Where do modern Khazars live? Who are the descendants of the Khazars: Russians or Ukrainians?

Khazars (Hebrew כוזרים‎ (kuzarim), Arabic خزر‎‎ (Khazar), Greek Χαζαροι (Khazar), Old Russian Kozare, Latin Gazari, Cosri) - Turkic-speaking nomadic people. Became known in the Eastern Ciscaucasia (plain Dagestan) soon after the Hun invasion. It was formed as a result of the interaction of three ethnic components: the local Iranian-speaking population, as well as alien Ugric and Turkic tribes. The Khazar language is extinct. Khazar were called Black and, less commonly, Sea of Azov(at that time, the Khazars’ positions in Crimea were very strong). The Caspian Sea is also called the Khazars in Middle Eastern languages - see Khazar Sea. On land, the name "Khazar" was retained for the longest time by the Crimea (in Byzantine and Italian sources until the 16th century). According to some researchers (B.N. Zakhoder), the Khazar ethnic group had a dualistic basis, uniting two main tribes - white and black Khazars (Kalis-Khazars and Kara-Khazars). Moreover, the white Khazars were tall, light-eyed and fair-haired, while the black Khazars were short and dark-haired. Supporters of a different point of view (M.I. Artamonov, A.P. Novoseltsev) consider this division not ethnic, but social and point to a more complex organization. In close connection with the Khazar tribal union were the Barsils, Savirs, Balanjars, etc. Later they were partially assimilated. The closest to the Khazars were the Barsils, together with whom they are often mentioned in initial period history, and the country of Bersilia appears in the sources as the starting point from which the Khazar expansion in Europe begins. The Khazars are descendants of the Hun tribe Akatsir, known in Europe since the 5th century (A.V. Gadlo, O. Pritsak). The Khazars are of Uyghur origin, from the Central Asian Kho-sa people mentioned in Chinese sources. (D. Dunlop) (see main article Uyghur theory of the origin of the Khazars). The Khazars are descendants of the Hephthalites who migrated to the Caucasus from Khorasan (Eastern Iran) (D. Ludwig). The Khazars descend from a tribal union formed by the Ogurs, Savirs and, at the final stage, the Altai Turks. (P. Golden, M. I. Artamonov, A. P. Novoseltsev). Until the 7th century, the Khazars occupied a subordinate position in successive nomadic empires. In the 560s ended up as part of the Turkic Kaganate, after the collapse of the latter in the middle of the 7th century they created their own state - the Khazar Kaganate (650-969), which became one of the most durable nomadic associations in this region. Initially living in the area north of Derbent within modern lowland Dagestan, the Khazars began to settle in controlled regions: in the Crimea, on the Don and especially in the Lower Volga region, where the capital of the state was moved in the 8th century. Several groups of Khazars, as a result of long wars against Iran and the Arab Caliphate, were forcibly resettled in Transcaucasia. Later, many high-ranking ghulams of the Abbasid Caliphate were of Khazar origin. It is also known about the existence of a Khazar garrison in Constantinople and a Khazar-Jewish community in Kyiv (the Kozary tract exists in Kyiv to this day). In the first half of the 9th century, three Khazar families, called Kavars, left the country due to political strife and joined the Hungarians, with whom they came to Pannonia and were subsequently assimilated. After the fall of the Khazar Khaganate in the second half of the 10th century, the Khazars disappeared into the Polovtsian environment. Some of the ethnic Khazars who professed Judaism, in all likelihood, joined the Central European Jewish communities. Some representatives of the Turkic-speaking communities - Karaites and Krymchaks, as well as Iranian-speaking Mountain Jews, consider themselves descendants of the Khazars. The Khazar roots may be from the Kumyks. A new enemy appeared among the Khazars with the formation Kievan Rus.. The question of the so-called Russian Kaganate, which was first mentioned in sources under the year 839, is not clear enough. The title of Kagan was later worn Kyiv princes, and his circulation in the 9th century is usually regarded as a claim to equality with the Khazars. Be that as it may, the Varangian squads that penetrated into Eastern Europe began to successfully challenge the hegemony of the Khazars over Slavic tribes. The Polans (864), Northerners (884) and Radimichi (885) were freed from the Khazars. Responding to the challenges that arose, the Khazars, with the help of Byzantium, built a series of fortresses on the northeastern borders. OK. In 834, the Kagan and the Bek turned to Emperor Theophilus with a request for help in the construction of the Sarkel fortress. The fortress was located on the left bank of the Don and became the main stronghold of the Khazars in the region. In addition to Sarkel, as archaeological data indicate, a network of similar fortifications was created along the tributaries of the Don. In con. IX - 1st half. X centuries The Khazar Khaganate weakened, but still continued to remain an influential state thanks to a trained army and skillful diplomacy. The rulers pursued a policy of maneuvering between three major forces: Byzantium (which had lost interest in allied relations), nomads and Russia. In con. 9th century During the reign of King Benjamin, a coalition organized by Byzantium, consisting of the Pechenegs, Black Bulgars and several other nomadic tribes, came out against Khazaria. The Khazars defeated it with the support of the Alans. Under the next king, Aaron, Byzantium managed to destroy the Khazar-Alan alliance, and now the Khazars defeated the Alans with the help of one of the nomadic leaders. The Alanian king was captured, but received with honor. He gave his daughter to Aaron's son Joseph.

