GLOSSARY OF NAMES AND TERMS
ÊżAbdallÄh ibn BÄshtĆ« al-KhazarÄ« (§§3, 6, 8) the name of the Khazar who serves as the envoy from the king of the BulghÄrs to the caliphal court. To judge by his name, ÊżAbdallÄh, he is a Muslim, a fact that has led some to suspect that he was a political activist working against the Khazar khaqanate.
The name of his father is transcribed as âBÄĆĄtoâ by Togan (Reisebericht, 3), âBachtĆ«â by Canard (Voyage, 28: see 96, n. 10), and âBÄshtĆ«â by McKeithen (RisÄlah, 27â28 and n. 14) and Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 3). It is not clear whether the final alif has a phonetic value or is alif al-wiqÄyah, to indicate that the wÄw is a long final vowel Ć«.
See Golden, Khazar Studies, 1:160â62.
AbĆ« Bakr (§47) AbĆ« Bakr al-áčąiddÄ«q (r. 11â13/632â34), the first of the four rightly-guided caliphs, dubbed âthe Veraciousâ (al-áčąiddÄ«q). The BulghÄr king calls Ibn FaážlÄn âAbĆ« Bakr the Veracious.â Just what the king means by this reference is not clear.
Adhl (§34) the fourth river crossed by the caravan, on portable, collapsible camel-skin rafts, after its departure from the territory of the Ghuzziyyah.
The name is transcribed as âOdĂŻlâ by Togan (Reisebericht, 32, n. 6), who identifies it as the modern river UyĂŻl (or OyĂŻl), as does KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 191, n. 303). âUzil/UĂŻlâ: Canard, Voyage, 48, 107, n. 134; âUdhilâ: McKeithen, RisÄlah, 76, n. 199; âĆȘdhil/Uilâ: Lunde and Stone, Ibn FadlÄn, 22, 226, n. 45; âUdilâ: Frye, Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 42. Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 97) gives its contemporary name as the âOyilâ; in RĂłna-Tasâs map (Hungarians and Europe, 223) it is the Uil.
Äfr*n (§4) an otherwise unattested name of the áčŹÄhirid outpost which the embassy reaches after crossing the Ämul desert. Popular candidates for the location are: ÄfrÄ«r (al-DahhÄn, RisÄlah, 76, n. 1); Firabr (McKeithen, RisÄlah, 33â34, n. 42); Afirabr (Lunde and Stone, Ibn FadlÄn, 4, 224, n. 18). It is probably a scribal error for Firabr, which seems the likeliest: Canard, Voyage, 97, n. 26.
Aáž„mad ibn ÊżAlÄ« (§4) a member of the caliphal force sent to combat YĆ«suf ibn AbÄ« l-SÄj, the ruler of Azerbaijan who had, in 304/916, ousted Muáž„ammad ibn ÊżAlÄ« áčąuÊżlĆ«k, the Samanid governor of Rayy, Aáž„madâs own brother. After the defeat of YĆ«suf ibn AbÄ« l-SÄj, Aáž„mad ibn ÊżAlÄ« was given control of Isfahan and Qum, and Rayy was put under the control of ÊżAlÄ« ibn WahsudhÄn. On the assassination of ÊżAlÄ« ibn WahsudhÄn, Ahmad ibn ÊżAlÄ« took control of Rayy without caliphal authority. Baghdad sent Muáž„ammad ibn SulaymÄn, Ibn FaážlÄnâs patron, against him, but Muáž„ammad died in the campaign. Baghdad subsequently recognized Aáž„mad ibn ÊżAlÄ« as the Abbasid governor of Rayy. He died in 311/924.
See Canard, Voyage, 96â97, n. 20; McKeithen, RisÄlah, 31, n. 28.
