A Contribution to the History of the Khazar Military Organisation: The Strengthening of the Camp

Author: Polgár, Szabolcs

Source: Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Volume 58, Number 2, 18 July 2005 , pp. 197-204(8)

Publisher: Akademiai Kiado

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Abstract:

Written sources indicate that, disregarding fortresses, there were three types of man-made defence employed by the Khazars for the fortification of a camping ground: (1) building palisade, (2) encircling the settlement by carts, and (3) digging ditches round the camp. The Muslim authors Gard imacr

, al-Marwaz imacr

and al-Bakr imacr

indicated that the military camps of the Khazars were strengthened by board fence. Other Muslim authors reported that the Khazar capital was strengthened by the placement of carts around it. Finally, Ibn Rusta mentioned that the Khazars made ditches against the Hungarians (Magyars) and other enemies. The aim of this paper is to collect and analyse the data on the strengthening of the camp at the Khazars and among their neighbours.

Keywords: history of the Eurasian steppes; Khazar Kaganate; military organisation of the nomads

Document Type: Research article

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