INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF AZERBAIJAN HISTORY’S
RESEARCHERS
"UNOCAL KHAZAR, Ltd" OIL COMPANY USA
ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF AZERBAIJAN
BAKU CITY MAYORIS OFFICE
ROLE OF BAKU IN THE INTERNANIONAL MULTILATERAL INTERCOMMUNICATIONS OF AZERBAIJAN
The Summary is
completed by Professor Rafig Radjabov
BAKU-ELM-1997
Dr. Gisela Burger
Stuttgart, Germany
SOME HISTORICAL ASPECTS FOCUSSING INTERRELATIONS BETWEEN GERMANIC TRIBES AND THE EAST
Movements of tribes and peoples are as old as the
mankind. Their reasons are diverse, connected with the character of the
respective tribes and their aims. Already in the Paleolithic times movement of
little groups of people occured, being forced to find new areas for hunting and
food-gathering. Pre-historical migrations and invasions of vast dimensions can
be attested by the archaeological data; e.g., the infiltration of Neolithic
peasants from the Anatolian-Balkan area to the cenral and afterwards to the
western, south-western and northern Europe. Thousands of years later, the wave-like invasions of
tribes from the east, generally considered as the first Indo-Europeans,
occured. The first wave of these tribes (Cernavoda III culture) destroyed the flourishing
Tripolje-Cucuteni culture.
The migrations and invasions of the later times can be
historically attested.
The topic of my arfticle are the migrations of
Germanic tribes to the east and south-east from the 3rd century B.C. to the
11th century A.D.
The most important evidence for such wave-like
Germanic infiltrations and invasions is given by classical authors and - though
scarce - by archaeological artifacts. Old tales, sagas and epic tales as well
as the so-called rune-stones reflect the dangerous adventures of Germanic
tribes in far-away countries.
The first Germanic tribe mentioned by a classical
author (Plin., n.h., IV,97) were the Sciri who left their homeland somewhere
near the mouth of the river Weichsel to emigrate to south-east Europe. Together
with their allies, the Bastarnae, another tribe from north-east Europe, they
invaded the northern region of the Black Sea and attacked Olbia in the 2nd
century B.C. These were the first Germanic tribes who came under the influence
of the Hellenistic culture.
Both tribes were described as warlike adventurers.
This also explains their fight against Rome as allies of Mithridates, king of
Pontus. Procopius (V,27) gives us a vivid description of another expedition of
the Bastarnae southward. After occuping Ostia and killing its inhabitants, the
enraged Romans inflicted heavy losses on them.
Tacitus (II, 62-64) mentions the Bastarnae in
connection with Tiberius who demanded a reinforcement of his troops, using as a
pretext the danger of an imminent war against the Bastarnae.
Finally both tribes became allies of the Goths who
arrived after them. They were defeated, like the latter, by the Huns.
The scarce sources, dealing with the infiltration and
invasions of the Sciri and Bastarnae, are not very reliable, blending
historical facts with fanciful tales about strange Germanic tribes from
far-away sites in the north.
The Goths, on the other hand, known and feared by
their contemporaries,were historically well attested.
Their strictly organized social structure qualified
them as founders of empires and settlements. At the same time, they established
contacts with other peoples and cultures in the west and east.
The eastern Goths, known by the classical authors as
"Ostrogothae", were most frequently mentioned, for instance by
Tacitus (Ann., II,62) and Plinius (n.h., IV,14,19). The oldest information is
given by Strabo (Geogr., IV,1,3), though he does not mention the Goths'
homeland. Due to the controversial indications of the sources, the
starting-point of the Goths' migration may be sought in Scandinavia or
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near the mouth of the river Weichsel. By Strabo
(III,1,28) we are informed that the Goths were divided in many tribes, known
for their warlike character. On their campaigns they took their women and
children with them. Another characteristic is their inclination to wine!
The beginning of the aggresive arrival of the eastern
Goths in the south-east region can be dated to the 2nd century A.D. They were
attested on the northern shore of the Black Sea about 280 A.D. From there they
conquered Dacia. As rulers of many tribes in the south-east they were
acquainted with the advanced late Hellenistic culture. The result was a
blending with Germanic elements.
Having the position of a great power, the Goths
occupied the monarchy of Panticapea (Kerch), and took the fleet of the Black
Sea over. Thus they didn't only gain the supremacy in the area of the Black
Sea, but also of the regions north of it (Don and Volga), from where they reached
the Caucasus, the base for contacts with Trabzunt and the Mediterranean. The
summit of their power was about 370 A.D. under Ermanrich, whose empire
comprised the regions from the Theiss to the Caucasus and from the Pontic area
to the Baltic Sea.
As already mentioned, the Goths had violent fights
with the Huns who defeated them finally. The main battleground in the northern
Caucasus was called "Antai" by Procopius (Bellum Gothicum, 4) which
means "The land of the Circassians". It is interesting to note that
the Anglo-Saxon epos "Beowulf" Caucasian weapons are called
"antish".
A striking historical fact is the Goths' sailing from
the Crimea to Trabzunt which they distroyed. In this respect the Goths were
forerunners of the Vikings.
