The Publijher unto the Reader. 



againft the great Cofroes, whom by their Afliftance he overcame. Thefe Cbazari were 

 alfo pofTefTed of all that part otTaurica Cberfomfus which is plain and fit for feeding , 

 Cattle,' they being addicted, after the manner of all other Scythian Nomades, unto a 

 Paftoral life \ which Peninfula from them was untill the Famous Irruption of the 

 Tartars in the Thirteenth Century, called Cajfaria, or Cazaria, and afterwards more 

 corruptly by the Genoefes, Venetians, and other Latines , Gazaria. I rind mention . 

 of thcfe Cbazari or Cbozars in divers Perjun and Arabian Hiftorians and Geogra- 

 phers. Abulpbaragius acquaints us with an Expedition they made into Pcrpa the 

 183. Year of the Hegira y which was after our Account in 75??, from whence they 

 returned with great Spoile, and above 1 00000 ..Captives : and afterwards, in the 

 514 th Year of the Mabumetan Epocba , being A. C. 11 20. they made another In- 

 road, accompanied by the Comanians, (wtiom the Arabians call Kapbjakj;) Frequent 

 mention is made of them by that Defcrvedly Celebrated Arabian Geografkr Al 

 Edrifi, who flourished in the 5481b year of the Hegira; ofChrift, 1*53. He al- 

 ways calls the Cajpian Sea, Mare Cbozar : And all that Country on the North, and 

 to the Weft of the Cajpian Sea, Terra ChozaK He acquaints us, that the Red Jetrce of 

 the Prince of Cbozar was not far above the Mouth of the Volga, which the 'tartars 

 call Atbel 5 which name I fuppofe it derived from Attila, that Renowned King 

 of the Hun/is,* being fo called in the Relation of the Ambafladors who were fern by 

 the Emperour Jujiim , unto the Great Cbacan of the Turkj , rcfiding in the Eaft. 

 Al Edrifi and his Epitomizer, commonly known by the$Jame # of Geograpbtu Nubien- 

 fis intimate, That thefe Cbozars inhabited divers other Cities , but that this was the 

 Metropolis i he fuppreffes the Name,ftyling it only from the River, die City of Atbel > 

 and declares, it was divided by the River, the chief and greatelf part being on the 

 Weft-fide i and that the other lefs confiderable on the Eait-iide, was inhabited only 

 by the meaner fort of People and MerchantsJt being a place of great Tradesthat which 

 made it more confiderable, was4he liberty allowed unto all of the Publike Profellion, 

 and Exercife of their refpective Religious Perfwai**ns, Jews, Christians, Mabumetant^ 

 and Idolaters being there equally countenanced, which I fuppofe might occafon that 

 Dialogue publiftied out of an Ancient Hebrew Manufcript, by VEmpereur, between 

 the Author a Jervifh Rabbi, and the King of Cbozar. This City is faid to have been 

 extended along the River three miles in length, and it's breadth proportionable •■> the 

 Weftern part well fortified •, adorned with the Emperours Palace , and feveral other 

 eminent Structures. Najjir EdAin, who wrote at the latter end of the 15th Century, 

 calls this City in his Geographical Tables,B.z/.*«jar, and from him Abulfeda ithey place 

 it in 46 degrees 30 minutes of Northern Latitude, where within fix or eight mi- 

 nutes our beft Geographers feat Aflracan. And queftionkfs this was that City which 

 our Author and Oleariits call Old Ajhacan. Thefe Cbazari, did, I fuppofe, conferve 

 their vaft Dominion without any great Interruption , at leaft until A. C. poo. For 

 Alferganus who lived about that Time, places no other Nation in his Table of Climes, 

 between China and the Borijihenes i And Eutichim, who wrGte about 30 or 40 years 

 after,, makes mention oi them as a mighty Nation, and many amongft them con- 

 verted unto the Chriftian Belief. About the middle of the 10th Century thefe Cba- 

 zari gave place unto the Cumanians or Comanians, who were alio a Turkijh Nation 

 known unto the Turks, Perfians, and Arabians, under the Name of Kapbiacl^ '■> whether 

 they expelled the Cbazari, or that the former becoming the more Eminent Tribe, 

 gave Law and Name unto thefe latter (as hath fince frequently happened among the 

 Tartars J I will not here undertake to determine : but this is certain , that fuddenly 

 the Name of Cbazari was extinct, and all that Trad of Land from the Nepper unto 

 Turheltan 15 00 miles beyond the Volga, was inhabited by thefe Cumanians,w ho were 

 often troublefome unto the Rujjes, Lithuanians, Hungarians and other Neighbour-Na- 

 tions. But this People was almoft totally deftroyed by the Tartars in that great In- 

 undation which happened at the beginning of the 12 th Century, (bon after the 

 death ofjingiz Chan \ whole Son Hocota being chofen Emperour,fent his Nephew Ba- 

 tu, or Bathy, the Son ofTuJfy Jingiz Chan hisEldeft Sen, with 400000 Men, to in- 

 vade the Northern Parts of Afia. The Cumani for divers years valiantly refilled, and 

 made the greatefr oppofition the Tartars met with in all their Gonquefts •, rcpufc'd 

 them in two pitch'd Battels •■> but then growing fecure, and difperfing upon the Tar- 

 tars retreat, they were unexpectedly furprized, the whole Countrey over-run, above 

 200000 killed, their King Kntben hardly efcaping with 40000 into Hungary, where 



he 



