History of the Khazars - Origins and the First Arab-Khazar War (Part I)

The first of many programs in a series, in this episode, we take a look at a fascinating but almost forgotten people known in history as the Khazars. Originally from the steppes of Central Asia but later on making their home in the northern Caucasus region, the Khazars would form an empire that at it's height challenged the empires of the Byzantines, Sasanians, the Arabs and later on, the Rus. Starting out practicing a form of Central Asian shamanism, the Khazars would later on be the only known state to have adopted Judaism as its official religion.
In this particular episode of what will no doubt be a series, we learn who the Khazars were and get into their earliest armed conflicts, mostly notably the first Arab-Khazar war. There will be many more programs on Khazar history to follow so stay tuned!
Sources and Suggested Reading ► bit.ly/2GJvvuA
The Jews of Khazaria by Kevin Alan Brook
The Khazars: A Judeo-Turkish Empire on the Steppes, 7th-11th Centuries AD (Men-at-Arms Book 522) by Mikhail Zhirohov, David Nicolle and Crista Hook
The History of Al-Tabari: The Sasanids, the Byzantines, the Lakmids, and Yemen
The Turks in World History by Carter Vaughn
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#history #khazars #russianhistory

[@HistorywithCy]

Hey everyone, while I am all for people voicing their opinion, I've noticed that many of these comments don't add any value to the discussion and are simply hateful diatribes against others. Why all the hate? I'm debating whether to even continue with this series due to such comments. If you have a valid point to make, by all means please do so but keep it civil and clean. Please, don't make me shut off or have to individually approve comments. It's no fun for me and restricts what otherwise could be a great intellectual discussion. Thanks!

[@HistorywithCy]

@G O I'm totally with you on free speech, I love hearing from others because I also learn a lot from them. I just don't want derogatory language or excessive profanity being used...that has no place here. I appreciate your comment and thanks for stopping by!

[@chrisreid4711]

@G O Freeedom of speech as it pertains to the constitution guarantees you cannot be charged as a criminal for voicing your thoughts. This man is not telling people they can't comment on their various disagreements on the topic, but rather just to be decent and respectful. If u are a guest in another man's house, if he asked you to take your shoes off, would you politely comply to his wishes or would you say it's a free country and i dont want to?

[@HistorywithCy]

@@chrisreid4711you voiced my exact thoughts much more eloquently than I could. Love the analogy too. Thanks, I really appreciate it!

[@chrisreid4711]

@Steve Legend It is his channel which means he has the right to enforce certain rules just like you would your own home so I'm not sure how my anology is fallacious. How you grew up and your culture is irrelevant. I doubt anybody is truly offended by mean words in youtube comment sections. The man just wants a comment section that can simply be respectful with the back and forth. Name calling on the internet isn't offensive, it's just childish. I dont understand why anybody would have a serious problem with this.

[@chrisreid4711]

@G O Sir, no criticism is being censored. You have the attitude of a Malcontent teenager and seem to not understand how free speech works. Can you go to your job and say anything you like whenever you want to and expect to keep your job?? Is somebody being arrested on this forum because of what they said on this forum? Nobody is stopping you from making a channel and criticizing these videos on this "public platform." If youtube would censor your opinions, guess what,? It still would be completely within their rights as a privately owned business to do so. This is simple stuff that any mature adult can understand......or perhaps not.

[@barkasz6066]

Yeah, us Hungarians hang with the Khazars for like 200 years, but then they became all weird about it, so we were like "later losers" and left with a bunch of their tribes.

[@dhdeamele9826]

That's not true . You are siblings with same blood and same tongue.Siblings may fight each other.

[@dancemonkey118]

@@pauliegualtieri4458 Hungarians And Turk exactly have a common history. Also why do you see that being european is so important? İf we go back 40.000 years go. Then we will see there was an neandartell people in Europe. White people came the later to area.

[@daniduke09]

I would love to see Part 2!

[@daltonfink8700]

When will part two come out? You did a great job on part 1.

[@EmpereurFares]

I would like to see part 2 !

[@MrPowder67]

Part 2 please. 🙌🏻

[@EteteHendrix]

Ahh this was so helpful👏🏾 now the line is straight up here ....

[@quentinplummer2339]

I need the next parts of this now.

[@sheikowi]

Extraordinarily good take on a much abused topic. Keep up your good work.

[@Opochtli]

Great video!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@dickorange3404]

fascinating stuff! please continue this series

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you! More Khazar history to come soon, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.

[@ahmadradwan5914]

Nice work

[@Morgai-Fly]

New sub. Great find for me. Another awesome historical channel.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks! Glad you're here and more to come!

