Khazars

NOTES: Khazaria [from Wikipedia-the free encylopedia] Khazaria also known as Khazar khaganate or Khazar khanate was the country of the Khazars, neighboring the Byzantine Empire in the southwest, Kievan Rus' in the northwest, Volga Bulgaria in the north, and Azerbaijan in the southeast. The ruler of these Turkic people and the Khazar elite adopted Judaism in the 8th or 9th century, becoming the only Jewish state ever without Abrahamic ascendence, but it is now known that many Jews fleeing persecution in the Byzantine empire sought refuge in Khazaria and likely outnumberd the Khazar converts to the point that they were a minority. It is logical to conclude from this data that the majority of Jews in Khazaria were not Khazar in origin.

As an independent state, Khazaria existed between about 652 and 1016. Its supreme ruler was known by the title khagan. Its last khagan was named Georgius Tzul. Much of Khazaria was covered by steppe land. Khazaria bordered the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The Volga River (known as Itil or Atil) passed through eastern Khazaria.