page_title: History of the western steppe
section_title: Turkic period (c. 450-1775)
hierarchical_section_title: History of the western steppe / Turkic period (c. 450-1775)
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the Mongol Empire c. 1300, after its four subdivisions into the: Golden Horde (yellow) Chagatai Khanate (gray) Great Yuan−Yuan Dynasty (green) Ilkhanate (purple). Credits (Partially based on Atlas of World History (2007) - The World 1200-1300, map) Français&#160;: Carte des Divisions de l'Empire mongol vers 1300&#160;: Jaune&#160;: Horde d'or Gris&#160;: Khanat de Djaghataï Vert&#160;: Dynastie Yuan Violet&#160;: Empire ilkhanide Partiellement basé sur Atlas of World Histor (2007) — The World 1200-1300, map)
context_page_description: It is intended as a summary and an index to the more-detailed linked articles. It is a companion to History of the central steppe and History of the eastern steppe. All dates are approximate since there are few exact starting and ending dates. This summary article does not list the uncertainties, which are many.
context_section_description: Early Turks (c. 450-550): The change from Iranian to Turkic languages does not appear to have changed daily life. After the Turks arrived there are few reports of Iranian remnants, which is hard to explain. The Turkic languages probably originated in the forest-steppe along the northern edge of  Mongolia. Many of the early peoples mentioned in the history of the eastern steppe may have been partly Turkic or proto-Turkic. Turkic sub-families reached the west in this order: Oghur (most went north and disappeared), Oghuz (most went southwest to Turkmenistan and Turkey) and Kipchak (remained on the western and central steppe). In the first centuries AD Turkic-speaking groups seem to have crossed the central steppe along with the Huns and others. The possibly Turkic Akatziri (c. 447 AD) fought with the Huns. The Saraguri, who attacked the Akatziri, and Onogurs (both c. 463) were driven west by the Sabirs. The kindred Kutrigurs (west) and Utigurs (east) (both c. 551) were probably Turkic. All of these peoples may have been part of the Hunnic confederation and were absorbed by the Bulgars and Khazars.
  Sabirs (c. 463-582): The Turkic Sabirs were driven west by another group, drove the early Turks westward and occupied the Black-Sea-Caspian region. They fought for and against the Greeks and Persians and were absorbed by the Bulgars and Khazars.
  Avars (c. 557-796):  The Pannonian Avars may have been partly related the Rouran who were driven out of Mongolia by the Gokturks in 555. They crossed the western steppe, absorbing the early Turks, Sabirs and Alans, and founded the Avar Khaganate (c. 568-796) in Hungary which was conquered by Charlemagne.  Based in Hungary, they seem to have lost control of the steppe, the area being taken by the Western Turkic Kaganate which was based in the central steppe.
  Bulgars (c. 632-668): The Oghur Turkic Bulgars founded Old Great Bulgaria north of the Sea of Azov which was conquered by the Khazars from the east in 668. In 679 some Bulgars went to the Balkans, adopted the local Slavic language and gave their name to Bulgaria. Another group went up the Volga to near Kazan and founded Volga Bulgaria which adopted Islam in 922 and lasted until the Mongol conquest. The Chuvash people may be a remnant of the Volga Bulgars.
  Hungarians (c. 800-900): The linguistic ancestors of the Uralic-speaking Hungarians or Magyars arose somewhere in the Urals. By c. 800 they had abandoned the forest and become steppe nomads partly subject to the Khazars. Around 900 they conquered Hungary and after 1000 became a Christian European kingdom.
  Khazars (c. 626-960): The Turkic Khazars formed a state around and east of the Sea of Azov, adopted Judaism and were broken up by the Rus' and Pechenegs. Their state was large and fairly well-organized and was a useful ally of Byzantium. Their fall was linked with a shift of the Rus' trade from the Volga to the Pecheneg-controlled Dnieper.
  Alans again (c. 700-1239): A group of Alan remnants re-emerged north of the Caucasus (Alania). After their destruction by the Mongols some sought refuge in the mountains and became the Ossets.
  Kievan Rus (c. 862-1240): Vikings subdued and organized the forest tribes north of the steppe, adopted the local Slavic language and founded the state of Kievan Rus. They opened trade routes to Persia and Byzantium, raided both countries, adopted Greek Christianity in 988 and were conquered by the Mongols.
  Pechenegs (c. 800-1091). The Pechenegs were Oghuz Turks who were driven west by other Oghuz, reached the Ural-Volga area, moved west of the Khazars, pushed the Magyars into Hungary, fought all their neighbors and were destroyed by the Cumans and Byzantines in 1091.
  Chorni Klobuky (c. 1000-1240) were semi-settled Pechenegs (mostly) of the forest-steppe who interacted with the Rus'. The Torks or Torkils were a sub-group.
  Oghuz in general: Oghuz was one of the main branches of the Turkic languages. It is not certain that they had anything in common other than their language family. The Oghuz Pechenegs entered the western steppe and broke up. The main body went 
caption: c1300: The Mongol Empire split into four parts
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