Aáž„mad ibn FaážlÄn ibn al-ÊżAbbÄs ibn RÄshid ibn កammÄd (§§1, 3, 14, 40â41, 44â47, 48â53, 58â59, 61, 63, 66â68, 70â71, 73â74, 80, 82, 88; YÄqĆ«t §§1.1, 1.3, 2.1â2.2, 3.1â3.3, 3.6â3.7, 3.9â3.10, 4.1, 5.1, 5.4, 5.6, 5.11, 6.1, 6.9â6.10) the representative of the caliph al-Muqtadir on the embassy, delegated to read the official correspondence from Baghdad, to superintend the presentation of gifts to the BulghÄr king and other local dignitaries, and to supervise the jurists and instructors sent with the embassy to instruct the Volga BulghÄrs. Before the mission, he had been under the sponsorship of the powerful military commander Muáž„ammad ibn SulaymÄn.
Aáž„mad ibn MĆ«sÄ al-KhwÄrazmÄ« (§5) an otherwise unknown person, whose role in the embassy was to take over the running of the estate in ArthakhushmÄ«than and, presumably, provide the envoys with the money required by the BulghÄr king to build his fort.
Akhtī (§34) the seventh river crossed by the caravan, on portable, collapsible camel-skin rafts, after its departure from Ghuzziyyah territory.
Togan (Reisebericht, 33, n. 2), makes several suggestions as to which modern river it corresponds: the Buldurti, the Ashshi-Say, or the Ashshi-Ălenti. KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 192, n. 304) identifies it as the Ankaty. It is the âAnkhati/Grand Ankatiâ according to Canard (Voyage, 107, n. 134, though the name of the river is omitted in his translation), the âAkhatÄ«â according to McKeithen (RisÄlah, 76, n. 202), and the âAkhtÄ«/Ankatiâ according to Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 22, 226, n. 45). Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 97) transcribes it as âAkhatiâ and identifies it as the modern âAnkaty or Buldurti,â which corresponds to the Ankati on RĂłna-Tasâs map (Hungarians and Europe, 223).
ÊżAlÄ« ibn AbÄ« áčŹÄlib (§9; YÄqĆ«t §5.4) cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muáž„ammad and the fourth, and last, of the rightly-guided caliphs (r. 35â40/656â61), greatly revered by ShiÊżis. The cursing of ÊżAlÄ« referred to in the text may be a survival from the days of Umayyad rule.
Almish, Son of ShilkÄ« see al-កasan, Son of YiláčawÄr.
Ämul (§4) not to be confused with Ämul, the capital of áčŹabaristÄn, this is a city on the river Jayáž„Ć«n (Oxus, modern Amu Darya), present-day Chardzhou or Turkmenabat. Ämul marks an important crossing-place of the Jayáž„Ć«n on the historic route from Nishapur and Marw to Transoxania and beyond. The town of Farab (or Farabr/Firabr), a dependency of Bukhara, lay on the opposite bank.
See Togan, Reisebericht, 6, n. 2; KovalevskiÄ, Kniga, 168, n. 62; Le Strange, Lands, 403â4.
ArdkwÄ (§9) a place in KhwÄrazm otherwise unattested, the inhabitants of which are known as al-Kardaliyyah.
The commentators and translators, unable to decide on whether the wÄw has a phonetic or simply a phonemic value, differ in transcribing the toponym: âArdakuwĂą,â according to Canard (Voyage, 33, 100, n. 50); âArdkwa,â according to Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 30, who renders the name of the inhabitants as âArdakiwaâ); âArdakĆ« or ArdakĆ«wa,â according to Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 8, 225, n. 28).
Ardn (§34) the fifth river crossed by the caravan, on portable, collapsible camel-skin rafts, after its departure from Ghuzziyyah territory.
Togan (Reisebericht, 32, n. 7) suggests it is the modern Zhaqsibay (now dried up), just north of the Aral Sea. It is the âErdenâ according to Canard (Voyage, 48, 107, n. 134) who may take this form from KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 130), the âArdan,â according to McKeithen (RisÄlah, 76, n. 200), and even the âÊżArdinâ (with a Êżayn), according to Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 22, 226, n. 45). It is the modern âZhaqsibay or Kaldigayti,â according to Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 97); on RĂłna-Tasâs map (Hungarians and Europe, 223), it is the Kaldyigayti.