While no artifacts were found from the first two
Germanic tribes, some have now been detected, which, though scarce, prove the
Goths' presence in south-east Russia. They are mostly dated to the 3rd and 4th
centuries A.D. and came from cemeteries, the oldest of which is near Chersones.
Among the artifacts the typical Germanic cross-bow
fibulae should be mentioned. As to the weapons, two spear-heads are of special
interest because of their ornamentation with the typical Germanic swastikas and
runes.
The distribution of amber is a proof of the Goths'
presence in south-eastern Europe. The importance of the "Amber-Way"
connecting the Weichsel with the Black Sea, can be compared to the role of the
"Silk-Way" known by the Vikings and joining Europe to China via
Transcaucasia.
The name "Vikings" is nowadays no longer
used to designate special tribes or tribal-unities but rather describes a
life-style as pirates, warriors, adventurers and traders, though parts of the
literature still mention "Vikings", "Waraeger" and
"Normans". In this respect their designation in the old sources
should be recalled, the "Primary Chronicle", the author of which is
no more thought to be the monk Nestor, writes about "Rus" and
"Warangi" ("Warjagi"): "Varangians from beyond the
sea". The Byzantine chronicles mention "Rhoa" and
"Varangai", while the Islamic speak of "Rus" and
"Warank". The meaning of "Rus" (or "Rhos")
derived from northern "ro r" - "rower".
What was the aim of the Vikings' migration to the east
and south-east? By nature they were mainly pirates, interested in rich booty,
and traders. Market-centers like Bulghar represented for them a chance to sell
their goods at a high price, but also to get acquainted with exotic
merchandises like silk and spices. Still more important was the possibility to
meet traders from far-away eastern countries, for their mutual profit.
The Arab author Ibn Fadlan confirms that the most
appreciated Viking goods were furs and slaves, honey, wax, amber and armour.
The type of Scandinavian sword was much sought after the Muslim peoples. The
Vikings, for their part, were most interested in the silver of Islamic
countries.
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But many of the Vikings were peasants, searching new
lands. A proof that they arrived accompanied by their families are the finds of
typical Germanic oval brooches in Russian cemeteries.
The main reason for their migrations was presumably of
an ecological order, while the Celtic eastward migrations were caused by
overpopulation. Both, the Vikings and the Celts, had the same fate - they were
assimilated by the native people.
The evidence of the Vikings' presence in the
south-east and east is attested by literary sources, especially Arab
chronicles, and archaeological artifacts. The most important finds originate
from the cemetery of Gnezdovo, near Smolensk. The earliest of the 30000 burial
mounds are dated to the tenth century A.D.
As the main stress of this article is on the events of
the Vikings connected with the region of the Caspian Sea, other historical
facts like chronological details, the land- and sea-routes and the foundations
of market-centers and towns will be put aside. It should be only pointed out
that Novgorod and Kiev began as Viking outposts, the latter being presumably
formerly a Slavic sanctuary. By the 830s the "Rus" had completed
their explorations of the eastern river-system and established direct trade
contacts.
From the starting point, Lake Ladoga, two important
water-routes were known. The route heading eastwards led from the Volga to
Bulghar, a famous trading-center. The Vikings had to pay tribute to the
Bulghars and the Khazars, two Turkish
tribes living in this region. From the Volga the route led to the Sea of Azov
or to the market-place of Itil (or Atil) at the Caspian Sea, the capital of the
Khazars. On the second route, leading southwards, the Vikings sailed via Kiev
to the Black Sea whereby Kiev developed commercial contacts with Byzantium,
attacked occasionally by the Viking-pirates because of its wealth.
By way of the market-place of Bulghar, the Vikings
could reach Baghdad and take the famous "Silk-Way" to China. This
example should give an impression of the dimension of the Vikings' migration.
North and south, east and west had commercial and cultural ties.
Oriental fantasy-tales like "A thousand and one
nights" found their expression in the Vikings' sagas and epics, tempting
still more groups of the Vikings to migrate to those far-away mysterious parts
of the world.
As to the literary sources, especially to Arab annals,
the Vikings raids in the regions on the shore of the Caspian Sea began in the
9th century A.D. on a small scale.
The meeting of merchants from far-away eastern
countries at the market-places of Bulghar and Itil, gave the Vikings the
opportunity of being informed about the wealth and the fertility of the
countries at the Caspian Sea, especially their raw-material. Thus they were
tempted to go there, first as peaceful traders, then as pirates and warriors.
One of the most fascinating Arab authors was
Abu-l-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husain ibn Ali al-Mas'udi (called al-Mas'udi). Being
interested in all knowledges, he visited many places and sailed on the Caspian
Sea.
His description of the pirate-like expeditions of the
Bulghars along the coast of the Mediterranean reveals a striking similarity to
the Vikings' infiltrations (al-Mas'udi, Buch der Goldwiesen, 90ff). In a very
lively way he depicts one of the later raids of the Vikings against the
population at the Caspian Sea (10th century A.D.). Before the realisation of
their plan they promised the King of the Khazars to give him half of the booty
for the permission to cross his country. From Atil (Itil) they intended to
reach the Caspian Sea. From Abaskun they went to "Ardhabeidschan" and
from there to Baku in the kingdom of Shirvan, attracted by the sources of oil,
for which they would get a high price in Constantinople. In that connection it
should be stressed that raw-material like oil played always an important role.
