheng (成) and Huang (黃).