Kidarites

The Kidarite (Chinese: Ki-To-Lo) dynasty of the "Ki" clan led the Huna and came from the proto-Mongolic Uar about whom it has been said that their legendary ancestor was Afrasiabus. If the Uar were not already present in Turpan, it is thought that when Liu Can was overthrown by Jin Zhun, and Shi Le established his state, many of the Uar around Pingyang (平陽, in modern Linfen, Shanxi) fled west along the Silk Road causing the Hunas to encroach upon Khorasan and the frontiers of the Kushan state around 320 AD.

The Kidarite king Grumbat mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus was a cause of much concern to the Persians. Between 353 AD and 358 AD, the Xionites under Grumbat attacked in the eastern frontiers of Shapur II's empire along with other nomad tribes. After a prolonged struggle they were forced to conclude a peace, and their king, Grumbate, accompanied Shapur II in the war against the Romans. Victories of Xionites during their campaigns in the Eastern Caspian lands are described by Ammianus Marcellinus: :..."Grumbates Chionitarum rex novus aetate quidem media rugosisque membris sed mente quadam grandifica multisque victoriarum insignibus nobilis;" :...Grumbates, the new king of the Chionites, while he was middle aged, and his limbs were wrinkled, he was endowed with a mind that acted grandly, and was famous for his many, significant victories.":Ammianus Marcellinus, 18.6.22.

The southern or "Red" Kidarite vassals to the Kushans in NWFP, became better known as Red Huns from 360 AD after Kidara II led a Bactrian portion of Hunni to overthrow the Kushans in India. At this time Kidarite Hunni (Kidarites) successfully controlled the length of the Oxus from the Hindu Kush all the way to the Aral Sea.

D.M. Lang (1976) identified the Kidarites with the Kazar and Kudrigur proto-bulgarians involved in causing Hunnic migrations across the Volga into Europe around 463 according to their envoy Priscus.

Kidara's southern Xionites were the first "Hunas" to bother India. Indian records note that the "Hūna" had established themselves in Afghanistan and NWFP in present day Pakistan by the first half of the fifth century, and the Gupta emperor Skandagupta had repelled a "Hūna" invasion in 455.

White Huns

As a result of "vultures" descending upon them in Transoxiana, the Kidarite powerbase moved from Southern "Red" Hunuk to Western "White" Khiva in 460 where the Hephthal dynasty was established by Khingila I. At this point Kidarites became known once more as "White Huns".

The Greek envoy Rhetor often referred to the west Turanian "White" Huns as Kidarite Xionites while in India, the Kidarite Xionites became known as Sveta-Hūna meaning "White Huns" when they united with the Uar under the Hepthalite clan. They were said to have been of fair complexion according to Procopius, although according to the central asian order of cosmic precedence, White Huns would simply mean Western Huns (as the name Xiyon actually implies).

Although they fought against the Sassanians, early 5th century "OIONO" coins (thought to have been minted by Xionite rulers) imitate Sassanian drachmas. For more information on coins see Alchon.

The Kidarite Xionites flourished under the Hephthalites, until something forced them to migrate from Khiva to Itil under Kandik in the mid 6th century. Not long afterwards, the Hephthalites remaining in Turkmenistan submitted to Gokturk rule in 567AD.

Relation to other "Huns"

The Huns already present on the Black Sea Steppes might not have been as closely related to the northern Black Desert "Kidarite Xionites" and their related Alchon or Hunas as is usually presumed. Though the Chronicles of Kiev do mention how the Ki clan founded Kiev after subjugating the eastern Hunno-Bulgars who subsequently became known as the Kazarigs. In Europe the Kidarites became known as the Avar Huns, first mentioned in Balkan province of Turkmenistan attacking the Sabirs in 460 AD and who the following century (in 557) entered Europe under the leadership of Kandik. Because of their very flimsy connection to the Uar the Gokturks objected to the "Kidarite Xionites" calling themselves "Avars" in Europe and demanded the Byzantine Emperor Maurice (582-602) recognise the fact that the Uar (from which the Dulo clan descended) of the East who had submitted to Gokturk rule were the true Avars, while the Kidarite Xionites who had entered Europe under Kandik should be called "Pseudo-Avars".Fact|date=February 2007

References and notes

See also

* Sino-Xiongnu Wars
* Ban Chao
* Battle of Ikh Bayan
* Northern Xiongnu
* Kidarite Kingdom
* Khazars
* Kutrigurs
* Alchoni
* Hunas
* Hazara
* Uar
* Priscus
* Zakarias Rhetor