Khazaria in the 9th and 10th Centuries by Boris Zhivkov Translated by Daria Manova. East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450–1450 Edited by Florin Curta.
The history of the steppe peoples or, more precisely, that of the state organization in the steppes is often presented as a string of political entities or ethnic communities that replace one another in rapid succession. The deeper and more thorough understanding of the processes there is hindered by one major obstacle—the lack of enough information and indigenous written records. In this respect, the Khazar Khaganate (from the seventh to tenth century) is no exception, quite the opposite. We have at our disposal only two letters, which can be defined as authentic Khazar documents: that of the Khazar ruler Joseph and that of a Khazar Jew (the so-called Schechter Letter or the Cambridge Document), addressed to Hasdai ibn Shaprut (the mid-tenth century). These letters are not sufficient for creating a satisfactory picture of the Khazar state.
