Dajjal's Soldiers: The Khazars according to Ibn Fadlan

...from 'Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness'

Ancient map of Itil in Khazaria

Khazar is the name of a region whose chief city is called Itil. ltil is also the name of a river that flows from the Khazar from the Rus and Bulghars. Itil is a city while Khazar is the name of a kingdom and not the name of a city. There are two parts to Itil; on the west side of the river it is called Itil, which is the larger part. On the east side lives the king, who in their language is called Ilek, and he is also called Bak [Beg]. The western part in size is about a farsakh in length and around it is a wall. There are no buildings, for their houses are tents of felt, except a few structures built of clay; they do have bazaars and baths. In the town are many Muslims. It is said that there are more than ten thousand and they have about thirty mosques.

The palace of the king is far from the banks of t. river, and his palace is built of brick, and it is the only structure built of bricks, and the only one permitted to be built of brick. The [city] wall has four gates, one of which opens to the river, while the others lead to the plain on the backside of the city.

Their king is Jewish, and it is said he has about four thousand courtier, In Khazar [land] are Christians, Muslims, and idol worshippers, but the fewest are the Jews, and the king is among them. Most are Muslims and Christians, while the king and his followers are Jews. The major part of their customs, however, are those of the idol worshippers, some of whom prostrate themselves to others in their homage. The laws of their domain are different rules than those of the Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The roster of the army of the king is twenty thousand men, and when one of them dies another is made to take his place, and the number is never less than that amount. They do not have official rations except a sparse amount that is given to them for a long period when they are at war, or if a catastrophe befalls them, for which they assemble. The principal revenue of the Khazars is from tolls and tithes on trading according to their rules, [on trailers coming] from every way, sea, and river. And they have support payments to the local people and surrounding [places] of all kinds, whatever they have need of—food, drink, and the like.

And the king has nine judges of Jews, Christians, Muslims, and idol worshippers. If a legal case arises for some people these [judges] adjudicate it. Those in need do not contact the king himself, [but] rather those judges contact him. Between the king and those judges there is, on the day of judging, an emissary [go-between] whom they send concerning what has transpired to apprise [the king of it], and he would return his orders to them, and they would conclude it.

This city has no suburbs, except broad fields; they go out in the summer to the fields, about twenty .farsakhs. Then they till and harvest them. When some of the [fields] adjoin the river they transport [the harvest! by boats, and from other fields by carts to the rivet Most of their food is rice and fish, and what-ever else is found among them is brought to them from Rus and Bulghar and Kiev. And in the eastern part of the city of the Khazars are most of the merchants, Muslims, and warehouses [?].

The language of the Khazars is different from that of the Turks and of Persians, and it is unlike any other human tongue. The Khazars do not resemble the Turks, and they have black hair, and there is a group of them who are called Qara [black] Kirwan, ranging from very tawny to black, as if they were a group from India. There is another group, white, handsome and beautiful in appearance, and they consist of the slaves of the Khazars. They are the people of idols who permit enslaving and selling theft children to others, but for Jews and Christians, according to their religions, such sale is forbidden similar to Muslims. Nothing is exported from the land of the Khazars to another land except what they import, such as flout honey, wax,
silk, and furs.

lbn Fadlan says: The king of the Khazars is called Khaqan, and he only appears in public promenading once every four months. He is called the great Khaqan and his viceroy is called Khaqan Bih. It is the latter that leads and controls the armed forces, conducts affairs of the kingdom, appears before the people, and leads raids [on enemies]. it is to him that the neighboring kings submit. Every day he humbly goes to the great Kings'', showing humility and deference. He does not go into his presence except barefoot and carrying firewood in his arms. When he greets him [the ruler' he kindles the fire in front of him, and when he has finished lighting the fire with the firewood., he sits with the king at his right side on the throne. The Khaqan Bih is represented by [another] man who is called Kundur Khaqan, and that one is represented by a man who is called Jaushighir. A custom of the king is that he does not sit and receive people in audience, nor does he speak to them, nor does anyone other than those mentioned enter his presence. Powers of appointments and dismissals, and of imposing punishments, as well as management of the affairs of state, all are the responsibility of the Khaqan Bih.

It is a custom that when the great king dies a large house is built for him, in which arc twenty excavated rooms, in each of which a sepulcher is dug. And stone is carved such that it is shaped like the firmament, and placed in the [house], and stones are crushed until they become like powder and spread on it [the floor?]. Below the building is a large river flowing, and they channel the river over that tomb so, as they say, that the devil cannot reach it, nor any person, nor any worms or serpents. When he is buried the company that buried him are beheaded, so it is not known where his grave is in those moms. They call his grave heaven, and they say, verily he has entered heaven. And each of the rooms is covered with brocade with gold weave.

A custom of the king of the Khazars is that he has twenty-five wives, each of whom is a daughter of a neighboring king. He takes her voluntarily or by force. He has sixty concubines for his bed, each of whom is of surpassing beauty. Every one of them, free women and concubines, is placed in a separate palace; each has a cupola covered with teak, and each surrounded by a large pavilion. Each woman has a eunuch who keeps her in seclusion. When the king wishes to have sexual intercourse with one of them, he sends to the eunuch who watches over her, and the eunuch brings her in the twinkling of an eye, and places her in his bed. The eunuch places himself at the door of the king's tent, and as soon as the king is through having intercourse with her, he takes her by the hand and leaves. Afterwards the eunuch does not leave her even for a minute.

When the king mounts his horse, all of his army follows his example, and there is a mile between him and the column. No one of his subjects secs him except falling on his face and prostrating before him, nor does one raise his head until he passes. The period of rule of their king is forty years. When he exceeds it by one day, his subjects and followers kill him, saying: "This man's reason has failed, and his mind has become confused." When he dispatches an army group, they do not turn their backs for any reason. If they are defeated, every one of them who returns is put to death. When his leaders and viceroy are put to flight, he brings them before him with their wives and children, and gives the latter as gifts to others in their presence while they are viewing it. He does the same. with their horses, goods, weapons, and houses. Sometimes he cuts each of them in two pieces and exposes him on a gibbet. Sometimes he hangs them by their necks from trees, or if he is well disposed toward them he makes them stable servants.

The king of the Khazars has a large city on the river Itil, which is situated on both sides [of the rived. On one side are Muslims, while the king and his companions are on the other. Over the Muslims is a servant of the king called Khaz (khan?) who is himself a Muslim. Legal decisions concerning Muslims living in the land of the Khazars, and the Muslims who visit them in their trading activities, are reigned to this Muslim servant. He alone looks into their affairs, and no one else acts as a judge among them.

The Muslims in this city have a Friday mosque in which they perform the prayers, and in which they gather on Fridays. It has a tall minaret and a number of callers [to prayed. When news came to the king of the Khazars in 310 [922] that Muslims had destroyed the synagogue in Oar al-Dabunaj, he ordered the minaret destroyed and killed the callers, saying: If I had not feared that not one synagogue would remain in the realm of Islam, I would have destroyed the mosque."

The Khazars and their king are all Jews. The Saqaliba, and all those neighboring them, give obedience to the king. He speaks to them as to slaves, and they show him fealty. Some believe that Cog and Magog are the Khazars.