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<!doctype html><html lang="en"><head><title data-rh="true">The Forgotten People Who Built the Bamiyan Buddhas | by Prateek Dasgupta | Teatime History | Feb, 2025 | Medium</title><meta data-rh="true" charset="utf-8"/><meta data-rh="true" name="viewport" content="width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1"/><meta data-rh="true" name="theme-color" content="#000000"/><meta data-rh="true" name="twitter:app:name:iphone" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" name="twitter:app:id:iphone" content="828256236"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:app_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:app_store_id" content="828256236"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:package" content="com.medium.reader"/><meta data-rh="true" property="fb:app_id" content="542599432471018"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:site_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:type" content="article"/><meta data-rh="true" property="article:published_time" content="2025-02-10T09:05:57.931Z"/><meta data-rh="true" name="title" content="The Forgotten People Who Built the Bamiyan Buddhas | by Prateek Dasgupta | Teatime History | Feb, 2025 | Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:title" content="The Forgotten People Who Built the Bamiyan Buddhas"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:url" content="medium://p/1b5a138beeed"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:url" content="medium://p/1b5a138beeed"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:app_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" name="description" content="The origins, rise and fall of the White Huns, who clashed with India and Persia, changing the destinies of these ancient civilizations. 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in io"><div class="ab cb"><div class="ci bh ht hu hv hw"><div><h1 id="26a0" class="pw-post-title ip iq ir bf is it iu iv iw ix iy iz ja jb jc jd je jf jg jh ji jj bk" data-testid="storyTitle">The Forgotten People Who Built the Bamiyan Buddhas</h1></div><div><h2 id="22f2" class="pw-subtitle-paragraph jk iq ir bf b jl jm jn jo jp jq jr js jt ju jv jw jx jy jz cq du">The origins, rise, and fall of the White Huns</h2><div><div class="speechify-ignore ab cp"><div class="speechify-ignore bh l"><div class="ka kb kc kd ke ab"><div><div class="ab kf"><div><div class="bm" aria-hidden="false"><a rel="noopener follow" href="/@pdg1?source=post_page---byline--1b5a138beeed---------------------------------------"><div class="l kg kh by ki kj"><div class="l fj"><img alt="Prateek Dasgupta" class="l fd by dd de cx" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fill:88:88/1*rYIiLOy1eg6jFDJ7jCDY3Q.jpeg" width="44" height="44" loading="lazy" data-testid="authorPhoto"/><div class="kk by l dd de fs n kl 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and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" type="image/webp"/><source data-testid="og" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 640w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 720w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:750/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 750w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:786/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 786w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:828/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 828w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 1100w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg 1400w" sizes="(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px"/><img alt="" class="bh fv ox c" width="700" height="570" loading="eager" role="presentation"/></picture></div><figcaption class="oy ff oz oo op pa pb bf b bg z du">The Bamiyan Buddhas were one of the greatest architectural achievements of the White Huns. Source: <a class="af ku" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan#/media/File:Smaller_38_m_(125_ft)_%22Eastern%22_Buddha_of_Bamiyan,_built_between_544_to_595_CE.jpg" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">Wikimedia.</a></figcaption></figure><p id="7809" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk pv"><span class="l pw px py bo pz qa qb qc qd fj">In</span> the mid-4th century AD, ruthless warriors emerged from the grasslands of the Eurasian Steppes and wreaked havoc on India and Persia.</p><p id="ca2e" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk">They were the <strong class="pe is">White Huns</strong>. Often associated with violent raids, they constructed one of the timeless symbols of peace, the <strong class="pe is">Bamiyan Buddhas</strong>.</p><p id="456a" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk">When we think of Huns, <strong class="pe is">Attila</strong>, the Hunnic conqueror who brought the Roman Empire to its knees in the 5th century, comes to mind. Were the White Huns related to him?</p><p id="c350" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk">Why were they called the <em class="qe">“white”</em> Huns?</p><p id="d7a5" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk">These questions have puzzled historians for quite some time. Thanks to genetic studies, historical accounts of civilizations that encountered the White Huns, and archaeological evidence, we can construct a story of a people who didn’t leave behind written records.</p><p id="fa7b" class="pw-post-body-paragraph pc pd ir pe b jl pf pg ph jo pi pj pk gm pl pm pn gp po pp pq gs pr ps pt pu hn bk">Let’s learn about the <strong class="pe is">Kidarites</strong> and the <strong class="pe is">Hepthalites</strong>, the most influential White Hun dynasties, how they shaped the future of India and Persia, and the legacy of these Steppe nomads.