(A. Polyak, A. Rona-Tash),

to the Turkic verb with the meaning “to oppress”, “to oppress” (L. Bazin).

Origin

According to some researchers (B.N. Zakhoder), the Khazar ethnic group had a dualistic basis, uniting two main tribes - white and black Khazars (Kalis-Khazars and Kara-Khazars). Supporters of a different point of view (M. I. Artamonov, A. P. Novoseltsev) consider this division not ethnic, but social and point to a more complex organization. In close connection with the Khazar tribal union were the Barsils, Savirs, Balanjars, etc. Later they were partially assimilated. The closest to the Khazars were the Barsils, together with whom they were often mentioned in the initial period of history, and the country of Bersilia appears in the sources as the starting point from which the Khazar expansion in Europe began.

The following hypotheses have been put forward regarding the origin of the Khazars and their ancestral home:

The Khazars are descendants of the Hun tribe Akatsir, known in Europe since the 5th century (A.V. Gadlo, O. Pritsak).
The Khazars are of Uyghur origin, from the Central Asian Kho-sa people mentioned in Chinese sources. (D. Dunlop) (see main article Uyghur theory of the origin of the Khazars).
The Khazars are descendants of the Hephthalites who migrated to the Caucasus from Khorasan (Eastern Iran) (D. Ludwig).
The Khazars descend from a tribal union formed by the Ogurs, Savirs and, at the final stage, the Altai Turks. (P. Golden, M. I. Artamonov, A. P. Novoseltsev, D. Nemeth).

The latter point of view (in different variations) occupies a dominant position in Russian and Ukrainian science.

Territory of settlement, political expansion

Until the 7th century, the Khazars occupied a subordinate position in successive nomadic empires. In the 560s they became part of the Turkic Khaganate, after the collapse of the latter in the middle of the 7th century they created their own state - the Khazar Khaganate (-), which became one of the most durable nomadic associations in this region.

Originally inhabiting the region north of Derbent within modern lowland Dagestan, the Khazars began to settle in controlled regions: the Crimea, the Don, and especially the Lower Volga region, where the state capital was moved in the 8th century. Several groups of Khazars, as a result of long wars against Iran and the Arab Caliphate, were forcibly resettled in Transcaucasia. Later, many high-ranking ghulams of the Abbasid Caliphate were of Khazar origin. It is also known about the existence of a Khazar garrison in Constantinople and a Khazar-Jewish community in Kyiv (the Kozary tract exists in Kyiv to this day). In the first half of the 9th century, three Khazar families, called Kavars, left the country due to political strife and joined the Hungarians, with whom they came to Pannonia and were later assimilated.

Culture, religion and social system

The social organization as a whole did not differ from similar ethnopolitical formations of nomads, but as statehood became established, it progressively evolved. Initially, elected rulers gave way to a hereditary dynasty of Khagans, which in turn gave way to the diarchy of Khagan and Bey. By the 10th century, the Khazars switched from a nomadic lifestyle to a semi-nomadic one, spending winter time in cities.

Religious beliefs consisted of common Turkic pagan rituals, characteristic feature which was the worship of the god Tengri and the deification of the Kagan. Thanks to geographical location and the government's tolerant policy, Christianity and Islam intensively penetrated the Khazar environment. In the VIII-IX centuries. part of the Khazars, led by the ruling family, converted to Judaism.

The Saltovo-Mayak archaeological culture is considered common to the Khazar Khaganate, but monuments firmly associated with the Khazars themselves have not yet been identified.

Extinction, possible descendants

Some of the ethnic Khazars who professed Judaism, in all likelihood, joined the Central European Jewish communities. Some representatives of the Turkic-speaking Jewish peoples - Karaites and Krymchaks, as well as Iranian-speaking Mountain Jews, consider themselves descendants of the Khazars. Some Turkic-speaking peoples of the North Caucasus may have Khazar roots.

The problem of the descendants of the Khazars is the subject of various theories and speculations in popular literature.

Gallery of archaeological finds (Saltovo-Mayak culture)


Women's jewelry, 8th-9th centuries		Details of a man's belt set, 8th-9th centuries		Dishes

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Notes

Literature

Artamonov M.I./ Ed. and with notes L. N. Gumileva. - L.: State Publishing House. Hermitage, 1962. - 523 p.
Zakhoder B. N. Gorgan and the Volga region in the 9th-10th centuries]. - M.: Nauka, 1962. - 279 p.
Ivik O., Klyuchnikov V. Khazars / Oleg Ivik, Vladimir Klyuchnikov. - M.: Lomonosov, 2013. - 336 p. - (History. Geography. Ethnography). - 1500 copies.- ISBN 978-5-91678-148-9.
(in translation) Koestler A.- ISBN 978-5-91678-148-9.
The Thirteenth Tribe: The Collapse of the Khazar Empire and Its Legacy. - St. Petersburg. : Eurasia, 2001. - 320 p. - (Barbaricum). - 3000 copies.- ISBN 5-8071-0076-X.
Novoseltsev A.P.. - M.: Nauka, 1990. - 264 p. - ISBN 5-02-009552-4.
Petrukhin V., Flerov V. Judaism in Khazaria according to archaeological data // History of the Jewish people in Russia. From antiquity to early modern times. Volume 1 - M.: Bridges of Culture / Gesharim, 2010. - P. 149-161.

