History of the Tatars and the Tatar language (a brief historical excursion). How did the Tatars appear?

There are many stranger nations in our country. This is not correct. We should not be strangers to each other.
Let's start with the Tatars - the second largest ethnic group in Russia (there are almost 6 million of them).

1. Who are the Tatars?

The history of the ethnonym “Tatars,” as often happened in the Middle Ages, is a history of ethnographic confusion.

In the 11th-12th centuries, the steppes of Central Asia were inhabited by various Mongol-speaking tribes: Naiman, Mongols, Kereits, Merkits and Tatars. The latter wandered along the borders of the Chinese state. Therefore, in China the name Tatars was transferred to other Mongolian tribes in the meaning of “barbarians.” Actually, the Chinese called the Tatars white Tatars, the Mongols who lived to the north were called black Tatars, and the Mongolian tribes who lived even further, in the Siberian forests, were called wild Tatars.

At the beginning of the 13th century, Genghis Khan launched a punitive campaign against the real Tatars in revenge for the poisoning of his father. The order that the Mongol ruler gave to his soldiers has been preserved: to destroy everyone taller than the cart axle. As a result of this massacre, the Tatars as a military-political force were wiped off the face of the earth. But, as the Persian historian Rashid ad-din testifies, “because of their extreme greatness and honorable position, other Turkic clans, with all the differences in their ranks and names, became known by their name, and all were called Tatars.”

The Mongols themselves never called themselves Tatars. However, Khorezm and Arab merchants, who were constantly in contact with the Chinese, brought the name “Tatars” to Europe even before the appearance of Batu Khan’s troops here. Europeans compared the ethnonym “Tatars” with the Greek name for hell - Tartarus. Later, European historians and geographers used the term Tartaria as a synonym for the "barbarian East". For example, on some European maps of the 15th-16th centuries, Moscow Rus' is designated as “Moscow Tartary” or “European Tartary”.

As for modern Tatars, neither by origin nor by language they have absolutely nothing to do with the Tatars of the 12th-13th centuries. The Volga, Crimean, Astrakhan and other modern Tatars inherited only the name from the Central Asian Tatars.

In modern Tatar people there is no single ethnic root. Among his ancestors were the Huns, Volga Bulgars, Kipchaks, Nogais, Mongols, Kimaks and other Turkic-Mongolian peoples. But the formation of modern Tatars was even more influenced by the Finno-Ugrians and Russians. According to anthropological data, more than 60% of Tatars have predominantly Caucasian features, and only 30% have Turkic-Mongolian features.

2. Tatar people in the era of Genghisids

The emergence of Ulus Jochi on the banks of the Volga was important milestone in the history of the Tatars.

During the era of Genghisids, Tatar history became truly global. The system has reached perfection public administration and finance, postal (Yamskaya) service, inherited by Moscow. More than 150 cities arose where the endless Polovtsian steppes recently stretched. Their names alone sound like fairy tale: Gulstan (land of flowers), Saray (palace), Aktobe (white vault).

Some cities were much larger than Western European ones in size and population. For example, if Rome in the 14th century had 35 thousand inhabitants, and Paris - 58 thousand, then the capital of the Horde, the city of Sarai, had more than 100 thousand. According to the testimony of Arab travelers, Sarai had palaces, mosques, temples of other religions, schools, public gardens, baths, and running water. Not only merchants and warriors lived here, but also poets.

All religions in the Golden Horde enjoyed equal freedom. According to the laws of Genghis Khan, insult to religion was punishable by death penalty. The clergy of each religion were exempt from paying taxes.

The contribution of the Tatars to the art of war is undeniable. It was they who taught the Europeans not to neglect reconnaissance and reserves.
During the era of the Golden Horde, there was enormous potential for the reproduction of Tatar culture. But the Kazan Khanate continued this path mostly by inertia.

Among the fragments of the Golden Horde that scattered along the borders of Rus', Kazan was of greatest importance to Moscow due to its geographical proximity. Spread on the banks of the Volga, among dense forests, the Muslim state was a curious phenomenon. How public education The Kazan Khanate arose in the 30s of the 15th century and during the short period of its existence managed to demonstrate its cultural identity in the Islamic world.

3. Capture of Kazan

The 120-year neighborhood between Moscow and Kazan was marked by fourteen major wars, not counting almost annual border skirmishes. However, for a long time both sides did not seek to conquer each other. Everything changed when Moscow realized itself as the “third Rome”, that is, the last defender Orthodox faith. Already in 1523, Metropolitan Daniel outlined the future path of Moscow politics, saying: “The Grand Duke will take all the land of Kazan.” Three decades later, Ivan the Terrible fulfilled this prediction.