ArthakhushmÄ«than (§§3, 5) one of the estates of Ibn al-FurÄt in KhwÄrazm, according to Ibn FaážlÄn.
YÄqut (MuÊżjam al-BuldÄn, 1.191.11) vocalizes it as arthakhushmÄ«than. The Mashhad manuscript reads arnkhshmthÄ«n at folio 197a.7 and artkhshmthÄ«n at folio 197b.8. KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 122) suggests Arsakhushmisan, and KrachkovskiÄ (Puteshestvie, 56) reads Artakhushmathin, but neither elaborates on their readings. Barthold (Turkestan, 148) suggests that it corresponds to modern Khojayli, in the Karakalpakstan region of Uzbekistan. Canard (Voyage, 96, n. 9) and McKeithen (RisÄlah, 27, n. 11) provide references to this location in other Arabic sources.
Askil (§§69, 72) the name of a clan subject to the BulghÄr king, given as Asghl by Ibn Rustah (KitÄb al-AÊżlÄq, 141.11). Their king is allied to the BulghÄr king through marriage. The clan seems to seek to dissociate itself from the BulghÄr kingâs conversion to Islam.
The tribal name is generally translated as a personal name: e.g., âKing Eskelâ by Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 59). See Zimonyi, Origins, 48â49; Golden, Introduction, 254; RĂłna-Tas, Hungarians and Europe, 225.
Atrak, Son of al-QaáčaghÄn (§§30â33) the military commander (sĂŒ-baƥı) of the Ghuzziyyah Turks, who receives a letter from NadhÄ«r al-កaramÄ«, the embassyâs representative in Baghdad.
There is some discussion as to whether the name of his father, written as al-qáčÊżÄn in the manuscript, is a title or a proper name: Togan (Reisebericht, 142) discerns a Mongol origin. The Mashhad scribe writes the word with Êżayn where others see a ghayn: thus Togan (Reisebericht, 142); KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 188); Canard (Voyage, 105, n. 114); al-DahhÄn (RisÄlah, 101); McKeithen (RisÄlah, 69, n. 175).
See Golden, Introduction, 209; RĂłna-Tas, Hungarians and Europe, 225 for the use of ghayn and kÄf in Arabic transcriptions of Turkic words after the sixth/twelfth century.
Azkhn (§36) the third river crossed by the caravan, on portable, collapsible camel-skin rafts, after its departure from BajanÄk territory.
It is âIrkhiz (Irgiz)â according to KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 192), Canard (Voyage, 49: see 107, n. 138), and McKeithen (RisÄlah, 78, n. 212). It is âArkhaz/Irgizâ accoding to Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 23, 226, n. 46); âAzhinâ according to Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 42), who identifies it as the modern âIrgiaz or Talovkaâ (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 97). According to Togan, who reads azáž„n (Reisebericht, 34, n. 3), it may refer to a small river between Chaghan and Mocha. On RĂłna-Tasâs map (Hungarians and Europe, 223), it is the Irgiz.
BÄjÄÊż (§36) the fourth river crossed by the caravan, on portable, collapsible camel-skin rafts, after its departure from BajanÄk territory.
This a further instance of the Mashhad scribe using a Êżayn where modern scholars would see a ghayn: bÄjÄgh. Togan (Reisebericht, 34, n. 4) suggests it is the modern river Mocha. KovalevskiÄ (Kniga, 192) follows Togan. It is âBĂątchĂągh/Motchka,â according to Canard (Voyage, 49: see 107, n. 138); and âBÄjÄgh,â according to al-DahhÄn (RisÄlah, 107, n. 4); McKeithen (RisÄlah, 78, n. 213); Lunde and Stone (Ibn FadlÄn, 23, 226, n. 46). Frye (Ibn FadlÄnâs Journey, 97) identifies the âBajaghâ as the modern âMochaâ; on RĂłna-Tasâs map (Hungarians and Europe, 223), it is the Mocha.
BajanÄk (§§35â36) Petchenegs, a nomadic or semi-nomadic Turkic people first reported east of the Caspian Sea an...