- Preview V - The Hephthalites -
Welcome to the fifth preview of the next installment of INVASIO BARBARORVM - RVINA ROMAE. In this preview we take a look at the Hephthalite confederation. Here You'll see some examples of the portraits, events, units, and other features that we hope will capture the atmosphere of the era.
Please note that all the material in this preview are work in progress, and have been altered for the purpose of this presentation. These effects do not appear ingame.
"The Hephthalites are of the stock of the Huns in fact as well as in name: however they do not mingle with the other Huns known to us because they neither occupy land that is adjacent to theirs nor do they live very close to them; instead they line north of Persia where they have a city named Gorgo that is situated on Persian borderland and where the two frequently fight over borderland. For they are not nomads like other Huns but have been settling on good land for along time. They are the only ones among the Huns to have white bodies and are not unpleasant to look at. Neither is their way of life anyway similar to the others..."
- Procopius, De Bello Persico 1.3.1-5
- The White Huns -
Έφθαλιται or White Huns, white Hions, Akhuns and Var - just a few of the many names they have been given. To the Romans they were known as: Ephalites, or Hephthalites; to the Persians they were the Hayathelites; and the Chinese referred to them as Ye-Tai or Hua.
Just like their supposed western cousins, the black Huns, their origin is shrouded in mystery. Some scholars argue that they were Mongols, or Hunnic, Turkic or even Iranian - but all this serves to do is highlight the fragmentary nature of the evidence. Perhaps considering them as mono-ethnic is the wrong approach, and what is more important than where they came from, is the mark they left on history.
When it comes to the culture and religion of the Hephthalites, there is conflicting evidence here too, archaeological evidence points to the widespread practice of Buddhism, within the territories of the Hephthalites, but according to Liang Shu, the Hephthalites worshipped heaven and fire, perhaps Zoroastrianism? But it seems the Hephthalites practiced inhumation, so it rules out an 'orthodox' practice of Zoroastrianism.
The ruling class of the Hephthalites used the Bactrian dialect of Persian and script, in an attempt to legitimise themselves as rightful heirs to the Kushans, It also appears, that they adopted much of Kushan culture, including a debased form of Greek alphabet. There is also the clear use of Turkic languages, particulary in royal titles, such as Khagan.
- King Lakhana of Udyana -
- The Westward Expansion and the Wars with Persia -
In the early fifth century the Hephthalites began to expand. First seizing the land of the Kidarites, capturing Kabul and for forcing the Kidarite survivors to flee to Gandhara. Around 440 they took Sogdia and Baktria, bringing them closer to a conflict with Sassanian Persia.
Between 443 and 450 the shahanshah Yazdgard II fought the Kidarite Huns, but could not defeat them. In 457 Yazdgard died and his sons vied for control over the Persian realm, eventually Peroz proved victorious but only with Hephthalite backing. But peace didn't last and Peroz's reign was also marked by severe defeats to the Hephthalites, even holding Peroz son hostage for a time. According to Joshua the Stylite, the Roman Emperor paid the randsom. In 484 the Sassanians suffered a catastrophic defeat and Peroz was killed in what is now Afghanistan, and the Hephthalites marched into eastern Iran, demanded annual tribute and intervened in Persian internal affairs.
The Hephthalites were to menace the Persians for the next century to come.
The Hunas, as they are known in sanskrit, were at first unsuccesful in their attempts at conquest. But after the death of the Gupta monarch Skandagupta in 470, they attacked in force down the Kabul valley, destroying towns and cities along the Gangees. They eventually destroyed the Gupta monarchy and ruled northwestern India for the next thirty years.
Here You'll see some samples of the new Hephthalite portraits:
Here's a few samples of the new event images:
Here's the new Hephthalite interface:
And last but not least we want to show some of the units recruitable by the Hephthalites:
- Kamāndārān-i-Kusānshahr -
Among Iranians foot archers are highly regarded. Archery is a key to win battles and training is hard and heavily emphasized. In both sieges and field battles foot archers have proven themselves again and again as decisive. They are to soften up the enemy before the elite Savaran are going to attack. In defence they are entrusted to stop enemy cavalry and infantry attacks.
Kamāndārān-i-Kusānshahr (Parsi for Achers of Kushan) were recruited among the Kushans. The Kushans, the people of the last great Iranian migration before the coming of the Turkic/Altaic, ruled large parts of both Central Asia and India before they had to acknowledge Sassanian supremacy in the mid-3rd century AD. Later, they were defeated by the Hephtalites. Recruitable in the regions of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan they were a powerful infantry, a valuable addition for each power. n\nEach archer unit is led by an officer called Tirbad. He organizes his men into groups so that one can relieve the other while maintaining a rapid fire rate.
Standard battle tactics are that they are deployed before the spearmen, firing from behind a wall of shields, retiring through them to avoid close combat. However, in opposite to the low-status foot archers Kamāndārān-i-Sāsānīg are capable melee fighter. For that they are equipped with both a shield and heavy battle mace. Any enemy closing fast and expecting a weak adversery is going to get a bad surprise for himself!
