The Khazar-Umayyad Wars: Big Fights in Caucasus History

You think history’s always a straight line? Forget that. We’re about to jump into something SUPER intense. So strategically vital. Seriously, it helped define the early medieval world. The Khazar-Umayyad Wars? Brutal. A centuries-long fight for bossing the Caucasus. This land bridge, right between continents. And both empires really wanted it. Picture it: two big powers. Ramming heads over mountains and rivers. Messing with trade routes, even royal marriages. Just imagine the tension.

Empires Clashing, Caucasus Style

Okay, so 653. Muslim Arab forces pushing forward. They hit a wall. A Khazar wall, actually. First Battle of Belenjer! The Umayyad Caliphate? New. Couldn’t really get a grip afterwards. Plus, internal fights were tearing them up.

And this power vacuum? Smart local Caucasian rulers grabbed it. Started doing their own thing. Even linked back up with the Byzantine Empire. Also, Khazar-aligned Huns? Not just chilling. They busted through Derbent passes. Raiding Albania in ‘661 and ‘662. Married off an Albanian prince’s daughter to one of their bigshots. Just gotta survive, huh?

But then the Umayyads. Muawiya in charge. He locked down their rule from Damascus. The Caucasus got tight with the Arab leaders. And another thing: The Khazars? They had bigger Turks to deal with. Their eyes were glued to their western and northern fronts.

Blood on the Steppe: Big Showdowns

So, Kubrat, the Great Bulgar big boss man, died in 668. His sons? Fought for the crown. The Khazars saw their moment. Total opportunists. In 671, they hit the Bulgar Turks. Took territory all the way to the Don River. Sent some Bulgars running west and north. Made others bow down. This got them Black Sea shores. Filthy rich just like that, thanks to important trade paths.

Bulgars sorted. Khazars looked south. Muawiya died in 680. That was their sign. They grabbed Derbent in ‘683. Then slammed into Albania. Again. ‘689 and ‘692. They trashed local fighters. Demanded money. But not about settling down. No. It was about showing off.

Umayyad generals then stepped up. Maslama bin Abd al-Malik, Jarrah al-Hakami, Marwan II. All tough guys. And they marched north. Beyond Derbent. Not just small fights. Full-on invasions. Dominance hanging in the balance.

Byzantine Deals: Princesses and Chess Moves

Geopolitics. Weird pairings. The Umayyads got big super fast. So naturally their two main rivals, Byzantines and Khazars, teamed up. Loose alliance. Just for defense. And sometimes these deals? Came with weddings.

Look at Emperor Justinian II. Kicked out in 695. Nose brutally chopped off. Sent away to Cherson, up near the Black Sea. But no quiet retirement for him. He planned his comeback. Fled to Khazar capital, Itil in 704. Khagan treated him good. Justinian marries Khagan’s sister. She became Theodora.

This sure ticked off the new Byzantine emperor, Tiberius III. He wanted Justinian back, or dead. So, the Khazars – they saw a chance. They helped Justinian get his throne back in 705. And then again in 711! Big muscle, right? And another thing: Later, in 732, Emperor Leo III sealed another bond. Married his son, Constantine, to a Khazar princess. Chichek Hatun. Became Empress Irene. Smart.

Ardabil: Caliphate’s Nightmare

Ardabil. Just one battle. But man, it was fierce. October 730. One of the nastiest fights of the whole war. Khazar general Bars Beg. His army? Totally surprised the Umayyad guys. Wrecked them. Jarrah al-Hakami, Umayyad commander, dead.

Not just a loss. A complete mess. The Khazar forces surrounded Ardabil, took it over. Went deep into southern Azerbaijan. Raided clear down to Mosul and Zarvand. Places in the caliphate nobody had ever gone before. The shockwaves in Damascus? Must’ve been huge. Their win was so monumental, it really scared the Umayyad core.

Caliph Hisham couldn’t even sleep! He knew the whole empire was in danger. So, he sent Said bin Amr, an old hand from Turkestan, to get everyone revved up. Said campaigned hard. Called it a jihad. A fight for Islam itself. Steadily pushed the Khazars back, got back the land they lost. And then beat Khagan’s son, Bars Beg, in Azerbaijan. A heck of a victory.

Changing Momentum: Moves and Land

Marwan II, who later became Caliph himself, took over as governor of the Caucasus. After a bunch of different governors and mixed results for the Umayyads. He wasn’t playing games. By 736, he got a massive army ready. We’re talking 100,000 to 120,000 dudes. Four, five times bigger than before. Even grabbed Armenians for his troops.

Marwan marched. Right through Daryal Pass. Made the Alans surrender. Pushed right past Belenjer. Then, super bold move, went past Semender. Other generals never dared that far north. But Marwan? Crossed their “red line.” Right into their main land.

The Khazar Khagan, Baghatur, decided to just bolt farther into the country. Didn’t want to get caught. Marwan didn’t chase towns. He chased the Khagan. In a huge battle at the Itil River, Marwan’s army totally smashed the Khazar forces. The Khagan, his power busted, asked for peace. Marwan’s demands? Simple. Convert to Islam. Promise not to attack south of the Caucasus passes. Khagan did it. Umayyads made their northern line safe. Turning border cities into shields. His big push made Umayyad power in the Caucasus top-tier.

Quick Questions

Why did the Khazar-Umayyad Wars even start?

Mostly about who controlled the super important Caucasus region. It was a key connection between the Eurasian steppes and the Middle East, you know? Promised rich trade routes. Solid defensive lines, too.

So, how did the Byzantine Empire mess with these fights?

The Byzantines often teamed up with the Khazars. Just balancing out their shared Umayyad enemy. This meant marriages of royals. Like Emperor Justinian II marrying a Khazar princess (Theodora). Later, Emperor Leo III married his son to another one (Irene).

And who were the major military leaders in these Khazar-Umayyad Wars?

Major players? Khazar chief Bars Beg, for sure. He led that huge win at Ardabil. Then the Umayyad generals: Jarrah al-Hakami, Said bin Amr. But especially Marwan II. His giant war push in 736 really made the Khazars surrender.