2.  The  Bulgarians,  originally  Tartars,  separated  in  the
fifth  century  into  three  tribes,  of  which  the  first  went
south  and  settled  on  both  sides  of  the  Danube ;  the  second
(the  Khvalisses).  remained  on  the  Yolga ;  and  the  third
settled  on  the  Kama,  and  was  called  the  Kamian  or  (vide
Nestor)  the  White  Bulgarians.  In  the  year  635,  their  great
Prince  Kouvrat  fell  upon  the  Avarians,  and  drove  them  for
ever  from  his  territory.
3.  The  Khazars  were  Tartars  or  Turks,  who  had  settled
in  the  Caucasus,  and,  although  partly  Christian,  inclined
to  the  Jewish  religion.  Feared  as  great  warriors,  they
domineered  over  the  greater  part  of  the  country,  but
were  at  last  subjected  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  The
fortress  Sarkel,  on  the  Don,  and  the  place  Khazan,  near
Kharkov,  owed  their  origin  to  them.  They  all  obeyed  a
Grand  Khan  (Kha-Khan),  who  resided  at  Atel  (Etel,
Balangiar  Astrakhan).  He  was  guarded  by  12,000  soldiers.
The  great  King  of  Persia,  "  Khosroes,"  protected  his  land
against  the  Khazars  by  a  wall  (forty  parasangs  long),  which,
now  called  the  Caucasian  wall,  astonishes  still  all  beholders
of  its  ruins.  Several  Byzantine  Emperors  were  married  to
Khazarian  princesses.  Their  decline  began  in  the  ninth
century,  when  they  lost  Kherson  and  Kiev  (the  latter  to  the
Varaeghian  heroes  "  Askold  and  Dir  ").
4.  The  Petctieneghians.  The  Byzantine  and  other  Oriental


THE  PETCKEXEGHIANS  AXD  POLOVZ.
245


and  Occidental  historians  have  made  this  people  appear
on  the  stage  of  history  under  a  great  variety  of  mostly
corrupted  names.  We  thus  find  them  mentioned  as
"  Petchenares,  Patsinaks,  Patsinakites,  Pecenai,  Pedines,
Kangar,  Bisseni,"  &c.  The  Mohammedan  historian,  Ibn-
Hankal,  calls  them  "Tckebal,  or  Patchbal;"  others,  again,
"  Bedshfagie,  Bahbak,  Nedshakie,  Bakhtal,  Kangli,"  &c.