</p><h1 id="4c57" class="qf qg ir bf qh qi qj jn gj qk ql jq gl qm qn qo qp qq qr qs qt qu qv qw qx qy bk">The origins of the White Huns</h1></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></article></div><div class="l"></div><footer class="qz ra rb rc rd ab q re kp c"><div class="l ae"><div class="ab cb"><div class="ci bh ht hu hv hw"><div class="ab cp rf"><div class="ab q mp"><div class="rg l"><span class="l rh ri rj e 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Source: Wikimedia.","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[{"__typename":"Markup","type":"A","start":99,"end":109,"href":"https:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FBuddhas_of_Bamiyan#\u002Fmedia\u002FFile:Smaller_38_m_(125_ft)_%22Eastern%22_Buddha_of_Bamiyan,_built_between_544_to_595_CE.jpg","anchorType":"LINK","userId":null,"linkMetadata":null}],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_3":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_3","name":"7809","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"In the mid-4th century AD, ruthless warriors emerged from the grasslands of the Eurasian Steppes and wreaked havoc on India and Persia.","hasDropCap":true,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_4":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_4","name":"ca2e","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"They were the White Huns. Often associated with violent raids, they constructed one of the timeless symbols of peace, the Bamiyan Buddhas.","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[{"__typename":"Markup","type":"STRONG","start":14,"end":24,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null},{"__typename":"Markup","type":"STRONG","start":122,"end":137,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null}],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_5":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_5","name":"456a","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"When we think of Huns, Attila, the Hunnic conqueror who brought the Roman Empire to its knees in the 5th century, comes to mind. Were the White Huns related to him?","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[{"__typename":"Markup","type":"STRONG","start":23,"end":29,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null}],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_6":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_6","name":"c350","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"Why were they called the “white” Huns?","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[{"__typename":"Markup","type":"EM","start":25,"end":32,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null}],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_7":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_7","name":"d7a5","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"These questions have puzzled historians for quite some time. Thanks to genetic studies, historical accounts of civilizations that encountered the White Huns, and archaeological evidence, we can construct a story of a people who didn’t leave behind written records.","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_8":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_8","name":"fa7b","type":"P","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"Let’s learn about the Kidarites and the Hepthalites, the most influential White Hun dynasties, how they shaped the future of India and Persia, and the legacy of these Steppe nomads.","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[{"__typename":"Markup","type":"STRONG","start":22,"end":31,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null},{"__typename":"Markup","type":"STRONG","start":40,"end":51,"href":null,"anchorType":null,"userId":null,"linkMetadata":null}],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_9":{"__typename":"Paragraph","id":"9749edcfd635_9","name":"4c57","type":"H3","href":null,"layout":null,"metadata":null,"text":"The origins of the White Huns","hasDropCap":null,"dropCapImage":null,"markups":[],"codeBlockMetadata":null,"iframe":null,"mixtapeMetadata":null},"CollectionViewerEdge:collectionId:e57ead09141e-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83":{"__typename":"CollectionViewerEdge","id":"collectionId:e57ead09141e-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83","isEditor":false,"isMuting":false},"UserViewerEdge:userId:c49616bf01be-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83":{"__typename":"UserViewerEdge","id":"userId:c49616bf01be-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83","isMuting":false},"PostViewerEdge:postId:1b5a138beeed-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83":{"__typename":"PostViewerEdge","shouldIndexPostForExternalSearch":true,"id":"postId:1b5a138beeed-viewerId:lo_fc424c3eee83"},"Tag:history":{"__typename":"Tag","id":"history","displayTitle":"History","normalizedTagSlug":"history"},"Tag:genetics":{"__typename":"Tag","id":"genetics","displayTitle":"Genetics","normalizedTagSlug":"genetics"},"Tag:culture":{"__typename":"Tag","id":"culture","displayTitle":"Culture","normalizedTagSlug":"culture"},"Tag:heritage":{"__typename":"Tag","id":"heritage","displayTitle":"Heritage","normalizedTagSlug":"heritage"},"Tag:asia":{"__typename":"Tag","id":"asia","displayTitle":"Asia","normalizedTagSlug":"asia"},"Post:1b5a138beeed":{"__typename":"Post","id":"1b5a138beeed","collection":{"__ref":"Collection:e57ead09141e"},"content({\"postMeteringOptions\":{\"referrer\":\"\"}})":{"__typename":"PostContent","isLockedPreviewOnly":true,"bodyModel":{"__typename":"RichText","sections":[{"__typename":"Section","name":null,"startIndex":0,"textLayout":null,"imageLayout":null,"backgroundImage":null,"videoLayout":null,"backgroundVideo":null}],"paragraphs":[{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_0"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_1"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_2"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_3"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_4"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_5"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_6"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_7"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_8"},{"__ref":"Paragraph:9749edcfd635_9"}]},"validatedShareKey":"","shareKeyCreator":null},"creator":{"__ref":"User:c49616bf01be"},"inResponseToEntityType":null,"isLocked":true,"isMarkedPaywallOnly":false,"lockedSource":"LOCKED_POST_SOURCE_UGC","mediumUrl":"https:\u002F\u002Fmedium.com\u002Fteatime-history\u002Fthe-forgotten-people-who-built-the-bamiyan-buddhas-1b5a138beeed","primaryTopic":null,"topics":[{"__typename":"Topic","slug":"history"}],"isLimitedState":false,"isPublished":true,"allowResponses":true,"responsesLocked":false,"visibility":"LOCKED","latestPublishedVersion":"9749edcfd635","postResponses":{"__typename":"PostResponses","count":15},"responseDistribution":"NOT_DISTRIBUTED","clapCount":993,"title":"The Forgotten People Who Built the Bamiyan Buddhas","isSeries":false,"sequence":null,"uniqueSlug":"the-forgotten-people-who-built-the-bamiyan-buddhas-1b5a138beeed","socialTitle":"","socialDek":"","canonicalUrl":"","metaDescription":"","latestPublishedAt":1739178357931,"readingTime":12.299056603773584,"previewContent":{"__typename":"PreviewContent","subtitle":"The origins, rise, and fall of the White Huns"},"previewImage":{"__ref":"ImageMetadata:0*N0cY9-cloY62z_Aw.jpeg"},"isShortform":false,"seoTitle":"","firstPublishedAt":1739115313517,"updatedAt":1739183003320,"shortformType":"SHORTFORM_TYPE_LINK","seoDescription":"The origins, rise and fall of the White Huns, who clashed with India and Persia, changing the destinies of these ancient civilizations. 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