Khazaria And International Trade In Eastern Europe 155
The Southern Caspian coast is a narrow strip of land, above which towers
the rugged Elburz Ridge (the highest point of which is 5610 m). It is comprised
of three regions: Deilem to the southwest, Tabaristan to the south and Gorgan
(or Jurjan—the farthest point, reached by Rus’ merchants in the ninth century,
according to Eastern sources) to the southeast. For a long time the local pop-
ulation lived in isolation. In the 840s, the Abbasids succeeded in completely
conquering Tabaristan, whose population widely accepted Islam, but in its
Shiite form. This was probably in part due to the influence of the neighbor-
ing Deilemites (from the Deilem region), who had earlier given shelter to the
followers of the Alids. The Deilemite rulers were regarded as descendants of
the Persian kings and even took their title, Shahenshah (King of Kings). In 864,
the Tabaristanis raised a rebellion and urged the Alid Hasan ibn Zayd, who
until then had lived in Rey, to lead it. In 872, he invaded Jurjan, where mili-
tary conflicts continued until the very end of the ninth century.23 In 900, the
Samanid ruler Ismail Samani seized Jurjan and Tabaristan (without Deilem),
but these regions continued to suffer attacks throughout the tenth century.24
At the same time, in 869 Derbent became an independent emirate. Southeast
of Derbent was Shirvan, independent since 861. The two states often organized
campaigns against the neighboring “infidel” tribes in Shandan and also against
the Sarirs (peoples that belonged to the Khazar sphere of influence according
to the letter of Joseph).25
The Khazars could fight against Derbent due to their common land border.
Since they did not have a fleet, they could not reach the Southern Caspian
coast. Examining the information on the Rus’ campaigns in the Caspian Sea,
L. Gumilev concludes that the Rus’ were summoned or hired by the Khazar
ruler.26 The campaigns most probably reflect the common commercial inter-
ests of the Khazars and the Rus’ who tried to eliminate the barriers to trade
along the traditional route. It is hardly a coincidence that Ibn Isfandiyar’s
History of Tabaristan (written in the first half of the thirteenth century) refers
to a Rus’ military campaign in the Caspian Sea during the time of Hasan ibn
Zayd.27 Especially in view of the fact that the subsequent Rus’ campaigns
in that region (regardless whether it was one or more, dated from 909, 910
23 Müller 2004a, 763 and 2004b, 42–46; Gumilev 2004b, 44.
24 Müller 2004b, 48–52; Gumilev 1997, 216–218.
25 See Novosel’tsev 1990, 192–193 and 214; Ashurbeili 1983, 75–79; Minorskii 1963, 64–65.
26 Gumilev 1997, 218–219.
27 Novosel’tsev 1968, 99.