- Artetārān-i-Tuxārīg -
The Tocharians were an eastern Iranian people inhabiting the Pamir mountains. The Greek geograph Strabon mentioned them in his work and wrote that they had been part of the huge Yue-Chi migration which had destroyed the Greek Bactria kingdoms in 140 BC. Furthermore, they are mentioned in many Chinese sources as professional warriors offering their services to the petty warlords of India, Transoxania, the different nomadic conquerors and even protected caravans. They were influenced by Chineses, Indians and Iranians and their equipment (both weapons and armour) show the effective merging of different styles.
These professional spearmen are a very valuable addition to any army. They are expert spearmen, well-versed in dealing with cavalry and infantry alike.
- Nomad Horse Archers -
Nomad Horse Archers are highly skilled, lightly-armoured horsemen who are both tenacious and skilled in battle. Almost as a matter of course anyone from the steppes learns to ride as soon as they can walk (or before), and to use a bow shortly afterwards. Not to do so is to invite death or enslavement by others, or simply to go hungry.
Their equipment is similar to many other steppe horsemen, and cunningly designed so as to work perfectly. They use composite bows laminated from wood, sinew and horn to give tremendous power without needing a large bow or long pull.
- Nomad Spearmen -
Nomad Spearmen are recruited from amongst the young and low-status members of a tribe. They use their own equipment, a spear, a shield and are given a good lesson in obedience to their betters before being pushed into a battle line.
Spearmen are the men that real steppe warriors look down upon from their lofty saddles. This can be rather foolish, as a man with a spear can kill even the bravest horseman, or stop him dead in his tracks when his horse (quite sensibly) refuses to charge headlong onto a sharp spearpoint. These men are worth bringing to a battle, as they can provide a solid anchor for a battleline when fighting cavalry, even if they are vulnerable to attack by missiles or swordsmen.
- Gandhara Swordsmen -
The Indians were known for their exceptionally high-quality steel weapons. Especially the broadswords were sought-after blade weapons. Gandhara Swordsmen are well-trained in fighting with such swords and in melee battles feared opponents.
The Kingdom of Gandhara was a powerful realm located in the regions of todays Pakistan and western regions of India. The Kushans dominated the regions and their lords and kings ruled that kingdom till they were subdued by the Sassanian Shahanshah Shapur II in the 4th century. Indian and Kushano-Iranian culture merged here and a thriving culture as they can be still seen in the remains of the city of Taxila. Under the Kidara Huns they again got their independence from the Sassanians back and that lasted in the 5th century for a short peroid till they finally were conquered by the powerful Hephtalites tribal confederacy.
- Farghana Cavalry -
The Farghana valley is another important staging post in the silk road and the city-state of Kashgar was a major economic hub in that region and was even conquered by the Chinese in the 7th century AD.
As Sughdian Cavalry are Farghana riders tough, well disciplined, and well-equipped. They are certainly a match for most other civilized soldiers. In a society that fields several different forms of armored cavalry, the fact that they can hold their own really speaks volumes in favor of these men.
Farghana Cavalry are a professional corps of fighters who can be expected to stand in a battle line and behave with great courage. Their equipment is lavish by the standards of previous times, over their silk coat is the lower part of a lamellar cuirass, a tall Turkish-stlye segmented helmet for the head and laminated armour protects arms and legs. Their armour is cleverly padded to give some relief under the hot sun. Farghanas should be seen as being the equals in many ways of the best of the any adversery and their superiors in some respects too!
- Chakaran Cavalry -
Chakaran are professional Transoxanian warriors, many of them were captured (even some as children) and then trained as warriors. These are the armed retainers whom the Chineses described them as cavalry of great valour. Both local aristocracy and rich merchants enlisted them for protecting their caravans, fighting their feuds, reinforcing their armies. These warriors were so effective that some scholars suggested that they strongly influenced the later, medieval Islamic system of the Ghulams and Mamlucks.
Transoxania is located on the southern fringes of the steppes. In the 5th century the Sassanians were slowly loosing their grip on that region, however, the local petty lords could never form a united kingdom.
These heavy cavalry are not the answer to every tactical problem. They are superb for breaking enemy formations, but they cannot be used for more 'traditional' cavalry duties such as pursuit and screening. They are an iron fist inside a spiked iron glove, ready to deliver their commander's punch to the enemies' collective throat!
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The Team of INVASIO BARBARORVM - RVINA ROMAE, consists of:
Gäiten - Units (models (improved and new) , textures (improved and new), related text-files), overworked map etc.
Ihatemonday - Music & Environments etc.
PSEUDO ROMANUS - Late Latin Soundmod & In-game vids etc.
Joar - 2D art & text work, traits, ancillaries etc.
We would like to express a special thank you to Constantius, for writing the historical background text about the Hephthalites.
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Originally Posted by Knonfoda
