![[Media/Huns450.png]] Probably cousins of the Xiongnu, the Huns were nomadic pastoralists who probably originated in Central Asia, in the Altai Mountains or on the Mongolian steppes. By the middle of the 4th century, they had begun migrating westward, displacing other nomads such as the Alans and the Goths; who then moved westward and pushed Germanic tribes into Roman territory. They reached modern Ukraine and Russia by the 370s, pressuring the Sasanian Empire's eastern borders. A group known as the White Huns began raiding Sasanian-controlled Bactria and Khorasan by the late 4th century and put pressure on the Gupta Empire that led to its decline. In Europe, the Huns pushed the Visigoths and Ostrogoths into conflict with Rome, leading to a Germanic victory at the Battle of Adrianople in 378 that further weakened the empire. Next: [[8.11 - Attila]] Back: [[8.9 - China]]