04-24-2006, 07:15 PM
Identifying Asian nomads is difficult because most of the groups were a mix of ethnic peoples, who lived on the vast steppe regions of Europe and Asia. Bear in mind that there still is a lot of controversy concerning the origins of these peoples. Much of this stems from the mixing of distinct ethnic groups and languages. There are three in the first category (Aryan, Mongolian and Chinese) and two in the second (Altaic and Uralic). Several modern countries share common ancestors, although they are separated by thousands of miles and do not always agree on a common origin.
The word "Hun" comes from the word "kun" (or khun) in Turkish meaning people or nation. The first historical mention of the Khuns was in 318 BC.
These possibly included Huns, Khuni, Chuni, Suni, Sunni, Hunny, Gunny, Uygurs, [Uange, Bugu/Pugu, Bayegu/Baiyrku, Tunlo/Tongra, Sygye (Uygur tribes)], Seyanto (Sir + Yanto), Kibi, Tele/Dubo/Tubalar/Dabo, Guligan/Kurykan (Yakuts), Dolange (Telengits), Husye, Higye, Adye/Eduz, Baysi/Barsil, and other variations.
Most likely the Huns were a genetic hybrid between Mongoloid, Altaic (Siberian), and Central Asian Turkic stocks. Typical Hunno-Bulgars probably had a squarish face, high cheekbones, and slanting eyes. The word 'Bulgar' comes from Turkic 'bulgha' (to mix). These nomadic groups were probably composed of Alans, Eastern Antes (an Iranian-Slavic blend), and Turks. There were, according to contemporary European sources, three major sub-divisions each corresponding to a different ethnic group. This may help to explain the later division of the Huns after Attila’s death.
Although in the past the Huns are thought to have been Mongolian emigrants, it is far more likely that they were of Turkic origin. This point has been repeated by thousands of historians, Sinologists, Turcologists, and other researchers. Most of our modern knowledge on the Huns is derived from the information left by their contemporary neighbors. This makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction, which is true for most of the groups listed here.
Many now accept that the Bulgars are the descendants of the Huns. The legendary ancestor of the Bulgars is Kobrat Han, who was the son of Irnek. Irnek was the son or grandson of Attila. So the Bulgars are directly descended from the Huns. Their writings were a different version of the Turkish-Runic writing used in Mongolia. Two major hordes survived the fall of Attila’s empire; the Kutrigurs and the Uturgus or Utrigurs. This is based on the division of the Hunnic peoples among the sons of Attila following his death in 453 AD. To Ellak, eldest of brothers, was given a horde called Sabirs, to Tengiz (Dengizik), was given a horde called Kutrigurs and to Bel-Kermek (Hernach), youngest, was given a horde called Utrigurs.
The Byzantine writers said that the language of the Huns was the same as the languages of the Bulgars, Avars, Szeklers and other tribes that were flooding into Eastern Europe from Central Asia. The historians of that period accepted that these Turkic-speaking tribes were no different from the Huns because their languages were the same. There are many words written in Chinese chronicles, which were used by Huns in daily life. These are Turkic words. Chinese annals reveal that the Hunnic language was very close to that of the Toles, a Turkic tribe.
One area for backing up this claim is that of Hunnic names. The meanings of the names of European Huns can be comfortably explained in Turkish. One of the most striking features related to European Hunnic names cannot be explained any language but Turkish. Some of the names belonged to the German language due to cultural interaction, but the majority of them were Turkish, for example:
(a famous Hunnic leader) Balamir = Bala (child, kid) + Mir (king)
(the son of Attila) Dengizik = sea storm
(a general) Oniki, known to Europeans as Onegesios, = the number 12
(the son of Attila) Csaba = shepherd
(a Hunnic leader) Atakam = Ata (grandfather, father) +Kam = the person who is responsible for the religious rituals (in shamanism)
Eskam = Es = couple + Kam = (as above)
Aybars = Ay = moon (and also the colour white in Turkish) + Bars (or Pars) = leopard, or a wild animal
The name of Attila's wife was Arikan in Turkish.
The Sabirs briefly established a powerful state north of the Caucasus. The name may have been used as early as 124 BC. Hence they may have been Sarmatian or Scythian in origin. They were closely associated with two other Turkish-speaking groups, the Sarogurs and the Onogurs.
The Huns dominated many vassal groups of Germans and Aryans during their period of domination in the early 5th Century. German dialects, probably Gothic, were considered the common language for the peoples of the Hunnic empire. The Huns may have adopted Gothic clothing and other cultural aspects, which make identification of graves and artefacts difficult.
Several other groups shared similar names and ethnicity.
