Nezak Huns
The Nezak Huns (Pahlavi: 𐭭𐭩𐭰𐭪𐭩 nycky), also Nezak Shahs, was a significant principality in the south of the Hindu Kush region of South Asia from circa 484 to 665 CE. Despite being traditionally identified as the last of the Hunnic states, their ethnicity remains disputed and speculative. The dynasty is primarily evidenced by coinage inscribing a characteristic water-buffalo-head crown and an eponymous legend.
Nezak Huns 𐭭𐭩𐭰𐭪𐭩 nycky | |||||||||||||
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| 484–665 CE | |||||||||||||
Royal Bull's-head crown of the Nezak kings
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The Nezak Huns and contemporary continental Asian polities c. 500 CE. | |||||||||||||
| Capital | Ghazna Kapisa | ||||||||||||
| Common languages | Pahlavi script (written) Middle Persian (common) | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Buddhism Hinduism | ||||||||||||
| Government | Nomadic empire | ||||||||||||
| Nezak Shah | |||||||||||||
• 653 - 665 | Ghar-ilchi | ||||||||||||
| Historical era | Late Antiquity | ||||||||||||
• Established | 484 | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 665 CE | ||||||||||||
| Currency | Hunnic Drachm | ||||||||||||
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| Today part of | Afghanistan Pakistan | ||||||||||||
The Nezak Huns rose to power after the Sasanian Empire's defeat by the Hephthalites. Their founder may have been a Huna ally or an indigenous ruler who had accepted tributary status. Little is known about the intermediary rulers; they received regular diplomatic missions from the Tang dynasty, and some coexisted with the Alchon Huns from about the mid-sixth century. The polity collapsed in the mid-seventh century after experiencing increasingly frequent invasions from the Arab frontier. A vassal usurped the throne and established the Turk Shahis.