Kazarig (Aramaic: ܟܙܪܝܓ), was the name of a dynasty of Hunno- Bulgar rulers in the ''Land of Kedar (Arabia).'' The first Khazarig was, according to

Sandilch Sandilch (''Σάνδιλ'', ''Σάνδιλχος''; Turkic "boat) was a chieftain of the Utigur Bulgars in the 6th century. The origin of the name is probably Turkic."The Histories, Volume 2, Part 1", Agathias, https://books.google.bg/books?id=Pqs ...

, a son of Ernakh, after whom the Kozarigur Hunno-Bulgars were named. Ernakh's other son was Utig after whom Sandilch's own Utigur Bulgar-Huns were named. Perhaps unrelated, Kozar, the name of a Khazar ancestor in the Khazar correspondence, could mean "Goat-Herder" in Slavonic languages.

Bar Hebraeus

According to Bar Hebraeus and the Chronicle of Michael the Syrian, the name Kazarig was later adopted by one of three brothers (the others being Bulgarios and Drogo) who came from the Imaon mountains to rule Hunnish tribes in the East European grasslands in 583. Kotzarig's subjects became known as

Khazars The Khazars ; he, כּוּזָרִים, Kūzārīm; la, Gazari, or ; zh, 突厥曷薩 ; 突厥可薩 ''Tūjué Kěsà'', () were a semi-nomadic Turkic people that in the late 6th-century CE established a major commercial empire coverin ...

. His brother Bulgarios with 10,000 men acquired

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus r ...

from

Maurice (emperor) Maurice ( la, Mauricius or ''Mauritius''; ; 539 – 27 November 602) was Eastern Roman emperor from 582 to 602 and the last member of the Justinian dynasty. A successful general, Maurice was chosen as heir and son-in-law by his predecessor Tib ...

(582-602). The fate of the third brother is not mentioned. There is a frequently drawn parallel between these three brothers and the three brothers Shchek, Khoryv (Carpathia) and Kyi (who founded

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

in the 6th century) to whom the Khazars are said to be related.

Interpretation

The first Kazarig was the son of Ernakh whose

Onogurs The Onoğurs or Oğurs (Ὀνόγουροι, Οὔρωγοι, Οὔγωροι; Onογurs, Ογurs; "ten tribes", "tribes"), were Turkic nomadic equestrians who flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region between 5th and 7th cen ...

relocated in 463 seizing the lands of the

Akatziroi The Akatziri or Akatzirs ( gr, Άκατίροι, Άκατζίροι, ''Akatiroi'', ''Akatziroi''; la, Acatziri) were a tribe that lived north of the Black Sea, though the Crimean city of Cherson seemed to be under their control in the sixth centu ...

after whom he named his son Kazarig. The report of Bar Hebraeus then refers mainly to events during

Zabergan Zabergan ( grc-x-medieval, Ζαβεργάν) was the chieftain of the Kutrigur Bulgar Huns, a nomadic people of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, after Sinnion. His name is Iranian, meaning full moon. Either under pressure from incoming Avars,; or in r ...

's rule of the Kutrigurs immediately following

Sinnion Sinnion ( gr, Σιννίων or Σισίννιος; undetermined origin, perhaps Iranian) was a Kutrigur leader of the 6th century. Sinnion was a veteran of the Vandalic War. Noted for their strength and bravery, Sinnion and Balas led a group of 6 ...

and the dominance of the Avar conqueror

Kandik Kandik or Kazrig was one of the three Scythian brothers mentioned in the chronicle of Michael of Syria, the Jacobite Patriarch of Antioch. After leading their Turan, Azerbaijan, Iverian people as refugees away from the Turks as Pannonian Avars, Pse ...

. The

Eurasian Avars Eurasian Avars may refer to: * Avars (Caucasus), a people from the North East Caucasus ** Avar Khanate, Caucasus * Pannonian Avars The Pannonian Avars () were an alliance of several groups of Eurasian nomads of various origins. The peoples wer ...

arrived in 557. Tiberius II Constantine was acting for Justin at the time. The acquisition of Dacia was not immediate but was part of

Maurice's Balkan campaigns Maurice's Balkan campaigns were a series of military expeditions conducted by Roman Emperor Maurice (reigned 582–602) in an attempt to defend the Balkan provinces of the Roman Empire from the Avars and the South Slavs. Maurice was the only Eas ...

where Zabergan was recruited into Empire service. Bulgarios should be identified with

and Kazarig with

taking their names from the tribes they ruled in the Sarmatian Steppe.

Legacy

The name is later given by Nikephoros I of Constantinople to one of the "sons" of Khagan Kubrat who, following a dispute with his brother Batbayan, established his rule in

Bolghar Bolghar ( tt-Cyrl, Болгар, cv, Пăлхар) was intermittently the capital of Volga Bulgaria from the 8th to the 15th centuries, along with Bilyar and Nur-Suvar. It was situated on the bank of the Volga River, about 30 km downstream ...

References

Ancient Bulgars {{ukraine-hist-stub

Bar Hebraeus

Interpretation

Legacy

See also

References