Kidarites: Map & History
The Kidarites, or Kidara Huns, were a dynasty that ruled Bactria and adjoining parts of Central Asia and India in the 4th and 5th centuries.
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The Kidarites, or Kidara Huns, were a dynasty that ruled Bactria and adjoining parts of Central Asia and India in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Kidarites belonged to a complex group of peoples known collectively in India as the Huna, and in Europe as the Chionites, and may even be considered as identical to the Chionites. The 5th century Byzantine historian Priscus called them Kidarite Huns, or "Huns who are Kidarites". Chinese annals referred to them as the Ta Yüeh-chih, or Lesser Yüeh-chih. The Huna/Xionite tribes are often linked, albeit controversially, to the Huns who invaded Eastern Europe around the same period. They are entirely different from the Hephthalites, who replaced them about a century later.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kidarites
At its mapped extent, Kidarites covered territory in 6 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Tajikistan358–450 CE · nearly all
- Kyrgyzstan402–442 CE · most
- Uzbekistan358–450 CE · most
- Afghanistan358–450 CE · most
- Pakistan387–450 CE · a small part
- Kazakhstan402–442 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kidarites's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kidarites in Depth
Origins
A nomadic people, the Kidarites appear to have originated in the Altai Mountains region. The terms Huns/Chionites seem to reflect the general ethnic appellation of these people, whereas Kidarites should be understood as a dynastic designation derived from the name of their king, Kidara. On Kidarite coins their rulers are depicted as beardless or clean-shaven – a feature of Altaic cultures at the time (as opposed, for example, to the Iranian cultures of South Central Asia). They may have been Oghuric speakers originally, as may have been the Chionites and the Hephthalites, before adopting the Bactrian language. The Kidarites were depicted as mounted archers on the reverse of coins. They were also known to practice artificial cranial deformation.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kidarites (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kidarites: Key Facts
| Founded | 4th century |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 477 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q26996 (CC0).
Kidarites Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kidarites appears, with the other states of the time.
Kidarites Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 961,557 km² in 422 CE.
Kidarites: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Kidarites exist?
Kidarites is dated to 358 CE – 450 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of Kidarites?
The capital of Kidarites was Bactria.
How large was Kidarites at its peak?
At its peak in 422 AD Kidarites covered about 961,557 km².