[@ardizalras512]

we're still waiting for the part 2. let no one or anything discourages you from finishing this awesome history. and i really don't mind if you remove some inappropriate comments from the board. after all, this is your own channel, you can do anything you like here. By the way, i've once heard, that there was a civilization, an indigenous tribe in central america or perhaps south america, that were once a great tribe, expanding their borders without a single drop of blood. that is through negotiations, lobbies, collaborations, and the likes with neighboring tribes. so much so, that the said tribe were able to make other tribes use their language, even agree to use their currency as their national exchange note. do you happen to know this tribe?.. i really want to know.

[@johanna-hypatiacybeleia2465]

Derbent literally means 'the door is closed' (Persian "dar band"). Where the mountains almost reach the sea except for a narrow littoral just wide enough to hold a fortress.

[@hightea2546]

Most enjoyable, thank you

[@HistorywithCy]

Glad you liked it, thank you!

[@Alvaro_Litti]

Part 2 ,please! 😀

[@HistorywithCy]

Working on it! Hope to have it soon!

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Excellent video. I could not find the sequel video. Please post a link. Msny thanks.

[@bereftspud279]

I've always found Khazar history lrerty interesting. Great video!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy bro thnks

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Bro thank you İ wanted the History of Khazar Turks and you did it😘

[@HistorywithCy]

No problem, was fun making this episode...more on Khazars and Byzantium to come soon!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy ❤️❤️❤️

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy You are Best history channel but views are very low :/

[@HistorywithCy]

@@papazataklaattiranimam Thanks for your support...no worries, it's slowly growing... I just hope the content is good...if so, then everything else will follow.

[@Alvaro_Litti]

@@HistorywithCy When will the second part come up? 😃

[@backpressure123]

Wow thanks for this video!!! Arab Khazar war is hugely underrated war. It's about time that someone finally do a video on it.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you! I've been meaning to continue the series, haven't been able to yet but hopefully soon! Thanks for stopping by!

[@backpressure123]

@@HistorywithCy I want to know the details on what happened when Arabs under Marwan penetrated deep into Khazar land. I know that wasn't the end of Khazars. Did Arabs fail to solidify their rule and if so why? Were there more battles between the two afterwards?

[@HistorywithCy]

Hi! Yes, there were more battles, with with the Arabs, Byzantines and the Rus, to name a few. I need to continue this series...stay tuned!

[@IamDeathwatch]

@Rolan Gold You are in for a shock.

[@abracadabrablah]

Cool video!

[@HistorywithCy]

Thankjs man, appreciate it!

[@simachmasgof8445]

this comment section is gonna be great 👌😂

[@Peristerygr]

"Khazars" "Arabs". Sure it will. ;)

[@ssg0yli672]

Oy vey 🤐

[@thisismychannel607]

This is the wokest comment section ever

[@quarantinegrillmaster4532]

@Khanate Archer I FOUND THE KHAZAR! WHAT IS MY PRIZE?

[@Mightyrobz]

LOL!

[@mangokafa700]

Selçuk who established the Seljuk Empire was a Khazar General. His sons names were Mikail(Michael), Musa(Moses), Davut(David), İsrail(Israel). He most likely converted to Islam and his grand children Tuğrul bey and Çağrı bey enteres Baghdad in 1058.

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Mango Kafa.... Right. Note that Seldjuk's sons have Hebrew names. Whatever they are called, they were excellent military men.

[@inaxaaji1935]

Part 2 please

[@biljanamilanovic1682]

So pocchissimo su questo popolo. Nelle scuole a lezioni di storia non ci hanno raccontato di loro. Pero' dopo questo bellissimo video ho imparato anche di loro. Grazie per bellissi.e lezioni di storia! Tanti saluti,

[@Yarkanlaki]

Samandar : farthest gate Balanjar : highest gate Derbent : barred gate

[@bigbunny6573]

in essence: ye have traveled far, but shall go no further

[@JulienCohenMusic]

Where is part II? I cant wait!

[@viktorvenomvalmont]

Hey just wanted to say that I'd love to see part 2. This is enthralling! Much thanks!

[@saotome6502]

Looking forward to part 2

[@Cjco102]

Your stuff on the ancient near East is great and informative. Can you please make videos like these on mesoamerica in the future?

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much! Yes, that's something I'd like to get more into, especially content related to the Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs. I still have some more content on the ancient Near East and Europe I want to put out but I'm moving towards the history of the Americans soon and will include ancient civilizations from there as well...stay tuned and thanks for the support!