August 20, 1552 50,000th Russian army camped under the walls of Kazan. The city was defended by 35 thousand selected soldiers. About ten thousand more Tatar horsemen were hiding in the surrounding forests and alarming the Russians with sudden raids from the rear.

The siege of Kazan lasted five weeks. After the sudden attacks of the Tatars from the direction of the forest, the cold autumn rains annoyed the Russian army most of all. The thoroughly wet warriors even thought that the bad weather was being sent to them by Kazan sorcerers, who, according to the testimony of Prince Kurbsky, went out onto the wall at sunrise and performed all sorts of spells.

All this time, Russian warriors, under the leadership of the Danish engineer Rasmussen, were digging a tunnel under one of the Kazan towers. On the night of October 1, the work was completed. 48 barrels of gunpowder were placed in the tunnel. At dawn there was a monstrous explosion. It was terrible to see, says the chronicler, many tortured corpses and mutilated people flying in the air at a terrible height!
The Russian army rushed to attack. The royal banners were already fluttering on the city walls when Ivan the Terrible himself rode up to the city with his guards regiments. The presence of the Tsar gave new strength to the Moscow warriors. Despite the desperate resistance of the Tatars, Kazan fell a few hours later. There were so many killed on both sides that in some places the piles of bodies lay level with the city walls.

The death of the Kazan Khanate did not mean the death of the Tatar people. On the contrary, it was within Russia that the Tatar nation actually emerged, which finally received its truly national-state formation - the Republic of Tatarstan.

4. Tatars in Russian history and culture

The Moscow state never confined itself to narrow national-religious boundaries. Historians have calculated that among the nine hundred most ancient noble families Russia, Great Russians make up only one third, while 300 surnames come from Lithuania, and the other 300 come from Tatar lands.

Ivan the Terrible's Moscow seemed to Western Europeans to be an Asian city not only for its unusual architecture and buildings, but also for the number of Muslims living in it. One English traveler, who visited Moscow in 1557 and was invited to the royal feast, noted that the tsar himself sat at the first table with his sons and Kazan kings, at the second table sat Metropolitan Macarius with the Orthodox clergy, and the third table was entirely allocated to the Circassian princes. In addition, another two thousand noble Tatars were feasting in other chambers!

They were not given the last place in the government service. And there was no case when the Tatars in Russian service betrayed the Moscow Tsar.

Subsequently, the Tatar births gave Russia huge amount representatives of the intelligentsia, prominent military and socio-political figures. I will name at least some names: Alyabyev, Arakcheev, Akhmatova, Bulgakov, Derzhavin, Milyukov, Michurin, Rachmaninov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Tatishchev, Chaadaev. The Yusupov princes were direct descendants of the Kazan queen Suyunbike. The Timiryazev family descends from Ibragim Timiryazev, whose surname literally means “iron warrior.” General Ermolov had Arslan-Murza-Ermola as his ancestor. Lev Nikolaevich Gumilev wrote: “I purebred Tatar both on the father's side and on the mother's side." He signed “Arslanbek”, which means “Lion”. The list can be endless.

Over the centuries, the culture of the Tatars was also absorbed by Russia, and now many native Tatar words, household items, and culinary dishes have entered the consciousness of Russian people as if they were their own. According to Valishevsky, when going out into the street, a Russian person put on shoe, armyak, zipun, caftan, bashlyk, cap. In a fight he used fist. Being a judge, he ordered to put on the convicted person shackles and give it to him whip. Setting off on a long journey, he sat in a sleigh to coachman. And, getting up from the mail sleigh, he went into tavern, which replaced the ancient Russian tavern.

5. Tatar religion

After the capture of Kazan in 1552, the culture of the Tatar people was preserved primarily thanks to Islam.

Islam (in its Sunni version) - traditional religion Tatars The exception is a small group of them, which in the 16th-18th centuries was converted to Orthodoxy. That’s what they call themselves: “Kryashen” - “baptized”.

Islam in the Volga region established itself in 922, when the ruler of Volga Bulgaria voluntarily converted to the Muslim faith. But even more important was the “Islamic revolution” of Uzbek Khan, who at the beginning of the 14th century made Islam state religion Golden Horde (by the way, contrary to the laws of Genghis Khan on the equality of religions). As a result, the Kazan Khanate became the northernmost stronghold of world Islam.