Pletneva S. A.

/ Rep. ed. B. A. Rybakov. - M.: Nauka, 1976. - 96 p. - (Popular science series). - 120,000 copies.
Links Audio. Archaeologist, Doctor of History. Sciences Magomedov M.G. about the proto-Bulgarians and Khazars.





Petrukhin V. Ya.

// Jewish magazine. 2007.

Rulers

Figures

Places

Associated peoples and tribes

main sources

Khazar scientists

Kutuzov and his retinue were returning to the city. The commander-in-chief gave a sign for the people to continue walking freely, and pleasure was expressed on his face and on all the faces of his retinue at the sounds of the song, at the sight of the dancing soldier and the soldiers of the company walking cheerfully and briskly. In the second row, from the right flank, from which the carriage overtook the companies, one involuntarily caught the eye of a blue-eyed soldier, Dolokhov, who especially briskly and gracefully walked to the beat of the song and looked at the faces of those passing with such an expression, as if he felt sorry for everyone who did not go at this time with the company. A hussar cornet from Kutuzov's retinue, imitating the regimental commander, fell behind the carriage and drove up to Dolokhov.
The hussar cornet Zherkov at one time in St. Petersburg belonged to that violent society led by Dolokhov. Abroad, Zherkov met Dolokhov as a soldier, but did not consider it necessary to recognize him. Now, after Kutuzov’s conversation with the demoted man, he turned to him with the joy of an old friend:
- Dear friend, how are you? - he said at the sound of the song, matching the step of his horse with the step of the company.
- I am like? - Dolokhov answered coldly, - as you see.
The lively song gave particular significance to the tone of cheeky gaiety with which Zherkov spoke and the deliberate coldness of Dolokhov’s answers.
- Well, how do you get along with your boss? – asked Zherkov.
- Nothing, good people. How did you get into the headquarters?
- Seconded, on duty.
They were silent.
“She released a falcon from her right sleeve,” said the song, involuntarily arousing a cheerful, cheerful feeling. Their conversation would probably have been different if they had not spoken to the sound of a song.
– Is it true that the Austrians were beaten? – asked Dolokhov.
“The devil knows them,” they say.
“I’m glad,” Dolokhov answered briefly and clearly, as the song required.
“Well, come to us in the evening, you’ll pawn the Pharaoh,” said Zherkov.
– Or do you have a lot of money?
- Come.
- It is forbidden. I made a vow. I don’t drink or gamble until they make it.
- Well, on to the first thing...
- We'll see there.
Again they were silent.
“You come in if you need anything, everyone at headquarters will help...” said Zherkov.
Dolokhov grinned.
- You better not worry. I won’t ask for anything I need, I’ll take it myself.
- Well, I’m so...
- Well, so am I.
- Goodbye.
- Be healthy…
... and high and far,
On the home side...
Zherkov touched his spurs to the horse, which, getting excited, kicked three times, not knowing which one to start with, managed and galloped off, overtaking the company and catching up with the carriage, also to the beat of the song.

