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Pecheneg
Pecheneg
Istvn Zimonyi
Al-Jayhanis geographical compendium has been lost, it can be reconstructed from Arabic, Persian
and Turic !ors" The follo!ing authors !rote their boos in Arabic# Ibn $usta !ho composed his
!or in the %&th century' the Andalusian al-(ari of the %%th century, the court physician of the
)al*uid +ali )hah ,%&-.-%&/.0 and his descendants i"e" al-+ar!a1i' and Abu-l-2ida !ho lived
in )yria bet!een %.-3 and %33%" The latter copied the boo of al-(ari" The Persian version of the
Jayhani-tradition is represented in the Hudud al-
c
Alam, !hose author is unno!n and it !as
composed in /4. and the !or of 5ardi1i !ritten in %&6." The latter has preserved the most
detailed description of the 7ungarians"
The reconstruction of the original passage is based on the te8ts of al-+ar!a1i, Ibn $usta and
5ardi1i" It can be supplemented by the parallel description of al-(ari in the first half of the
7ungarian chapter and the slightly rephrased version of the Hudud al-
c
Alam" Al-+ar!a1is
compendium !as popular, because it !as translated into Persian in the %3th century by
c
Aufi" It
!as copied in the %6th century by )hurallah and the latter !as put to Turish" The late Turish
authors used this version as their source"
9uring the study I used the latest critical editions of the parallel te8ts of the Jayhani-
tradition, and moreover I too the manuscripts into consideration apart from the !ors of al-(ari,
Abu-l-2ida, +uhammad :atib and 7a*i 7alifa"
The paralel te8ts of the Pecheneg chapter#
Al-+ar!a1;
=>?@ABCD?@EF@GHIGJKLMNOPQRSGFTQUPVWK?@A
PHGMXQYZ[NBQ\H]PVW^_O@`GaA PHGMXQYZ[bc
dUXHef^gPh@iF bcjGVW?@TQhPkbcAlPWmno=^efVH`Ppq?@TQhPkbmcNBQYUeH@Tfr
eHs@tuvATK?PDw?@o=^jBxp?@TQhPkXHATMyx?@o=^lBqp?@TQhPkXHAOyz?@o=^jBxp?@
evAyx{TQUPVWK?@ATQUPVWK?@IAyxM
|@o@BaAS=}@AT~ZR@ATcAvA|P[@AeVAj@AoANAB[TQUPVWK?@A
Ppk@]GZ\HMBaefVQ^Q?ABrPqHAAPmHbcSPM@NBq}NBQ\HOyz?@ATQUPVWK?@XQ^A
P\L}s@A|PH=J?@AU@G>?P^kGJCDM
." The Pechenegs are a !andering people, follo!ing the rainfall and pasturage"
3" Their territory e8tends a distance of thirty days in either direction,
" And they are bordered on all sides by many peoples' to the north are the :ipchas, to the south-
!est the :ha1ars, to the east the 5hu11, amd to the !est the )lavs" These peoples all raid the
Pechenegs, !ho lie!ise raid them"
6" The Pechengs are !ealthy, having beasts, flocs, household property, gold, silver, !eapons,
ensigns, and lances"
" (et!een the Pechenegs and the :ha1ars there is a distance of ten days, the country being steppes
and forest" There is no beaten trac bet!een the t!o territories, and they travel over ,the distance0
by means of the stars, landmars or at random" ,+inorsy /., 3.-330
5ard;1;
]PVW^GRtGUXM@ASO@GntGUXM@ASO@GntG>^P{iMIABQ^kPB@A@t@OPH@
AiROqnVQHy^oOu^PWk@@AoO@u^R@OB^@OtBQ~^iMQSO@GntBQ~^AoG
