The empire of
the Khazares extended from the Volga and the Caspian Sea, across the
Caucasian isthmus and the peninsula of Taurida, as far as to Moldavia
and Walachia. Several Slavic tribes were tributary to them; but about
the middle of the ninth century, at the time of Cyril's mission, their
power began to decline; their vassals became their enemies, and
gradually their conquerors; until towards the end of the tenth and at
the beginning of the eleventh century, their empire became entirely
extinct.[12] Constantine converted and baptized their Khan, whose
example was followed by a great part of the nation. It was probably
after he had returned from this mission, that Cyril went to convert
the Bulgarians. At this time, or just before, according to Dobrovsky's
opinion, he invented the Slavic letters, and translated the Gospels,
during his stay in Byzantium. This however is nothing more than an
hypothesis, against which other hypotheses have been started by other
scholars. Between A.D. 861 and 863, there came another embassy to the
emperor from the Moravian prince Rostislav, who asked for a teacher,
not only to instruct his subjects in Christianity more perfectly than
it had been done before, but also to teach them _to read_.
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