Cumans, also called as Polovtsy, (Russian Половцы) was the European name for the Western Kipchaks, a nomadic West Turkic tribe living on the north of the Black Sea along the Volga. This article is about the continent. ... Kipchaks (also Kypchaks, Qipchaqs) 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. ... Kazakh nomads in the steppes of the Russian Empire, ca. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... Map of the Black Sea. ... For other meanings of the word Volga see Volga (disambiguation) Волга Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge  ? m³/s Area watershed 1. ...

History

The Cumans invaded southern Ukraine, Moldavia, Wallachia, and part of Transylvania in the 11th century and then continued their attacks by plundering the Byzantine Empire, Hungary, and Kievan Rus'. Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία Ρωμαίων) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Map of the the extent of Kievan Rus through the 11th century. ...

In 1089, they were defeated by Ladislaus I of Hungary. In alliance with the Vlachs and the Bulgarians during the Vlach-Bulgar Rebellion by brothers Asen and Peter ofTarnovo, the Cumans are believed to have played a significant role in the rebellion's final victory over Byzantium and the restoration of Bulgaria's independence (1185). The Cumans suffered a severe defeat by Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Kievan Rus in the 12th century and were crushed by the Tatars in 1238, after which most of them fled Wallachia and Moldova and took refuge in Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Byzantine Empire. After many clashes with the Hungarians, the Cumans were eventually evicted from Hungary to join their kin who lived in Bulgaria. Later, however, a large segment of them were re-invited back to Hungary. The Cumans who remained scattered in the steppe of what is now Russia joined the Golden Horde khanate. Events Northumbria divided by the Normans into the counties of Northumberland, County Durham, Yorkshire, Westmorland and Lancashire August 11, powerful Britain Coronation of Rama Varma Kulasekhara in Kerala Synod of Melfi under Pope Urban II imposes slavery on the wives of priests Palmyra destroyed by earthquake Byzantine conquest of Crete... Ladislaus I, Saint (Hungarian: , Slovak: Ladislav I) (June 27, 1040–July 29, 1095) was a king of the Kingdom of Hungary (1077–1095). ... White = Romanians Green = Istro-Romanians Yellow = Aromanians Orange = Megleno-Romanians Vlachs (also called Wallachians, Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs or Ulahs) is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. ... The Vlach-Bulgarian Rebellion was a revolt of the Vlachs and Bulgarians living in the Byzantine Empire, caused by a tax increase. ... Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian: Велико Търново; also transliterated as Veliko Turnovo) is a city in central northern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. ... Events April 25 - Genpei War - Naval battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Volodymyr Monomakh (Ukrainian: Володимир Мономах; Russian: Владимир Мономах; Christian name Vasiliy, or Basil) (1053 -- May 19, 1125) was the ruler of Kievan Rus. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Tatars (Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар) (Persian: تاتار) is a collective name applied to the Turkic people of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. ... Events In the Iberian peninsula, James I of Aragon captures the city of Valencia September 28 from the Moors; the Moors retreat to Granada. ... This article refers to the medieval Turkic state. ...

In the 13th century, the Western Cumans adopted Roman Catholicism, while the Eastern Cumans converted to Islam. The Catholic "Diocese of the Cumans" founded in Milcov in 1227 and including what is now Romania and Moldova, retained its title until 1523. (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the Quran. ... Milcov (Hungarian: Milkó) is a town in the historical region of Moldavia in Romania. ... Events Henry III of England declares himself of age and assumes power Births September 30 - Pope Nicholas IV Deaths March 18 - Pope Honorius III (b. ... Events April - Battle of Villalar - Forces loyal to Emperor Charles V defeat the Comuneros, a league of urban bourgeois rebelling against Charles in Spain. ...

The Cuman influence in the region of Wallachia and Moldova was so strong that the earliest Wallachian rulers bore Cuman names (whether they were ethnic Vlachs/Romanians or Cumans is historically irrelevant and difficult to prove). Basarab I, son of the Wallachian prince Tihomir of Wallachia obtained independence from Hungary at the beginning of the 14th century. The name Basarab is considered as being of Cuman origin, meaning "Father King". Posada Battle Basarab I was an early ruler of the principality of Wallachia, known as ÃŽntemeietorul (The Founder) (c. ... Tihomir or Tocomerius/Togomer/Totomer/Tugomir (circa 1290 - circa 1310) was a Cumanian (Kipchak) warlord, possibly the father of Basarab I, the founder of the principality of Wallachia. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ...

Legacy

The field of Igor Svyatoslavich's battle with the Kypchaks, by Viktor Vasnetsov.