Hephthalites
They were also called Ephthalites or Hephtal or Hunas or White Huns or Hayathelites or Ye-tai or He-ta or Cao. According to Chinese records, this group of people was called "Ye-tai". They were called Hephthalites by the Greeks, and Hunas by the Indians, and later known in the West as the Avars. The Turkish claim that their ancestors comprised of Huns plus the White Huns. White Hephthalites are a people of "obscure origins", possibly of Tibetan or Turkish stock. Late 6th Century, the Hephthalites were said to have moved west to the Russian steppe to form the Avar Khanate.
They were first mentioned by the Chinese, who described them (125 AD) as living in Dzungaria. Their name is derived from that of the royal clan, ephtha or ye-da. In the 4th Century, they were vassals of the Ruruan. In 425 AD, they crossed the Syr Darya (Jaxartes) River and invaded Persia. The White Huns also invaded India and succeeded in extending their domain to include the Ganges valley.
The paucity of record in Hephthalites provides only a fragmentary picture of their civilization and empire. Their background is uncertain. They probably stemmed from a combination of the Tarim Basin peoples and the Yueh-chih.
To the Chinese, they were the Ye-tai-i-li-do even though the Chinese chroniclers seem to realize that the people called themselves the people of Hua (the similarity to Hun may help explain the origin of "White Hun") and that the Chinese terms came actually from the name of the Hua leader. Contemporary Chinese chroniclers had their own theories about Ephthalite origins: they were related in some way to the Visha (Indo-Europeans known to the Chinese as the "Yueh Chih"); a branch of the Kao-ch`ê; and other groups.
The timing of the Hun migration to Europe in 370 AD and the White Hun in 440 AD to Transoxiana, Bactria, Khurasan, and eastern Persia is pretty close; however, the directions of movement are not the same. There is no definite evidence that they are related to the Huns.
Chionites/Kidarites
From the Middle Persian word xiyon, 'Hun', a Hunnic tribe that began encroaching upon the frontiers of Iran and the Kushan state circa 320 AD. A distinct people from the Hephthalites, the Chionites were also called 'Red' Huns. Shortly after 340 AD, the Chionites pushed the Kushans out of northern Pakistan. At the end of the 4th Century, a new wave of Hunnic tribes (Alchoni) invaded Bactria, pushing the Kidarites into Gandhara. The Kidarites in northern India continued to mint debased gold and copper coins until the end of the 5th Century. Yet another group, close on the heels of the Alchoni, settled in and around Kabul and Ghazni, as the Nezak Huns.
The dubious connection to the Sumerians is likely a result of confusion with the various names given to nomads. The most likely candidate for ancestral ties is the Cimmerian group (Turkish Kam-er, Kim-er - "river man", akin to "Suv-ar", "Bulak-ar" ("Bolkar, Bulgar"), "Sub-ar", "Suv-ar", "Shum-er") one of the first nomdic peoples of the steppes of western Central Asia. The Assyrians called Cimmerians “Gimirraiâ€
The word "Hun" comes from the word "kun" (or khun) in Turkish meaning people or nation. The first historical mention of the Khuns was in 318 BC.
These possibly included Huns, Khuni, Chuni, Suni, Sunni, Hunny, Gunny, Uygurs, [Uange, Bugu/Pugu, Bayegu/Baiyrku, Tunlo/Tongra, Sygye (Uygur tribes)], Seyanto (Sir + Yanto), Kibi, Tele/Dubo/Tubalar/Dabo, Guligan/Kurykan (Yakuts), Dolange (Telengits), Husye, Higye, Adye/Eduz, Baysi/Barsil, and other variations.
Most likely the Huns were a genetic hybrid between Mongoloid, Altaic (Siberian), and Central Asian Turkic stocks. Typical Hunno-Bulgars probably had a squarish face, high cheekbones, and slanting eyes. The word 'Bulgar' comes from Turkic 'bulgha' (to mix). These nomadic groups were probably composed of Alans, Eastern Antes (an Iranian-Slavic blend), and Turks. There were, according to contemporary European sources, three major sub-divisions each corresponding to a different ethnic group. This may help to explain the later division of the Huns after Attila’s death.
Although in the past the Huns are thought to have been Mongolian emigrants, it is far more likely that they were of Turkic origin. This point has been repeated by thousands of historians, Sinologists, Turcologists, and other researchers. Most of our modern knowledge on the Huns is derived from the information left by their contemporary neighbors. This makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction, which is true for most of the groups listed here.
Many now accept that the Bulgars are the descendants of the Huns. The legendary ancestor of the Bulgars is Kobrat Han, who was the son of Irnek. Irnek was the son or grandson of Attila. So the Bulgars are directly descended from the Huns. Their writings were a different version of the Turkish-Runic writing used in Mongolia. Two major hordes survived the fall of Attila’s empire; the Kutrigurs and the Uturgus or Utrigurs. This is based on the division of the Hunnic peoples among the sons of Attila following his death in 453 AD. To Ellak, eldest of brothers, was given a horde called Sabirs, to Tengiz (Dengizik), was given a horde called Kutrigurs and to Bel-Kermek (Hernach), youngest, was given a horde called Utrigurs.
