Khozi Kokos
Encyclopedia
Khozi Kokos is the name given in Russian
sources for an advisor to Ivan III of Muscovy. Khozi Kokos was a Jew, probably a native of Kaffa
in Genoese
-occupied Gazaria. His name is likely Turkic
; "Khozi" may derive from the word for "pilgrim", and "Kokos" may derive from the Turkic
"Kök (or Gök) Koz", or "Blue-Eyed". The Turkic name suggests that he may have been a Krymchak or Karay; Khazar descent is not out of the question but no sources refer to contemporary surviving Khazar communities.
Ivan III concluded and maintained throughout his entire reign a very important alliance with Mengli Girai, Khan of the Crimea
. The services rendered by Kokos to Ivan may partly explain the latter's favorable attitude toward the Jews. The part played by Kokos as the agent of the grand duke is shown by the instruction given by the latter to his emissary, the boyar
Nikita Beklemishev, dated March, 1474.
In this letter Beklemishev is instructed by Ivan to transmit to Kokos his diplomatic credentials to the court of the khan and the regards of the grand duke. Kokos is requested to discontinue the use of the Hebrew language
in his further communications to the grand duke, and to use either Russian
or Tatar
instead.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
sources for an advisor to Ivan III of Muscovy. Khozi Kokos was a Jew, probably a native of Kaffa
Kaffa
Kaffa is the name of several geographical entities:*Kingdom of Kaffa, ancient Kingdom of the Sidamo people.*Kaffa, former province in Ethiopia.*Kaffa people, an ethnic group in Ethiopia....
in Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
-occupied Gazaria. His name is likely Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
; "Khozi" may derive from the word for "pilgrim", and "Kokos" may derive from the Turkic
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages constitute a language family of at least thirty five languages, spoken by Turkic peoples across a vast area from Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean to Siberia and Western China, and are considered to be part of the proposed Altaic language family.Turkic languages are spoken...
"Kök (or Gök) Koz", or "Blue-Eyed". The Turkic name suggests that he may have been a Krymchak or Karay; Khazar descent is not out of the question but no sources refer to contemporary surviving Khazar communities.
Ivan III concluded and maintained throughout his entire reign a very important alliance with Mengli Girai, Khan of the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. The services rendered by Kokos to Ivan may partly explain the latter's favorable attitude toward the Jews. The part played by Kokos as the agent of the grand duke is shown by the instruction given by the latter to his emissary, the boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
Nikita Beklemishev, dated March, 1474.
In this letter Beklemishev is instructed by Ivan to transmit to Kokos his diplomatic credentials to the court of the khan and the regards of the grand duke. Kokos is requested to discontinue the use of the Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
in his further communications to the grand duke, and to use either Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
or Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
instead.
Resources
- Rosenthal, Herman. "Ivan III., Vassilivich, the Great." Jewish EncyclopediaJewish EncyclopediaThe Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
. Funk and Wagnalls, 1901–1906; citing: - Sbornik Imp. Russ. Istor. Obschestva, xli. 8, 12, 40-41, 50, 71, 74, 77, 114, 309;
- Polnoye Sobraniye Russkikh Lyetopisei, vi. 763, 786, 819;
- Karamzim, Istor. Gosud. Rosis. vi. 154-156, 216, 225, notes 122, 125, 494, 595;
- Solovyev, Istor. Rossii, vol. v.;
- Platon, Kratkaya Tzerkovnaya Rossiskaya Istoriya, passim, Moscow, 1833;
- GrätzGrätzGraetz or Grätz is a German surname and place name and can refer to:People:* Heinrich Graetz , Jewish historian* Leo Graetz , German physicist and son of Heinrich Graetz* Gidon Graetz, Swiss-Israeli sculptor...
, Gesch. (Hebr. ed.), vii. 62; - P. Pierling, La Russie et l'Orient;
- Mariage d'un Tsar au Vatican, Ivan III. et Sophie Paléologue, Paris, 1891, passim.