While the Cumans were assimilated, their name can still be encountered in placenames as far as the city of Kumanovo in the Northeastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, Comăneşti in Romania and Comana in Dobruja. The Cumans settled in Hungary had their own self-government there. In Hungary, the name of the Cumans (kún) is still preserved in county names such as Bács-Kiskun and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and town names as (eg.) Kiskunhalas, Kiskunszentmiklós, etc.. Image File history File links Igorsvyat. ... Image File history File links Igorsvyat. ... Igor Svyatoslavich (April 3, 1151-1202) was the prince of Novhorod-Siversky from 1180 to 1202. ... Kypchaks (also Kipchaks, Qipchaqs) are an ancient Turkic people, first mentioned in historical chronicles of Central Asia in the 1st millennium BC. The western Kypchaks were also named Kuman, Kun and Polovtsian (pl. ... Self-portrait 1873 Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (Виктор Михайлович Васнецов) (May 15 (N.S.), 1848—1926) was a Russian painter, theatre decorator, graphic designer, author of mythological and historical pictures. ... Kumanovo (Macedonian: Куманово) is the second largest municipality city in the Republic of Macedonia after the capital Skopje and third largest town in the country. ... Motto: (Macedonian: Слобода или Смрт) (English: Liberty or death) Anthem: Macedonian: Денес Над Македонија (Transliteration: Denes Nad Makedonija) (Translation: Today Over Macedonia) Capital Skopje Largest city Skopje Official language(s) Macedonian1 Government President Prime Minister Parliamentary republic Branko Crvenkovski Vlado Bučkovski Independence Declared From Yugoslavia September 8, 1991 Area  - Total    - Water (%)   25,333 km² (146th... The principal attraction of the town - the Ghica Palace Woodcraft from Ghica Pallace etnographic museum ComăneÅŸti is a town in Bacău county, Romania, with a population of 26,230. ... Comana is the name of two different ancient cities in Asia Minor: Comana was a city of Cappadocia (frequently called Crryse or Aurea, i. ... Dobruja, or sometimes Dobrudja (Dobrogea in Romanian, Добруджа—transliterated Dobrudzha—in Bulgarian, Dobruca in Turkish), is the territory between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast. ... Bács-Kiskun is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in southern Hungary, on the border with Serbia. ... Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or megye), in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. ... Kiskunlacháza is a town in Pest county in the northern part of Central Hungary, approximately 4 miles from the Danube river and its largest neighbor, Ráckeve. ...

Also, toponyms of Cuman language origin can be found especially in the Romanian counties of Vaslui and Galaţi, including the names of both counties. Cuman language was a Turkic language spoken by the Kipchaks (also known as the Cumans) similar to todays Crimean Tatar language. ... Administrative map of Romania with Vaslui county highlighted Vaslui is a Romanian county (Judeţ) in the Moldovia region, with the capital city at Vaslui (population: 79,658). ... GalaÅ£i is a county (judeÅ£) in the East of Romania, in the South of Moldova region, with the capital city at GalaÅ£i (population: 332,154). ...

In the countries where the Cumans were assimilated, family surnames derived from the words for "Cuman" (such as coman or kun, "kuman") are not uncommon. Among the people that have such a name are Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci, Romanian poet Otilia Coman (Ana Blandiana) and Romanian football player Gigel Coman. Traces of the Cumans are also the Bulgarian surname Kumanov (feminine Kumanova), its Macedonian variant Kumanovski (feminine Kumanovska) and the widespread Hungarian surname Kun/Kún. Nadia Elena Comaneci (originally Comăneci) (born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian-born gymnast, winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. ... Ana Blandiana (born Otilia Valeria Coman, b. ... Gigel Coman (born October 4, 1978 in Bucuresti) is a Romanian football player, who currently plays for FCU Politehnica Timisoara. ...

For the Russian relations with the Cumans (in Russian: Polovtsy), see the Battle of the Stugna River, the Battle of the Kalka River, and the Tale of Igor's Campaign. A set of Polovtsian Dances occurs in Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor. The Battle of the Stugna River (26 May 1093) was a battle between the princes of Kievan Rus (Sviatopolk II of Kiev, Vladimir Monomakh of Chernigiv) and the nomadic Polovtsy tribe (a Turkic peoples). ... Combatants Mongols Kiev Commanders Subutai Mstislav the Bold Strength estimated between 18,000-20,000 80,000 Casualties minimal Unknown {{{notes}}} Battle of the Kalka River (May 31, 1223) was the first military engagement between the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan and the East Slavic warriors. ... The Tale of Igors Campaign (Old East Slavic: Слово о плъку Игоревѣ, Slovo o pălku Igorevě; Modern Russian: Слово о полку Игореве, Slovo o polku Igoreve) is an anonymous masterpiece of East Slavic literature written in Old East Slavic language and tentatively dated by the end of 12th century. ... Portrait of Borodin Alexander Porfirevich Borodin (Александр Порфирьевич Бородин in Cyrillic, Aleksandr Porfirevič Borodin in transliteration) (31 Oct. ... Sydney Opera House: one of the worlds most recognizable opera houses and landmarks Opera refers to a dramatic art form, originating in Europe, in which the emotional content or primary entertainment is conveyed to the audience as much through music, both vocal and instrumental, as it is through the... Prince Igor (Князь Игорь in Russian, Knyaz Igor in transliteration) is an opera in a prologue and four acts by Alexander Borodin to a Russian libretto by the composer, based on the East Slavic epic The Tale of Igors Campaign. ...

Further reading

• Vasary, Istvan (2005) "Cumans and Tatars", Cambridge University Press

See also

• Codex Cumanicus
• Cuman language
• Kipchak
• Crimean Tatars

The Codex Cumanicus was a linguistic manual of the Middle Ages, presumably designed to help Catholic missionaries to the Kipchaks. ... Cuman language was a Turkic language spoken by the Kipchaks (also known as the Cumans) similar to todays Crimean Tatar language. ... Kipchaks (also Kypchaks, Qipchaqs) 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 Crimean Tatars (Qırımtatar (aka Qırım, Qırımlı and Qırım türkü), Pl. ...

External links

• Catholics and Cumans
• Codex Cumanicus