Returning from the review, Kutuzov, accompanied by the Austrian general, went into his office and, calling the adjutant, ordered to be given some papers related to the state of the arriving troops, and letters received from Archduke Ferdinand, who commanded the advanced army. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky entered the commander-in-chief's office with the required papers. Kutuzov and an Austrian member of the Gofkriegsrat sat in front of the plan laid out on the table.
“Ah...” said Kutuzov, looking back at Bolkonsky, as if with this word he was inviting the adjutant to wait, and continued the conversation he had started in French.
“I’m just saying one thing, General,” Kutuzov said with a pleasant grace of expression and intonation, which forced you to listen carefully to every leisurely spoken word. It was clear that Kutuzov himself enjoyed listening to himself. “I only say one thing, General, that if the matter depended on my personal desire, then the will of His Majesty Emperor Franz would have been fulfilled long ago.” I would have joined the Archduke long ago. And believe my honor, it would be a joy for me personally to hand over the highest command of the army to a more knowledgeable and skilled general than I am, of which Austria is so abundant, and to relinquish all this heavy responsibility. But circumstances are stronger than us, General.
And Kutuzov smiled with an expression as if he was saying: “You have every right not to believe me, and even I don’t care at all whether you believe me or not, but you have no reason to tell me this. And that’s the whole point.”
The Austrian general looked dissatisfied, but could not help but respond to Kutuzov in the same tone.
“On the contrary,” he said in a grumpy and angry tone, so contrary to the flattering meaning of the words he was saying, “on the contrary, your Excellency’s participation in common cause highly valued by His Majesty; but we believe that the present slowdown deprives the glorious Russian troops and their commanders-in-chief of the laurels that they are accustomed to reaping in battles,” he finished his apparently prepared phrase.
Kutuzov bowed without changing his smile.
“And I am so convinced and, based on the last letter with which His Highness Archduke Ferdinand honored me, I assume that the Austrian troops, under the command of such a skillful assistant as General Mack, have now won a decisive victory and no longer need our help,” said Kutuzov.
The general frowned. Although there was no positive news about the defeat of the Austrians, there were too many circumstances that confirmed the general unfavorable rumors; and therefore Kutuzov’s assumption about the victory of the Austrians was very similar to ridicule. But Kutuzov smiled meekly, still with the same expression, which said that he had the right to assume this. Indeed, the last letter he received from Mac's army informed him of the victory and the most advantageous strategic position of the army.
“Give me this letter here,” said Kutuzov, turning to Prince Andrei. - If you please, see. - And Kutuzov, with a mocking smile at the ends of his lips, read in German to the Austrian general the following passage from a letter from Archduke Ferdinand: “Wir haben vollkommen zusammengehaltene Krafte, nahe an 70,000 Mann, um den Feind, wenn er den Lech passirte, angreifen und schlagen zu konnen. Wir konnen, da wir Meister von Ulm sind, den Vortheil, auch von beiden Uferien der Donau Meister zu bleiben, nicht verlieren; mithin auch jeden Augenblick, wenn der Feind den Lech nicht passirte, die Donau ubersetzen, uns auf seine Communikations Linie werfen, die Donau unterhalb repassiren und dem Feinde, wenn er sich gegen unsere treue Allirte mit ganzer Macht wenden wollte, seine Absicht alabald vereitelien. Wir werden auf solche Weise den Zeitpunkt, wo die Kaiserlich Ruseische Armee ausgerustet sein wird, muthig entgegenharren, und sodann leicht gemeinschaftlich die Moglichkeit finden, dem Feinde das Schicksal zuzubereiten, so er verdient.” [We have quite concentrated forces, about 70,000 people, so that we can attack and defeat the enemy if he crosses Lech. Since we already own Ulm, we can retain the benefit of command of both banks of the Danube, therefore, every minute, if the enemy does not cross the Lech, cross the Danube, rush to his communication line, and below cross the Danube back to the enemy, if he decides to turn all his power on our loyal allies, prevent his intention from being fulfilled. In this way we will cheerfully await the time when the imperial Russian army will be completely prepared, and then together we will easily find the opportunity to prepare for the enemy the fate he deserves.”]
Kutuzov sighed heavily, ending this period, and looked attentively and affectionately at the member of the Gofkriegsrat.
- But you know, Your Excellency, wise rule“, which instructs us to assume the worst,” said the Austrian general, apparently wanting to end the jokes and get down to business.
He involuntarily looked back at the adjutant.
“Excuse me, General,” Kutuzov interrupted him and also turned to Prince Andrei. - That's it, my dear, take all the reports from our spies from Kozlovsky. Here are two letters from Count Nostitz, here is a letter from His Highness Archduke Ferdinand, here is another,” he said, handing him several papers. - And from all this, purely, on French, compose a memorandum, a note, to show all the news that we had about the actions of the Austrian army. Well, then, introduce him to his Excellency.
Prince Andrei bowed his head as a sign that he understood from the first words not only what was said, but also what Kutuzov wanted to tell him. He collected the papers, and, making a general bow, quietly walking along the carpet, went out into the reception room.
Despite the fact that not much time has passed since Prince Andrei left Russia, he has changed a lot during this time. In the expression of his face, in his movements, in his gait, the former pretense, fatigue and laziness were almost not noticeable; he had the appearance of a man who does not have time to think about the impression he makes on others, and is busy doing something pleasant and interesting. His face expressed more satisfaction with himself and those around him; his smile and gaze were more cheerful and attractive.
Kutuzov, whom he caught up with in Poland, received him very kindly, promised him not to forget him, distinguished him from other adjutants, took him with him to Vienna and gave him more serious assignments. From Vienna, Kutuzov wrote to his old comrade, the father of Prince Andrei:
“Your son,” he wrote, “shows hope of becoming an officer, out of the ordinary in his studies, firmness and diligence. I consider myself lucky to have such a subordinate at hand.”
At Kutuzov's headquarters, among his comrades and colleagues, and in the army in general, Prince Andrei, as well as in St. Petersburg society, had two completely opposite reputations.
Some, a minority, recognized Prince Andrei as something special from themselves and from all other people, they expected from him great success, listened to him, admired him and imitated him; and with these people Prince Andrei was simple and pleasant. Others, the majority, did not like Prince Andrei, considered him a pompous, cold and unpleasant person. But with these people, Prince Andrei knew how to position himself in such a way that he was respected and even feared.
Coming out of Kutuzov’s office into the reception area, Prince Andrei with papers approached his comrade, the adjutant on duty Kozlovsky, who was sitting by the window with a book.
- Well, what, prince? – asked Kozlovsky.
“We were ordered to write a note explaining why we shouldn’t go ahead.”
- And why?
Prince Andrey shrugged his shoulders.
- No news from Mac? – asked Kozlovsky.
- No.
“If it were true that he was defeated, then the news would come.”
“Probably,” said Prince Andrei and headed towards the exit door; but at the same time, a tall, obviously visiting, Austrian general in a frock coat, with a black scarf tied around his head and with the Order of Maria Theresa around his neck, quickly entered the reception room, slamming the door. Prince Andrei stopped.
- General Chief Kutuzov? – the visiting general quickly said with a sharp German accent, looking around on both sides and walking without stopping to the office door.
“The general in chief is busy,” said Kozlovsky, hastily approaching the unknown general and blocking his path from the door. - How would you like to report?
The unknown general looked contemptuously down at the short Kozlovsky, as if surprised that he might not be known.
“The general in chief is busy,” Kozlovsky repeated calmly.
The general's face frowned, his lips twitched and trembled. He took out notebook, quickly drew something with a pencil, tore out the piece of paper, handed it over, quickly walked up to the window, threw his body on a chair and looked around at those in the room, as if asking: why are they looking at him? Then the general raised his head, craned his neck, as if intending to say something, but immediately, as if casually starting to hum to himself, he made a strange sound, which immediately stopped. The door to the office opened, and Kutuzov appeared on the threshold. The general with his head bandaged, as if running away from danger, bent down and approached Kutuzov with large, fast steps of his thin legs.
“Vous voyez le malheureux Mack, [You see the unfortunate Mack.],” he said in a broken voice.
The face of Kutuzov, standing in the doorway of the office, remained completely motionless for several moments. Then, like a wave, a wrinkle ran across his face, his forehead smoothed out; He bowed his head respectfully, closed his eyes, silently let Mac pass by him and closed the door behind himself.

