Saqsin
Encyclopedia
Saqsin was a medieval city that flourished from the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries. It was situated in the Volga Delta
(modern-day Astrakhan Oblast
), or in the Lower Volga, and was known in pre-Mongol times as Saksin-Bolgar, which in Mongol times became Sarai Batu
.
It was mentioned by the Arab
geographer al-Gharnati and the Persian
Qazwini
, among others, and recorded as "the land of the Saksins" in the report of Friar Benedykt Polak
about the 1246 trip of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
through the camp of Mongol prince Batu Khan
on the shores of the Volga. S.A. Pletneva locates Saksin between present Volgograd
and Akhtubinsk
.
Friar Benedykt apparently misunderstood the name as somehow connected with the Saxons
of Germany, stating incorrectly that the inhabitants were Christians and "believed to be Goths" related to those of Crimea
. In actuality, they were probably Turkic
and Muslim
.
Saqsin may be an Arabized version of Sarighsin, Turkic for "Yellow City". The identity of its inhabitants is unclear, though Carpine reports that Saksin province was inhabited by Kuman
s. It was situated near the ruins of Atil
, the old Khazar capital, but there is no indication that it was part of any latter-day Khazar polity. It was situated in Kipchak territory and may have been the center for one of their principalities. Some sources claim that it was under the influence of the Volga Bulgars.
led a series of excavations at the Samosdelskoye site near the village of Samosdelka in the Volga Delta. Vasilyev connected artifacts from the middle strata with Khazar, Oghuz
and Bulgar
culture, leading him to believe that he had discovered the site of Saqsin. The matter is still unresolved.
Sarai Batu was excavated by a number of expeditions exploring the center of the city, and was probably located on the periphery of the original Saqsin. The ruins of Atil appear to be underneath the layers presumed to represent Saqsin.http://www.lechaim.ru/ARHIV/174/VZR/a02.htm
Volga Delta
The Volga Delta is the largest river delta in Europe, and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast, north-east of the republic of Kalmykia. The delta is located in the Caspian Depression—the far eastern part of the delta...
(modern-day Astrakhan Oblast
Astrakhan Oblast
Astrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups...
), or in the Lower Volga, and was known in pre-Mongol times as Saksin-Bolgar, which in Mongol times became Sarai Batu
Sarai (city)
Sarai was the name of two cities, which were successively capital cities of the Golden Horde, the Mongol kingdom which ruled Russia and much of central Asia in the 13th and 14th centuries...
.
It was mentioned by the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
geographer al-Gharnati and the Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
Qazwini
Qazwini
Qazwini, Qazvini, al-Quazvini, meaning " from Qazvin", may refer to one of the following persons.* Najm al-Dīn al-Qazwīnī al-Kātibī , Persian philosopher and astronomer...
, among others, and recorded as "the land of the Saksins" in the report of Friar Benedykt Polak
Benedykt Polak
Benedict of Poland was a Polish Franciscan friar, traveler and explorer....
about the 1246 trip of Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine
Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, or John of Plano Carpini or John of Pian de Carpine or Joannes de Plano was one of the first Europeans to enter the court of the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. He is the author of the earliest important Western account of northern and central Asia, Rus, and other...
through the camp of Mongol prince Batu Khan
Batu Khan
Batu Khan was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Ulus of Jochi , the sub-khanate of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. His ulus was the chief state of the Golden Horde , which ruled Rus and the Caucasus for around 250 years, after also destroying the armies...
on the shores of the Volga. S.A. Pletneva locates Saksin between present Volgograd
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
and Akhtubinsk
Akhtubinsk
Akhtubinsk is a town in Astrakhan Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Akhtuba River , north of Astrakhan...
.
Friar Benedykt apparently misunderstood the name as somehow connected with the Saxons
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
of Germany, stating incorrectly that the inhabitants were Christians and "believed to be Goths" related to those of Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. In actuality, they were probably Turkic
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
.
Saqsin may be an Arabized version of Sarighsin, Turkic for "Yellow City". The identity of its inhabitants is unclear, though Carpine reports that Saksin province was inhabited by Kuman
Kuman
Kuman may refer to:*Kuman, Albania, a municipality in the Fier District, Fier County, southwestern Albania*Küman, a municipality in Azerbaijan*Cumans, an ancient people*Cuman language, their language*Kuman language in Papua New Guinea...
s. It was situated near the ruins of Atil
Atil
Atil , literally meaning "Big River", was the capital of Khazaria from the middle of the 8th century until the end of the 10th century. The word is also a Turkic name for the Volga River.-History:...
, the old Khazar capital, but there is no indication that it was part of any latter-day Khazar polity. It was situated in Kipchak territory and may have been the center for one of their principalities. Some sources claim that it was under the influence of the Volga Bulgars.
Excavations
Beginning in 2003 Dmitry Vasilyev of Astrakhan State UniversityAstrakhan State University
Astrakhan State University is a university located in Astrakhan, Russian Federation. It was founded in 1932....
led a series of excavations at the Samosdelskoye site near the village of Samosdelka in the Volga Delta. Vasilyev connected artifacts from the middle strata with Khazar, Oghuz
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
and Bulgar
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
culture, leading him to believe that he had discovered the site of Saqsin. The matter is still unresolved.
Sarai Batu was excavated by a number of expeditions exploring the center of the city, and was probably located on the periphery of the original Saqsin. The ruins of Atil appear to be underneath the layers presumed to represent Saqsin.http://www.lechaim.ru/ARHIV/174/VZR/a02.htm