Origin of Avar People
Avar people established a powerful state in the Central Europe between the Frank Kingdom and the Byzantine Empire upon the support of the Turkish groups such as the ancient Hun and Sabar residuals and Oguz (Bulgarian) people, etc. They established dominion over various Germanic and particularly the crowded Slav tribes. Therefore, the Avar people had directed the course of the policy of Europe for nearly 250 years (558-805). The subject matter about the origin of Avar people has been one of the issues that caused great trouble for the historians and the linguists. It cannot be stated that there is a common opinion of the experts formed about this issue. However, the Turkish identity of the founders of the European Avar Khanate become much more definite as the researches are carried out on a much more extensive basis.
The Byzantine historian Th. Simokattes (2nd quarter of the 7th century) had stated that a group composed of nearly 20 thousands of people immigrated to the west pursuant to the abolition of the Ju-an-Juan State in Mongolia (in the beginning of the 4th century- 552/555) by the Gok-Turk State. This statement caused the establishment of a relation between the group that sent an envoy from the eastern borders of the Byzantine in the year of 558 and applied for allowance and residential lands for settlement and the groups that oriented from the Central Asia towards the west and then to the central regions of Europe. The general and mistaken consideration of the Juan-Juan as "Avar" and mostly "Asian Avar People" reinforced this opinion of relevance.
On the other hand, since Juan-Juan people were considered as Mongolians, it was natural that the European Avar people were of the same race. In the end of the previous century, a trible named as Var-guni (Bar-guni) was determined to exist in Mongolia that reminded the European Avar People. In addition, it was stated that the human skeletons that were excavated from the tombs pertaining to the Avar era in Hungary were mostly Mongoloid. Furthermore, the allegation stating that Bayan that was the name of Avar Ruler was a Mongolian word reinforced this conviction.
Turkish Identity of Avar People
In order to illuminate the state of affairs in brief, it should be beneficial to determine these 3 issues stated below:
a) 100 years before the collapse of Juan-Juan domination in the Central Asia (the events in 461-465, see Sabar people, Ogur people), the Byzantine historian Priskos (in the middle of the 5th century) dealt with the "Avar" tribe that existed in the western Siberian region. Another resource (Zakharias Rhetor, in the years of 550) cited about an "Avar" community in the west before the occurrence of the Mongolian events. In addition to these facts, the ancient Greek geographer, Strabon (1st century DC) stated that he dealt with "Abar-noi" people in his work and that the name of "Abaris" was used in combination with he Greek legends in the very ancient histories.
b) According to these records, it is obvious that the relevant Avar (Abat) people did not have any relation or relevance with the Mongolian Juan-Juan people that were totally abolished in the year of 555 DC.
c) Actually, it is of significance that the Byzantine historian Th. Simokattes (2nd quarter of the 7th century) had made a classification about Avar people such as "Real Avar" and "Fake Avar". According to the results obtained from the researches carried out upon this record, the group called as "Fake Avar" was composed of Warkhon (in other words, Var and Hund: in Simokattes) people that were the neighbours of the Oguz tribes living in the region between the Western Turkestan- Northern Caucasus and within the environs of Don-Idyll (Volga) Rivers and that were named as ""Avar" in the Byzantine resources (Menandros, the end of 6th century).
These two Turkish groups that used to speak Turkish with Y like Gokturk, Hun peoples, etc. deserted from the government of Juan-Juan family that they were subject to after the year of 350 and they turned towards the west. These two tribes participated in the establishment of Ak Hun (Eftalit) State in Turkestan- Afghanistan- Northern India. Then, they got separated from the foreign domination in Mongolia pursuant to the defeats of Juan-Juan people against the Tabgaç armies in the years of 458-459. These War (var) and Hun tribes that came to the region of Caspian Sea-the north of Lake Aral constituted a Turkish tribal union and they were collectively named as Apar (Abar, Avar) in accordance with the occupations that they had.
Therefore, the founders and the dominant majority of the European Avar Khanate were composed of the crowded Turkish groups that came from the central regions of Asia and united with the Ogur tribes that they encountered in the plain lands of the southern Russia and the other Iranian foreign elements such as Mongolian, Alan people, etc. that retreated towards the west under pressure due to the political expansion of the Gok- Turk State.
Some of the Turkish administrative offices that were present in the Avar Khanate were essentially named with Turkish idioms (the titles such as Tudun, Yugruş, Tarhan, Boyar, Ban, etc.). Similarly, it is beyond doubt that the Avar statesmen that made history were of Turkish origin. Additionally, the name of the famous ruler Bayan was a Turkish name.
