Elmи мяъмуяси

 Gökçe Yükselen Abdurrazak Peler 

434 

The Cuman – Qipchaqs had three important political and economic 

centres and all three were positioned in the Sivers’kyj Donec’ Basin, in the 

vicinity of present day Xarkiv. The supreme capital was Sharuqan (also 

known as Cheshuev) and the second-rank capitals were Balin in the east and 

Sugrov in the west. Additionally the port of Sudāq (Sugdaia) played an 

important role in the Cuman – Qipchaq economy as it was the centre of 

mutual trade between the Cuman – Qipchaqs and the Islamic lands, where 

Ukrainian and Russian slaves and furs were sold in return to imports from 

the Islamic countries (Pritsak 1982: 371).  

The names of the Cuman – Qipchaq Tribes and the tribal groupings 

preserved in the Rus’ and Mameluke sources are Ayopa, Badach, Barat / 

Beret / Baraq (?), Baya(w)ut, Burchogli (Rus’. Burchevichi, Hung. Borchol), 

Bzāngî (?), Chaghraq / Choghraq / Chaghrat, Chitey(ogli, Rus’.Chityevichi), 

Chirtan / Chortan / *Ozur Chortan (Hung. Chertan), Durut / Dört / Dörüt (?), 

Enchogli / *Ilanchuqli (Hung. Ilonchuk), It-oba, Qitan-opa, Knn (?), 

Kücheba / Küchoba (Rus’. Kouchevichi), Küchet, Kor / Qor (Hung. Koor?), 

Qara Börüklü, Qol-oba / Qul-oba (Rus’. Kolobichi / Kulobichi), Qmngû / 

*Qumanlu (?), Qonghurogli (Hung. Kongur), Mekrüti / Bekrüti / Bekürte, 

Mingüzogli, Orungqu(t), Ölberli(g) / Ölperli(g) (Rus’. Olperlyueve / Olb’ri / 

Olberi, Chin. Yü-li-pai-li / Yü-li-pei-li, Lat. “reges Uilperitorum”), Ören / 

Uran, Pechene (< Pecheneg), (Chin.) Shan-mie Ku-ma-li, Targhil (Rus’. 

Targolove), Terter / Teriter-oba (Rus’. Tertrobichi), Toqsoba (Rus’. 

Toksobichi), Tg Yshqût (*Tagh Bashqurt?), Ulashogli (Rus’. Ulashevichi, 

Hung. Olaas), Urusoba (Rus’. Ourusoba), Yimek / Yemek (Rus’. Polovtsi 

Yemyakove), Yughur (< Uyghur) (Golden 1992: 278-79), Altun-opa, 

Arslan-opa, *Chenegir-apa / * Chengir-apa (Rus’. Chenegrepa), Tarew (?) 

(Golden 1995-97: 108-121)

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. 

                                                 

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 Some of these names are clearly Mongolic. e.g. Qitan-opa < Qitañ, Orunqut < Mong. 

oronggu  “small, brown-colourded gazelle”, Ölberli(g) < Mong. ölöbür “ill, infirm” 

(Golden 1992: 279). For detail on each of these tribes see Golden 1995-97 and for a 

detailed history of the Ölberli clan including both before its absorption by the Kuman – 

Qipchaq Confederacy and the aftermath of the Mongol invasion see Golden 1986. 

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Some Notes on the History, the Culture and the Language of the Medieval Qipchaq - Cuman Turks 

435 

4. A Brief History of the Cuman – Qipchaq Confederacy 

4.1. The Borders of the Cuman – Qipchaq Realm 

After they pushed the Ghuzz / Uzes / Oghuz out of the Pontic Steppes 

around 1050-1060, the Cuman – Qipchaqs established a vast confederacy 

bordering Hungary, Byzantium and the Rus’ lands in the west and China in 

the east.  

