14 chapter one
While the Merovingian kingdom was in decline in the West, the Khazar
empire began its ascent in eastern europe. this steppeland state, ruled
by a Jewish aristocracy, was situated on the middle and lower courses
on the Volga and the Don, and drew immense revenues from the transit
trade along the two rivers between its Southern neighbours, the Umayyad
caliphate (after 750 the abbasid) and Byzantium, and the Volga Bulgars,
russians and Scandinavians to the north.40 one of the most consistent
features of the Khazar khagans’ trade policy was the complete freedom of
movement granted to foreign merchants, and it seems that the Khazars
did not have their own commercial class. the principle products from the
north, furs and slaves, were much in demand in the Muslim world and
were mostly paid for in dirhems, the silver coinage of the caliphs.41
the revenues drawn from the 10% customs duty, imposed ad valorem on
the transit trade, formed the basis for the Khazar rulers’ power, although
of course they were not the sole component.42
according to the analysis by th. S. noonan, the most thorough scholar
of Khazar economics, “the lucrative international trade provided immense
income for the state [i.e. Khazar Khaganate]. these revenues were used,
among other things, to reinforce the army through the employment of
large numbers of Muslim auxiliaries from Khwarezm. this enlarged army,
in turn, ensured the collection of tribute from the 25 or more dependent
peoples and provided the security that made Khazaria a safe place for mer-
chants to do business.”43 as in the Merovingian case as well, the khagans
depended entirely on the Volga-Don trade, as noonan notes. “the prosper-
ity and political viability of the Khazar khaganate were based on the exis-
tence of both lucrative international trade and a well developed domestic
commerce. [.. .] the shift of the main trade route from the Islamic world
to european russia via Bulghar ca. 900 caused a sharp drop in Khazaria’s
income which threatened its political power. [.. .] the highly diversified
internal economy could not compensate for the loss of so much revenue
derived from foreign commerce.”44 as a result, when Svyatoslav, ruler of
40 noonan, “economy,” p. 234: “Khazaria functioned [ca. 775–ca. 900] as the key inter-
mediary between the Islamic world and european russia,” as also between Khwarezm and
Great Bulgaria (ibid. p. 229).
41 Ibid., p. 231.
42 Ibid., p. 243: “the prosperity and political viability of the Khazar khaganate were
based [ca. 750–ca. 900] on the existence of both lucrative international trade and well
developed domestic commerce.”
43 Ibid., pp. 209–210.
44 Ibid., pp. 243–244.