As they say, "sbiraetsya Prophetic Oleg avenge unreasonable Khazars".Were they lower the level of development of the Slavs?What do we know about the people?
Let's get the answers to these questions.
mystery of the missing people
Thanks to mention in written sources of the period of Kievan Rus, we know that Prince Svyatoslav destroyed the main cities of the Khazar khanate.
Sarkel, Samandar and Itil were destroyed, and the position of the state is undermined.After the 12th century, all of them silent.Last existing information suggests that they were captured and conquered by the Mongols.
Until that time - from 7 centuries - of the Khazars said in Arabic, Persian, Christian sources.Its kings have a huge impact on the territory of the North Caucasus and the Caspian steppes near the mouth of the Volga.Many of the neighbors paid tribute to the Khazars.
Until now this people is shrouded in mystery, and many details do not match.Researchers difficulty making their way through the national specifics eyewitness.
Arabs some measure of distance and time, among the Turks - very different, add here another Byzantine, Jewish, Slavic and actually Khazar concept.Names of towns are often in the same paragraph in the Islamic manner, in the other - in Hebrew or Turkish language.That is quite possible that the city was more or less as compared ethnonyms is completely failed.As well as to discover the remains of large settlements.
Judging by the correspondence obtained in a completely confusion and nonsense.In the descriptions of the king of the city - the huge, 500 kilometers, and the tiny province.Perhaps, again, it is a feature nomadic measure distances.Khazars, Pechenegs, Cumans regarded as the day path and distinguish the length of the road in the mountains and in the plains.
How indeed it was?Let's understand gradually.
hypotheses about the origin
In the middle of the 7th century in the vast plain of Dagestan, East Caucasus, there is a hitherto unknown but very powerful people - the Khazars.Who is it?
They call themselves "Kazar".The word, according to most researchers, comes from the Turkic root "KAZ" means the process of "nomadism".That is, they can call themselves simply nomads.
Other theories relate to the Persian ("Khazar" - "thousands"), Latin (Caesar) and Turk ("enslaved") languages.In fact, not known for certain, so we add the question to the list public.
origin of the people is also under a veil of secrecy.Today, the majority considers it still Turkic.What tribes claim to be the ancestors?
According to the first theory - the heirs of Akatsirs tribe, one of the once-great empire of the Huns.
second option is that they are considered settlers from Khorasan.
These hypotheses have little evidence.
But the following two is strong enough and confirmed certain facts.The only question is, what sources are more accurate.
So third theory refers to the descendants of the Khazars of the Uighurs.The Chinese in their chronicles mention them as "people-to sa."During the collapse of the Hun Empire, taking advantage of the weakening of the Avars, part of the Oguz went to the west.Endoethnonym groups translated as "10 tribes", "30 tribes", "white tribes", and so on.
Were among them the Khazars?Who can confirm?It is believed that these people were among them.
During migration they are in the North Caspian region and the Kuban.Later, with increasing influence in the Crimea and settled near the mouth of the Volga.
Crimean peninsula for a long time in the medieval sources was known not only as "Husar".In addition, even in Kiev was a detachment of mercenaries from that country.About such facts can be seen through the preserved toponym "Kozar tract."
political system
Originally a nomadic people in the process of settling gaining more influence and subordinated new tribes.It establishes a hierarchy adopted in the Turkish Empire.
the head of state was "Hagan" in Jewish references - "Melech," in Arabic - "malik" or "Caliph".He was a protege of God on earth and brings together religious and secular functions.In fact, the title given to rule but not govern.Something similar to the present situation of the British Queen.
With the ascent to the throne of the Khazars had an interesting tradition.In the room with the new high council of tribes Hagan choked to death silk cord.Then I ask how old he is going to rule.Upon expiration, by the way, to kill him.
If the applicant cunning and called a large number, it is still dealt with him after the king was executed forty years.
«Earth» Beck had power.In our understanding - it is the executive branch of government.In his possession was the army, officials said.In fact, he managed Khanate.
upper class was Khazar aristocracy - Tarhan, a notch below was aware of the enslaved peoples - Elteber.
provinces governed governors - Tudun, whose responsibilities include tax collection, tax and preservation order on their territory.