Neighboring peoples wrote a lot about the Khazars, but they themselves left virtually no information about themselves. Just as suddenly the Khazars appeared on the historical stage, just as suddenly they left it.

God knows where

The Khazars were first reported in the 5th century by the Armenian historian Moses Khorensky, who wrote that “crowds of Khazars and Basils, having united, crossed the Kura and scattered on this side.” The mention of the Kura River apparently indicates that the Khazars came to Transcaucasia from the territory of Iran. The Arab chronicler Yaqubi confirms this, noting that “the Khazars again took possession of everything that the Persians had taken from them, and held it in their hands until the Romans drove them out and installed a king over the four Armenians.”
Until the 7th century, the Khazars behaved rather modestly, being part of various nomadic empires - longest of all the Turkic Khaganate. But by the middle of the century they grew stronger and bolder so much that they created their own state - the Khazar Khaganate, which was destined to exist for more than three centuries.

Ghost State

The Byzantine and Arab chronicles describe in all colors the greatness of Itil, the beauty of Semender and the power of Belenjer. True, one gets the feeling that the chroniclers only reflected the rumors circulating about the Khazar Kaganate. Thus, the anonymous author, as if retelling a legend, answers the Byzantine dignitary that there is a country called “al-Khazar”, which is separated from Constantinople by 15 days of travel, “but between them and us there are many nations, and their king’s name is Joseph.”
Attempts by archaeologists to establish what the mysterious “Khazaria” was began to be actively undertaken in the 20-30s of the 20th century. But everything was unsuccessful. It turned out to be easiest to discover the Khazar fortress Sarkel (White Vezha), since its location was known relatively accurately. Professor Mikhail Artamonov managed to excavate Sarkel, but he could not find traces of the Khazars. “The archaeological culture of the Khazars itself remains unknown,” the professor sadly stated and suggested continuing the search in the lower reaches of the Volga.

Russian Atlantis

Continuing Artamonov’s research, Lev Gumilev conducts his search for “Khazaria” on the unflooded islands of the Volga delta, but the list of finds attributed to the Khazar culture is small. Moreover, he was never able to find the legendary Itil.
Then Gumilyov changes his strategy and conducts underwater reconnaissance near part of the Derbent wall, which goes into the Caspian Sea. What he discovered amazes him: where the sea now splashes, people lived and needed drinking water! Even the medieval Italian geographer Marina Sanuto noted that “The Caspian Sea is growing year by year, and many good cities already flooded."
Gumilyov concludes that the Khazar state should be sought under the thickness sea water and sediments of the Volga delta. However, the attack came not only from the sea: a drought was approaching “Khazaria” from land, which completed what had been started by the Caspian.

Scattering

What nature failed to do, the Russian-Varangian squads accomplished, finally destroying the once powerful Khazar Khaganate and scattering its multinational composition around the world. Some of the refugees after Svyatoslav’s victorious campaign in 964 were met in Georgia by the Arab traveler Ibn Haukal.
Modern researcher Stepan Golovin notes a very wide geography of settlement of the Khazars. In his opinion, “the Khazars of the delta mixed with the Mongols, and the Jews partly hid in the mountains of Dagestan, and partly moved back to Persia. Christian Alans survived in the mountains of Ossetia, and Turkic Khazars Christians moved to the Don in search of co-religionists.”
Some studies show that the Christian Khazars, having merged with their Don co-religionists, subsequently began to be called “wanderers”, and later Cossacks. However, more credible are the conclusions according to which the bulk of the Khazars became part of the Volga Bulgaria.
The 10th-century Arab geographer Istakhri claims that “the language of the Bulgars is similar to the language of the Khazars.” These loved ones ethnic groups What unites them is that they were the first to create their own states on the ruins of the Turkic Kaganate, which were headed by Turkic dynasties. But fate decreed that first the Khazars subjugated the Bulgars to their influence, and then they themselves joined the new state.

Unexpected descendants

At the moment, there are many versions about the descendant peoples of the Khazars. According to some, these are Eastern European Jews, others call Crimean Karaites. But the difficulty is that we do not know what the Khazar language was: the few runic inscriptions have still not been deciphered.

Writer Arthur Koestler supports the idea that the Khazar Jews, having moved after the fall of the Khaganate to eastern Europe, became the core of the world Jewish diaspora. In his opinion, this confirms the fact that the descendants of the “Thirteenth Tribe” (as the writer called the Khazar Jews), being not of Semitic origin, ethnically and culturally have little in common with modern Jews of Israel.

