Pechenegs

Rouran epoch Göktürk epoch Uyghur epoch Kirghiz epoch

Rouran First Göktürk Tang rule Second Göktürk Uyghur Kirghiz Huns Western Göktürk Türgesh Karluk Khazar

Rouran 400–554
First Göktürk 552–630
Tang rule 630–682
Second Göktürk 682–744
Uyghur 744–840
Kirghiz 840–924
Huns 370–469
Western Göktürk 552–659
Türgesh 699–766
Karluk 766–800
Khazar 650–969

The origin of the Pechenegs is obscure. The name has been derived from a Turkic word for brother-in-law, so that it would mean the in-law clan, but this derivation is not certain.^[1] The Sui Shu names a tribe Peiju among the Tiele, and Pelliot read this name as Pecheneg. A Tibetan translation of an eighth-century Uyghur account has the Be-ca-nag at war with the Oghuz, probably on the Syr Darya.^[2] Conflict with the Oghuz drove the Pechenegs into the Volga-Ural region. From there, under Khazar pressure, they moved into the Pontic steppe in the late ninth century.^[3] In the tenth century, the Pechenegs were the most important of the steppe neighbours from the Byzantine side. Constantine Porphyrogenitus opens his handbook for the imperial government with the policy to follow toward them.^[3] Their organisation is set out under the Pecheneg Confederation. In 1091 Alexios I, assisted by the Cumans, crushed their military power at Levounion. Later raids were politically insignificant.^[4]