1050-1241 CE
From 1050 to 1241 CE, the Cumans ruled the sea of grass from the Danube to the Volga — their mounted archers the terror of Byzantines, Rus', and Hungarians alike, their khans dispensing daughters to Christian princes who needed steppe cavalry more than they feared pagan brides. They broke the Pechenegs, humbled Kyivan armies, and raided at will — until the Mongol storm swept them from the steppe like chaff before the wind.