78
Al-Mas'udi still describes their successful attacks,
assisted by raiding bands on horseback. In one of his other books (Les Prairies
d'Or, I,458,18ff) he depicts the Vikings' penetration of the oil-country around
Baku, where they defeated the local forces, killed the population and enslaved
children and women. The king of Shirvan tried in vain to resist them by sending
soldiers. Mentioning the oil-sources al-Mas'udi also refers to the enigmatic
fire around Baku. Returning to the Volga-estuary with rich booty, the Vikings
brought to the King of the Khazars the promised part of the booty. But the
King's subjects, being afraid of a catastrophe caused by the Vikings, asked him
to give them "free hands" to attack these enemies who invaded the
countries of their Muslim-brothers, shed their blood and captured women and children.
After a three-days fight the Vikings were killed or drowned.
Another attack, the raid on Barda'a (in Aran), in the
Caspian area, is referred to by many Arab writers. According to Ibn-al-Athir
(228-254) the Vikings (the "Rus") were met by the governor at the head
of about 5000 men whom they defeated. The Rus, after their victory, occupied
the town. According to the Chronicle, the Rus promised the inhabitants to have
no objection to their Muslim-faith in case they would acknowledge them as
overlords. But after some events the Rus began to kill inhabitants and enslave
women and boys.
An earlier raid, the Vikings' attack of Abaskun, is
described by Ibn Isfandiyar (199).
Meanwhile Marzuban ibn Muhammad, the ruler of
Azerbaijan, after successless attempts to defeat the Rus, arranged an ambush by
which the Vikings suffered great losses.
The above-mentioned episodes were possibly the first
in history that led to interrelations between the west and the east. The
Caucasian world had very important ties with the western countries in the
following centuries. And now, as there is quite a new epoch in the world,
commercial and - even more important - cultural connections between Azerbaijan
and the West may lead to peaceful relations throughout Europe.
PL. I 1 Ebert 1973, Abb.129.
Silver points of lances with rune-inscriptions From Brest-Litovsk.
2 Menghin 1988, Abb.1,5. East-Gothic silver
frame fibulae. From Kerch, 6th century A.D.
3 Ibid., 1,5. East-Gothic silver arm-ring
from Kerch, 5th century A.D.
Pl.II 1
Menghin 1993, Abb.7. Pendant consisting of two little heads. From Staraja
Ladoga, 8th century A.D.
2 Ibid., Abb.3. Luxury bridle from Gnezdovo,
10th century A.D.
3 Klindt-Jensen 1967. Part of the Viking
hoard of jewellery. From Gnezdovo. Among it a sword and two oval brooches.
Pl.III 1
Wilson 1980, fig.53. The Gokstad-ship.
2 Graham-Campbell 1980, fig.513. Swedish
bronze statue of Freyr, god of fertility.
3 Wilaon 1980, fig.81. Warrior made of antler
with a conical helmet and a moustache.
4 Carpet from Bayeux, France, depicting a
viking ship with warriors and horses.
5 Graham-Campbell 1980, p.160. Rune-stone
about the death of a Viking, perishing during the campaign in the east.
Pl.IV 1
Graham-Campbell 1980, fig.109. Hoard of women's bronze and silver jewellery:
pendant, arm-ring, chains and oval brooches.
Pl.V 1 Menghin 1993, Abb.6. Part of
the Osbergship, decorated in the animal-style, representing a dragon's head.
2
Logan 1967, Abb.8. Silver-inlaid battle-axe.
3 Graham-Campbell
1980, fig.480. Picture-stone.
79
Athir Ibn- al (translated C.Huart), Cambridge 1922.
Avdusin A.D. Smolensk and the Varangians, in:
Norvegian Review 2, 1969.
Cross S.H. The Russian Primary Chronicle, Laurentian
text with notes, with Sherbowitz-Wetzor, Cambridge, Mass. 1953 (Medieval
Academy of American Publications 60).
Davidson H. The Viking Road to Byzantium, London 1976.
Ebert M. Südrussland
im Altertum, Aalen 1973.
Graham-Campbell J. The Viking Artefacts, London 1980.
Isfandiyar Ibn (translated E.G.Browne), London 1905.
Klindt-Jensen O. Die
Welt der Wikinger, Frankfurt 1967.
Logan E. Die
Wikinger in der Geschichte, Stuttgart 1987.
Masudi al. Bis zu
den Grenzen den Erde. Auszuege aus dem Buch der Goldwiesen, Tuebingen/Basel
1978.
Id. Les Prairies d'Or (translated Barbier de Meynard and P. de Courteille),
1963, I.
Menghin W. Germanen,
Hunnen und Awaren, Nuernberg 1988.
Id. Wikinger,
Waraeger, Normannen, Mainz 1993.
Wilson M. The Vikings and their Origin, London 1980.
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