Византия и хазарите през Ранното средновековие
Byzantium and the Khazars in the Early Middle Ages

Summary/Abstract: This work traces Byzantine-Khazar relations starting from the second half of the 6th century, when Emperors Justinian and Justin II established relations with the Western Turkic Khaganate, of which the Khazars were a part, to the 9th century, when the Khaganate built the Sarkel fortress, thanks to the Byzantines. The report shows that the main leitmotif of Byzantine diplomacy towards the Khazars was the conclusion of an anti-Arab alliance based on the political geography of the two states. At the same time, an attempt has been made to show that Byzantine-Khazar relations were multispectral and not limited to geopolitics and wars with the Arabs, but also had a commercial, cultural, and religious component. Both Byzantine, Arab, and Persian sources are used, as well as key historical studies and articles by Western, Russian, and Bulgarian scholars. The role and importance of the Khazar Khaganate in the history of Eastern Europe can hardly be overstated, considering that this polity not only controlled some of the most important trade routes, but also probably saved Byzantium more than once, exerting pressure against the Arabs in Transcaucasia, including in the significant year 717. Classical historical methods of research, comparative analysis, as well as rich source material, were used in the course of this work.

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