Economy
typical Eastern medieval state, with all the traditions and way of life.The only difference is that it has passed the stage of nomadic life to settled.
basis of the economy was cattle, according to the ancient traditions of their ancestors.But it added to the breeding of vineyards and the production of alcoholic beverages, cereal cultivation and melons.
With the advent of cities in developing craft.Jewellers, blacksmiths, potters, tanners and other masters form the basis for domestic trade.
Know and the ruling elite, as well as the army, lived by plunder and tribute from conquered neighbors.
In addition, a significant source of income accounted for duties and taxes on goods that are wheeling through the territory of khanate.In view of the fact that the history of the Khazars is inextricably linked to the crossroads of "East-West", they just could not take advantage.
khanate appeared in the hands of the way from China to Europe, has been under state control navigation on the Volga and the northern part of the Caspian Sea.Derbent became a wall separating the two warring religions - Orthodoxy and Islam.What made the unprecedented possibility of intermediary trade.
Some call this behavior of the country a "parasitic", others insist the only possible and logical way to survive and flourish in the realities of the situation.
In addition, the Khazars became the largest trans-shipment point in the slave trade.Captivated by northerners perfectly bought up by the Persians and the Arabs.The girls - both for the harem concubines and servants, men - as warriors, workers on the farm and other heavy labor.
also state in the 10-11 centuries minted its own coins.Although it was an imitation of Arab money, but the remarkable thing is that in the inscription "Muhammad - the Prophet" in the Khazar coins bear the name "Moses".
Culture and religion
main information about the people, researchers obtained from the original written sources.With nomadic tribes, such as Khazars, Pechenegs, Cumans, things are more complicated.Ordered set of any document does not exist.
A disparate religious inscriptions or domestic nature are not great sense.From them receive only crumbs of information.
much do we know about the culture of a tribe from the inscription on the pot "Joseph did?"There will only understand what was common pottery and some linguistic traditions, such as the names belonging to different nations.Although this is not quite true.This vessel could simply buy and sell, for example, from the same Byzantine and Khorezm.
In fact, we only know one thing."And the foolish Khazars" includes several nations and tribes who spoke Slavic, Arabic, Turkish and Jewish dialects.Elite State communicated and kept records in Hebrew, and the common people used the runic writing, which leads to the hypothesis of its Turkic roots.
Modern researchers believe that the closest to the Khazar language of the existing is Chuvash.
religions in the state were also different.However, to the era of the sunset khanate, Judaism became more and more dominant, and dominant.History of the Khazars fundamentally linked to it.In the 10-11 centuries "peaceful coexistence faiths" come to an end.
begins irregularities even among Jewish and Muslim quarters of large cities.But the Thunder in this case, the followers of the Prophet Muhammad.
about the state of affairs in the lower ranks of society, we can judge with difficulty due to the lack of any sources, but a few briefly to mention.But this description.
Khazar documents
terrific source on the situation in the country, its history and the device came to us thanks to one Spanish Jew.Cordoba courtier named Hasdai ibn Shafrut, wrote a letter to the king of the Khazars, to tell about the Kaganate.
This act was caused by his surprise.He is himself a Jew, and a highly educated, he knew about the distraction of their compatriots.And then the visitors from the east merchants tell of the existence of a centralized, powerful and highly developed countries, which was dominated by Judaism.
Since those duties was Hasdai and diplomacy, it is on the right after and asked the king as for truthful information.
answer he still received.And I wrote (rather dictated) it personally "Melech Joseph, son of Aaron," Hagan Khazar empire.
In the letter he says a lot of interesting information.The message says that his ancestors had diplomatic links with the Umayyads.Further, he tells about the history and way of state.
According to him, the ancestor of the Khazars is a biblical Japhet, son of Noah.Also, the king tells the legend of the adoption of Judaism as a state religion.According to her, it was decided to replace paganism, which was previously professed Khazars.Who could have done it well?Certainly the priests.We were invited Christian, Muslim and Jew.The last was the most eloquent and others argue.
