Gradually expanding the territory of their nomads in the south-western and western directions, the Kipchak and some Kimak tribal associations in the 30s of the XI century. Kipchak and some Kimak tribal units appeared on the borders of Khorezm and reached the Volga River, from where they began their wide migration to the steppes of Eastern Europe, where they encountered the states of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the principalities of ancient Russia, the Byzantine Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, and the other part with a mass of Oguzes and some Kipchaks, joining the Seljuk Turks, increased the pressure on the Islamic states of Iran and Iraq, on the Muslim and Christian states of Transcaucasia and the Eastern Province of Byzantium.
The Kipchaks (Kipchaks, Kumans)-medieval nomadic Turkic-speaking tribes left a significant trace not only in the history of the Eurasian steppes, but also had a great influence on the development of many early feudal states of the Old World. Arabian Persian-speaking authors, Armenian and Georgian medieval historians know them as Kipchaks, Russian chroniclers called them Polovtsians, and in Byzantine and Hungarian sources they appear under the name of Komans, Kumans and Kuns. Chronicles and chronicles of different countries are full of testimonies about their devastating raids on their neighbors, about the participation of these nomads as heirs of internecine strife of princes and kings, about dynastic marriages of political leaders of Khorezm, Georgia, ancient Russia, Hungary with Cumans khans.
In the Middle Ages, the rulers of Khorezm, Mamluk Egypt and the Delhi Sultanate came out of the Kipchak environment. Khorezmshahs, Georgian kings, Old Russian princes, Hungarian kings concluded political alliances with Cumans (Kipchak, Kuman) khans, Kipchaks were the exhaustible environment from which the rulers of Khorezm, Georgia, Hungary formed significant military contingents and then used them to solve their pressing domestic and foreign policy problems.
Attention is drawn to the fact that researchers more often paid and pay attention to those sources concerning the Cumans (Kipchaks, Kumans), which can be used as a supplement to consider the problems of the history of ancient Russia, the Hungarian Kingdom, the Byzantine Empire, Turkic and Mongolian-speaking tribes and peoples of South Siberia. At such statement of a question the Cumans (Kipchak, Kuman) material, serves only as an exotic background to separate periods of history of those or other states and peoples. Besides, written sources covering the history of the Cumans (Kipchak) steppe «Deshti — Kipchak» are used by scientists very unevenly, both in historical-political and territorial terms. The Kipchaks played an important role in the enthnogenesis of many modern Turkic-speaking peoples of Eurasia; Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Karakalpaks, Altaians, Tatars, Nogais, Kumyks, Karachais, Balkars and others. In some cases (as it was the case, for example, with the Kazakhs) they were one of the largest components in the process of ethnogenesis, in others their role was expressed somewhat weaker, but this fact highlights even more vividly the importance that the Kipchak tribes had and have in the history of both medieval and modern peoples of the Old World. Modern researchers face an urgent and quite feasible task to create a general history of the Kipchaks (Polovtsians, Kumans) from the moment of their appearance on the historical scene up to their complete disappearance. The accumulated sources, both written and archaeological, make it possible to realize this goal.
Having left to the Priirtyshie and steppes of the Eastern and Central Kazakhstan Kipchaks, and after them Kimaks, opened a new page in their history. Under the supremacy of the ruling top of the Kimak society, these tribal associations created a strong state formation — the Kimak Kaganate, which played an important role in the ethno-political history of the peoples of Western Siberia, Kazakhstan, Central Asia in the 1X-X1 centuries.
Kipchaks appeared in Priiryshye and then in the steppes of Eastern and Central Kazakhstan earlier than Kimaks. Their first wave appeared on the upper Irtysh and in Eastern Kazakhstan by the middle of the 7th century (after 646 AD). They partly mixed with closely related Yemeks, and partly forced the latter to go downstream of this river, and also to occupy the northern part of the steppes of Eastern and Central Kazakhstan. The second wave of Kipchaks came to the Irtysh a century later, after the defeat of the II Turkic Kaganate (744) by the Uighurs. The new aliens squeezed their kin in the steppes of Central Kazakhstan. That in the VIII century part of Kipchaks nomadized in the steppes of Central Kazakhstan, we can judge from the data of an anonymous author of the X century. «The southern borders of Kipchaks are in contact with Pechenegs, and all other borders with the northern lands, where no one lives» [1.P.101]. [1.P.101]. Clearly this information was taken by the author from earlier sources, because only in the VIII century the Pechenegs, who were then nomadic between Lake Balkhash and Syr Darya, could be the southern neighbors of the Kipchaks. About the nomadic Pechenegs in the VIII century is known from the Tibetan translation of the report of Uigur ambassadors [2.P.11].
