Köten (russian: Котян, hu, Kötöny, ar, Kutan, later Jonas; 1205–1241) was a
Cuman–Kipchak
The name Cumania originated as the Latin exonym for the Cuman–Kipchak confederation, which was a tribal confederation in the western part of the Eurasian Steppe, between the 10th and 13th centuries. The confederation was dominated by two Tu ...
chieftain (''khan'') and military commander active in the mid-13th century. He forged an important alliance with the
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
against the
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
but was ultimately defeated by them
at the Kalka River in 1223. After the Mongol victory, Köten led 40,000 "huts" to
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, where he became an ally of the Hungarian king and accepted
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, but was nonetheless assassinated by the
Hungarian nobility
The Hungarian nobility consisted of a privileged group of individuals, most of whom owned landed property, in the Kingdom of Hungary. Initially, a diverse body of people were described as noblemen, but from the late 12th century only high- ...
.
Name and sources
Köten, known as ''Kötöny'' in Hungarian and ''Kotjan'' (or ''Kotyan'') in Russian,
had his name spelt variously as ''Kutan'' (in Arabic), ''Kuthen'', ''Kuthens'', ''Koteny'' and ''Kuethan''. In the Russian annals, his name is rendered (Kotyan Sutoevich, Kotjan Sutoevič). In a charter of
Béla IV
Béla may refer to:
* Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater
* Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name
See also
* Bela (disambiguation)
* Belá (disambiguation)
* Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''whit ...
, a Cuman chieftain ''Zayhan'' or ''Seyhan'' is mentioned, assumed to have been Köten. Akhmetova et al. linked his personal name ''Köten'' to the Western Kipchak tribal name ''Kotan''.
Köten appears in various contemporary works and chronicles, including the Russian annals,
Roger of Torre Maggiore
Roger of Torre Maggiore or Master Roger ( hu, Rogerius mester; 1205 in Torre Maggiore – April 14, 1266 in Split) was an Italian prelate active in the Kingdom of Hungary in the middle of the 13th century. He was archbishop of Split in ...
's ''
Carmen miserabile'', continuation of the Annals of
Heiligenkreuz Heiligenkreuz, which means 'Holy Cross' in German, may refer to:
In Austria:
*Heiligenkreuz, Lower Austria, a municipality in Lower Austria
**Heiligenkreuz Abbey in this municipality
*Heiligenkreuz im Lafnitztal, a municipality in Burgenland
*Heil ...
(''Continuatio Sancrucensis''),
Alberic of Trois-Fontaines
Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (french: Aubri or ''Aubry de Trois-Fontaines''; la, Albericus Trium Fontium) (died 1252) was a medieval Cistercian chronicler who wrote in Latin. He was a monk of Trois-Fontaines Abbey in the diocese of Châlons-sur-M ...
' chronicle and various Muslim sources.
An Arabic source –
Al-Nuwayri
Al-Nuwayrī, full name Shihāb al-Dīn Aḥmad bin ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Nuwayrī ( ar, شهاب الدين أحمد بن عبد الوهاب النويري, born April 5, 1279 in Akhmim, present-day Egypt – died June 5, 1333 in Cairo) was an Eg ...
– calls his people Kipchaks; ''Kutan'' is mentioned as belonging to the ''Durut'' tribe of the Kipchaks.
According to Pritsak, "Durut" was the Terter tribe of the Cumans.
As Old Russian annals narrate, his brother was Somogur (Сомогоуръ), both belonged to the "Sutoevič" clan, according to the source. Soviet historian
Svetlana Pletnyova
Svetlana Alexandrovna Pletneva (also spelled Pletnyeva and Pletnyova russian: Светлана Александровна Плетнева) (April 1, 1926 in Vyatka- 20 November 2008 in Moscow) was a Russian and Soviet archaeologist and historia ...
considered this marked the name of their father.
According to Timothy May, Köten was one of the khans of the
Kipchaks
The Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the Se ...
.
István Vásáry
István Vásáry (29 January 1887 – 25 August 1955) was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Finance between 1944 and 1945 in the Interim National Government. He studied law in his birthplace. He was the mayor of Debrecen betw ...
identified him as
Cuman
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...
