Volga Bulgaria

Volga Bulgaria or Volga-Kama Bolghar, is a historic state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers in what is now the Russian Federation. Today, Republics of Tatarstan and Chuvashia are considered to be descendants of Volga Bulgaria in terms of territory and ethnicity.

Origin

First-hand information 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 the Finno-Ugric peoples. The Bulgars moved into the area in about 660 AD, commanded by Kotrag Khan, Kubrat's son. Some Bulgar tribes, however, continued westward and after many adventures settled along the Danube River, in what is now known as Bulgaria proper, where they merged with or were assimilated by the Slavs, adopting a South Slavic tongue and a Eastern Orthodox faith.

In order to promote unity among warring tribes and to obtain a powerful ally in his struggle with the Khazars, Almas Khan of Volga Bulgaria wrote a letter to the Khalif asking him for learned men and priests who could read Qur'an and build mosques. On May 11, 922 the khan welcomed the Baghdad missionary Ahmad ibn Fadlan, and four days later a tribal assembly proclaimed Islam the official religion of the state.

Heyday

A large part of the region's population included Suars, Barsil, Bilars, Baranjars and part of Burtas (by ibn Rustah). Modern Chuvashes and Kazan Tatars descend from the Volga Bulgars, although linguistic evidence suggests that the Chuvashes may be connected to the Huns. Another part comprised Finnic and Magyaric (Asagel and Pascatir) tribes, from which Bisermäns and Tatars probably descend.

The head of Volga Bulgaria was iltäbär (sometimes elteber). After the Islamization his title became sheikh. The known eltebers are: ''Almış (Almas), Mikail bine Cäğfär (Mikaul ibn Jafar), Mö'mim bine Äxmäd (Mumin ibn Ahmad), Mö'min bine âl-Xäsän (Mumin ibn al-Hasan), Talib bine Äxmäd (Talib ibn Ahmad).

Some of the Volga Bulgarian cities still haven't been found, but they are mentioned in Russian sources. They are: Aşlı (Oshel), Tuxçin (Tukhchin), İbrahim (Bryakhimov), Taw İle. Some of them were ruined after and during the Mongol 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 Slavic pressure from the west, the Bulgars had to move their capital from Bolghar to Bilär.

Decline

Main article: Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria

In September 1223 near Samara an advance guard of Genghis Khan's army under command of Uran, son of Subedei Bahadur, entered Volga Bulgaria but was defeated by the Gabdula Chelbir khan. In 1236, the Mongols returned but it took them five years to subjugate the whole country which in that time was in 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.

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Origin

Heyday

Decline

See also