The Byzantine writers said that the language of the Huns was the same as the languages of the Bulgars, Avars, Szeklers and other tribes that were flooding into Eastern Europe from Central Asia. The historians of that period accepted that these Turkic-speaking tribes were no different from the Huns because their languages were the same. There are many words written in Chinese chronicles, which were used by Huns in daily life. These are Turkic words. Chinese annals reveal that the Hunnic language was very close to that of the Toles, a Turkic tribe.
One area for backing up this claim is that of Hunnic names. The meanings of the names of European Huns can be comfortably explained in Turkish. One of the most striking features related to European Hunnic names cannot be explained any language but Turkish. Some of the names belonged to the German language due to cultural interaction, but the majority of them were Turkish, for example:
(a famous Hunnic leader) Balamir = Bala (child, kid) + Mir (king)
(the son of Attila) Dengizik = sea storm
(a general) Oniki, known to Europeans as Onegesios, = the number 12
(the son of Attila) Csaba = shepherd
(a Hunnic leader) Atakam = Ata (grandfather, father) +Kam = the person who is responsible for the religious rituals (in shamanism)
Eskam = Es = couple + Kam = (as above)
Aybars = Ay = moon (and also the colour white in Turkish) + Bars (or Pars) = leopard, or a wild animal
The name of Attila's wife was Arikan in Turkish.
The Sabirs briefly established a powerful state north of the Caucasus. The name may have been used as early as 124 BC. Hence they may have been Sarmatian or Scythian in origin. They were closely associated with two other Turkish-speaking groups, the Sarogurs and the Onogurs.
The Huns dominated many vassal groups of Germans and Aryans during their period of domination in the early 5th Century. German dialects, probably Gothic, were considered the common language for the peoples of the Hunnic empire. The Huns may have adopted Gothic clothing and other cultural aspects, which make identification of graves and artefacts difficult.
Several other groups shared similar names and ethnicity.
Hephthalites
They were also called Ephthalites or Hephtal or Hunas or White Huns or Hayathelites or Ye-tai or He-ta or Cao. According to Chinese records, this group of people was called "Ye-tai". They were called Hephthalites by the Greeks, and Hunas by the Indians, and later known in the West as the Avars. The Turkish claim that their ancestors comprised of Huns plus the White Huns. White Hephthalites are a people of "obscure origins", possibly of Tibetan or Turkish stock. Late 6th Century, the Hephthalites were said to have moved west to the Russian steppe to form the Avar Khanate.
They were first mentioned by the Chinese, who described them (125 AD) as living in Dzungaria. Their name is derived from that of the royal clan, ephtha or ye-da. In the 4th Century, they were vassals of the Ruruan. In 425 AD, they crossed the Syr Darya (Jaxartes) River and invaded Persia. The White Huns also invaded India and succeeded in extending their domain to include the Ganges valley.
The paucity of record in Hephthalites provides only a fragmentary picture of their civilization and empire. Their background is uncertain. They probably stemmed from a combination of the Tarim Basin peoples and the Yueh-chih.
To the Chinese, they were the Ye-tai-i-li-do even though the Chinese chroniclers seem to realize that the people called themselves the people of Hua (the similarity to Hun may help explain the origin of "White Hun") and that the Chinese terms came actually from the name of the Hua leader. Contemporary Chinese chroniclers had their own theories about Ephthalite origins: they were related in some way to the Visha (Indo-Europeans known to the Chinese as the "Yueh Chih"); a branch of the Kao-ch`ê; and other groups.
The timing of the Hun migration to Europe in 370 AD and the White Hun in 440 AD to Transoxiana, Bactria, Khurasan, and eastern Persia is pretty close; however, the directions of movement are not the same. There is no definite evidence that they are related to the Huns.
Chionites/Kidarites
From the Middle Persian word xiyon, 'Hun', a Hunnic tribe that began encroaching upon the frontiers of Iran and the Kushan state circa 320 AD. A distinct people from the Hephthalites, the Chionites were also called 'Red' Huns. Shortly after 340 AD, the Chionites pushed the Kushans out of northern Pakistan. At the end of the 4th Century, a new wave of Hunnic tribes (Alchoni) invaded Bactria, pushing the Kidarites into Gandhara. The Kidarites in northern India continued to mint debased gold and copper coins until the end of the 5th Century. Yet another group, close on the heels of the Alchoni, settled in and around Kabul and Ghazni, as the Nezak Huns.
The dubious connection to the Sumerians is likely a result of confusion with the various names given to nomads. The most likely candidate for ancestral ties is the Cimmerian group (Turkish Kam-er, Kim-er - "river man", akin to "Suv-ar", "Bulak-ar" ("Bolkar, Bulgar"), "Sub-ar", "Suv-ar", "Shum-er") one of the first nomdic peoples of the steppes of western Central Asia. The Assyrians called Cimmerians “Gimirraiâ€
