Elmи мяъмуяси

 Gökçe Yükselen Abdurrazak Peler 

442 

was the father-in-law

52

 of the Georgian King, moved into Georgia as a result 

of this decision (Golden 1984: 57-58). This was a rather convenient situation 

for the Cuman – Qipchaqs too since the state of affairs was rather grim in the 

steppe as well (see section 4.3.). A population of 200-225,000 people with a 

40,000 strong army moved into Georgia

53

 (Golden 1984: 62), but as it is 

stated above Ötrök returned to the steppe after the death of Monomax. 

However, Ötrök’s horde returned to Georgia to help the Georgian kings 

whenever they were needed (Golden 1984: 77-78). 

A second wave of Cuman – Qipchaqs appeared in Georgia as a result of 

the Mongol assaults on the steppe. However, this time their request of land 

to settle in was refused by the Georgian King Giorgi IV Lasha, as there 

already was a surfeit of Cuman – Qipchaqs

54

 in service. They moved to 

Ganja, but were not left unchecked by the Georgians. The first Georgian 

attempt to defeat this Cuman – Qipchaq group had failed, but they were 

defeated at the second time. Many of them were captured and sold into 

slavery. The remaining part broke into small bands and scattered (Golden 

1984: 85). 

The Cuman – Qipchaqs, which remained in Georgia were dispersed and 

settled in various places in small groups. This brought their rapid 

Christianization and Georgianization. Their assimilation was to an extent 

                                                 

52

 King Davit’ was married to Ötrök’s daughter Guaranduxt. This must be her Georgian 

throne name as it is from Iranian origin. There is no information in the sources how this 

marriage came to be. But it is known that the Georgian kings had a long standing tradition 

of establishing marital bonds with significant groups of the North Caucasus with political 

reasons (Golden 1991: 148). 

53

 The aim of the Georgian King by inviting the Cuman – Qipchaqs into Georgia was not only 

to check the Seljukids. Manpower was vital for devastated and depopulated areas of 

Georgia as a result of recurrent Turcoman incursions as well as for a force, which would be 

loyal to the Georgian throne against the troublesome aristocracy. Therefore Cuman – 

Qipchaqs were an essential need for the Georgian royalty against both the foreign and 

domestic enemies (Golden 1984: 59). 

54

 Not all Cuman – Qipchaqs in the horde of Ötrök returned to the steppe with their leader. 

Some of their herds were captured or destroyed by the Rus’ before they retreated to 

Georgia. Additionally they may have lost some more of their herds in the course of their 

flight. In both cases they became impoverished in nomadic standards and these economic 

circumstances dictated to some of the Ötrök’s tribesmen to sedentarize and settle in 

Georgia.  Moreover, as mounted warriors they occupied a privileged status in Georgia. 

Another group of Ötrök’s tribesmen, who did not return to the steppe, migrated to Eastern 

Anatolia (Golden 1984: 71-72). 

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

443 

that, unlike the settlements in Hungary, they left no traces at all (Golden 

1984: 63-64). 

4.6.5. Cuman – Qipchaqs in Egypt and Syria 

The Ayyubid rulers of Egypt and Syria started to import slaves 

originating from the Cuman – Qipchaq Steppe in the 12

th

 century. This flow 

of Turkic slaves, who were called Mamluks, boosted during the reign of 

Sultan al-Malik as-Sālih (d. 1249) as he decided to establish an elite army

55

 

of them. However they seized the power as early as 1250 and secured their 

grasp over authority in Egypt and Syria with their victory over the Mongols 

at ‘Ain Jālūt

56

. 

They did away with their population disadvantage and ensured their 

existence by perpetuating the flow of Turkic and Circassian slaves into 

Egypt and Syria as they maintained good relations with the Golden Horde, 

which was established on the lands of the former Cuman – Qipchaq 

Confederacy. They ruled over Egypt and Syria until 1517, when they were 

conquered by the Ottomans (Pritsak 1982: 371-72). Cuman – Qipchaqs 

constituted a great proportion of the notables even during the Ottoman era 

(Kurat 1992: 99). 

4.6.6. Cuman – Qipchaqs in India 

In 1193 Delhi was captured by Qutb ad-Dîn Aybek, who was a Turkic 

gulam of Sultan Muhammad Ghuri, ruler of the Ghurid State and Aybek, 

establishing the Delhi Sultanate, started to rule the Indian realms of the 

Ghurid State after Sultan Muhammad was assassinated in 1206. The tribal 

affiliations of Sultan Aybek are unknown, but he was succeeded by a Cuman 

– Qipchaq, his son-on-law El-tutmish Ölberli. The presence of Turkish 

soldiery in Delhi was reinforced by refugees fleeing from Central Asia and 

Eastern Europe before the Mongols and they were transformed into a feudal 

bureaucracy by El-tutmish. His line

57

 sat on the Delhi throne for some time 

                                                 

55

 Detailed information on this army can be found in Ayalon 1953a: 203-228; 1953b: 448-

476; 1954: 57-90 and Latham 1969: 257-267. 

56

 For a recent account of Mamluk conception of sultanate and its administrative structure see 

Levanoni 1994: 373-392. 

57

 One of the most interesting events regarding El-tutmish’s line is the ascension of his 

daughter Jalālat ad-Dîn Radiyya (1236-1240) to the Delhi throne. The rise of a woman to 

the throne is a clear indication to the preservation of the steppe culture. However, she was 

 

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