Historical Significance
Some scholars point to a district in Kievan Podol named after the Khazars (called "Kozare"), which indicates to some that Turkic Khazars did live in Kiev. The Khazars apparently played a significant role in the economic vitality of the city, importing caviar, fish, and salt into Kiev.
If so, it might at first glance suggest that Khazar control over Kiev, in some form or another, continued well into the tenth century, significantly later than the traditional date for conquest by Oleg, 882. On the other hand, from the letter itself it seems that the Khazar authorities could do little to help the Jewish community of Kiev; the letter itself had ended up in Egypt, and the beleaguered alms-seeker had presumably travelled thousands of miles in his search for relief. The identity and status of the reviewing, turcophone officer is therefore ambiguous. It would seem more likely that the letter was reviewed in Khazaria at a time when Khazar Jewish power had waned not only in Kiev but in the heartland itself (sometime in the 11th century).
Read more about this topic: Kievian Letter
Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or significance:
“Culture is the name for what people are interested in, their thoughts, their models, the books they read and the speeches they hear, their table-talk, gossip, controversies, historical sense and scientific training, the values they appreciate, the quality of life they admire. All communities have a culture. It is the climate of their civilization.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)
“For a parent, it’s hard to recognize the significance of your work when you’re immersed in the mundane details. Few of us, as we run the bath water or spread the peanut butter on the bread, proclaim proudly, “I’m making my contribution to the future of the planet.” But with the exception of global hunger, few jobs in the world of paychecks and promotions compare in significance to the job of parent.”
—Joyce Maynard (20th century)