The statement that the Mongoloid type was dominant in the skeletons excavated from the tombs pertaining to the Avar period is not convincing. Actually, some archaeological excavations pertaining to Avar period were carried out in the regions that were within the domination fields of the Avar Empire (Hungary, Albania, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Austria, the southern Germany) until the year of 1970s. As a result of these excavations, it has been determined that the Turkish type (brachycephalic) had a significant level among various types such as Germanic, Slav, Iranian, Finno-Ugrian, etc.
in relation with the human skeletons excavated in these studies. Similarly, it has been stipulated that even the "Andronovo-type" that represented the real Turkish lineage" was observed with a high level of 10-15% in some places of findings.
Relations between Avar People and the Byzantine and their Penetration into Europe
Avar people abolished the Sabar domination in the year of 558 and advanced towards Caucasus. Then, they established domination of the Iranian Alan people and the Ogur tribes and sent envoys to the Byzantine. These Avar people wanted the payment of an annual tax and the allocation of lands for settlement. Meanwhile, the emperor Justinianos was occupied with extensive conquests in the Balkans and in Dalmatia and the struggles against the Ogur people that tried to invade the Thrace all of a sudden.
Therefore, the emperor rejected the payment of the tax. Then, he tried to set up a barrier composed of crowded Slav groups including particularly Ant people in the lower Danube basin in order to stop any possible Avar raid towards his country: However, Avar people that could surmount this obstacle easily in the year of 562 invaded the lower section of Danube River and they shared the same borders with the Byzantine. Then, they started to organise raids towards the central regions of Europe. Due to the hesitation fo the Emperor Justinos (565-578) in the payment of the taxes, they suppressed the Byzantine under the government of Hakan Bayan since the years of 565 and they penetrated into the Cental Karpat.
They collaborated with Longobard people that constituted one of the Germanic tribes in the west of the Danube River. Then, they established dominion over Gepid people in the Eastern Hungary. Upon the migration of the Longobard people to the Northern Italy in the year of 568, they invaded the entire Hungary of today. Therefore, the Avar people had established a great state in the Central Europe. Afterwards, they defited the Frank king Siegebert in the west and captured the important Byzantine border citadels such as Singidunum (Belgrade) and Sirmium (Eszek), etc. in the south.
The great organiser, Bayan Hakan who accomplished the conquests stated above came to Çorlu in order to advance towards Istanbul in the year of 592 and the Byzantine capital city was seized with fear. Meanwhile, the entire regions extending from the northern Slav regions towards Italy had become the military operational fields of the Abar people.
Blockade of Istanbul by Avar People in 626
The principal core of the army of the Avar Khanate was composed of Turks and this army was supported by the crowded backup troops that were recruited from various Slav and Germanic tribes. It has been understood that the Avar Khanate tried to maintain the safety and security of the principal market cities and the trade routes. The important military attempts of the Avar people in the course of their domination in Europe for a period of 200 years were the military blockades of Istanbul. The first blockade (in 617 or 619) was carried out by Avar people upon the collaboration with Sasani State and this blockade was so impressive that even the Emperor Herakleios (610-641) thought of the abandoning the capital city and going to Kartaca. Pursuant to this first blockade, the second operation was carried out jointly with the cooperation of the Sasani Empire again (626). In these years, the Iranian-Byzantine wars became more severe and cruel and the Sehinshah Husrev II (590-628) captured the entire el-Cezire, Palestine and Syria.
Under these circumstances, the emperor Herakleios who was in the coasts of the Eastern Black Sea went to Tbilisi in order to provide military help and assistance from the Khazar Turks. At the same time, the Iranian army under the command of Şahrvaraz passed through the entire Anatolia and reached to Bosphorus. Concurrently, the Avar army that was supported by the Bulgarian forces passed over the Balkans and Thrace and came in front of the city walls of Istanbul. The actual military blockade was carried out by the Avar army (in July-August 626). This operation that aroused great excitement in the capital city that was defende by the Patriarch Sergios and Patricius Bonos left historical memoirs behind. The day that was declared as a "holiday" for the commemoration of the salvation (on Saturday in the 5th week of the the "Great Fast") was memorialised in the form of ceremonies organised in the churches for centuries and it has been understood that the hymn of "Akathistos" was related with this Avar blockade.
The military blockade failed due to the lack of a navy and therefore, the Avar army had to retreat under difficult situations without the attainment of any result. This situation caused the khanate to lose its influence and prestige and the advance towards the decline. The backup troops got dispersed. Particularly after the death of the ruler in the year of 630, the subject groups rebelled upon the encouragement and support of the Byzantine. As a result of the long struggles, the Balkans were captured by the Bulgarians. The region of Danube-Sava was left to the Slav tribes such as Croatian, Slovenian, etc. and the Bohemian region was abandoned to the ancestors of the Czech people. Therefore, the Avar Khanate was surrounded within the circle of hostile states and it lost its economical opportunities and facilities.
