The History of the Avars: Every Year

See how the vacuum left by the Huns fragmenting opened up Central Europe for a new nomadic empire: The Avars.

Music used:
"Majestic Hills" by Kevin MacLeod

Sources used:
D.K. Atlas of World History
Hammond Historical World Atlas Pt. 1
Wikipedia
Previous Works

[EmperorTigerstar]

As per usual, remember that each slide is the end of the year, so raids are only shown if they're in mid-progress at the end of the year.

[Norvoota]

I always love older borders that show the Czechia area. I know mountains are natural borders but those definitely stand the test of time

[rayzas]

I could've sworn that the Avars collapsed after Charlemagnes campaigns against them in 797. Good video 👍

[nenenindonu]

Avars-Sassanid vs Byzantine-Göktürk
Collabs were one of the best alliances in the medieval world (the latter won)

[aleksandarvil]

Charlemagne: "I'm About to END this khaganate's whole career."

[Fryepod]

800 years of landlock is pretty impressive, even if this area was scarcely populated.

[Robi]

Did I miss those lighter-green vassal o_O?

[MortyMortyMorty]

Its really interesting they had the same exact migration route into Pannonia just like the hungarians 300 years later.

[CivilWarWeekByWeek]

Personally I would expect these Avars to be more red than green

[taptiotrevizo]

Man I love nomadic empires and there migrations

[Namu-qd]

• Several genetic studies have shown that early Pannonian Avar elites carried a large amount of East Asian ancestry, and some have suggested this as evidence for a connection between the Pannonian Avars and the earlier Rouran.

• Li et al. 2018 examined the remains of a Rouran male buried at the Khermen Tal site in Mongolia. He was found to be a carrier of the paternal haplogroup C2b1a1b and the maternal haplogroup D4b1a2a1. Haplogroup C2b1a1b has also been detected among the Xianbei.

• Component analysis of the Ruanruan Khaganate against modern population. The Rouran are closest to modern East Asian populations such as the Mongols the Buryats or the Oroqen.

[blaine]

Weird… the borders kind of resemble Austria-Hungary’s…

[romanvonungern-sternberg]

Fun fact: The word Bayan (Khan’s name) is a casual word in the Mongolian language meaning prosperous or rich.
Bayan is also a really common name tho.

[kingoftheworld]

The Avar individuals showed their highest genetic affinity with present-day Mongolic and Tungusic peoples, as well as Nivkhs. A genetic study published in scientific journal Current Biology in May 2022 examined 143 Avar samples from various periods, including elite and commoners.

[arnetisco]

Early avars: BAYAN.
Late avars: t-theodorus...

[elbentos]

2:14
Charlemagne and Pépin : "Hello !"

[yazovgaming]

Krum: ''I am about to do what's called a pro gamer move''

[kinginexile]

If I am not mistaken it was Charlemagne who took the Western portion of the Khaganate and Khan Krum of Bulgaria who took the Eastern portion, ending the Avar state somewhere between 805 and 810.

[deleetiusproductions]

Wow, the capital was unknown? That sucks

[Tarmenell]

The map is blind, but I doubt that Samo empire was part of the khaganat. Rather, the territory was something like a buffer zone with ties to the Franks empire and the Avar khaganat, but self-governing. We still do not know from written sources and excavations what was actually going on there.