In the second version (not a letter), a test for the priests consisted in deciphering the scrolls of unknown, which by "sheer luck" were the Torah.Next
Kagan tells about the geography of the country, its main cities and way of life of the people.They spend the spring and summer in the nomad camp, and on cold weather returned to the settlement.
Ends letter boastful remark on the state of the Khazar khanate as the main deterrent, which saves Muslims from the invasion of the northern barbarians.Russia and the Khazars, is strongly at odds in the 10th century, which led to the death of the Caspian states.
Where did all the people?
Yet, they could not destroy the whole nation at the root of the Russian princes, such as Svyatoslav, Oleg Prophetic.The Khazars were to stay and assimilate the invaders or neighbors.
In addition, the army of mercenaries khanate was not too small, because the state has to maintain peace in all the occupied territories and to confront the Arabs with the Slavs.
To date, the most plausible version recognizes the following.His disappearance Empire owes coincidence of several circumstances.
First, the rise of the Caspian Sea.More than half of the country was on the bottom of the pond.Pastures and vineyards, homes and other things simply ceased to exist.
Thus, pressed by a natural disaster, people began to flee, and moved to the north and west, where faced with the opposition of neighbors.That came from the Kievan princes opportunity to "take revenge on unreasonable Khazars".The occasion was a long time - take people into slavery, duties on the Volga trade route.
third reason, which served as a control shot, was the confusion in the conquered tribes.They felt the weakness of the provisions of the oppressors, and rebelled.Gradually lose the province, one after another.
as the sum of all these factors, fell prostrate state as a result of a campaign of Rus, which destroyed three major cities, including the capital.Prince Svyatoslav name.The Khazars were not able to counter the pressure of the northern worthy opponents.Mercenaries are not always fighting to the end.Its life is more expensive.
most plausible version of who is the descendants of survivors, is the following.During assimilation, the Khazars merged with the Kalmyks, and today are part of this nation.
references in the literature
In view of the small number of preserved information about the Khazars works are divided into several groups.
first - a historical document or religious controversy.
second - fiction to the tune of searching for missing countries.
third - pseudo product.
main actors - Hagan (often as a single character), or beg the king Joseph Shafrut, Svyatoslav and Oleg.
main theme - a legend on the adoption of Judaism and the relationship between such nations as the Slavs and Khazars.
war with the Arabs
Total historians identify two armed conflict in 7-8 centuries.The first war lasted for about ten years, the second - more than twenty-five.
confrontation was kaganate three Caliphate, which in the course of historical development followed each other.
In 642, the first conflict was provoked by the Arabs.They invaded the Caucasus through the territory of the Khazar khanate.From this period a number of pictures on the vessels.Thanks to them, we can understand what were the Khazars.Outside, weapons, armor.
Ten years haphazard clashes and local conflicts, the Muslims decided on a massive attack, during which suffered a crushing defeat at Belenjer.
Second World War was a long and prepared.It began in the first decades of the eighth century, and continued until 737 years.During the military conflict Khazar troops reached the walls of Mosul.But in response to the Arab forces captured Semender rate and Hagan.
Similar clashes continued until the 9th century.After this peace was concluded in mind strengthening of positions of the Christian states.The border ran through the wall of Derbent, which was the Khazar.All belonged to the Arabs to the south.
Russia and Khazars
Kiev prince Svyatoslav defeated the Khazars were.Who would deny it?However, the fact reflects only the final relationship.What was for a couple of centuries that preceded the conquest?
Slavs are mentioned in the annals of individual tribes (radzimichy, vyatichi and others) who were subordinate to the Khazar Khanate until they were captured Prophetic Oleg.
says he overlaid them easier tribute to the sole condition that the Khazars they now will not pay.This turn of events is sure to cause a corresponding reaction of the empire.But the war is not mentioned in any source.We can speculate about it only by the fact that peace was concluded, and Russ, the Khazars and Pechenegs went to the joint campaign.
's such an interesting and challenging fate was this nation.
