People / group

Cumans

Also known as Polovtsians, Polovtsy

The Cumans were a Turkic nomadic people of the Eurasian steppe, closely linked with the Kipchaks and called Polovtsians in Russian sources. From the mid-11th century they dominated the steppe north of the Black Sea, raiding and allying with Kievan Rus', Byzantium, Hungary and Bulgaria. After the Mongol invasion many fled to Hungary, where they settled as a privileged group, while others were absorbed into the Golden Horde.

Cumans
Image: Cumanian · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 4 profiles

Kievan Rus'Military, Impact, DeclineKingdom of Hungary (1000-1301)Socioeconomy, Impact, DeclineKingdom of Hungary (1301-1526)SocioeconomyKievan Rus'Military, Impact, Decline

Mentioned in 11 state histories

Kimek KhanatePechenegsDuchy of GladTorksPrincipality of TmutarakanPrincipality of ChernigovPrincipality of PereyaslavlCumaniaPrincipality of Novgorod-SeverskyPrincipality of VolhyniaBanate of Severin

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cumans. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cumans
MLA
“Cumans.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cumans. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cumans.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cumans.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cumans’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/cumans (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