.
Peter Benjamin Golden
Peter Benjamin Golden (born 1941) is an American historian who is Professor Emeritus of History, Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. He has written many books and articles on Turkic and Central Asian Studies, such as ''An i ...
considered "Köten" was also the name of the tribe.
In either case, the two peoples were part of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation, known as
Cumania
The name Cumania originated as the Latin exonym for the Cuman–Kipchak confederation, which was a tribal confederation in the western part of the Eurasian Steppe, between the 10th and 13th centuries. The confederation was dominated by two Tur ...
in Latin, ''Desht-i Qipchaq'' in Islamic sources (from Turkic), and Polovtsy in East Slavic. Some sources regard Cumans and Kipchak as the western and eastern names for the same people.
Life
Halych
According to some arguments, his father was
Könchek
Könchek (died 1308) was Khan of the Chagatai Khanate (1307–1308). He was the son of Duwa. He converted to Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion cen ...
, who changed the old Cuman system of government whereby rulership went to the most senior tribal leader; he instead passed it on to his son Köten.
Köten and his brother Somogur are first mentioned by Russian annals in 1202 (but in fact, it occurred in 1205), when supported
Rurik Rostislavich Rurik Rostislavich (Russian and Ukrainian: Рюрик Ростиславич) (died 1215), Prince of Novgorod (1170–1171), Belgorod Kievsky (currently Bilohorodka; 1173–1194), Grand Prince of Kiev (Kyiv, 1173, 1180–1181, 1194–1201, 1203–12 ...
in the war against
Roman Mstislavich
Roman Mstislavich (russian: Рома́н Мстисла́вич Га́лицкий; uk, Рома́н Мстисла́вич), known as Roman the Great (c. 1152 – Zawichost, 19 June 1205) was a Rus’ prince, Grand Prince of Kiev, member of ...
. During that time, they also confronted with Hungarian troops. Later, Köten appeared as an ally of
Mstislav the Bold
Mstislav Mstislavich the Daring (russian: Мстисла́в II Мстисла́вич Удатный, uk, Мстислав Мстиславич Удатний, translit=Mstyslav Mstyslavych Udatnyi; died c. 1228) prince of Tmutarakan and Cherni ...
, who was a claimant to the throne of Halych since 1219.
Mstislav married to the one of Köten's daughters prior to 1223.
[Kovács, Szilvia (2012): ]
A kunok története a mongol hódításig
'. PhD thesis, University of Szeged
, mottoeng = Truth. Bravery. Freedom.
, established =
, type = Public research university
, founder = Emperor Franz Joseph I
, affiliation = European University Association, Science Without Borders, Confucius Institute
, budget = US$220 mi ...
Köten forged an alliance with the princes of
Kievan Rus
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
against the Mongols (also called Tatars) after a defeat in 1222. He gave "numerous presents: horses, camels, buffaloes and mistresses. And he presented these gifts to them, and said the following, 'Today the Mongols took away our land and tomorrow they will come and take away yours'." The Cumans were ignored for almost a year, however, as the Rus' had suffered from their raids for decades. The Cuman–Kipchak confederation under Köten and a Rus army of 80,000 men under his son-in-law Mstislav the Bold fought a battle
at the Kalka River (
Kalchik
The Kalchik (Кальчик) is a river in the Donetsk Oblast of Ukraine. It flows from Listvanka into the Kalmius, which it enters near the city of Mariupol. Supposedly it was the scene of the Battle of the Kalka River between the Mongol Empir ...
, near
Mariupol
Mariupol (, ; uk, Маріу́поль ; russian: Мариу́поль) is a city in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. It is situated on the northern coast (Pryazovia) of the Sea of Azov, at the mouth of the Kalmius River. Prior to the 2022 Russian i ...