[@Cjco102]

@@HistorywithCy np dude you're one of my favourite channels

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate it!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy good video as always❤️❤️❤️

[@savvageorge]

Excellent video. The people who lived on the Eurasian Steppe made a gigantic impact on human history. It's a shame that they aren't studied more in schools.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it!

[@adamatlas1113]

The death of Ali was the consequence of the civil war (fitnah), not the cause.

[@HistorywithCy]

Yes true... I should've phrased it differently...the civil war had already started, I was thinking more about the intensification of the conflict leading up to the battle of Karbala. Thanks for pointing this out, I appreciate it!

[@HistorywithCy]

@Juned Shaikh Salaam alaykum... agreed, will do. Thanks for stopping by!

[@FolkeBernadotte2]

Exactly👍🏻 His son Al-Hasan ended the 1st Muslim civil war by making peace, bringing Muslims together once again and giving up the throne. The 2nd civil war was flared by the murder of Ali’s other son Al-Hussein in Karbala. The division between Shias and Sunnis can be traced to the 1st civil war after the battle of Siffin and the split (or rise) of the Khawarij. From the moment Ali’s supporters were called Shias. Later those who adore Muslims unity at the hand of Hasan became the people of the prophet’s method (Sunnah) and the united group (Jama’a) or simply Sunnis. As for the Khawarij, they’re against everybody. Pretty much like ISIL or Alqaeda.

[@robertschlesinger1342]

Interesting video. Arthur Koestler's book entitled The Thirteenth Tribe provides a reasonable overview on the Khazars. There are several other more scholarly treatises on Khazars and Khazaria, but said book are in Russian.

[@Amberussianbeauty]

Robert Schlesinger That’s because the Khazars have constantly tried to attack Rus (Russian/Ukraine/Belarus) and have lost while doing it

[@hunnic4419]

Khazars-turkic oghuric tribe. Huns Bulgars Avars Cuvashs Onogurs Khazars Akatirs Khuni Oisongurs Tymens Sabirs Oghuric-Turkic tribes .Great Onoguria-Hunnia (Caucasus,Volga region,East Europe). 👇 Old Great Bulgaria Hunnia-Caucasicum Onoguria Khazaria Volga Bulgaria Taviak(Hunnic mountain kingdom) Hunzan (Djidan) Barsil Hungary

[@darhammora7867]

A video regarding the Avars also would be interesting

[@HistorywithCy]

Agreed! I'll probably do one in 2020...thanks!

[@googleaccount3389]

Avars Caucasian people

[@darhammora7867]

Google Account No, the Avars of Pannonia, why the hell I care of the Caucasian Avars who only emerged late into history!!

[@iraqimapper8625]

Good video I'm a new sub

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@h.l.asolomonov7674]

Thank u

[@ARMENIA_HAYASTAN]

GOOD VIDEO ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Pocu13]

When Part II is coming?

[@hameednazeer9007]

that was a good informative video

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks so much, I appreciate it!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Hameed Nazeer Khazar Turks embarrassed spread of islam in Europe(i am Turk)

[@centralasia186]

The names of the cities are very similar to the names of the leaders of the Huns, this once again proves that the Huns are Türks

[@mja5400]

What happened to part 2?

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy Which sources do you use i curious about this? My sources britannica,newworldencyclopedia(my favorite),geacron and sometimes wikipedia

[@HistorywithCy]

Hi! There were two main sources that I've linked to in the description (see the link "Sources and Suggested Reading"). If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. Thanks!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Bro can you do a video about Tulunids and İkshidids after the khazar part 2?

[@HistorywithCy]

I can definitely look into it!

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

History with Cy thkns

[@paddyr1568]

Did you ever make part 2?

[@HistorywithCy]

Not yet... hopefully soon, stay tuned!

[@fulvio5433]

Where is the second part?

[@md4119]

Do we have second part of this

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming soon...

[@Clarky805]

Where is part 2?

[@sheikowi]

5 minutes of commercials before a 10-min video. Thanks Gooey!

[@David1Eskin]

How's Part 2 coming? Enjoyed Part 1

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming in the next month or two... thanks for your patience!

[@HistorywithCy]

@@FutureBoyWonder Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@ConstantCompanion]

@@HistorywithCy finally..some real info about this. I want these 'people' outed.

[@David1Eskin]

@@HistorywithCy Of course man, I get that it takes time to make these. I just enjoy what I've seen and figured it couldn't hurt to ask. Your content is quality. Substantive, entertaining, informative.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

2:50 - Hey, Khazars: many belated thanks for sending us the Bulgarians (and their offshoots, the Skopjans of Macedonia)! With love, from Greece. 🇬🇷

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Dorian Philotheates They were Turkic bulgars not slavic bulgarians

[@jongilchrist7229]

Reading a book called 'Dictionary of the Khazars' by Milorad Pavic. Thought I knew history. Know nothing of this empire

[@alisonnorcross951]

Where s pt 2

[@blackconsevative]

Part Two????