Leaving the places of their former habitat in the middle of the IX century (after 840) Kimaks initially settled on the right bank of the Irtysh. This can be judged from the information of the author of the 11th century. Gardizi, who used earlier sources. He wrote that only «having crossed the Irtysh, come to the tents of Kimaks»[3.C.107]. From here Kimaks gradually began to expand the sphere of their influence to the west. Kipchaks and Yemeks in the main mass pushed away by new aliens in steppes of East and Central Kazakhstan, got in political dependence from them.
Thus, at the end of the 10th century, the vast areas occupied by the tribes of the Kimak-Kipchak association covered the lands from the Altai Mountains in the east to the Ural Mountains and the river of the same name in the west, from the border of forest and forest-steppe in Western Siberia in the north to the northern shore of Lake Balkhash and the Tarbagatai and Karatau mountain ranges in the south. These territories were divided into four main parts: Yagansun-Yasu, Kyrkirkhan, Andar az-Kifchak and the western area of Kipchaks and Yemeks.
If from the middle of the IX century to the last decades the Kipchaks were politically dependent on the Kimaks, then from the end of the X-beginning of the XI century the situation began to change. Kipchaks try to free themselves from the Kimaks’ power. And it is already evident from the testimony of «Hudud al-Alam» about the area of Kipchaks located between the Ural Mountains and the main lands of the Kimaks». Anonymous reports that «the Kipchaks are a tribe that separated from the Kimaks», but not yet completely, as their «king was appointed by the Kimaks» [4.P.19]. [4.С.19].
Naturally, the desire to free themselves from the political tutelage of the Kimaks pushed the Kipchaks to gradual expansion to the west — to the Volga, to the south-west — to the Mangyshlak peninsula and to the south — to the Aral Sea region and the Talas and Chu valleys, to lands that were still under the control of the Oguzes (and partly of the Kimaks and Karluk), but at the same time were familiar to the Kipchaks, who had joint pastures with the Oguzes.
The presence of separate Kipchak clan subdivisions in these areas already by the end of IX-XII is indirectly indicated by the evidence of al-Masudi, an anonymous author, «Hudud al-Alam» and Makdisi. Thus, al-Masudi wrote that between the rivers of the Black and White Irtysh, flowing into the Khazar (Caspian) Sea and identified by modern researchers with the Volga and the Urals or with the Urals and Emba, are located winter and summer centers of Kimaks and Guzes [5.P.166]. In «Hudud al-Alam» it is reported «when there is peace between them, they (Kimaks G.K.) retreat in winter to the Guzes» [6.P.99]. [6.P.99]. And Makdisi says that the cities of Sauran and Shagiljan, located in the middle reaches of the Syr Darya, were border fortresses against the Guzes and Kimaks [7.P.46]. Since in the second half of IX-X centuries behind the ethnonym Kimaks were hidden and Kipchaks, it is quite logical to assume that they also used these pastures of the Oguzes.
However, for the first time, about Kipchaks on the borders of Khorezm mentioned Abu-l-Fazl- Beyhaki in 1030 explaining the refusal of Khorezmshah Altunash (1071-1032) to come to the court of his suzerain Emir Mahmud Gazneviysky (999-1030), receiving urgent news from Khoja Ahmed son of Abd-as-Samad that «Kechit, Jigrak and Hifchak are worried … as if there was no trouble». [8.С.104]. Already by the mid 30s of the 11th century Kipchaks together with other nomadic Turkic-speaking tribes not only disturb the lands under Khorezmshah’s control with their raids, but also willingly serve him as mercenaries. The same Beyhaki informs, «Harun (Khorezmshah from 1032 to 1035 G.K.) also acted, returned to Khorezm and even more zealously began to prepare for the campaign. People (tribes of Kechat, Jigrah and Kypchak) flocked to him from all over the world, it turned out to be a large army» [9.P.602]. [9.С.602].
