Cuman | Nomadic Tribe, Eurasian Steppe & Turkic People

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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CC%5CU%5CCumans.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine - Cumans</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/ukraine/cuman.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">GlobalSecurity.org - Cumans / Kiptchaks - 894-1261</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://core.ac.uk/reader/229398900" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">CORE - The Origin of the Cumans in the Russian Primary Chronicle</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Kun</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cuman/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Hungarian: </dt> <dd>Kun</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Cuman"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref240648"></span>Cuman</strong>, member of a nomadic Turkish people, <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="comprising" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprising" data-type="MW">comprising</a> the western branch of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kipchak-people" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Kipchak</a> confederation until the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mongol" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Mongol</a> invasion (1237) forced them to seek <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/asylum" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">asylum</a> in <span id="ref240649"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hungary" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hungary</a>. During the 12th century the Cumans acted as <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="auxiliary" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auxiliary" data-type="MW">auxiliary</a> troops for the Russian princes and in that capacity clashed with <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hungarian-people" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Hungarian</a> expeditionary forces; but, by the beginning of the 13th century, they had become more aggressive and launched their own raids into southeastern Transylvania. Soon afterward the Cuman prince <span id="ref240650"></span>Barc and 15,000 of his people were baptized (1227). The first bishopric of Cumania was established in 1228, and King <span id="ref240651"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bela-IV" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Béla IV</a> of Hungary assumed the title “king of Cumania.” In 1239 he granted asylum to the Cumans and their prince <span id="ref240652"></span>Kuthen, who had earlier tried unsuccessfully to organize Russian resistance to the Mongols. Just before the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1240–41, however, Kuthen, who was considered a dangerous alien, was murdered; the Cumans left Hungary but were resettled there by Béla in 1245. Béla’s son, the future <span id="ref240653"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-V" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Stephen V</a>, married a Cuman princess, and, under the rule of their son (<span id="ref240654"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ladislas-IV" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Ladislas IV</a> [László]; 1272–90), Cuman influence in Hungarian affairs was great. Nevertheless, the Cumans did not become completely <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="assimilated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assimilated" data-type="MW">assimilated</a> into Hungarian society for centuries. </p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":146369,"pageLength":202,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"SMALL","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Cuman | Nomadic Tribe, Eurasian Steppe & Turkic People | Britannica