The boundary between the Cuman - Qipchaq lands and the land of the 

Rus’ was to the south of the region separating the forest zone from the 

steppe. It stretched from the Southern Ural Mountains, throughout the length 

of the Samara River, and continued along the upper and the middle courses 

of the Rivers Sura, Moksha, Vorona, Cna and the right bank of the River 

Pronia. After crossing the Kulikovo Steppe the border maintained its course 

along the Bystraja Sosna, Upper Sejm, Upper Psel, and from there to the 

south of Kursk and southeast of Vyr’. Then it stretched along the River Psel 

down to its mouth joining the Dnieper. The river-line Udaj-Psel-Goltov was 

the most active march between the Rus’ and the Cuman – Qipchaqs. The 

region was fortified with walls by the former against the constant attacks of 

the latter. The frontier went from the south of the town of Perejaslavl’ along 

the right bank of the Rivers Tjasmin, Upper Vys’, Middle Boh, Dniester, and 

Prut stretching down to the Carpathian Mountains. In the south-western edge 

of the Rus’ realm the border was in the region between Upper Prut and the 

mouth of the River Seret on the Dniester (Pritsak 1982: 340-41). 

4.2. The Early Stages of the Cuman – Qipchaqs in the Pontic Steppe 

The new tribal union, which came into existence as a result of 

disturbances in Manchuria (started in 1018) and chain migrations in its 

aftermath, established itself in Western Siberia in the early years of the 

forties of the 11

th

 century, becoming the prevailing force in the Eurasian 

Steppes by the seventies of the same century (Golden 1992: 276).  

The Qipchaqs are reported to cause disturbances at the frontiers of the 

Khwarezmshas as early as 1030’s and are documented in the Rus’ chronicles 

for the first time in 1055

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, when they appeared on the land of Perejaslavl’ 

under a commander called Bolush, but left after they were offered a peace 

treaty by Prince Vsevolod. It is possible that this was a reconnaissance as 

                                                 

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 Marquart (1914: 162) dates the appearance of the Quns in Europe between 1030 and 1049. 

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 Gökçe Yükselen Abdurrazak Peler 

436 

they returned in 1061, this time raiding and defeating Vsevolod (Golden 

1992: 277). 

The Cuman – Qipchaqs are reported to take part in the internal struggles 

of the Rus’ Principalities as early as 1078, when they were called in by Oleg 

of the House of Ol’govichi against his foes (Golden 1979-80: 299). In the 

period between 1061 and 1120 the Cuman – Qipchaqs established strong 

economic ties with the Khwarezmshas and continuously raided the lands of 

the Rus’ (the Perejaslavl Principality in particular), Byzantium and Hungary.  

4.3. Temporary Setback  

In 1068 they were defeated by combined Rus’ forces under the Vladimir 

II Monomax (became Grand Prince of Kiev, 1113-1125). The Rus’ 

campaigned into Cuman – Qipchaq lands in 1103 and a series of invasions 

followed in 1109, 1111, 1113 and 1116. This forced some Cuman – 

Qipchaqs under Sharuqanid Äträk / Ötrök to take refuge in Georgia, but 

Ötrök returned to the steppe after the death of Monomax, the Rus’ unity 

disintegrated again and various contestants started to struggle for the Kievan 

Grand Principality (Golden 1992: 280). 

4.4. Recovery 

The disintegration of the Rus’ unity once more left the initiative in the 

hands of the Cuman – Qipchaqs. Nomads constantly raided into Rus’ lands, 

often as allies of different branches of the Rjurikids, but the Ol’govichi in 

particular. Occasionally Rus’ forces campaigned into Cuman – Qipchaq 

territory with unimportant results. Cuman – Qipchaqs remained as the allies 

of the Ol’govichi until 1080, but the latter joined the other Rus’ forces in this 

year in anti-Cuman campaigns. In 1171 Wild Cumans of Könchäk and non-

Wild Cumans of Kobjak Karlyevich united under Könchäk and forayed into 

the Rus’ in 1176 and 1179. Their involvement in internal Rus’ struggles, 

with the invitation of the Ol’govichi once more, in 1180-81 led to a major 

Cuman – Qipchaq offensive in 1184 as some prominent Cuman – Qipchaq 

dignitaries were either killed or captured. The result of this assault was 

catastrophic for the nomads. Kobjak and his two sons, Izai Biljukovich, 

Sidvak of the Quloba (Kolobich), Bashkird and other major Cuman notables 

were taken prisoners.  

The following year Könchäk brought a Muslim specialist in Greek fire in 

order to burn down Rus’ cities, but the Rus’ princes were warned by Rus’ 

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