) against a Mongol contingent commanded by
Jebe
Jebe (or Jebei, mn, Зэв, ''Zev''; birth name: Jirqo'adai (Modern Mongolian: Zurgadai), mn, Зургаадай, ) (death: approximately 1224) was one of the most prominent Noyans (generals) of Genghis Khan. He belonged to the Besud clan, p ...
and
Sübötäi. The Rus-Cuman army was routed and had to retreat on 31 May 1223. Köten narrowly escaped from the battlefield, while other Cuman chieftains were killed.
Köten was deposed from power in that year, but he remained leader of the Terteroba clan.
Following the battle, some historians –
Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall
Joseph Freiherr von Hammer-Purgstall (9 June 1774 – 23 November 1856) was an Austrian orientalist and historian. He is considered one of the most accomplished Orientalists of his time. He was critical of the trend of ascribing classical or a ...
, István Gyárfás,
Josef Markwart
Josef Markwart (originally spelled Josef Marquart: December 9, 1864 in Reichenbach am Heuberg – February 4, 1930 in Berlin) was a German historian and orientalist. He specialized in Turkish and Iranian Studies and the history of the Middle ...
– argue that Köten and his Cumans settled down
along the southern Volga and lived there until their expulsion in the end of 1230. However, according to Old Russian sources, Köten and his people lived west of the river
Dnieper
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
. Pletnyova considered Köten and his Cumans lived in the area between the rivers Dnieper and
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
prior to the Battle of the Kalka River.
Köten continued to support Mstislav's campaigns until the latter's death in 1228.
For instance, in 1226, a certain boyar Žiroslav threatened those who disobeyed Mstislav that he would hand them over to his father-in-law Köten, who destined for them a cruel fate.
Following the death of Mstislav, Köten supported the claim of
Michael of Chernigov
Saint Michael of Chernigov (russian: Михаи́л Черни́говский, uk, Миха́йло Все́володович Чернігівський) or Mikhail Vsevolodovich (russian: Михаил Всеволодович, uk, Михай ...
against
Daniel of Galicia
Daniel of Galicia ( uk, Данило Романович (Галицький), Danylo Romanovych (Halytskyi); Old Ruthenian: Данило Романовичъ, ''Danylo Romanovyčъ''; pl, Daniel I Romanowicz Halicki; 1201 – 1264) was a King ...
. In 1229, he swore loyalty to Daniel. His Cumans and the Prince of Halych jointly fought against Hungary in that year (or in 1230), while the Hungarians commanded by
Duke Béla was supported by the baptized chieftain
Bortz.
Köten and his Cumans were also involved in Daniel's campaign against
Andrew of Hungary, Prince of Halych
Andrew of Hungary ( hu, András, uk, Андрій Андрійович; 1210January 1234) was Prince of Halych–Volhynia between 1227 and 1230, and between 1231 and 1234, and Prince of Zvenyhorod in 1226.
Early life
Andrew was the youngest ( ...
in 1233.
In the early spring of 1237, the Mongols attacked the Cuman-Kipchaks. Some of the Cuman-Kipchaks surrendered; it was this element that was later to form the ethnic and geographic basis of the Mongol khanate known to the former lords of the country as the "Kipchak khanate".
Known also as the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fr ...
, the Kipchak khanate belonged to one of the branches of
Jochi
Jochi Khan ( Mongolian: mn, Зүчи, ; kk, Жошы, Joşy جوشى; ; crh, Cuçi, Джучи, جوچى; also spelled Juchi; Djochi, and Jöchi c. 1182– February 1227) was a Mongol army commander who was the eldest son of Temüjin (aka G ...
's house -
Genghis Khan
''Chinggis Khaan'' ͡ʃʰiŋɡɪs xaːŋbr />Mongol script: ''Chinggis Qa(gh)an/ Chinggis Khagan''
, birth_name = Temüjin
, successor = Tolui (as regent)Ögedei Khan
, spouse =
, issue =
, house = Borjigin
, ...
