KIPCHAKS THROUGH THE EYES OF CONTEMPORARIES: EASTERN AND EUROPEAN TEXTUAL SOURCES

The Kipchaks, one of the nomadic Turkic tribes of Eurasia, left their mark on the history of many peoples from Central Asia to Europe, from the Caucasus to North Africa. Their Encounter with a number of medieval countries and the role, played in the crucial historical events of the world, led to be mentioned, and discussed by the various authors in different languages. Against the backdrop of many political events in which the Kipchaks played one role or another, these sources report on their customs, the peculiarities of their physical anthropology, their beliefs and military tradition, and etc. This research conducts a comparative analysis of textual sources, works of medieval Armenian, Georgian, European, Arabic and Persian authors. In order to scrutinize the ethno-linguistic and cultural features of the Kipchaks prior to the Mongol occupation of Kipchak lands, based on medieval textual data, this paper sets the task of drawing out the real image of the Kipchaks, veiled by the harsh military and political events of the period under study.