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Kipchaks (also spelled as Kypchaks, Qipchaqs, Qypchaqs) (, Karachay-Balkar: Къыпчакъ, Uzbek: Қипчоқ, Kazakh: Қыпшақ, Kumyk: Къыпчакъ, Nogai: Кыпчак, Chinese: 钦察, Qīnchá) are an ancient Turkic people, first mentioned in the historical chronicles of Central Asia in the 1st millennium BC. Their language was also known as Kipchak. The western Kipchaks are also known as Cumans (Kumans, Kuns) in western Europe, and Polovtsi (Polovtsians) in Russia and Ukraine.
History
Nomadic Turkic people, known in Russian as Polovtsi, coming from the region of the River Irtysh, conquered what is present day southern Ukraine and Russia in the 11th century and founded a nomadic state in the steppes along the Black Sea (Desht-i Qipchaq). They invaded the territory of Moldavia, Wallachia and part of Transylvania in the 11th century, and from there they continued their plundering of the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1089, they were defeated by Ladislaus I of Hungary, again by Russian Prince Vladimir Monomakh in the 12th century, and finally crushed by the Mongols in 1241. After the breakup of the Mongol empire, the Kipchaks were part of the khanate comprising present-day Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, called the Golden Horde.
Members of the Bahri dynasty, the first dynasty of Mamelukes in Egypt, were Kipchaks, one of the most prominent examples being Sultan Baybars, born in Solhat, Crimea.
Modern Times
The modern Northwestern Turkic languages are named after the Kipchaks. Some of the descendants of the Kipchaks are now known as Siberian Tatars, Nogays, Kazakhs, Tatars (partly), Crimean Tatars (partly), Karachays (partly), Krymchaks, Karaims (partly), Kumyks (partly).
According to some accounts, Kipchaks have mostly descended into modern Kyrgyz and Uzbek ethnic populations. Continuing along this line, the native population of the Ferghana Valley is said to be largely Kipchak.
Kipchak is also the name of a Kazakh tribe within modern-day Kazakhstan.
There is also a village named 'Kipchak' existent in Crimea.
Other
The word "kypchak" is found in traditional Oghuz Khan Epics .
See also
- Bahri dynasty
- Battle of the Stugna River
- Battle of the Kalka River
- Codex Cumanicus
- Cumans
- Khazars
- Kipchaks in Georgia
- Mamelukes
- Pechenegs
- Tale of Igor's Campaign
Sources
- "Polovtsi". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.
- "Pouchenie" by Vladimir Monomakh. The medieval Russian Annal (in Russian).
- "Tale of Igor's Campaign". The medieval Russian Annal (in Russian).
External links
Kipchaks | Turkic peoples | History of Russia | Eurasian nomads
Кумани | Kyptschaken | Kiptchak | Kunok | Kipchaki | キプチャク | 쿠만인 | Koemanen | Połowcy | Cumanos | Половцы | Половці | Kiptšakit | 欽察
"Kipchaks"