The Khazars have been known since the 6th century, especially for their attacks on Georgia and Armenia. They settled from the Volga to the Caucasus, in the territory of modern Russia and Ukraine.
From the history books it is known that the capitalKhazar, built at the mouth of the Volga - Itil, which existed in the 8-10th century. About her preserved written sources, for example, in the Arab-Persian literature devoted to geographical research.
Historians still do not know which groupcarry these tribes. According to the main version, they are considered Türks, although there are assumptions that they were Bulgars or Caucasians from the North Caucasus. The Khazar Kaganate is worthy of attention, since by the 10th century it was able to subjugate the Northern Black Sea region and a significant territory of the Crimea. The history of Kievan Rus is closely connected with the existence of the Khazars.
An important place for the Kaganate was the capital of the Khazars, built at the mouth of the Volga - Itil. The article is dedicated to this city.
Location:
The city was located at the mouth of the Volga River. He stood on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which was a very favorable geographical location. This allowed the city to become a shopping center of the Middle Ages.
Exact location by historians and archaeologistsnever been determined. This is due to the fact that the city itself was completely abandoned. Some scientists believe that the capital of the Khazars, built at the mouth of the Volga - Itil - was located 15 kilometers from Astrakhan. Others suggest that the city stood north (near modern Volgograd).
The only known archaeologists fortificationis Samosdelskoe, located in the Astrakhan region. It has been studied since 1990 and dates from the 9-10th century. Many scientists consider it to be the capital of the Khazars. There is a version that the settlement was washed away by the Caspian Sea due to rising water levels.
What is the reason for prosperity
The capital of the Khazar Kaganate was a major maritimeand river port as well as an important trading center. This was due to the favorable location of the city through which the most important trade routes of that time passed.
Main trade directions in the Middle Ages:
- China-Europe. Europeans have always been interested in things from the East.One of the most important goods for which they were willing to pay in gold was silk. In addition to it, spices and luxury goods were delivered to the port. In another way, this road is often called the Great Silk Road.
- Biarmia-Baghdad Caliphate. In this way, merchants traded silver for furs.
- "From the Varangians to the Khazars." This path opened for the Khazars trading opportunities with Western Europe. The road passed through the cities of Regensburg, Prague, Krakow, Kiev.
There is information by which it becomes known that Russian merchants went down the Volga to Itil.
What does the name Itil mean
The city was located in the river delta, therefore notsurprisingly, in Turkish, its name means “river”. There is a Hebrew version of the translation, in which the name means “customs tax”, which was actually collected from passing ships. However, the translation from the Turkic language has a greater recognition.
It is important to understand that the name Itil appeared byrelation to the capital only in the 10th century. So foreigners began to talk about the city, although the Khazars used a different name for the whole settlement, and we knew it was the name of either the river or one of the parts of the city.
Buildings of the capital
Scientists were able to approximately recreate the lookcities. It is assumed that it consisted of three parts located on the cardinal points. The western and eastern territories were separated by the Volga. Forwarded between them in boats.
To the west of the river there lived a king with confidants andarmy. It is this large part of the settlement that was called (to the west of the Volga river) Itil. It lived from 10 to 16 thousand people. The western part was fenced off from the settlement by a fortress wall, in which there were four exits in the form of gates. Two of them went to the port, and the other two - to the steppe.
The eastern part of the city was a shopping center with markets, warehouses, and baths.
Between them (presumably on the island)located the third part with palaces for the rulers. They were created from baked bricks. Ordinary residents were not allowed to build from this material, so their dwellings were felt yurts, wooden tents. Some people lived in dugouts.
Population of the city
The capital of the Khazar Kaganate differed quitevariegated population. Here Christians, pagans, Muslims, Jews peacefully coexisted. The Muslim community consisted of merchants, artisans, the royal guard. Judean - from merchants, residents who fled from persecution in Byzantium. The pagans were mostly Slavs.
All disputes between people were decided by judges, who were controlled by a special official of the king. For Jews, Christians and Muslims, there were two judges each, for the pagans - one.
The capital of the Khazars, built in the mouth of the Volga - Itil- supposed to stay only in winter. From April to November, residents were located on their ancestral plots of land, and the poor were engaged in field work. Around the city were located villages and arable land, the crop from which was delivered to Itil by land and water.
The death of the city
Destroyed the capital of the Khazars (Itil) was in the secondhalf of the 10th century. This event is associated with the Prince of Kievan Rus Svyatoslav Igorevich. The population who survived the capture of the city, was able to hide on the islands in the river delta.
By the beginning of the 11th century, the Russes left the capital and the Khazar royal court was able to return to it. However, the city was, according to al-Biruni, ruins. His further history is unknown.