's eldest son. The Kipchak leader
Bačman Bačman or Baçman ( 1229–36) was a Kipchak leader in the Lower Volga. He belonged to the Olberlik clan., In 1229 he fought the invading Mongols. The Kipchaks revolted against Mongol rule. Möngke Khan
Möngke ( mn, ' / Мөнх '; ; 11 ...
was captured in 1236–37 on the Volga banks by
Möngke, and then executed. According to
Rashid-al-Din Hamadani
Rashīd al-Dīn Ṭabīb ( fa, رشیدالدین طبیب; 1247–1318; also known as Rashīd al-Dīn Faḍlullāh Hamadānī, fa, links=no, رشیدالدین فضلالله همدانی) was a statesman, historian and physician in Ilk ...
,
Berke
Berke Khan (died 1266) (also Birkai; , tt-Cyrl, Бәркә хан) was a grandson of Genghis Khan and a Mongol military commander and ruler of the Golden Horde ( division of the Mongol Empire) who effectively consolidated the power of the Blue ...
led a third campaign in the autumn of 1238 which inflicted final defeat on the Cumans-Kipchaks.
Ukrainian sources claim that it was
Batu Khan
Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. ...
that defeated Köten on the Astrakhan steppes.
Several Cumans swore loyalty to the Mongols, while others decided to flee towards the
Balkan Peninsula
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. Köten refused to submit to Mongol rule too. Afterwards, Köten led 40,000 "huts" (families, around 70-80,000 people) to Hungary fleeing the Mongols. With the disintegration of the hierarchy of power, Köten became the supreme ''khan'' of the Cumans in 1239, according to historian
György Györffy
György Györffy (26 September 1917 – 19 December 2000) was a Hungarian historian, and member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, MTA).
Biography
Györffy was born in Szucság (Suceagu, today part of Baciu, Romania), Hungary the son o ...
.
Previously, Köten was second or third in rank among the major Cuman leaders after
Yury Konchakovich
Yury, Yuri, Youri, Yurii, Yuriy, Yurij, Iurii or Iouri is the Slavic (russian: Юрий, Yuriy, or uk, Юрій, Yuriy, or bg, Юрий, Jurij, or be, Юры, Jury) form of the masculine given name George; it is derived directly from the Gree ...
(son of Könchek) and Danyiil Kobjakovic (son of Kobiak or Kobek).
Hungary
After returning from ''
Magna Hungaria
{{Expand French, Magna Hungaria, date=June 2022
Magna Hungaria ( la, Magna Hungaria, Hungaria maior, pl, Wielkie Węgry), literally "Great Hungary" or "Ancient Hungary", refers to the ancestral home of the Hungarians.
Magna Hungaria was mentio ...
'' in 1236,
Friar Julian
Friar Julian ( hu, Julianus barát) was one of a group of Hungarian Dominican friars who, in 1235, left Hungary in order to find those Magyars who — according to the chronicles — remained in the eastern homeland. After travelling a gr ...
informed King Béla IV of Hungary of the Mongols, who had by that time reached the Volga River and were planning to
invade Europe. In the subsequent years, the Mongols invaded ''
Desht-i Qipchaq
The name Cumania originated as the Latin exonym for the Cuman–Kipchak confederation, which was a tribal confederation in the western part of the Eurasian Steppe, between the 10th and 13th centuries. The confederation was dominated by two T ...
''—the westernmost regions of the
Eurasian Steppe
The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistri ...
s—and routed the Cumans. Fleeing the Mongols, at least 40,000 Cumans under the leadership of Köten approached the eastern borders of the Kingdom of Hungary and demanded admission in 1239. Köten was willing to acknowledge the king's supremacy and submitted himself to him, despite, previously he was "equal to him", as Master Roger emphasizes. Béla sent his emissaries, some friars of the
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...
.
The monarch only agreed to give them shelter after Köten promised to convert together with his people to Christianity, and to fight against the advancing Mongols. Köten accepted the conditions and Béla IV, who, with his entourage, went to the border to receive him, granted asylum to the Cuman refugees. This event most plausibly occurred at the Easter of 1239 (27 March), while Gyula Pauler considered the arrival of the Cumans took place in the autumn of 1239. In contrast to the narration of Master Roger, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines' chronicle claims that Köten was captured, disguising as Mongols, after a battle with the Hungarians and he came to Hungary in this way.
