The Publijher unto the Reader, 



againft the great Cofroes; whom by their Afliftance he overcame. Thefe Chazari were 

 alfo poffefled of all that part oïTaurica Cberfonefus which is plain and fit for feeding 

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

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

 Tartars in the Thirteenth Century, called Caffaria^m Cazaria, and afterwards more 

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

 of thefe Chazari or Chozars in divers Perfian and Arabian Hiftorians and Geogra- 

 phers. Abulpharagius acquaints us with an Expedition they made into Perfia the 

 183. Year of the Hetira, which was after our Account in 7<??, from whence they 

 returned with great Spoile, and above rooûoû Captives: and afterwards, in the 

 514 th Year of the Mabumet an Epocha , being A. C. 11 20. they made another In- 

 road, accompanied by the Comxnians, (whom the Arabians call Kapbjakj--,) Frequent 

 mention is made of them by that Defervedly Celebrated Arabian Geographer Al 

 Edriff, who flourifhed in the 548 th year of the Hegira; ofChrift, 11 55. He al- 

 ways calls the Caftian Sea, Mare Choznr : And all that Country on the North and 

 to 'the Weft of the Cajhian $ca.,Terra Chozar. He acquaints us, that the Refidence of 

 the Prince of Chozar was not far above the Mouth of the Volga, which the "Tartars 

 calï Athel -, which name I fuppofe it derived from Attila, that Renowned King 

 of the Hunns, being fo called in the Relation of the AmbafTadovs who were fen t by 

 the Emperour Jiiftim , unto the Great Chacan of the Tur\q refiding in thé Eaft. 

 Al E'drifi and his Epitomizer, commonly known by the Name of 'Geographic Nubien- 

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

 Metropolis ; he fuppreffes the Name/tyling it only from the River, the City of ' Athel s 

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

 Weft-fide -, and that the other lefs eonfiderable on the Eafi-fide, was inhabited only 

 by the meaner fort of People and Merchants.k being a place of great Trade^that which 

 nude it more confiderable, was the liberty allowed unto all of the Publike ProfetTion, 

 and Exercife of their reflective Religious Perfwafions, Jews, Christians, Mahumetans, 

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

 Dialogue publifhed out of an Ancient Hebrew Manufeript, by V Empereur, between 

 the Author a Jerviflo Rabbi, and the King of Chozar. 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. Najftr Eddin, who wrote at the latter end of the 13th Century, 

 calls this City in his Geographical Td.b\es,Balanjar, and from him Abulfeda -, they place 

 it in 4 degrees 30 minutes of Northern Latitude - , where within fix or eight mi- 

 nutes. our beft Geographers fezt Ajiracan. And queftionlefs this was that City which 

 our Author and Olearim call Old Ajlracan. Thefe Chazari, did, I fuppofe, conferve 

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

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

 between China and the Borifthenes i And Euticbius, who wrote about 30 or 40 years 

 after, makes mention of 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 ot Comanians, who were alfo a Turkith Nation 

 known unto the Turks, Per-frans, and Arabians, under the Name of Kaphjacl^h whether 

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

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

 Tartars) I will not here undertake to determine : but this is certain , that fuddenl'y 

 the Name of Chazari was extinct, and all that Tract of Land from the Nepper unto 

 Turkman 1500 miles beyond the Volga, was inhabited by thefe Cumanians ho were, 

 often troublefome unto the Ruffes, 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, fbon after the 

 death ûtjingiz Chan 3 whofeSon Hocota being chofén Emperour,fent his Nephew Ba- 

 tu, or Bothy, the Son of Tuffy Jingiz Chan - his Eld eft Sen, with 400000 Men, to in- 

 vade the Northern Parts oïAfia. The Cumani for divers years valiantly refifted,-and 

 made thé greateft opposition the Tartars met with in all their Conquefts > repuls'd 

 them m two pitch'd Battels -, but then growing feeure, and difperfing upon the Tar- 

 tars rétreat, they Were unexpectedly^-ftirplriied, the Whole Countrey over-run, above 

 20ÔÛOÛ killed, their fàng JCa^hardly/efcaping With 40000 into Hungary, where 

 • ™ ll y-* % s \J j he 