Publicist Alexander Polyukh, in an attempt to identify the Khazar descendants, followed a completely unusual path. He relies on scientific conclusions, according to which the blood group corresponds to the way of life of the people and determines the ethnic group. Thus, Russians and Belarusians, like most Europeans, in his opinion, more than 90% have blood group I (O), and ethnic Ukrainians are 40% carriers of group III (B).
Polyukh writes that group III (B) serves as a sign of peoples who led a nomadic lifestyle (where he includes the Khazars), for whom it approaches 100% of the population.

Further, the writer supports his conclusions with new archaeological finds of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valentin Yanin, who confirms that Kyiv at the time of its capture by the Novgorodians (IX century) was not a Slavic city, as evidenced by the “birch bark letters”.
Also, according to Polyukh, the conquest of Kyiv and the defeat of the Khazars, carried out by Oleg, suspiciously coincide in terms of timing. Here he makes a sensational conclusion: Kyiv is the possible capital of the Khazar Kaganate, and ethnic Ukrainians are the direct descendants of the Khazars.

Latest finds

However, sensational conclusions may be premature. In the early 2000s, 40 kilometers south of Astrakhan, Russian archaeologists discovered “Khazar traces” during excavations in the medieval city of Saksin. A series of radiocarbon analyzes date the cultural layer to the 9th century - the heyday of the Khazar Khaganate. As soon as the settlement was outlined, its area was determined - two square kilometers. What large city besides Itil did the Khazars build in the Volga delta?
It’s certainly too early to rush to conclusions, however, already now the pillars of Khazarology M. Artamonov and G. Fedorov-Davydov are almost sure that the capital of the Khazar Kaganate has been found. As for the Khazars, most likely they simply disappeared into the ethnoculture of neighboring peoples without leaving behind direct descendants.

The ancient and medieval history of mankind holds many mysteries. Even with modern level technologies, there are still blind spots in the study of most issues.

Who were the Khazars? This is one of those problems with no exact answer. We know little about them, but even if we collect all the existing references to this people, even more questions arise.

Let's get to know these interesting people better.

Who are the Khazars

This tribe - the Khazars - is first mentioned in Chinese sources as part of the population great empire Huns. Researchers present several hypotheses regarding the origin of the ethnonym and the ancestral homeland of the Khazars.

Let's first deal with the name. The root "goats" in many Central Asian languages means a number of words associated with nomadism. This version seems the most plausible, because the others look like this. In Farsi, “Khazar” means “thousand”, the Romans called the emperor Caesar, and the Turks understand oppression by this word.

They try to determine the ancestral home from the earliest records that mention the Khazars. Where did their ancestors live, who were their closest neighbors? There are still no clear answers.

There are three equivalent theories. The first considers them the ancestors of the Uyghurs, the second considers them to be the Hunnic tribe of the Akatsirs, and the third is inclined to believe that the Khazars are the descendants of the tribal union of the Ogurs and Savirs.

Whether this is true or not is difficult to answer. Only one thing is clear. The origin of the Khazars and the beginning of their expansion to the west is connected with the land they called Barsilia.

Mention in written sources

If we analyze the information from the notes of contemporaries, we also get confusion.

On the one hand, existing sources say that it was a powerful empire. On the other hand, the fragmentary information contained in the notes of travelers cannot illustrate anything at all.

The most complete source that reflects the state of affairs in the country is considered to be the correspondence of the Kagan with the Spanish dignitary Hasdai ibn Shaprut. They communicated in writing on the topic of Judaism. The Spaniard was a diplomat who was interested jewish empire, which existed, according to merchants, near the Caspian Sea.

Three letters contain a legend about where the ancient Khazars came from - brief information about cities, the political, social and economic situation.
Other sources, such as Russian chronicles, Arabic, Persian and other references, mainly describe only the causes, course and results of local military conflicts on the borders.

Geography of Khazaria

Kagan Joseph in his letter tells where the Khazars came from, where these tribes lived, and what they did. Let's take a closer look at its description.

So, the empire spread during its greatest prosperity from the Southern Bug to Aral Sea and from Caucasus Mountains to the Volga near the latitude of the city of Murom.

Numerous tribes lived in this territory. In forest and forest-steppe regions, a sedentary method of farming was common, in the steppe - nomadic. In addition, there were a lot of vineyards near the Caspian Sea.

The largest cities that the Kagan mentioned in his letter were the following. The capital, Itil, was located in the lower reaches of the Volga. Sarkel (the Russians called it Belaya Vezha) was located on the Don, and Semender and Belenger were on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

The rise of the Khaganate begins after the collapse of the Turkic Empire, in the middle of the seventh century AD. By this time, the ancestors of the Khazars lived in the area of modern Derbent, in lowland Dagestan. Hence the expansion to the north, west and south.

After the capture of Crimea, the Khazars settled in this territory. She was identified with this ethnonym for a very long time. Even in the sixteenth century, the Genoese referred to the peninsula as "Gazaria".

Thus, the Khazars are an association of Turkic tribes that were able to create the most durable nomadic state in history.

Beliefs in the Khaganate

Due to the fact that the empire was at the crossroads of trade routes, cultures and religions, it became akin to medieval Babylon.

