Let's look at the ancestors oder modern Volga Tatars
Volga Bulgaria, or
Volga–Kama Bulghar, was a historic
Islamic Bulgar state that existed between the seventh and thirteenth centuries around the confluence of the
Volga and
Kama rivers, in what is now
European Russia. The population was mostly
Bulgars, who had conquered
Finno-Ugrics and
Turkic speakers of the region. The population had been pagan, but
Islam was adopted as the state religion in the early tenth century.
Origin and Creation of the State[edit]
Information from first-hand sources on Volga Bulgaria is rather sparse. As no authentic
Bulgar records have survived, most of our information comes from contemporary
Arabic,
Persian,
Indian or
Russian sources. Some information is provided by excavations.
It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by
Finno-Ugric peoples, including
Mari people. The
Bulgars of
Kubrat's son and appointed heir
Batbayan Bezmer moved from the
Azov region in about AD 660, commanded by the Kazarig Khagan
Kotrag to whom he had surrendered. They reached
Idel-Ural in the eighth century, where they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century, uniting other tribes of different origin which lived in the area.
[1] Some Bulgar tribes, however, continued westward and eventually settled along the
Danube River, in what is now known as
Bulgaria proper, where they created a confederation with the
Slavs, adopting a
South Slavic language and the
Eastern Orthodox faith.
Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the
KhazarianEmpire until the mid 10th century, when the Bulgars no longer paid tribute to them.
[2]Threat from Khazaria was completely gone after Khazaria's destruction and conquest by Sviatoslav in the late 10th century, after which Volga Bulgaria grew greatly in size and power. Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes started, and the capital was established at
Bolghar (also spelled Bulgar) city, 160 km south from modern
Kazan. Most scholars doubt, however, that the state could assert independence from the Khazars until the latter were annihilated by
Svyatoslav of Rus in 965.
Conversion to Islam and further Statehood[edit]
Islam was adopted as the state religion in the early tenth century, under
Almish ibn Shilki Yiltawar.
[3] Ibn Fadlan was dispatched by the
Abbasid Caliph al-Muqtadir in 922/3 to establish relations and bring
qadis and teachers of
Islamic law to Volga Bulgaria, as well as help in building a fort and a mosque.
[4] The Volga Bulgarians attempted to convert
Vladimir I of Kiev to Islam; however Vladimir rejected the notion of Russians giving up wine, which he declared was the "very joy of their lives".
[5]
Commanding the
Volga River in its middle course, the state controlled much of
trade between Europe and Asia prior to the
Crusades (which made other trade routes practicable). The capital,
Bolghar, was a thriving city, rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres of the Islamic world. Trade partners of Bolghar included from
Vikings,
Bjarmland,
Yugra and
Nenets in the north to
Baghdad and
Constantinople in the south, from Western Europe to
China in the East. Other major cities included
Bilär,
Suar(Suwar),
Qaşan (Kashan) and
Cükätaw (Juketau). Modern cities
Kazan and
Yelabugawere founded as Volga Bulgaria's border fortresses.
Some of the Volga Bulgarian cities still have not been found, but they are mentioned in Russian sources. They are:
Ashli (Oshel), Tuxçin (Tukhchin), İbrahim (Bryakhimov), Taw İle. Some of them were ruined during and after the
Golden Horde invasion.
The Russian principalities to the west posed the only tangible military threat. In the 11th century, the country was devastated by several Russian raids. Then, at the turn of the 12th and 13th centuries, the rulers of
Vladimir (notably
Andrew the Pious and
Vsevolod III), anxious to defend their eastern border, systematically pillaged Bulgarian cities. Under
Russian pressure from the west, the
Bulgars had to move their capital from
Bolghar to
Bilär.
DEMOGRAPHICS
A large part of the region's population included Turkic or Iranian groups such as
Suars,
Barsil,
Bilars,
Baranjars and part of
Burtas (by
ibn Rustah). Modern
Chuvashes descend from
Suars and
Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga
Bulgars.[
citation needed] Another part comprised Finnic and Magyar (
Asagel and
Pascatir) tribes, from which
Bisermäns probably descend.
[6] Ibn Fadlan refers to Volga Bulgaria as
Saqaliba which is a general Arabic term for
Slavic people. Other researches tie the term to the ethnic name
Scythian (or Saka in
Persian).
[7]
DECLINE
In September 1223 near
Samara an advance guard of
Genghis Khan's army under command of
Uran, son of
Subutai Bahadur, entered Volga Bulgaria but was defeated in the
battle of Samara Bend. In 1236, the
Mongols returned and in five years had subjugated the whole country, which at that time was suffering from internal war. Henceforth Volga Bulgaria became a part of the Ulus
Jochi, later known as the
Golden Horde. It was divided into several principalities; each of them became a vassal of the Golden Horde and received some autonomy. By the 1430s, the
Khanate of Kazan was established as the most important of these principalities.
According to some historians, over 80% of the country's population was killed during the invasion. The remaining population mostly relocated to the northern areas (territories of modern Chuvashia and Tatarstan). Some autonomous duchies appeared in those areas. The steppe areas of Volga Bulgaria may have been settled by nomadic Kipchaks and Mongols, and the agricultural development suffered a severe decline.
Over time, the cities of Volga Bulgaria were rebuilt and became trade and craft centers of the Golden Horde. Some Bulgarians, primarily masters and craftsmen, were forcibly moved to
Sarai and other southern cities of the Golden Horde. Volga Bulgaria remained a center of agriculture and handicraft.
Volga Bulgaria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Volga Bulgaria
Itil Bulğar
← 
7th century–1240s
→
→
Volga Bulgaria (green), c. 1200.
CapitalBolghar
BilärLanguagesBulgar
Suar,
Barsil,
Bilar,
BaranjaGovernmentMonarchyRuler - Mid-7th century
Kotrag - Early 10th century
Almish Yiltawar - Early 13th century
Ghabdula ChelbirHistorical eraMiddle Ages - Established7th century - Conquered by the
Mongols1240s
Today part of Russia
Tatarstan
Chuvashia
Warning:
Value not specified for "common_name"
umpkin Oyun:Game), was a popular horseback game in Ottoman Empire and possibly other Turkic states and neighbouring countries, its probably continued its existing in paralell to horse archery culture in the empire, when its gradually died out in 17th-18th centuries, Kabak is probably died out together with it. Even after the mass usage of firearms, bow culture is continued its existence for centuries, and only died out at the start of republic because of neglect.
Tatarstan
Chuvashia