[Balogh, László (2001). "Mikor költözött Kötöny kun fejedelem Magyarországra?" hen did Kuthen the cuman prince proceed to Hungary?''Acta historica'' (113). ]University of Szeged
, mottoeng = Truth. Bravery. Freedom.
, established =
, type = Public research university
, founder = Emperor Franz Joseph I
, affiliation = European University Association, Science Without Borders, Confucius Institute
, budget = US$220 mi ...
. pp. 53–61.
![Cumans in Hungary](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Cumans_in_Hungary.jpg)
In accordance with his oath, Köten converted to
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, being baptized by the Hungarian monarch himself in 1239
as Jonas. Other Cuman chieftains were baptized by members of the Hungarian elite. After that, they entered marriages with Hungarian noblewomen.
The king's decision of granting asylum to the Cumans caused, however social, economic and political tension and the settlement of masses of nomadic Cumans in the plains along the river
Tisza
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.
The Tisza be ...
gave rise to many conflicts between them and the local villagers. Béla, who needed the Cumans' military support, rarely punished them for their robberies, rapes and other misdeeds. His Hungarian subjects thought that he was biased in the Cumans' favor, thus "enmity emerged between the people and the king", according to Master Roger.
After a long siege its walls were breached and despite fierce fighting within the city,
Kiev
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
fell
A fell (from Old Norse ''fell'', ''fjall'', "mountain"Falk and Torp (2006:161).) is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain or Moorland, moor-covered hill. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, Iceland, the Isle o ...
on 6 December 1240 and was largely destroyed. The advancing Mongols reached the Hungarian border thereafter soon. The Mongols gathered in the lands bordering Hungary and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
under the command of
Batu Khan
Batu Khan ( – 1255),, ''Bat haan'', tt-Cyrl, Бату хан; ; russian: хан Баты́й was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Golden Horde, a constituent of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi, thus a grandson of Genghis Khan. ...
in December 1240. They demanded Béla's submission to their
Great Khan
Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...
Ögödei, but Béla refused to yield. King Béla then installed front line defenses at the
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
, after which he returned to
Buda
Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...
and called a council of war and ordered unity against the Mongols. The opposite happened, however, as many of the barons were hostile towards the Cumans. The Hungarian barons noted that there were Cumans in the Mongol armies, but they did not realize that this was because they were conscripted into it and had no say in the matter. In particular the barons did not trust Köten, commemorating his former alliance with the "Russians" and his struggles against the Hungarians. They blamed the Cumans acted as "advance guard" of the Mongols, to get to know the conditions of the country, to learn their language, and when they are informed of their arrival, to start the fight against the Hungarians, so that they will be able to take possession of the
Verecke Pass
Veretskyi Pass or Verecke Pass ( uk, Вере́цький перевал, translit=Veretskyi pereval, more formally: uk, перевал Середньоверецький, translit=pereval Serednoveretskyi, label=none, also known as: uk, В ...
(or "Russian Gate", present-day Veretskyi Pass, Ukraine) more easily, according to Master Roger, despite the fact that the Mongols had attacked Köten's people for nearly 20 years. This chaos pushed Béla IV into a corner; feeling he needed to show his strength and keep the rebellious barons on his side, he ordered Köten and his family, along with other chief men, to be placed under house arrest.
[''Master Roger's Epistle'' (ch. 14), pp. 157–159.]
The Mongols broke through the barricades erected in the Verecke Pass on 12 March 1241. Duke
Frederick II of Austria
Frederick II (german: Friedrich II.; 25 April 1211 – 15 June 1246), known as Frederick the Quarrelsome (''Friedrich der Streitbare''), was Duke of Austria and Styria from 1230 until his death. He was the fifth and last Austrian duke from the Hou ...