The most detailed information about the settlement of Kipchaks on the territory of Kazakhstan and Central Asia in the XI century is given in the work of Mahmud Kashgarsky and marked on the map attached to it. The northern edge of the Kipchak lands lay on the border of steppe and forest-steppe zones. Their eastern boundaries passed along the left bank of the Irtysh, which is recognized on the map as a place of habitat of the Yemeks, and the text gives a corresponding explanation: «The Yemeks are a Turkic tribe. And he is a kypchak tribe». [10.С.35].
About the Kipchak possessions in the south (in the area of the Karatau ridge, the Kyrgyz ridge and the Talas valley) it is recorded, Kendshak Sangir — a town near Taraz. This is a border fortress of Kipchaks» [11.С.444]. Here, apparently, the Kipchaks settled long before the writing of the work of Mahmud Kashgar. One comes to this conclusion after reading the following excerpt from his work «Bulak is a Turkic tribe. They were in subordination at Kipchaks, but then have rescued thanks to the help of Allah and now they are called Alka — Bulak»[12.С.306]. According to Sharafa-al-Marvazi, the tribe of Bulak was part of the Karluk, who lived in Zhetysu and consisted of nine groups «three Chigil, one Tuhsi, one Bulak» [13.P.316]. According to the fair comment of S.M. Akhinzhanov «Kashgarsky’s note serves as an echo of some military clashes between the Karluks and Kipchaks long before the life of Mahmud» [14.P.175]. [14.С.175]. Additional evidence of stay here Kipchaks serve as finds of sanctuaries with stone sculptures at Sandyk Pass, near the village of Merke. Merke. These statues are similar to the earliest types of the Cumans sculpture of the South Russian steppes according to the classification of S.A. Pletneva [15.P.89].
The territories adjacent to the Aral Sea are marked on the map as «the dwelling place of the Oguzes and Kipchaks» [16.P.60]. [16.С.60]. Another place of common habitat of Oghuz and Kipchaks was the Mangyshlak peninsula. On the map of Mahmud of Kashgar the settlement of Kipchaks located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea is marked. It was here, on Mangyshlak, in 1065 the Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan (1063-1072) made his campaign against the tribes of Kipchaks and Jazi [17.P.52]. According to S.G. Agadjanov, «Kifshag and Dzhazi, mentioned by medieval authors reporting on these events, should probably be considered as a distorted personification of the names of the Kipchaks and Yazirs (Yazyrs, Yazgyrs)» of one of the Oguz tribes of the XI century. [18.С.266].
The toponymy data also testify to the stay of Kipchaks in the area of Magyshlak, as the steppes to the south of this peninsula up to the Charyn river were called Desht-i — Kipchak in Persia during the reign of Nadir Shah (1736-1737) and even in the beginning of the XIX century [19.P.117].
The western border of the Kipchaks’ settlement in the first third of the ХІ century probably passed along the Volga. In the work of Mahmud Kashgarsky it is written: «Itil is the name of the river in the country of Kipchaks» [20.P.103]. [20.С.103]. In the text Itil is not named the western border of the Kipchaks, as it was not such by the time Mahmud Kashgarsky finished his work (1074). At that time, a significant part of the Kipchak tribes had already firmly settled in the steppes of the Northern Black Sea coast. And on the territory of the Zovolzhsko-Priural steppes, besides the Kipchaks themselves, there was also a part of the Yemeks who had separated from their brethren on the Irtysh. There is information about them in the sources of the XІІ century. Najip Hamadana, speaking about the city of Saksin located on the Volga, noted: «Saksin is a city, there is no other city in Turkestan. Its inhabitants are disturbed by tribes of Kipchaks and Yemeks. In this area there is no river except Atil» [21.С.162].
Laurentian annals under 6690 (1182), telling about a campaign of prince Vsevolod Big Nest on Volga Bulgaria, also noted presence of Yemeni nomads, apparently in Priurel steppes, near to borders of Volga Bulgaria. «Ide prince Vsevolod [to the Bulgars] [and] came to the land of Bulgaria and sown on coast went to the Great city and stood at Tukhchin town and stopped that 3 days went on the third day to the Great city having gone to prince in a field our watchmen in poly and mnyahu Bulgarian regiment and came 5 men from that regiment and sudarisha Prince Vsevolod and said to him a speech bowing to Prince Yemiakov, the Polovtsi came with the Bulgarian prince to fight Bulgaria Prince Vsevolod thought with his brother and with his retinue of men take them to the Polovtsian company and capture them and go to the Great City and the prince came to the city and crossed Cheremisan. ..» [22.С.389].