Pecheneg Confederation

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

Constantine Porphyrogenitus, writing about 948 to 952, reports that the Pechenegs consisted of eight tribal groupings, which he calls provinces. According to him, great princes headed them, four on each side of the Dnieper. He adds that the provinces divided into forty districts.^[1] The eight groupings are named Yavdı-Ertim, Küerči-Čur, Qabuqšın-Yula, Suru Kül Bey, Qara-Bay, Boru Tolmač, Yazı-Qapan and Bula-Čopan or Čaban. Each name has two parts, a horse colour and usually the title of the ruler.^[1] The first three were also called Kangar. They counted as the most valiant and noble.^[2] The office of grand prince passed from cousin to cousin. This was a variant of the Göktürk succession from elder to younger brother.^[1] Neither Constantine nor the Rus chroniclers mention an overarching authority. The Pechenegs, like most nomadic groupings of the western steppe, were stateless.^[3] Yaroslav defeated the Pechenegs at Kiev in 1036. By treaty in 1053, those who had been pushed to the Danube were accepted as a self-governing polity within the Byzantine Empire. In 1091 their power ended at Levounion.^[4]