, who arrived to assist Béla against the invaders, defeated a small Mongol troop near
Pest
Pest or The Pest may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns
** Weed, a plant considered undesirable
* Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection
** ...
. He seized prisoners, including Cumans from the Eurasian Steppes who had been forced to join the Mongols. When the citizens of Pest realized the presence of Cumans in the invading army,
mass hysteria
Mass psychogenic illness (MPI), also called mass sociogenic illness, mass psychogenic disorder, epidemic hysteria, or mass hysteria, involves the spread of illness symptoms through a population where there is no infectious agent responsible for c ...
emerged. The townsfolk accused Köten and their Cumans of cooperating with the enemy. A riot broke out and the mob with the leadership of some barons massacred Köten and his retinue on 17 March 1241. The ''Continuatio Sancrucensis'' claims that Köten, for fear of lynching, murdered his family and committed suicide before their capture. The arriving Hungarians then cut off their heads and threw them onto the streets outside the house in an act of brutality that had dire consequences. On hearing about Köten's fate, his Cumans decided to leave Hungary and destroyed many villages on their way towards the Balkans. A Hungarian army, led by Bishop
Bulcsú Lád and
Nicholas Szák
Nicholas from the kindred Szák ( hu, Szák nembeli Miklós; died March 1241) was a powerful Hungarian baron in the first decades of the 13th century. As a confidant of King Andrew II, he served as Palatine of Hungary from 1219 to 1222 and for a ...
, who intended to join the royal army to prepare the campaign against the Mongols, crossed the marauders in the central parts of the kingdom, where the Cumans perished them. Thereafter the Cumans left Hungary for the
Second Bulgarian Empire
The Second Bulgarian Empire (; ) was a medieval Bulgarians, Bulgarian state that existed between 1185 and 1396. A successor to the First Bulgarian Empire, it reached the peak of its power under Tsars Kaloyan of Bulgaria, Kaloyan and Ivan Asen II ...
. With the Cumans' departure Béla lost his most valuable allies. The Hungarian army was virtually annihilated in the
Battle of Mohi
The Battle of Mohi (11 April 1241), also known as Battle of the Sajó River''A Global Chronology of Conflict: From the Ancient World to the Modern Middle East'', Vol. I, ed. Spencer C. Tucker, (ABC-CLIO, 2010), 279; "Although Mongol losses in t ...
on the
Sajó River
The Sajó ( , Hungarian) or Slaná ( Slovak) is a river in Slovakia and Hungary.
Its length is 229 km, of which 110 km is in Slovakia. Its source is in the Stolica Mountains range of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It flows through the ...
on 11 April 1241.
Legacy
The enraged Cuman-Kipchak masses began to plunder the countryside, and moved southwards in the country. They crossed the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
and reached
Syrmia
Syrmia ( sh, Srem/Срем or sh, Srijem/Сријем, label=none) is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia and Croatia. Most of the region is flat, with the exce ...
(called ''Marchia'' by Roger). After causing much destruction and havoc in Hungary, they left the country for Bulgaria. There is a hypothesis that the
Terter dynasty
The House of Terter ( bg, Тертер), also Terterids or Terterovtsi (Тертеровци), was a Bulgarian noble and dynasty, royal house of Cumans, Cuman origin,István Vásáry (2005) ''Cumans and Tatars'', Cambridge University Press, p. 2 ...
, which eventually ruled Bulgaria, descended from Köten's clan.
Following the Mongol invasion, Béla IV invited the Cumans, who had in 1241 left Hungary, to return and settle in the plains along the river Tisza. He even arranged the engagement of his firstborn son,
Stephen
Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...
, who was crowned king-junior in or before 1246, to
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, a daughter of a Cuman chieftain. According to some opinions, Elizabeth's father was the late Köten. In this context, he was grandfather of King
Ladislaus IV of Hungary
Ladislaus IV ( hu, IV. (Kun) László, hr, Ladislav IV. Kumanac, sk, Ladislav IV. Kumánsky; 5 August 1262 – 10 July 1290), also known as Ladislaus the Cuman, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1272 to 1290. His mother, Elizabeth, was ...
(also "Ladislaus the Cuman"). However, a charter of her father-in-law, Béla IV, refers to one Seyhan, a
Cuman
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...
chieftain as his kinsman, implying that Seyhan was Elizabeth's father. Seyhan was possibly the leader of the Cumans whom Béla had invited to settle in the plains along the river Tisza around 1246.
