Kuthen

Cuman prince

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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Kuthen was a Cuman prince who, along with 15,000 of his people, sought asylum in Hungary in 1239. The Cumans were a nomadic Turkic people, forming the western branch of the Kipchak confederation. They had previously clashed with Hungarian forces and launched raids into Transylvania.

Kuthen had attempted to organize Russian resistance against the Mongols before arriving in Hungary. However, he was murdered shortly before the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1240–41, as he was perceived as a dangerous outsider. Following this, the Cumans left Hungary but were later resettled there by King Béla IV in 1245. Cuman influence in Hungarian affairs became significant, particularly when Béla IV's son married a Cuman princess. The Cumans were not fully assimilated into Hungarian society for centuries.1

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Cuman
…the Cumans and their prince Kuthen, who had earlier tried unsuccessfully to organize Russian resistance to the Mongols. Just before the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1240–41, however, Kuthen, who was considered a dangerous alien, was murdered; the Cumans left Hungary but were resettled there by Béla in 1245. Béla’s…
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…the Cumans and their prince Kuthen, who had earlier tried unsuccessfully to organize Russian resistance to the Mongols. Just before the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1240–41, however, Kuthen, who was considered a dangerous alien, was murdered; the Cumans left Hungary but were resettled there by Béla in 1245. Béla’s…
Read More