Khiyzan Confederation
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Khiyzan Confederation | |||||||
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 The banner of Damira Khan which later became a common insignia adopted by the confederation. | |||||||
| Common languages | Khiyzan language | ||||||
| Religion | Limanism | ||||||
| Government | Khanate | ||||||
| IlKhan | |||||||
• ~1187 | Damira (First) | ||||||
• ~1273 | Kholmatzhon (Last) | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Established | 1187 | ||||||
• Dissolved | 1273 | ||||||
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| Today part of | Shirvaniya | ||||||
The Khiyzan Confederation was a Khanate made up of a confederation of numerous Khiyzan nomadic tribes that occupied the western parts of the Shirvani steppe between the 12th and 13th centuries. The Khiyzan peoples, one of the major ethnic groups in Shirvaniya, were clans of fierce nomadic warriors that had exerted significant political influence throughout their geographic region for several centuries. Before the formation of the confederation, many Khiyzan served as mercenaries for varying political entities in Siduri which included the Makedonian Empire, the Sabrian Empire, the Rideva Empire, and the Rawaddid Sultanate.
Despite sharing close ethnic ties with Shirvani, the political growth of both the Khiyzan and the Shirvani inevitably led the two nomadic peoples into conflict. Damira Khan, leader of the largest Khiyzan tribe known as the Kherlen Clan, began efforts to unify the Khiyzan peoples as open warfare became commonplace between them and the Shirvani. After being decisively defeated at the Battle of Irtysh Crossing, the Khiyzan clans began migrating northward which would later bring them to the border of the Ruvelkan principalities.
Between the late 1250s to the early 1270s, the Confederation was fighting a sporadic two-front war against both the Shirvani and the Ruvelkans. By 1270, IlKhan Kholmatzhon began negotiating with the Ruvelkan leaders for a peaceful migration into Ruvelkan lands which was ratified by the Treaty of Nagykanizsa a year later. This effectively dissolved the Khiyzan Confederation and its peoples would be incorporated into the southern Ruvelkan kingdoms.
Over 95% of ethnic Khiyzan today reside in the Ruvelkan districts of Pálháza, Zalaegerszeg, and Derecske where their culture has become integrated into Ruvelkan society. A small minority of Khiyzan continue to reside in west-central Shirvaniya.