[@user-ws3zv2gy3f]

oh there so much epic names and storyes in that region, if u whanna i coud give a list of epic characters of Rus - brothers Galician Daniil and Vasilko for example - the epic story with the elements game of thrones - there a script of that thing but i dont know if this translated.... the brothers was great warriors - win many battles - and they often fight personal - there political schemes and plot twists and etc. also.

[@Viv8ldi]

My familys surname is khazar and I think I am a descendant of the khazars. After doing one of the famous dna tests I got the result that I have jewish blood, even though all of the contemporary people in my family members are Turkish

[@youngoutlaw5150]

So no part 2

[@nosratalamdari4285]

Where is part 2

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming soon...script is ready, just have to create the vid. Thanks and stay tuned!

[@erice.stewart3020]

Finally, someone who CAN SPEAK CLEARLY and, precisely, eruditely. HARD to find decent videos on this topic.

[@steveembry817]

part two?

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming soon!

[@Simon.the.Likeable]

@ 01:07 Theophanes = Thee-off-a-knees, not Thee-o-fanes.

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for the correction, I appreciate it. I'll work on my pronunciation for future programs...stay tuned!

[@Ammmssk]

they were also related to the hunes and the modern chuvash

[@Viv8ldi]

The description of "easternturks" is very fitting

[@sunnyboy4553]

Where is part two???

[@HistorywithCy]

Thanks for stopping by! Hopefully soon... it's on my production list!

[@joujou264]

The weird hatred in these comments is hilarious. It's been several centuries since a Khazar polity existed and you'd think any religion would be happy about new converts, especially seeing as they did it to spite Christians and Muslims, the two other Abrahamic religions that have oppressed Jews since either religion got started.

[@joujou264]

@raymond terry What, Khazars? The people who don't even exist anymore? You want to commit genocide on a people that may or may not exist because they were nomadic raiders a millenia ago?

[@joujou264]

@raymond terry Ah, so you're the anti-Semitic kinda crazy. I thought you were a Jew who for some reason hated that they converted to Judaism. Either way, fuck off back into your hateful little hole.

[@insaneweasel1]

@@joujou264 don't feed idiot trolls...makes them fat

[@HistorywithCy]

@joujou254 I agree... I barely even mentioned Judaism in this video... don't know where all this hate and bigotry is coming from. My intention here is to explain some events from history, not add to speculation and conspiracy. Anyway, that's my rant... thanks for stopping by the channel, more to come soon!

[@IamDeathwatch]

@@HistorywithCy While your intentions are pure, any mention of the word "Khazar" unfortunately brings anti-Semitic bigotry.

[@kapilgyawali4758]

Any connection with khasas?

[@funnyadventuretravel-allyo1956]

im khazar turks from Azerbaijan

[@ricardo82shadow123]

Fucking awesome video... where's the 2 part???

[@HistorywithCy]

Hopefully in December, stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!

[@lexied]

Put the big SPIN on this one! Lol

[@kovalikandre10]

Hy .in asia a country was an union of tribes .is like german states . Avars early turkik and other hephtalita tribes was khazars .hun also was near the same union of tribes .in that time in a khaganate was a lot of religions .crestians hebreu or shaman or muslim .was an amalgame. Some kings from khazars has hebreu religion may be .but they was no semita tribes . Khazars was a hun faction .seeing weapons and batle tech .and huns speak about khazars like huns with another kings .ok anyway some say khazar not existed .anothers historians say khazar existed .in that zone in that khaganate was a bulgar hun magyar hephtalita amalgame .not forghet when a tribe was pushed not all was gone just a part of them .the interest of a conquesting one was not to see mankind free terytories . For example skits was from Carpates basin to asia later they became huns .black and white huns .nowdays who are they ?? Simple hungarians bulgars .a part of Ukraine people but laguage was changed .kazah turk mongol corea siberian tribes like bashkir .cecen dagesthan in india hunza also in switzerland in a valey you can find huns . About khazars aprouch sources in hungary .bulgaria turkey khazastan georgia Azerbaïdjan. Ok don t forghet in asia a country was based ln blood aliances intertribal blood aliances sometimes between tribes who not speeked the same language .or speaked laguages who was not far them . For example hungarian catedra find 4000 words between mongol and hungarian 3000 words between ujgur and hungarian. In sanscrit 600 words .Korosi Csoma Sandor was in tibet .a good source .turkik have 1400 words bashkir also bulgar .i can continuu .but the most amaizing think is 6000 words from sumerian match in nowdays hungarian .and mistr Mattei an italan guy found etrusc can be TRANSLATED just with the help of hungarian . Beeing an early form of it . The silk road was the zone of skits huns avars and other tribes asociated to them . Ok some hints .have a nice day .

