CHAPTER 37
AFTER BATTLE: SHARING LOOT, REWARDING
After a moment of the greatest joy, when the last Arab had been stabbed or cut, the Khazars moved towards the Muslim camp, expecting the most natural reward of the winners. But it was already firmly taken by the Avars, and the rest of the Avar army was entering it or lining up before the camp. The blood was still hot from both sides, the hands again took their weapons out.
At that moment the old khagan Bayan showed up in front of his lines, he was instantly recognized by the Khazars, the steppe banner with nine horses' tails and other inner Asian royal insignia gave him away.
Soon Khazar Qagan Corpan appeared, a man in the prime of his life, inspiring respect and awe among the troops he rode through.
The two qagans ordered everybody away and long time stood alone. They say, Bayan let Copran know that these days he lost five of his sons, among them the heir to the throne, and one grandson. Then he showed the hill, still covered with thousands of Arab bodies. Did that convince Khazar qagan, or did he heavily rely on his Avar ally? We’d never know. There was another infantry Muslim army in Anatolia, which had to be dealt with. The loot from that army was decided to share beforehand: three thirds to the Khazars, one third to the Avars.
The Khazar army slowly left the field, disgruntled, but obviously under solid control of their qagan.
In the Avar army collecting of the loot was under way traditionally under the strict supervision of tarkans. One tenth went to qagan.
But division of the rest of the plunder was ‘revolutionary’ and shocking to some. Previously the lion’s share had gone to the nomad cavalry: Avar (mostly) and Bulgar. The Slavic infantry had received some 5-10% if any.
But now Bayan distributed loot this way:
- the Avars got 40%
- the Bulgars got 30%
- the Slavs (and other infantry) got 30%.
Did the core of the Khanate, nomad cavalry, like it? Definitely not.
But at that moment qagan Bayan was already a legendary statesman, the founding father of the great Empire. Whatever he did - turned out well. The last battle proved it one more time.
So he could allow himself much more than that - his favors to Slavs went even further: thousands of them received honorific title ‘bogatur’, about a hundred got a title ‘tarkan’; which made these Slavs equal in dignity to the Avars.
But none of the Slavs had under his command more than 100 soldiers, that was the limit for a Slavic ‘officer’. Overwhelming majority of infantry commanders of hundreds and higher were “pure ethnic” Avars; only Avars, never Bulgars.
The Bulgars could achieve highest ranks as imperial statesmen, governments (tuduns) or cavalry generals; but there was not a single Bulgar, who held a position in the infantry.
So this apparent elevation of the Slavic infantry in fact strengthened the Avars as a ruling elite of the Empire, and consolidated the unity of the Avars and the Slavs as well.
In two days 10 000 of Avar/Bulgar horse (under the command of Bayan’s son Prince (tegin) Apsich) and 30 000 Khazar horse (under the command of qagan Corpan personally) advanced in the direction of the Arab infantry army into the central Anatolia.
All the Avar infantry stayed in the camps crowded with huge numbers of the wounded. Qagan Bayan ordered to treat the wounded Arab prisoners of war (those caught in the Arab camp) the same way as the Avars were treated; it hardly had to do anything with humaneness, those were warriors from the best Arab families, an asset as hostages or being held for ransom.
*16 maps




AFTER BATTLE: SHARING LOOT, REWARDING
After a moment of the greatest joy, when the last Arab had been stabbed or cut, the Khazars moved towards the Muslim camp, expecting the most natural reward of the winners. But it was already firmly taken by the Avars, and the rest of the Avar army was entering it or lining up before the camp. The blood was still hot from both sides, the hands again took their weapons out.
At that moment the old khagan Bayan showed up in front of his lines, he was instantly recognized by the Khazars, the steppe banner with nine horses' tails and other inner Asian royal insignia gave him away.
Soon Khazar Qagan Corpan appeared, a man in the prime of his life, inspiring respect and awe among the troops he rode through.
The two qagans ordered everybody away and long time stood alone. They say, Bayan let Copran know that these days he lost five of his sons, among them the heir to the throne, and one grandson. Then he showed the hill, still covered with thousands of Arab bodies. Did that convince Khazar qagan, or did he heavily rely on his Avar ally? We’d never know. There was another infantry Muslim army in Anatolia, which had to be dealt with. The loot from that army was decided to share beforehand: three thirds to the Khazars, one third to the Avars.
The Khazar army slowly left the field, disgruntled, but obviously under solid control of their qagan.
In the Avar army collecting of the loot was under way traditionally under the strict supervision of tarkans. One tenth went to qagan.
But division of the rest of the plunder was ‘revolutionary’ and shocking to some. Previously the lion’s share had gone to the nomad cavalry: Avar (mostly) and Bulgar. The Slavic infantry had received some 5-10% if any.
But now Bayan distributed loot this way:
- the Avars got 40%
- the Bulgars got 30%
- the Slavs (and other infantry) got 30%.
Did the core of the Khanate, nomad cavalry, like it? Definitely not.
But at that moment qagan Bayan was already a legendary statesman, the founding father of the great Empire. Whatever he did - turned out well. The last battle proved it one more time.
So he could allow himself much more than that - his favors to Slavs went even further: thousands of them received honorific title ‘bogatur’, about a hundred got a title ‘tarkan’; which made these Slavs equal in dignity to the Avars.
But none of the Slavs had under his command more than 100 soldiers, that was the limit for a Slavic ‘officer’. Overwhelming majority of infantry commanders of hundreds and higher were “pure ethnic” Avars; only Avars, never Bulgars.
The Bulgars could achieve highest ranks as imperial statesmen, governments (tuduns) or cavalry generals; but there was not a single Bulgar, who held a position in the infantry.
So this apparent elevation of the Slavic infantry in fact strengthened the Avars as a ruling elite of the Empire, and consolidated the unity of the Avars and the Slavs as well.
In two days 10 000 of Avar/Bulgar horse (under the command of Bayan’s son Prince (tegin) Apsich) and 30 000 Khazar horse (under the command of qagan Corpan personally) advanced in the direction of the Arab infantry army into the central Anatolia.
All the Avar infantry stayed in the camps crowded with huge numbers of the wounded. Qagan Bayan ordered to treat the wounded Arab prisoners of war (those caught in the Arab camp) the same way as the Avars were treated; it hardly had to do anything with humaneness, those were warriors from the best Arab families, an asset as hostages or being held for ransom.
*16 maps




Last edited:









