Three Kingdoms of Viking Rus' By SeaCambrian Watch

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It is 917 A.D. By now, the Varangian presence in Russia -- extant for two centuries as Middle Swedish traders were eager to make their entrance into the lucrative Khazar and Abbasid trade routes -- has created not one, but three kingdoms of the Rus', stretching from Ladoga on the river Volkhov, to Tmutarakan' on the Black Sea, and the Don-Volga Portage on the border with the Khaganate of Khazaria.



The two "main" kingdoms of Rus', and the first to develop from the Rus' Khaganate, have been Holmgard in the north with its vibrant population of largely Swedish settlers who have intermingled with the East Slavs; and Kiev in the south, where Scandinavians mainly represent a mercenary class and East Slavs are gradually more influential. It could be said that Holmgardians are the "Norse" Rus', and Kievans are the "East Slav" Rus'.



Their combined eastward ambitions and desire to control the Eurasian trade led to the Great Heathen Army of the East (distinguished from their western counterparts in England) sailing down the Don and the Volga to hold Atil for ransom.



The third kingdom of Rus' in west Khazaria is the newest. The Khazar Khaganate, theoretically still a great power, has decreased in size but remains economically formidable. In frequent succession battles between the co-khagans of Khazaria, Varangian bodyguards were called in between the warring factions, a great mistake in hindsight, and have since carved out the areas sailed by Norse traders at the Don-Volga Portage. Still, the Vikings have integrated themselves into the Khazar aristocracy, maintaining the Khazar fortresses. The official demesne of the Khazar Khagan is essentially a state of its own, while his "vassals" rule the tertiary Rus', the Khazar Rus'.



The political situation of Eastern Europe and the Near East continues to evolve quickly, as Viking raiding parties sail south to plunder Byzantium, Magyars plan to mutiny against the Bulgarian Emperor, and the Pechenegs raid Kievan fortresses on the Dnieper. Only time may tell how the Three Kingdoms of Rus' will develop. Yet one thing is certain: the Silk Road trade must flow!

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Published : Jun 22, 2018