Relations between Avar People and the Byzantine and their Penetration into Europe

 
        Avar people abolished the Sabar domination in the year of 558 and advanced towards Caucasus. Then, they established domination of the Iranian Alan people and the Ogur tribes and sent envoys to the Byzantine. These Avar people wanted the payment of an annual tax and the allocation of lands for settlement. Meanwhile, the emperor Justinianos was occupied with extensive conquests in the Balkans and in Dalmatia and the struggles against the Ogur people that tried to invade the Thrace all of a sudden.

 

        Therefore, the emperor rejected the payment of the tax. Then, he tried to set up a barrier composed of crowded Slav groups including particularly Ant people in the lower Danube basin in order to stop any possible Avar raid towards his country: However, Avar people that could surmount this obstacle easily in the year of 562 invaded the lower section of Danube River and they shared the same borders with the Byzantine. Then, they started to organise raids towards the central regions of Europe. Due to the hesitation fo the Emperor Justinos (565-578) in the payment of the taxes, they suppressed the Byzantine under the government of Hakan Bayan since the years of 565 and they penetrated into the Cental Karpat.

 

        They collaborated with Longobard people that constituted one of the Germanic tribes in the west of the Danube River. Then, they established dominion over Gepid people in the Eastern Hungary. Upon the migration of the Longobard people to the Northern Italy in the year of 568, they invaded the entire Hungary of today. Therefore, the Avar people had established a great state in the Central Europe. Afterwards, they defited the Frank king Siegebert in the west and captured the important Byzantine border citadels such as Singidunum (Belgrade) and Sirmium (Eszek), etc. in the south.

 

        The great organiser, Bayan Hakan who accomplished the conquests stated above came to Çorlu in order to advance towards Istanbul in the year of 592 and the Byzantine capital city was seized with fear. Meanwhile, the entire regions extending from the northern Slav regions towards Italy had become the military operational fields of the Abar people.