Since the main population of the Kaganate were Turkic peoples, the majority worshiped Tengri Khan. This belief is still preserved in Central Asia.

The nobility of the Kaganate adopted Judaism, which is why it is still believed that the Khazars are Jews. However, this is not entirely true, because only a very small segment of the population professed this religion.

Christians and Muslims were also represented in the state. Due to unsuccessful campaigns against the Arab caliphs in the last decades of the existence of the Kaganate, Islam gained greater freedom in the empire.

But why do they stubbornly believe that the Khazars are Jews? The most likely reason is the legend described by Joseph in a letter. He tells Hasdai that when choosing a state religion, an Orthodox and a rabbi were invited. The latter managed to out-argue everyone and convince the Kagan and his retinue that he was right.

Wars with neighbors

The campaigns against the Khazars are most fully described in Russian chronicles and Arab military records. The Caliphate fought for influence in the Caucasus, and the Slavs, on the one hand, opposed the southern slave traders who robbed villages, and on the other, they strengthened their eastern borders.

The first prince who fought with the Khazar Khaganate was He was able to recapture some lands and forced them to pay tribute to themselves, and not to the Khazars.

More interesting information is about the son of Olga and Igor. He, being a skilled warrior and wise commander, took advantage of the weakness of the empire and dealt a crushing blow to it.

The troops he gathered went down the Volga and took Itil. Next, Sarkel on the Don and Semender on the Caspian coast were captured. This sudden and powerful expansion destroyed the once powerful empire.

After this, Svyatoslav began to gain a foothold in this territory. Vezha was built on the site of Sarkel, and the Vyatichi, a tribe bordering on Russia on one side and Khazaria on the other, were subject to tribute.

An interesting fact is that with all the seeming strife and wars in Kyiv for a long time there was a detachment of Khazar mercenaries. The Tale of Bygone Years mentions the Kozary tract in the capital of Rus'. It was located near the confluence of the Pochayna River and the Dnieper River.

Where did the whole people go?

Conquests, of course, affect the population, but it is noteworthy that after the Slavs defeated the main cities of the Kaganate, information about this people disappears. They are no longer mentioned in a single word or in any chronicle.

The most plausible solution this issue researchers believe the following. Being a Turkic-speaking ethnic group, the Khazars were able to assimilate with their neighbors in the Caspian region.

Today, scientists believe that the bulk dissolved in this region, some remained in Crimea, and most of the noble Khazars moved to Central Europe. There they were able to unite with Jewish communities living in the territory of modern Poland, Hungary, and Western Ukraine.

Thus, some families with Jewish roots and ancestors in these lands, can to some extent call themselves “descendants of the Khazars.”

Traces in archeology

Archaeologists clearly say that the Khazars are the Saltovo-Mayak culture. It was isolated by Gautier in 1927. Since that time, active excavations and research have been carried out.
The culture received its name as a result of the similarity of finds at the two monuments.

The first is a settlement in Verkhny Saltov, Kharkov region, and the second is the Mayatskoye settlement in the Voronezh region.

In principle, the finds are correlated with the Alan ethnic group, who lived in this territory from the eighth to the tenth centuries. However, the roots of this people are in the North Caucasus, so they are associated directly with the Khazar Kaganate.

Researchers divide the finds into two types of burials. The forest version is Alan, and the steppe version is Bulgar, which also includes the Khazars.

Possible descendants

The descendants of the Khazars are another blank spot in the study of the people. The difficulty is that it is almost impossible to trace continuity.

The Saltovo-Mayak culture as such accurately reflects the life of the Alans and Bulgars. The Khazars are listed there conditionally, since there are very few monuments of them. In fact they are random. Written sources “fall silent” after Svyatoslav’s campaign. Therefore, we have to rely on joint hypotheses of archaeologists, linguists and ethnographers.

Today, the most likely descendants of the Khazars are the Kumyks. This is Turkic-speaking. This also includes partly the Karaites, Krymchaks and Judaized mountain tribes of the Caucasus.

Dry residue

Thus, in this article we talked about the fate of such an interesting people as the Khazars. This is not just another ethnic group, but, in fact, a mysterious white spot in medieval history Caspian lands.

They are mentioned in many sources of the Russians, Armenians, Arabs, and Byzantines. Kagan corresponds with the Cordoba Caliphate. Everyone understands the power and strength of this empire...
And suddenly - the lightning campaign of Prince Svyatoslav and the death of this state.

It turns out that an entire empire can, within a short period, not only disappear, but sink into oblivion, leaving descendants with only guesses.

God knows where

The Khazars were first reported in the 5th century by the Armenian historian Moses Khorensky, who wrote that “crowds of Khazars and Basils, having united, crossed the Kura and scattered on this side.” The mention of the Kura River apparently indicates that the Khazars came to Transcaucasia from the territory of Iran. The Arab chronicler Yaqubi confirms this, noting that “the Khazars again took possession of everything that the Persians had taken from them, and held it in their hands until the Romans drove them out and installed a king over the four Armenians.” Until the 7th century, the Khazars behaved rather modestly, being part of various nomadic empires - longest of all the Turkic Khaganate. But by the middle of the century they grew stronger and bolder so much that they created their own state - the Khazar Khaganate, which was destined to exist for more than three centuries.

