WI: Khazar Khaganate remains major power?

What would be the ramifications of a continuously unified and influential Khazar Khaganate? Rather than collapsing by the 10th century only to be followed by loose confederations of pagan Turks, could a large and militaristic Jewish Turkish empire shape the affairs of Eastern Europe and the Middle East significantly? What would the transition from a nomadic confederation to a more centralized state be like, or could it even be possible? Also, of course, do you think the Khazar ruling elite could significantly convert the populace to Judaism?
 
Does it have to follow Judaism? It is not assured that the Khazar would adopt Judaism and their height of power was the periods prior to their conversion to Judaism.
 
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Diplomatic relations with the rest of the European nations. They wouldn't be viewed as heathens maybe

Of course they would and they were. Further, the relations with Europe do not really matter for the Khazar, unless they migrated and settled Pannonia. At the time of the Khazar hegemony over the Pontic Steppe, the only nearby Christian states were the Byzantines and their magnates in Georgia.
 
Does it have to follow Judaism? It is not assured that the Khazar would adopt Judaism and their height of power was the periods prior to their conversion to Judaism.

AFAIK, Judaism was predominantly a religion of the ruling class, not of ALL Khazars. Conversion seemingly made sense as something neutral between the Christian and Muslim neighbors but ended up being the worst possible scenario leaving it squeezed between Christian Byzantine Empire, Muslim Umayyad Caliphate and Pagan Rus. I'd guess that a massive conversion into either Islam or Christianity (and corresponding alliance) could be helpful for a prolonged survival. Hard to tell which one would be better.
 
Also, of course, do you think the Khazar ruling elite could significantly convert the populace to Judaism?

Was this possible from a "dogmatic" point of view? AFAIK (and I'm by no means an expert) the converts may not be considered true Jews if they do not have Jewish ancestry. It was relatively easy to "find" such an ancestry for a limited number of people but to do this for a whole nation could be rather tricky.
 
Was this possible from a "dogmatic" point of view? AFAIK (and I'm by no means an expert) the converts may not be considered true Jews if they do not have Jewish ancestry. It was relatively easy to "find" such an ancestry for a limited number of people but to do this for a whole nation could be rather tricky.

That a pretty modern understanding of Judaism, historical there have been a lot of Jews without Jewish ancestry, but because of the stop in conversion and the practice of inmarriage have meant that most modern Jews have diaspora ancestry. To use a relative modern example Ariel Sharon’s mother belonged to a community of Russian converts to Judaism with no known Jewish ancestry. If the Khazar convert to Judaism it would almost centainly be recognized by other Jews. The main problem may be that the Khazars may very well have been Karaite Jews, which could have lead to Rabbinic Jews not recognize them. In fact a interesting idea could have been if Karaite Judaism would have spread the Turks of Central Asia, resulting in it separating from Rabbinic Judaism and ending up being seen as the fourth big Abrahamic religion.
 
That a pretty modern understanding of Judaism, historical there have been a lot of Jews without Jewish ancestry, but because of the stop in conversion and the practice of inmarriage have meant that most modern Jews have diaspora ancestry. To use a relative modern example Ariel Sharon’s mother belonged to a community of Russian converts to Judaism with no known Jewish ancestry. If the Khazar convert to Judaism it would almost centainly be recognized by other Jews. The main problem may be that the Khazars may very well have been Karaite Jews, which could have lead to Rabbinic Jews not recognize them. In fact a interesting idea could have been if Karaite Judaism would have spread the Turks of Central Asia, resulting in it separating from Rabbinic Judaism and ending up being seen as the fourth big Abrahamic religion.

Could have Khazar-Karaite Turks taking the place of Muslim Turks in Constantinople, eventually ruling an empire of Christians, Muslims, Karaites, and other Jews.
 
That a pretty modern understanding of Judaism, historical there have been a lot of Jews without Jewish ancestry, but because of the stop in conversion and the practice of inmarriage have meant that most modern Jews have diaspora ancestry. To use a relative modern example Ariel Sharon’s mother belonged to a community of Russian converts to Judaism with no known Jewish ancestry.

Well, I was under impression that Ariel Sharon belongs to the modern history. :) His mother was, indeed, from the sect of Subbotniks but they seemingly appeared in the XVIII century during the reign of Catherine II and were originally Christian peasants of the Russian Orthodox Church. Not sure that your idea can be transferred retroactively to the VIII century (as I said, religions are not my are of interest). The same (at least as one of my friends assures me :)) applies to the "Jewishness by mother's line" which (according to him) was adopted in the XVII century after the Cossack Wars, which made it close to impossible to tell anything definite about person's father.

Anyway, individual conversions of the non-Jews had been definitely happening.

If the Khazar convert to Judaism it would almost centainly be recognized by other Jews. The main problem may be that the Khazars may very well have been Karaite Jews, which could have lead to Rabbinic Jews not recognize them. In fact a interesting idea could have been if Karaite Judaism would have spread the Turks of Central Asia, resulting in it separating from Rabbinic Judaism and ending up being seen as the fourth big Abrahamic religion.

OK, as far as I can say, there are 3 main views on the whole issue (as I said, I have no opinion of my own):
1. Did not happen at all: no archaeological evidence and the documents are of a questionable truthfulness.
2. Did happen for ALL Khazars, which is Koestler's theory (AFAIK, there is a considerable criticism of it) and which, as I understand, implies that the Khazars too claimed the status of a Chosen Race, who made their own Covenant with the LORD, even though they were not descended from Abraham's seed (http://www.hope-of-israel.org/KhazarConversion.html)
3. Was limited to the leadership (seemingly adopting Talmudic Judaism)

Option #2 assumes a national level conversion which probably assumes, in practical terms, that if somebody does not consider them being Jews, this is his problem, not their.
 
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