The Killing of the Khazar Kings. 401
on the works of his predecessors.^ The description which he gives of the Khazar kingdom is clearly based, for the most part, on the accounts of Ibn Foszlan (Fadlan) and Ibn Haukal. It runs as follows :
" The river Itil (Volga) traverses the country of the Russians and Bulgarians. The capital, also called Itil, is divided into two parts : the one is situated to the west of the river (on the right bank) and is the principal part ; the other lies to the east. The king (of the Khozars) inhabits the western part. This king is called in their language Belek ; he is also known as Bek.^ This part is about a parasang long ; it is surrounded by a wall, but the wall is low. The houses of the inhabitants consist of tents made of felt ; only a small part is built of clay. The town includes market-places and baths. Mussulmans are to be found in it : the number of Mussulmans, they say, amounts to more than ten thousand ; they own about thirty mosques. The palace of the king is built at some distance from the river ; it is constructed of bricks. There is no other house of bricks in the town ; the king allows no man whatsoever the privilege (of building a brick house). The wall which surrounds the town is pierced by four gates, some of them, facing towards the river and the others towards the country.
" The king of the Khozars is a Jew. He keeps near his person, they say, about four thousand men. Some of the Khozars are Mussulmans, others are Christians, a certain number are Jews ; there are also some who worship idols. The Jews form the smallest number ; the majority is composed of Mussulmans and Christians ; but the king and his retinue prefers Judaism. For the rest, the manners
'^Encyclopaedia Britannicay ninth edition, i. (Edinburgh, 1875), pp. 60 sq. ; C Brockehnann, Geschichte der Arabischen Litieratur, ii. 44 sq.
- " Constantine Porphyrogenitus (De adininistmndo imperio, part ii. cap. xlii.) employs the word vix ; it is evidently the common Turkish word bes:; ot bey." (Reinaud's note.)
2 C
