On the self-identification of the Khazar khaganate in the 9th century(based on data of the defence system)

This article examines the question of archaeological features making itpossible to speak of the self-identification of the Khazar Khaganate in the 9th century.The author draws attention to the fact that in the third decade of the 9th century buildingprojects were underway to create a chain of fortresses with the help of Byzantine experts.This process coincided in time with the emission of dirhams, with the inscriptionsidentifying the land of the Khazars as the point of issuing coins. The designated bordersof their territory are commensurate with the density of Khazar burials in burial-mounds.All these data point to the fact that the core territories of the Khaganate in the 9th c. werethe lower reaches of the Don