Kidarites

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The Kidarites were a Central Asian tribal association of late antiquity between 390 and approx. 467/77 AD. They are considered a group of the so-called Iranian Huns , which most likely had no direct relationship with the Huns in Europe. The concept of the Iranian Huns goes back to the numismatic research of Robert Göbl . Göbl assumed that the Kidarites were followed by the Alchon and Nezak groups (known from coins), and finally the Hephthalites as the last group .

The ethnic identity of the Kidarites is difficult to clarify. Based on the description of the late antique historian Priskos (who reports of the "Kidarite Huns"), research establishes a connection between the Chionites and Kidarites. Kidariten is probably only to be understood as a dynastic name, which is derived from the name of their king Kidara . In recent research, the thesis has therefore been put forward that the Chionites and Kidarites were not two separate groups, but that the Kidarites were rather a clan of the Chionites or were descended from them.

The Chionites were brief allies of the Persian Sassanid Empire around the middle of the 4th century . The alliance did not last long. It is possible that the invaders against whom the Sassanid king Bahram V fought in the early 5th century can be identified with the Kidarites, although their name does not appear in this connection in the (few) written sources; possibly they were still Chionites. The gold coins of the Kidarites are based on the Kushana style and indicate that the Kidarites viewed themselves as direct successors of the Kushana rulers, whose empire was owned by the "Iranian Hunnic" invaders (to which the Kidarites probably belonged seem) had been overrun.

The reign of Kidara , the founder of the dynasty, is very controversial. Due to the dating of various coin finds, the beginning of his reign is put around 390. In Chinese sources from the early 5th century, Kidara is mentioned as Jiduoluo . As mentioned, Priskos speaks of "Kidarite Huns" who appeared as opponents of the Sassanid king Yazdegerd II . There are also coin finds from Gandhara in northern India, which was conquered by the Kidarites in the early 5th century. The name “Kidara” appears on these as well, wearing that of Yazdegerd II as an additional crown, which can be taken as an indication that he appeared around 420/30; however, most numismatists date Kidara to around 390.

Around the middle of the 5th century, the Kidarites had to fight with other groups of the Iranian Huns, and they came under pressure from the Sassanids. Peroz I defeated the Kidarite king Kunkhas in 467. At the same time, the Kidarites lost their capital Balaam (possibly identical to Balch ). A remaining Kidarite empire was able to hold out in Gandhara until at least 477 (an embassy to northern China is documented for this year) before the Alchon expelled them there.

literature

  • Michael Alram et al. a. (Ed.): The face of the stranger. The coinage of the Huns and Western Turks in Central Asia and India. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2016.
  • Matthias Pfisterer: Huns in India. The coins of the Kidarites and Alkhan from the Bern Historical Museum and the Jean-Pierre Righetti Collection. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2014.
  • Daniel T. Potts: Nomadism in Iran. From Antiquity to the Modern Era. Oxford University Press, Oxford u. a. 2014, p. 129ff.
  • Khodadad Rezakhani: ReOrienting the Sasanians. East Iran in Late Antiquity. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 2017, pp. 93ff.
  • EV Zeimal: The Kidarite Kingdom in Central Asia. In: BA Litvinsky (Ed.): The crossroads of civilizations. AD 250 to 750. Unesco, Paris 1996, ISBN 9-231-03211-9 ( History of Civilizations of Central Asia 3), pp. 119-133.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ^ Robert Göbl: Documents on the history of the Iranian Huns in Bactria and India. 4 volumes. Wiesbaden 1967.
  2. ↑ Priskos, fragments 25 and 31 (Edition Pia Carolla).
  3. ↑ EV Zeimal: The Kidarite Kingdom in Central Asia. In: BA Litvinsky (Ed.): The crossroads of civilizations. AD 250 to 750. Paris 1996, pp. 119f.
  4. ^ Daniel T. Potts: Nomadism in Iran. From Antiquity to the Modern Era. Oxford et al. a. 2014, p. 129.
  5. ↑ Cf. Nikolaus Schindel: Wahram V. In: Nikolaus Schindel (Ed.): Sylloge Nummorum Sasanidarum . Vol. 3/1. Vienna 2004, p. 365f.
  6. ↑ See the overview in the article Kidarites , in the Encyclopædia Iranica .
  7. ↑ EV Zeimal: The Kidarite Kingdom in Central Asia. In: BA Litvinsky (Ed.): The crossroads of civilizations. AD 250 to 750. Paris 1996, p. 121.
  8. ↑ Article Kidarites , in the Encyclopædia Iranica .
  9. ↑ EV Zeimal: The Kidarite Kingdom in Central Asia. In: BA Litvinsky (Ed.): The crossroads of civilizations. AD 250 to 750. Paris 1996, p. 126.
  10. ↑ See Khodadad Rezakhani: ReOrienting the Sasanians. East Iran in Late Antiquity. Edinburgh 2017, pp. 98f.