The “Internal” Ethnic Communities in Khazaria 239
the Don), they performed different functions and each probably had a differ-
ent standing with regard to the central authorities.60
Another sign that the establishment and subsequent development of a set-
tlement happened at the will and with the resources of the central authorities
(the khagan) are the color symbolics in the settlement’s name. Sarkel can be
translated as “White City/House/Fortress”, and this meaning is preserved it its
Russian name, Belaia Vezha (White Tower). One of the interpretations of the
name of Samandar is “White House/Palace”. The same is true for the city of
Al-Bayda, which has yet to be located.61 Given that the walls of Sarkel, and
probably of Samandar as well, were built of bricks (and were thus not white in
color), it is completely reasonable to assume that their names highlighted the
high status of the settlements and their connection to the central authorities.62
In the steppe world, white symbolized nobleness, nobility, the elevated class.63
Such a division is also mentioned in the Eastern sources regarding the Khazars,
who were divided into “white” and “black”.64
Of special interest is Constantine Porphyrogenitus’ account of the annu-
ally changed garrison in Sarkel, which consisted of 300 men.65 Archaeological
finds indicate (on the basis of found pottery) that it was possibly made up of
Pechenegs or Oghuz.66 Such pottery has also been found in Samkerts, which
had a brick wall as well.67 The presence of this type of pottery in important
centers of the Khazar Khaganate, along with their connection to the garrisons
that were sent by the central authorities to various settlements, calls for a
60 See Baranov 1990, 54–67 and 152; Flerov 2002; Magomedov 1983, 42–46, 137–145, and 179–
180; Mikheev 1985, 5–8, 12, and 19–22; Pletneva 1999, 27–30, 52–54, 82, 86–89, 100–105,
113–115, 140–144, 179–180, 185, and 188–189, Kravchenko 2004.
61 Novosel’tsev 1990, 125, 131; see also Novosel’tsev 1989. On the various meanings of
“Samandar”, see Romashov 2004, 198.
62 Novosel’tsev 1990, 125; Iordanov 1996b, 57 is of a somewhat different opinion. He believes
it to be quite possible that the white color meant “frontier post”. The historian justifies
his assumption with the definition belodomtsy (“inhabitants of white houses”), popu-
lar among many peoples and used for the young men who “were employed as border
guards”. St. Iordanov proposes a similar interpretation for the names of some Bulgar cities
(Belgrad in Albania, Bessarabia and along the Danube).
63 See Stepanov 2005a, 117–118.
64 Zakhoder 1962, 137–139.
65 Constantine Porphyrogenitus. De Administrando Imperio, ch. 42, in Litavrin and
Novosel’tsev 1989, 171.
66 Artamonov 1962, 308–313. Pletneva 1996, 140–141 believes that the Pechenegs or the Oghuz
who lived in Sarkel were not employed in garrisons.
67 Pletneva 2000b and 2001.