Saqaliba States

The Saqaliba States refers to a number of principalities founded by migrant South and East Slavic tribes in Anatolia, The Levant, and Mesopotamia during the collapse of the Black Empire during the 11th century. The Slavic Princes of Asia Minor exerted great power over the Middle East and Balkans until the states were mostly destroyed during the Latin Crusades, with any survivors being absorbed into the emerging Fatimid Empire.

Background
Slavic tribes had begun their migrations into Southern Europe and Anatolia following their expulsion from the steppe lands by nomadic pastoralists. Slavic tribes penetrated deep into the area of the Balkans as far south as the Pelopponese. The Byzantine Empire was left in a weakened state when the Black Empire emerged from Dacia.

The Empire made a policy of resettling local peoples to disrupt ethnic homogeny and weaken local influences. Slavic tribes were deported en mass from the Balkans into West Asia, mostly South Slavic tribes, as well as some East Slavic groups during the occupation of Southern Rus. These Slavic peoples formed communities of their own, occasionally adopting local customs such as religion.

As the Empire began to fracture, local Slavic warlords rose up to take over portions of land, establishing their own states as the power of the Empire declined.

List of Tribes
Tiversites (Tivertsi) - Ruled over Bythnia

Soclivites (Sokolovi) - Ruled over Smyrnia

Chernivites (Chernovi) - Ruled over Tarsus

Rynchites (Runchiski)

Strymonites (Strumomi)

Belhervites (Belihrvatski) - Ruled over Phyr

Draugvites (Dregovichi) - Ruled over Antioch and Syria

Melingites (Melingiski) - Ruled over Palestine

Ezerites (Ezeriski) - Ruled over Gaza

Sevichites (Savichi) - Rulers of East Pontus, descendants of Volodymyr