@OI@OGLRAiVMoABcIPp\MB^UiVROtP^AOAoPMAOBvoGqQpvAOkAIP^PQ^
ABH@}GkBv@PWkiP^iQAiVROjAPvpq^iP^evoAOIGiVvoj
]ik@AGv iVROIPQUPVW^PvpQz^evimvAOIGt@OAOtoykPXMOik@iP^PQMPH
\v@OtAORIPQUPVW^MsAo@AA
jBxH@AOynjBxHjGVr@APmnMsA@ik@LRGQIPqMi^LH@LQhPkBv@
iVABm^AiVVUtoB^AiVVUtAy@OIPQUPVW^Aik@Ayx^SGFpvXM@Aj=DR
AXMOPfQk@A@AI@A@BcI@iVRGAI@OGLRI@ikA@inAiVP^`PHI@ikA@inIPQUPVW^XM@A
Pvto@BaAPfpZ}ikO@oXQpQRPvBpUAikO@oOPQ\^=RA@OIPqM@iP^OPQ\^XQpQR
iVkPf^BhOik@UAPIABR@oG^PfFG^@BkPqM@AikO@oB^Pf^BhOik@UikO@o
IPR@oAOIABQ^bLQhPV^PWk@@Uiv@GnUBvR@GnPkAI@G?@zR]PVW^Pfv@OA
AA@Pfv@Obk@G?@AB>VH@OGLRqB^=?@cOiVk@GLkIABQ^GRQv@UiMBniMP^
|PH=J^t@OIAR@IPLnOoA@t@OpvU@BMikGPWkUikAOt@Ob^t@O@IPOP^
iVRPVtOPLR
%" As for the country of the Pechenegs, the road to it starts out from 5rgench" Thence it
goes to the mountains of !ara1m, and from these mountains it goes on to the
Pecheneg country" The ae of !ara1m appears along this route as it sirts along the
)outh-est of that lae" nce the route passes on from there it arrives at a dry desert land"
This it traverses for nine days, coming to a !ell every day or every t!o days" ne
descends into these !ells by means of a rope in order to bring up, and give !ater to the
beasts" hen it is the tenth day the road arrives at various springs and then a river" 7ere
there is a game of every variety of fo!l and deer as !eell as a small uantity of grass" It is
a si8teen- day *ourney through this fair country and !hen it is the seventeenth day one
arrives at the tents of the Pechenegs
3" The length of the country of the Pechenegs is a thirty-days *ourney"
" n every side a different people borders on them# on the northern side is the land of
the :ipchas, on the south-!estern side are the :ha1ars, on the eastern side is the
country of the 5u11, and on the !estern side are the )alabs" The Pechenegs incite all
these peoples to raid one another, and so they go marauding for the Pecheneg and taing
captives and sell these"
6" These Pechenegs are possessors of great !ealth, for they are possessors of abundant
horses and sheep" They have many gold and silver vessels" They have many !eapons" They
hace silver belts" They have flags and pennants !hich they raise in battle, as !ell as bugles
made from the horns of o8en !hich they sound in battle
" The roads of the Pechenegs country are very desolate and disagreeable" hoever !ants to
go out from there into any neighboring country must purchase horses, !hile they cannot go
out in any !ay e8cept on the bacs of camels, o!ing to the odiousness ,or uncertainty0
and abandoned state of the roads" The merchants !ho go there easily go astray of the
roads, because all ofthat countrys roads are through !ooded lands" These roads are
made out from bearings indicated by the stars" ,+artine1 %/4., %6%-%6.0
(ehet t-tevr;h
B?OiM@BmRZMP^A`G\zMb>M@IA@ZMdwLHbnoSGFG^B?OoIPQUPVW^MZQKFbWVQL?@
@oPK}jG?A@L cIP\ h@Ap QVj@G^@IikPpR k PrjGPMI@OP^toPMeU tiVFBv A