It gradually lost power during the 8th century. As a result of the attacks and raids of Frank Empire (Ka-rolus Magnus= the period of Carlemagne: 768-814)-with a severe and cruel holy war- that lasted incessantly for 15 years since the year of 791 (the fortified capital city of Avar people in the Central Hungary was captured in the period of Pepin in 776), the Avar Khanate was totally abolished (805). The Avar groups that got disintegrated spread within the Eastern Hungary and the Balkans. Within a short period, they became Christians and they got assimilated within the native people.
Traces left by Avar People in Europe
However, it has been observed that the Avar influence kept going in Europe. The traces of their mementoes include the title of "Ban" that was one of the highest military-governmental titles among the Croatian people (Baga in Gok-Turk language and Bagan in Avar language that was present among the Bulgarians and Hungarians) and the titles such as Boyar and Yugruş, etc. and and the name of the cities such as Navarino in Greece (=Pylos, with the original form of Avarino), and Antivari in Albania (=Br, with its ancient form of Civitas Avarorum). Furthermore, the archaeological works pertaining to the Avar period that were excavated in Hungary (the cast tools and horse harnesses with the animal fight descriptions upon these materials) are accepted as the examples of the Turkish art in Europe (animal style) that originally developed in the Central Asia and the traces of this style can also be observed in France in the period of Movergin family.
The Protsotvats golden treasury in Albania pertains to Avar people. Additionally, the archaeological researches have also displayed the influence of Avar Turkish art over the Germanic and Slavic arts. A treasure composed of 23 units of golden pots with Turkish inscriptions on them was found in the site of Nagy Szent in the Central Hungary in the year of 1799 and the question about the Turkish tribe to which this treasure belonged is a still debated issue. However, it has been alleged that this famous treasure belonged to the period of Avar people.
As a consequence; the domination of Avar people in Europe for more than two centuries is of great significance for several reasons in respect of the European history. First of all, the Slavic tribes had lived under the long-term Turkish domination for the first time and they found the opportunity to advance from the stage of "tribal" life to the stage of state organisation due to the influence of Turkish state and military organisations. Secondly, the Turks had much more blended with various Germanic (Frank) groups. This relation has been mostly composed of reciprocal struggles; however, both tribes were forced to resolve a state of modus vivendi in the capacity of neighbouring groups.
Influences of Avar People over Slavs
It has been understood that the Avar Khanate had had influence particularly over the Islamic tribes. It has been known that as a result of the precautions taken by Avar people, the first Slav groups settled in the Balkans in an essential manner. There are some indicators that showed that this Turkish tribe established domination over the southern and the eastern Slavs for a long time and most of the Slavic tribes were totally defeated by the Avar people.
The Slavic groups were under the domination of German Goths until the 4th century and then, they were under the domination of Turks subject to the Hun Empire. The history of the Slavic communities has turned into nearly "a part of the Turkish history" from that date on. The disperse of crowded Slavic groups towards various Eastern Europe regions and the Balkans took place mostly in the period of Avar people. These large-scaled migrations were arranged and implied by the Avar government. Therefore, the Avar government led them to undertake the agricultural works in order to yield the harvest and crops that were needed by the Avar Khanate and the performance of border forefront services at the same time.
Therefore, various Slavic tribes were directed towards today's Czechoslovakia and the banks of Elbe River, the coasts of Dalmatia and the Balkans. In the years of 750, it was cited that there was some Slav people that were called as "Avar" within the environs of Athens. In the same periods, the names of the leaders that led the Croatian people to the Adriatic coasts were listed as follows: Kiıliik, Lobel (Alp-el?), Kösenci (Koşuncu), Buga, Tugay. It has been alleged that there were some Avar beys that became Slavs who were the laders of 9th Pannonia (Western Hungary) and Morva Slav groups. On the other hand, it has been declared that the German tribes abandoned their homelands in the Czech country as a result of the pressure of Avar leaders rather than Slav people that were so weak in respect of war capabilities.
It has also been stated that this situation was confirmed with the works related with Avar art that were found in the Eastern Hungary. Therefore, according to the statement of Bishop Syrian Johannes in the year of 584, "While the Slav people could not dare even to get out of the forests in the past, the Slavs got accustomer to war by means of the Avar people and they became the owners of gold, silver, and herds of horses. They were oriented towards migration in a systematic manner. Therefore, it has been understood that the ethnical map of today's Central and Eastern Europe was drawn by the Avar Khanate. The Avar groups that live in the Caucasus today are accepted as the descendants of them.