How the Khazars and Arabs Became Enemies - Arab-Khazar Wars DOCUMENTARY

Returning to power with the help of the Bulgarians rather than the Khazars, the paranoid tyrant's expedition against his perceived

enemies

in the Crimea led the region's governor, Bardanes, to pledge his allegiance to Khagan Busir for protection. Finally, when Bardanes was declared Emperor in absentia by rebels against Justinian's government, Busir collected a second ransom simply to hand over the newly declared Emperor to his supporters. Evidently, the promise of gold and territory clearly outweighed any loyalty Busir felt for his brother-in-law. Although the Romans and Khazars remained loosely allied for most of this period, the Steppe Empire would prove to be as adept as the Caliphate in taking advantage of Constantinople's frequent civil conflicts and also benefited from its periodic attacks of persecution by accepting talented Jewish exiles and heterodox Christians. in their relative refuge of religious neutrality.

Although the Khazarian ruling class still maintained their shamanic practices, the missionaries, a policy of trade and immigration allowed large Christian, Jewish and Muslim communities to prosper within the Khazarian kingdom. Soon, this period of peace came to an end and the Khazars, stronger than ever, began to pose a serious threat to the Umayyad Caliphate. Between 707 and 712, Derbent and the "Gate of Gates" would change hands several times, without the Caliphate being able to defend it effectively, as it was immersed in conquests from Hispania to the Tarim basin. This weak response only encouraged new Khazarian attacks. In 717, an invasion of Caucasian Albania would follow, narrowly repulsed by the Muslims in a Pyrrhic victory.

This was followed in 721 by an invasion by a 30,000-strong Khazarian army into Armenia, the beginning of what is called the Second Arab-Khazarian War. With the Arab armies still weakened by the recent defeat at Constantinople, the Khazars, under a leader named Barjik, won a decisive victory, trampling Thubayt al-Nahrani's army at the Battle of Marj al-Hijarah and sending the survivors fleeing. to Syria. With the enemy dangerously close to the Umayyad core, in 722 a second army was raised under the newly appointed governor of Armenia, Jarrah ibn Abdullah al-Hakami, and sent to dislodge the Khazars from their new conquests. Had the Arabs been unable to stop the Khazarian horde at this critical junction, a Khazarian invasion of Syria might have followed, threatening to completely split the Umayyad caliphate.

With much at stake and their armies boasting similar strength, both Jarrah and Barjik approached the upcoming confrontation with caution, and the Khazars retreated near the Gate of Gates, still held by the Arabs, to avoid fighting in hostile territory. and allow for easier reinforcement. Jarrah proceeded slowly, gathering support from local tribes and nobles as he traveled, rather than rushing into a premature commitment. He would seize the advantage with a shrewd tactical decision after crossing the Kur River in the morning, a short distance from where the Khazars were camped. Having discovered that one of the tribal leaders he had gathered was loyal to the Khazars or at least hedging his bets by reporting their movements to the enemy, he ordered his army to break camp, declaring that they would rest and reinforce for several days before pressing on. attack them.

However, when night fell, he changed his orders and set out immediately. As he suspected, the Khazars had been informed of his false intention to wait there, and he was able to bypass his unsuspecting enemy to the safety of Derbent without a battle, adding his garrison to his forces. The next day, he flipped the script by continuing north into Khazarian territory, conducting destructive raids and looting as he went and forcing what the day before had been an invading horde to frantically defend their own lands. Although few details remain of the engagement itself, this confusion and forced haste probably benefited Jarrah, and when Barjik's army caught up with him several days later, the Muslims completely routed him, seizing forts and plundering, and advanced towards Balanjar, where its predecessors had been rejected some 70 years earlier.

Here another fierce defense was mounted. Although the city's fortifications had fallen into disrepair, hundreds of chariots were drawn into a defensive circle on the high ground around the still standing towers, and thousands of arrows were showered upon the advancing Arabs until it was said to be dark. Sun. But with morale bolstered by Jarrah's recent victory and speeches, the Muslim warriors braved the hail of arrows to cut the ropes connecting the chariots, sending them down the hill or setting them on fire, and finally made their way into the city after a day of intense work. fighting and embarking on a massacre of much of its population.

Having so recently come close to invading Syria itself, the Khazars' fortunes had changed quickly and surprisingly, and although Jarrah would not remain long in Dagestan, he would return with great booty and move entire cities full of captives to the lands. of the Caliphate. There was a lull in the fighting as the Khazars recovered and the overworked Arabs faced rebellion at home and defeat in distant Transoxiana, but the Second Arab-Khazarian War was still far from over. Join kings and generals again in the video below to see the conclusion of the Second Arab-Khazar War, the surprising religious conversion of the Khaganate, and the entry of the Rus' into this clash of empires.

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