Ghost State

The Byzantine and Arab chronicles describe in all colors the greatness of Itil, the beauty of Semender and the power of Belenjer. True, one gets the feeling that the chroniclers only reflected the rumors circulating about the Khazar Kaganate. Thus, the anonymous author, as if retelling a legend, answers the Byzantine dignitary that there is a country called “al-Khazar”, which is separated from Constantinople by 15 days of travel, “but between them and us there are many nations, and their king’s name is Joseph.” Attempts by archaeologists to establish what the mysterious “Khazaria” was began to be actively undertaken in the 20-30s of the 20th century. But everything was unsuccessful. It turned out to be easiest to discover the Khazar fortress of Sarkel (White Vezha), since its location was known relatively accurately. Professor Mikhail Artamonov managed to excavate Sarkel, but he could not find traces of the Khazars. “The archaeological culture of the Khazars themselves remains unknown,” the professor sadly stated and suggested continuing the search in the lower reaches of the Volga.

"Isinglass"

Russian Atlantis

Continuing Artamonov’s research, Lev Gumilev conducts his search for “Khazaria” on the unflooded islands of the Volga delta, but the list of finds attributed to the Khazar culture is small. Moreover, he was never able to find the legendary Itil. Then Gumilyov changes his strategy and conducts underwater reconnaissance near part of the Derbent wall, which goes into the Caspian Sea. What he discovered amazes him: where the sea now splashes, people lived and needed drinking water! Even the medieval Italian geographer Marina Sanuto noted that “The Caspian Sea is rising year after year, and many good cities are already flooded.” Gumilev concludes that the Khazar state should be sought under the thickness of sea water and sediments of the Volga delta. However, the attack came not only from the sea: a drought was approaching “Khazaria” from land, which completed what had been started by the Caspian.

Scattering

What nature failed to do, the Russian-Varangian squads accomplished, finally destroying the once powerful Khazar Khaganate and scattering its multinational composition around the world. Some of the refugees after Svyatoslav’s victorious campaign in 964 were met in Georgia by the Arab traveler Ibn Haukal. Modern researcher Stepan Golovin notes a very wide geography of settlement of the Khazars. In his opinion, “the Khazars of the delta mixed with the Mongols, and the Jews partly hid in the mountains of Dagestan, and partly moved back to Persia. Christian Alans survived in the mountains of Ossetia, and Turkic Khazars Christians moved to the Don in search of co-religionists.” Some studies show that the Christian Khazars, having merged with their Don co-religionists, subsequently began to be called “wanderers”, and later Cossacks. However, more credible are the conclusions according to which the bulk of the Khazars became part of the Volga Bulgaria. The 10th-century Arab geographer Istakhri claims that “the language of the Bulgars is similar to the language of the Khazars.” These close ethnic groups are united by the fact that they were the first to create their own states on the ruins of the Turkic Kaganate, which were headed by Turkic dynasties. But fate decreed that first the Khazars subjugated the Bulgars to their influence, and then they themselves joined the new state.

Unexpected descendants

At the moment, there are many versions about the descendant peoples of the Khazars. According to some, these are Eastern European Jews, others call them Crimean Karaites. But the difficulty is that we do not know what the Khazar language was: the few runic inscriptions have still not been deciphered.

Writer Arthur Koestler supports the idea that Khazar Jews, having migrated to eastern Europe after the fall of the Khaganate, became the core of the global Jewish diaspora. In his opinion, this confirms the fact that the descendants of the “Thirteenth Tribe” (as the writer called the Khazar Jews), being not of Semitic origin, ethnically and culturally have little in common with modern Jews of Israel.

Publicist Alexander Polyukh, in an attempt to identify the Khazar descendants, followed a completely unusual path. It is based on scientific findings, according to which the blood group corresponds to the way of life of the people and determines the ethnic group. Thus, Russians and Belarusians, like most Europeans, in his opinion, more than 90% have blood group I (O), and ethnic Ukrainians are 40% carriers of group III (B). Polyukh writes that group III (B) serves as a sign of peoples who led a nomadic lifestyle (where he includes the Khazars), for whom it approaches 100% of the population.

Further, the writer supports his conclusions with new archaeological finds of Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valentin Yanin, who confirms that Kyiv at the time of its capture by the Novgorodians (IX century) was not a Slavic city, as evidenced by the “birch bark letters”. Also, according to Polyukh, the conquest of Kyiv and the defeat of the Khazars, carried out by Oleg, suspiciously coincide in terms of timing. Here he makes a sensational conclusion: Kyiv is the possible capital of the Khazar Kaganate, and ethnic Ukrainians are the direct descendants of the Khazars.

Latest finds

However, sensational conclusions may be premature. In the early 2000s, 40 kilometers south of Astrakhan, Russian archaeologists discovered “Khazar traces” during excavations in the medieval city of Saksin. A series of radiocarbon analyzes date the cultural layer to the 9th century - the heyday of the Khazar Khaganate. As soon as the settlement was outlined, its area was determined - two square kilometers. What large city besides Itil did the Khazars build in the Volga delta? Of course, it is too early to rush to conclusions, however, already now the pillars of Khazarology M. Artamonov and G. Fedorov-Davydov are almost sure that the capital of the Khazar Kaganate has been found. As for the Khazars, most likely they simply disappeared into the ethnoculture of neighboring peoples without leaving behind direct descendants.