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The mysterious people who chose Judaism and fought the Islamic world: who were the Khazars?
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania /Culture & Society

The mysterious people who chose Judaism and fought the Islamic world: who were the Khazars?

From Adevฤƒrul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • The Khazars were a mysterious Turkic nomadic confederation that emerged in the 7th century CE in the North Caucasus and lower Volga regions.
  • They established a powerful empire and, surprisingly, adopted Judaism, a decision that remains debated among historians.
  • The Khazar Empire played a significant role in Eurasian politics, potentially limiting the eastward expansion of Islamic caliphates into Eastern Europe.

The Khazars remain one of history's most enigmatic populations, with their origins, identity, and language still subjects of intense debate. Emerging in the 7th century CE in the North Caucasus and along the lower Volga River, this Turkic nomadic confederation carved out a powerful empire that significantly shaped Eurasian history for centuries.

They are called Khazars, meaning, in the Turkic language, according to linguists, 'those who wander'.

โ€” Unspecified source/historianExplaining the etymology of the Khazar name.

Their most surprising characteristic was their adoption of Judaism, a decision made amidst the rapid spread of Christianity and Islam throughout the region. This conversion, occurring over a millennium ago, continues to puzzle historians and scholars, who are still trying to fully understand who the Khazars were and what legacy they left behind.

The victory of the Khazars over the Bulgars led to the dispersion of the latter to places such as Moesia (modern-day Bulgaria), the territory of present-day Tatarstan, the North Caucasus gorges, where Balqars or Malqars can still be found today, and even Hungary and Rimini, in Italy.

โ€” Dan ShapiraDescribing the consequences of Khazar expansion on other groups.

Emerging from the vast Eurasian Steppe, a region historically traversed by numerous nomadic empires, the Khazars were described as "wanderers" in their Turkic tongue. They rose to prominence by displacing other groups, such as the Bulgars, and established their empire in a strategically vital area between the Don and Kuban rivers. This multi-ethnic empire served as a crucial buffer zone, influencing the political landscape of Eastern Europe and potentially acting as a barrier against the westward expansion of Islamic caliphates.

The Khazar Empire was constituted following the expulsion of the Bulgars from Greater Bulgaria, somewhere between the Don and Kuban rivers. Like any empire, Khazaria was multi-ethnic.

โ€” Dan ShapiraDetailing the formation and composition of the Khazar Empire.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevฤƒrul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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