B?OiM@HPF@jO@AtikSBrsV?A@z^IPMPb^APQFb^pQVAI@BUb^pJkkOA@
`PpB?Q hPkAOi?GMZkGU-A@P MB}APC\ ^AP MB}AsGaBZL>ZpH]BZkG^A
A`PHH GFG^ AOoj=D AOyhMs AOsb^ yQ hPkPH @OolPWKFXQ HIiVKkPr
hP eqhSGFG^ AOikPMPb^ APQFb^ AI@BUb^ Aih b^ BZ{OiFAV >HAp Jk
OoB?eZ}dKa
Altnc ableye (eceneiyn derler" (u avm dahi muttasl yln on ii ay yosul ve bayle sefer
ederler ve her anda im 1iyde brn yaup cnib-i smndan abvb-i ganmet ve ihsn feth olup
ibd allh 1erine nmet-i b-ern ve ganmet-i b-iys ve b-pyn bah oluna l-cerem anda
varp imet ederler" e bunlarn memleetleri tavlan ve ar1an ve bastan ve ar1an gnl
yoldr" hiyeleri iml canibinden 1emn-i :pa dr ama nhiye-i garblar vilyet-i 7a1ar ve
)albdr" (u avmn ml ve nmet ve minet ve udretleri b-hadd ve b-ern ve b-iys ve b-
pyn ve bu avm-i haem shib-i tabl alemlerdir
The si8th tribe is called Pechene" This tribe also moves continually !ith his poor and reach people
during the %. months of the year" herever abundent rain falls from the heaven, the doors of
abundence and benevolence are opened, and immense benefiction and endless and infinite
abundence are granted to the servants of 5od, conseuently they go there and stay there" Their
country is three days in length and in !ide" Their region is terminated by the land of the :ipchas
to the north, but the land of the $us and )lavs lies to the !estern fringes of the country" The
!ealth and benefiction and po!er and might of this people are boundless, immense, endless and
infinite" It is a nomadic people and they have drums and flags"
B?OiM@BmRZMP^A`G\zMb>M@IA@ZMdwLHbnoSGFG^B?OoIPQUPVW^MZQKFbWVQL?@
@oPK}jG?A@L cIP\ h@Ap QVj@G^@IikPpR k PrjGPMI@OP^toPMeU tiVFBv A
B?OiM@HPF@jO@AtikSBrsV?A@z^IPMPb^APQFb^pQVAI@BUb^pJkkOA@
Oi?GMZkGU-A@PMB}APC\^APMB}AsGaBZL>ZpH]BZkG^A
Ooj=DAOyhMsAOsb^yQhPkPH@OolPWKFXQHIiVKkPr`PpB?QhPkA
BZ{OiFAV >HApJkA`PHHGFG^ A G^ AOikPMPb^ APQFb^ AI@BUb^ Aih b^
OoB?eZ}dKahPeqhSGF
(ahat ut-tavr;h
oOP^OPQ\^IOP^UPrBvAoGnXQHOoiVVUBmRLRGQIPqM@Aik@IPQUPLz^eqZQKF
XQH`PpGR@IPqM@QhPkAtAOROo\v@OtAORIPqM@XQHAikAOPWk@
OPQ\^pJkA`PH@BkPqM@AR@j=DAOynMsAIPqM@b^BQhPkAR@lPWmF
iP^eZ}AdKaA=RAR@ """
The si8th tribe is the Pechene" They move continually !ithin their territory" herever abundent
rain falls they go there" Their country is three days in length and in !ide" Their region is terminated
by the land of the :ipchas to the north, the land of the $us and )lavs lies to the !est of the
country" They have abundent !ealth and benefiction" They have !eapons, drums and flags"
7a**i :halifa
BkGFOoO@AB?BMOiFZhBHG{A@ypZM@O@BFtoBMBMBZkG^OiQRZQKFXUPLz^bnoB^
OoK?PDAyho=^b^BlP~FobcBaB^OomPaBGU
ne of their tribes is also the Pechene" They do not settle do!n in a place ,i"e" move continually0
they move in a territory up to thirty days *ourney" They are nomads" The )teppe of the :ipchas is
one of their border, the land of the :ha1ar and )lavs lies to the !est"