A tale of two kings
The Khazar Khaganate, which flourished from the 7th to the 10th centuries CE, was governed by a distinctive dual-monarchy. This system, likely derived from Turkic traditions, divided power between two rulers: the khagan and the bek. The khagan was the supreme spiritual leader, a sacred figure who held immense ritual authority but exercised little direct control over state affairs. He lived in seclusion, and his role was to bring good fortune to the people. This divine status was precarious; if a military defeat or natural disaster occurred, the khagan could be blamed and even executed.
The day-to-day administration and military command fell to the bek. This second king led the army, managed the government, and conducted diplomacy. While theoretically subordinate to the khagan, the bek wielded the actual temporal power that shaped the empire. This division of sacred and secular authority defined Khazar political life for much of its history, forming a power-sharing arrangement in the medieval world. By the 10th century, around the time of the famous Khazar Correspondence, some evidence suggests the two roles may have merged into a single, unified monarch.
Crossroads of commerce and faith
The site is near the presumed site of Atil, the Khazar capital from the mid-8th century until its destruction. Atil was a major commercial hub, strategically positioned on the Volga Delta, controlling important trade routes of the Silk Road. The Khazars leveraged this position to become one of the largest trading empires of their time, connecting Eastern Europe with the Middle East and China. They exacted a ten percent customs duty on all goods transiting their territory, amassing great wealth from the trade of furs, slaves, wax, and honey moving south, and silks, spices, and silver moving north.
The population of Atil reflected its commercial importance. The city was divided into three parts, and its residents included Muslims, Christians, Jews, and pagans. The Khazar government was famously tolerant, a practical necessity for a state built on international trade. A supreme court in Atil was composed of seven judges: two each for the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities, and one for the pagans, to settle disputes according to their own laws. This system allowed for peaceful coexistence that allowed commerce to flourish. Archaeological work in the Astrakhan region has uncovered foundations of a fortress and yurt-shaped dwellings believed to be part of the lost capital.
The empire's end came swiftly. In the 960s, Sviatoslav I, the prince of Kievan Rus', launched a devastating military campaign. He sought to break the Khazar hold on the Volga trade route. His forces sacked Atil around 965 CE, shattering the Khaganate's power and leading to its rapid collapse as a major political entity.