the ‘inside’ other 99
of the steppe nobles. Given that situation, it is clear that both sides
were in fact satisfied with the situation established long time ago. It is
clear, too, that for the sedentarists it was the political reasons that had
more significance, while the nomads were first of all preoccupied with
economic issues.^48
In the years until the T’ang dynasty’s establishment in the beginning
of the seventh century it was the people of the Rou-Rans/Jou-Jans and
that of the Turks who, usually, acted first in seeking for a stronger
commitment from the Middle Kingdom by means of matrimonial alli-
ances. But the suggestions coming from the North were taken seriously
by the Chinese only if they felt threatened, firstly, from the nomads in
the North and, secondly, if that same northern nomadic tribes could
be used as potential allies against other, rival Chinese dynasties. For
the Chinese courts, money, gifts, and last but not least, princesses that
moved to the North, had never been anything more but the price which
the Empire was ready to pay in order to fulfill its political purposes.
And this truth was well known to both the Rou-Rans/Jou-Jans and the
Turks. That is why the nomadic powers also took into consideration
all advantages and weak sides of one or another (marital) alliance.^49
The strategic relations between the Byzantines and Khazaria after
720s–730s were also reconfirmed by a marriage, this time between
the future basileus Constantine V (741–775) and the daughter of the
Khazar khagan. From this marriage a child was later born, that is the
future emperor of Byzantium Leo IV (775–780) called “Khazarian”.
It is hardly to believe that this marriage was just a matter of pure
friendship—in fact the alliance had a clear, anti-Arab direction. The
ceremony took place probably in 733 A.D. and the Khazar princess
received the Christian name “Eirene”, i.e. Irina, which in Greek means
“peace”.^50 It is interesting to note that there is another fact that many
scholars are inclined to link with this marriage. After it, it is believed
that a special new garment called “tzitzakion” appeared in the court
ceremony in Byzantium which originates from the Turkic “chichek”,
i.e. “flower”.^51 This detail proves once again the mutual influences
between the world of the (semi-)nomads and that of the sedentary
(^48) Jagchid and Symons 1989, 141.
(^49) Jagchid and Symons 1989, 151.
(^50) Obolensky 2001, 231 f.; Noonan 1992, 113; Golden 1992, 238.
(^51) Moravcsik 1967, 119–126; Kondakov 1929, 225.