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 modern descendents of the eastern Kipchaks are the Siberian Tatars. They speak a different language from modern Tatar, even though that language is also partly derived from Kipchak.

The western Kipchaks were also known as Kumans, Kun, and Polovtsians.

Over time they migrated from western Mongolia towards eastern Europe. The Golden Horde was also named the Kipchak Khanate.

The first dynasty of Mamelukes in Egypt were soldiers of Cuman or Kipchak origin from Crimea, the most prominent example being Sultan Baybars, born in Solhat , Crimea.

They arrived in the steppes from the northern shore of the Black Sea during the 12th century, under the pressure of the Mongols. They were pushed out of Inner Mongolia into Khorasan, the Dasht-e Kipchak (the Kumans' plains) and into Pannonia. Finally, they disappeared, assimilated by the indigenous peoples.

The modern Northwestern Turkic languages are named after the Kipchaks. Some of the descendants of the Kipchaks are now known as Siberian Tatars, Nogays, Kazakhs, Tatars (partly), Crimean Tatars, Karachays (partly), Karaims (partly), Kumyks(partly).

Kipchak is the name of a Kazakh tribe within modern-day Kazakhstan.

Kipchak is also the name of a village in the Crimean Peninsula.

The region of Kipchakia spanning a large area between central Asia and the Caucasus is named after the Kipchaks. The word "kipchak" is found in traditional Oghuz Khan Epics.

See Also

• Battle of the Stugna River
• Battle of the Kalka River
• Codex Cumanicus
• Cumans
• Khazars
• Pechenegs
• Tale of Igor's Campaign

External links

• Codex Cumanicus