Family
*Maria who married
Mstislav Mstislavich
Mstislav Mstislavich the Daring (russian: Мстисла́в II Мстисла́вич Удатный, uk, Мстислав Мстиславич Удатний, translit=Mstyslav Mstyslavych Udatnyi; died c. 1228) prince of Tmutarakan and Cherni ...
, who led uprising against Hungarians and became a ruler of the
Galicia–Volhynia (r. 1220)
*A daughter who married
Narjot III de Toucy Narjot III de Toucy (died 1241), lord of Bazarnes, was the son of Narjot II of Toucy (France) and his wife Agnes de Dampierre.
Life
Alongside his father-in-law Theodore Branas and Geoffroy de Merry, Narjot de Toucy formed part of the council that ...
(–1241). She became a nun after his death.
*
Elizabeth the Cuman
Elizabeth the Cuman (1244–1290) was the Queen consort of Stephen V of Hungary. She was regent of Hungary during the minority of her son from 1272 to 1277.
The Cumans were the western tribes of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation.
Her people follo ...
who married
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V ( hu, V. István, hr, Stjepan V., sk, Štefan V; before 18 October 1239 – 6 August 1272, Csepel Island) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1270 and 1272, and Duke of Styria from 1258 to 1260. He was the oldest son of Kin ...
,
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary ( hu, magyar király) was the ruling head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 (or 1001) to 1918. The style of title "Apostolic King of Hungary" (''Apostoli Magyar Király'') was endorsed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 ...
Family tree
In popular culture
The video game
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition contains a five-chapter campaign titled "Kotyan Khan", starting with his rallying the remains of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation and concluding with the arrival of the Cumans in Bulgaria as well as their later return to Hungary.
See also
*
Cumans
The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...
*
Kipchaks
The Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the Se ...
*
George I of Bulgaria
George Terter I ( bg, Георги Тертер I), of the Terter dynasty ruled as tsar of Bulgaria 1280–1292. He was born in Cherven. The date of his birth is unknown, and he died in 1308/1309.
Early life
The antecedents of George Terter I ar ...
*
Dobrotitsa
Dobrotitsa ( bg, Добротица, ; ro, Dobrotici or ; in contemporaneous Byzantine documents; ''Dobrodicie'' in contemporaneous Genoese documentsM. Balard, ''Actes de Kilia du notaire Antonio di Ponzo, 1360'' in ''Genes et l'Outre-Mer'', II ...
*
Shishmanids
*
Asen dynasty
The Asen dynasty ( bg, Асеневци, ''Asenevtsi'') founded and ruled a medieval Bulgarian state, called in modern historiography the Second Bulgarian Empire, between 1185 and 1280.
The Asen dynasty rose as the leaders of Bulgaria after a r ...
*
Cumania
The name Cumania originated as the Latin exonym for the Cuman–Kipchak confederation, which was a tribal confederation in the western part of the Eurasian Steppe, between the 10th and 13th centuries. The confederation was dominated by two Tur ...
*
Battle of Kalka River
The Battle of the Kalka River (russian: Битва на реке Калке; uk, Битва на річці Калка) was fought between the Mongol Empire, whose armies were led by Jebe and Subutai, and a coalition of several Rus' principalit ...
*
Mongol invasion of Rus'
The Mongol Empire invaded and conquered Kievan Rus' in the 13th century, destroying numerous southern cities, including the largest cities, Kiev (50,000 inhabitants) and Chernihiv (30,000 inhabitants), with the only major cities escaping destr ...
Notes
References
Sources
*
* Rene Grousset, The Empire of the Steppes, 1970, Rutgers University Press
* Cumans and Tatars, István Vásáry, 2005, Cambridge University Press
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koten
12th-century births
1241 deaths
Cumans
Turkic rulers
13th-century soldiers
Converts to Roman Catholicism from pagan religions
Terter dynasty
Assassinated people
People murdered in Hungary