Alp Iluetuer
Encyclopedia
Alp Ilutuer was the Ilutuer (vassal ruler) of the North Caucasian Huns
during the 680's CE.
He is mentioned in the account of Bishop
Israel of Caucasian Albania
, who travelled to Alp Ilutuer's court in an unsuccessful attempt to convert him and his people to Christianity
.
Alp is an Old Turkic
word meaning "hero", though it also sometimes was used as a personal name. Ilutuer is believed to be a cognate
of the ancient Turkic
title for a vassal ruler (in this case, vassal to the Khazars
. Therefore it is unclear whether Alp Ilutuer is a proper name, a title, or a combination of the two.
In 670s he provoked some raids against the Khazars and heroically died in war. Alp Iluetuer is still remembered in Bulgar
and Chuvash
legend.
His name's correct construction must be Alp İlteber according to Old Turkic.
North Caucasian Huns
The North Caucasian Huns were a branch of the Huns that established a polity in Daghestan in the 6th century and 7th century CE. The North Caucasian Huns probably incorporated numerous indigenous Caucasian tribes following their settlement in the area....
during the 680's CE.
He is mentioned in the account of Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Israel of Caucasian Albania
Caucasian Albania
Albania is a name for the historical region of the eastern Caucasus, that existed on the territory of present-day republic of...
, who travelled to Alp Ilutuer's court in an unsuccessful attempt to convert him and his people to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
Alp is an Old Turkic
Old Turkic language
Old Turkic is the earliest attested form of Turkic, found in Göktürk and Uyghur inscriptions dating from about the 7th century to the 13th century....
word meaning "hero", though it also sometimes was used as a personal name. Ilutuer is believed to be a cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of the ancient Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
title for a vassal ruler (in this case, vassal to the Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
. Therefore it is unclear whether Alp Ilutuer is a proper name, a title, or a combination of the two.
In 670s he provoked some raids against the Khazars and heroically died in war. Alp Iluetuer is still remembered in Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
and Chuvash
Chuvash
Chuvash may refer to:*Chuvash people*Chuvash language*Chuvashia, a republic in Russia*Çuvaş, Azerbaijan...
legend.
His name's correct construction must be Alp İlteber according to Old Turkic.
Further reading
- Kevin Alan Brook. The Jews of Khazaria. 2nd ed. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc, 2006.
- Douglas M. Dunlop. The History of the Jewish Khazars, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1954.
- Peter B. Golden. Khazar Studies: An Historio-Philological Inquiry into the Origins of the Khazars. Budapest: Akademia Kiado, 1980.