BİZANS TARİHYAZIMINDA TÜRK VE İSKANDİNAV-RUS İLİŞKİLERİ: KARŞILAŞTIRMALI BİR KAYNAK DEĞERLENDİRMESİ

Öz

This study examines the interactions between the Turks and the Scandinavia-origin Rus’ in Byzantine historiography, focusing on the multifaceted networks of interaction that emerged between the Turks, Rus’, and Byzantium in Eastern Europe, particularly in the northern Black Sea region, during the IXth to XIth centuries. Byzantine sources, which provide uninterrupted information about Turkish peoples over a broad temporal and spatial spectrum-from the Huns to the Ottomans-are recognized for their significance in Turkish historiography. However, it is also a fact that these sources document not only Turkish communities but also the political, commercial, and military relations of Scandinavian groups with Byzantium and other Turkish peoples. Byzantium’s geographical position enabled continuous interaction with Scandinavian groups arriving from the north and Turkish peoples from the east. Scandinavian merchants advancing through the Dnieper to the Black Sea and via the Volga to the Caspian Sea encountered Turkish groups such as the Pechenegs, Khazars, and Volga Bulgars, establishing various levels of relations with these peoples. The study also addresses the role of Scandinavians as mercenaries in the Byzantine army, forming the elite unit known as the Varangian Guard, which also included Turkish members. The activities of the Scandinavians in Eastern Europe, particularly the trade networks formed along the Dnieper River, are analyzed in detail. These trade routes played a critical role in facilitating contact between the Scandinavians and Turkish peoples. The Pechenegs, in this context, are emphasized as a strategic element serving both as facilitators and obstacles in these interactions. Moreover, the deepening of diplomatic and commercial ties between the Rus’ and Byzantium and their implications for the relationship between these two societies are discussed. An important finding of the study is that Byzantine historiography not only documented the interactions among these peoples but also facilitated the transmission of cultural and military knowledge through these relations. One noteworthy aspect is the acquisition of mounted combat techniques by the Scandinavians from the Turks, which they employed while serving in the Byzantine army and later transmitted back to Scandinavia. However, it is also noted that the ethnographic and socio-cultural descriptions in Byzantine sources, often rooted in the Classical Greek and Roman traditions, have led to certain ambiguities in modern research. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that Byzantine sources serve as a fundamental reference for understanding the multilayered nature of Turkish and Rus’-Scandinavian relations. Highlighting the mutual dependence between Turkish and Scandinavian peoples in military and commercial contexts, the study underlines that Byzantine sources, when carefully analyzed, offer an unparalleled guide for evaluating the historical background of the period from a broad perspective.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Peçenekler
• İskandinavlar
• Ruslar
• Bizans

TURKISH AND SCANDINAVIAN-RUS’ RELATIONS IN BYZANTINE HISTORIOGRAPHY: A COMPARATIVE SOURCE ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study examines the interactions between the Turks and the Scandinavia-origin Rus’ in Byzantine historiography, focusing on the multifaceted networks of interaction that emerged between the Turks, Rus’, and Byzantium in Eastern Europe, particularly in the northern Black Sea region, during the IXth to XIth centuries. Byzantine sources, which provide uninterrupted information about Turkish peoples over a broad temporal and spatial spectrum-from the Huns to the Ottomans-are recognized for their significance in Turkish historiography. However, it is also a fact that these sources document not only Turkish communities but also the political, commercial, and military relations of Scandinavian groups with Byzantium and other Turkish peoples. Byzantium’s geographical position enabled continuous interaction with Scandinavian groups arriving from the north and Turkish peoples from the east. Scandinavian merchants advancing through the Dnieper to the Black Sea and via the Volga to the Caspian Sea encountered Turkish groups such as the Pechenegs, Khazars, and Volga Bulgars, establishing various levels of relations with these peoples. The study also addresses the role of Scandinavians as mercenaries in the Byzantine army, forming the elite unit known as the Varangian Guard, which also included Turkish members. The activities of the Scandinavians in Eastern Europe, particularly the trade networks formed along the Dnieper River, are analyzed in detail. These trade routes played a critical role in facilitating contact between the Scandinavians and Turkish peoples. The Pechenegs, in this context, are emphasized as a strategic element serving both as facilitators and obstacles in these interactions. Moreover, the deepening of diplomatic and commercial ties between the Rus’ and Byzantium and their implications for the relationship between these two societies are discussed. An important finding of the study is that Byzantine historiography not only documented the interactions among these peoples but also facilitated the transmission of cultural and military knowledge through these relations. One noteworthy aspect is the acquisition of mounted combat techniques by the Scandinavians from the Turks, which they employed while serving in the Byzantine army and later transmitted back to Scandinavia. However, it is also noted that the ethnographic and socio-cultural descriptions in Byzantine sources, often rooted in the Classical Greek and Roman traditions, have led to certain ambiguities in modern research. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that Byzantine sources serve as a fundamental reference for understanding the multilayered nature of Turkish and Rus’-Scandinavian relations. Highlighting the mutual dependence between Turkish and Scandinavian peoples in military and commercial contexts, the study underlines that Byzantine sources, when carefully analyzed, offer an unparalleled guide for evaluating the historical background of the period from a broad perspective.

Keywords

• Pechenegs
• Scandinavians
• Rus’
• Byzantine Empire

Kaynakça

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