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you!

[@Ghost-vi8qm]

But whey did the Arabs attacked the Khazars? What was the cause?

[@batmanbeyond3874]

My teacher played this video in class

[@DesiOutdoors]

Khazars and Guzar or Gurjar /Gojer are same ?

[@scottietoleratethis7209]

looking for more info,..

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming soon, but most likely in the form of a really long video podcast...stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!

[@dorianphilotheates3769]

8:34 - 713;714.

[@Hiddenone00]

HalleluYAH ✊🏾

[@cmeist1]

Where's part 2?

[@HistorywithCy]

Coming up sometime soon... or a totally new rendition of this topic...thanks for your interest!

[@royperkins3851]

It's not that they left so little it's that everyone after them made a point of destroying their sites all the way up to the Soviets, Stalin had a particular haterd for them!

[@HistorywithCy]

That's a very good point... time and later conquerors often purposely destroy traces of their predecessors to erase their memory from society. Thanks for sharing!

[@Sekuler_Adam]

Hazar Turks

[@amunra8247]

Just goes to show .. you should do a vid on sabbatism

[@saeedmodanlou1874]

The Khazars were Turks but the region in north Caspian steppes that they concourd and ruled was the land of Indo- European Scythian ( Same as Ashkenazi ).

[@OljeiKhan]

The Khazar people never converted to Judaism en masse. Their rulers converted but the people were free to be muslim christian or tengrist.

[@merketarif126]

Hazar/Khazar/Gezer is Traveller/Nomad

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Merke... Right.

[@devetuccari]

Gezer'in kim olduğunu biliyor musun?

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

A single jewish empire in history and a single Turco-Jewish state

[@HistorywithCy]

Yup! By the way, I've been collecting books on various aspects of Turkic history and will be producing some vids on it in 2020...stay tuned!

[@o.kartal5002]

Tengri

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

And also Khazars started the history of russia,ukraine,belarus and lithuania

[@rosalynharris6777]

What was the original nationality of them people back then

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Rosalyn... They are called the Turkic (not Turkish) tribes of Central Asia. Many of them. Browse under this title.

[@azeemmarathingal9523]

shammanism to judaism..

[@jimmyd868]

Kenite`s

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

They are Oghur Turks like Chuvashes,Bulgars,Huns,Pannonian Avars

[@mrlazyboy2954]

Could the khazars be related to the Caesars and the russian czars?

[@hatejethro1164]

Kaisers?

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Mr lazyboy Khazars are Turk tribe they have nothing to do with russians

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

KazanKhan yes

[@mrlazyboy2954]

I'm aware khazars were before Russia but not rosh which is Russia. And what I meant was did the czars come from khazaria

[@ConstantCompanion]

@@papazataklaattiranimam that is incorrect. For years I said that the corrupt nature of our government originates with the khazarians. They told me I was full of it. As you can see, I wasn't. Then they said that it had nothing to do with Russians, Kaisers or Caesars. It does. I married into this by total ignorance. They do know who they are. It is related.

[@gamerk1625]

Armenian history is world history . Its incredible . Proud Armenian

[@domeniclocalzo9498]

Where the Khazars t one of the tribes or some of the tribes of Israel after the sack of Israel by the medo-persian or the Assyrians ?

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Domenic... They were one among the many Turkic tribes originating from Central Asia.

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Khazars are todays karaim jews

[@Yitzhakhazak]

Papaz takla atmaz.... But you're right. I met the Karayim in the city of Trakai. They still speak Turkish.

[@papazataklaattiranimam]

Yitzhakhazak Bu kanal üç ay önce 300-400 izleniyprdu şimdi 40000 olmuş

[@DerekDominoes]

The way this guy pronounces "origins" is, um, interesting.

[@HistorywithCy]

Yeah, though I was born in the US, I've lived in several non-English speaking countries... maybe that's had an effect on the way that I pronounce certain words. Who knows.... thanks for stopping the channel, I appreciate it!

[@chairman76]

I came for the comments.

[@hightea2546]

You are so interesting I subscribed to you , not given to subscribe

[@HistorywithCy]

Thank you, I really appreciate it! More to come soon, stay tuned!

[@bondar770]

The Hungarian kings used a contingent of mounted khazars as the royal bodyguards. The Hussars take their origin from them.

[@rosalynharris6777]

Was them people black or white back then