In Russian-Tatar history there was a sad period of acute religious confrontation. The first decades after the capture of Kazan were marked by persecution of Islam and the forced introduction of Christianity among the Tatars. Only the reforms of Catherine II fully legalized the Muslim clergy. In 1788, the Orenburg Spiritual Assembly opened - a governing body of Muslims, with its center in Ufa.

In the 19th century, within the Muslim clergy and Tatar intelligentsia forces gradually matured, feeling the need to move away from the dogmas of medieval ideology and traditions. The revival of the Tatar people began precisely with the reform of Islam. This religious-renovation movement received the name Jadidism (from the Arabic al-jadid - renewal, “new method”).

Jadidism has become a significant contribution of the Tatars to modern world culture, an impressive demonstration of Islam's ability to modernize. The main result of the activities of the Tatar religious reformers was the transition of Tatar society to Islam, cleansed of medieval fanaticism and meeting the requirements of the time. These ideas penetrated deeply into the masses of the people, primarily through Jadidist madrassas and printed materials. Thanks to the activities of the Jadids, by the beginning of the 20th century, among the Tatars, faith was largely separated from culture, and politics became an independent sphere, where religion already occupied a subordinate position. Therefore, today the Russian Tatars are in the full sense of the word a modern nation, to which religious extremism is completely alien.

6. About the Kazan orphan and the uninvited guest

Russians have long said: “ An old proverb It’s not without reason that he says it” and therefore “there is no trial or reprisal against the proverb.” Silencing inconvenient proverbs is not the best way to achieve interethnic understanding.

So, " Dictionary Russian language" Ushakova explains the origin of the expression "orphan of Kazan" as follows: initially it was said "about the Tatar mirzas (princes), who tried after the conquest of the Kazan Khanate by Ivan the Terrible to receive all sorts of concessions from the Russian tsars, complaining about their bitter fate."

Indeed, the Moscow sovereigns considered it their duty to caress and affectionate the Tatar Murzas, especially if they decided to change their faith. According to documents, such “Kazan orphans” received about a thousand rubles in annual salaries. Whereas, for example, a Russian doctor was entitled to only 30 rubles a year. Naturally, this state of affairs gave rise to envy among Russian service people.

Later, the idiom “Kazan orphan” lost its historical and ethnic connotation - this is how they began to talk about anyone who just pretends to be unhappy, trying to evoke sympathy.

Now - about the Tatar and the guest, which of them is “worse” and which is “better”.

The Tatars of the Golden Horde, if they happened to come to a subordinate country, behaved in it like gentlemen. Our chronicles are full of stories about the oppression of the Tatar Baskaks and the greed of the Khan's courtiers. Russian people unwittingly got used to considering every Tatar who came to the house not so much as a guest, but as a rapist. It was then that they began to say: “A guest in the yard - and trouble in the yard”; “And the guests did not know how the owner was tied up”; “The edge is not big, but the devil brings a guest and takes away the last one.” Well, and - “an uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar.”

When times changed, the Tatars, in turn, learned what the Russian “uninvited guest” was like. The Tatars also have many offensive sayings about Russians. What can you do about it?

History is the irreparable past. What happened, happened. Only the truth heals morals, politics, and interethnic relations. But it should be remembered that the truth of history is not bare facts, but an understanding of the past in order to live correctly in the present and future.

7. Tatar hut

Unlike other Turkic peoples, the Kazan Tatars for centuries lived not in yurts and tents, but in huts. True, in accordance with common Turkic traditions, the Tatars have preserved the method of separating the female half and the kitchen with a special curtain - charshau. In the second half of the 19th century, instead of ancient curtains, a partition appeared in Tatar dwellings.

On the men's side of the hut there was a place of honor for guests and a place for the owner. Here, a space for relaxation was allocated, the family table was set, and many household chores were carried out: men were engaged in tailoring, saddlery, and weaving bast shoes, women worked at the loom, twisting threads, spinning, and rolling felt.

The front wall of the hut, from corner to corner, was occupied by wide bunks, on which rested soft down jackets, feather beds and pillows, which were replaced by felt among the poor. Bunks are still in fashion to this day, because they have traditionally had a place of honor. In addition, they are universal in their functions: they can serve as a place to work, eat, and relax.

Red or green chests were a mandatory attribute of the interior. According to custom, they formed an indispensable part of the bride's dowry. In addition to their main purpose - storing clothes, fabrics and other valuables - chests noticeably enlivened the interior, especially in combination with bedding picturesquely laid out on them. In the huts of the rich Tatars there were so many chests that sometimes they were stacked on top of each other.

The next attribute of the interior of Tatar rural dwellings was bright national peculiarity, and typical only for Muslims. This is a popular and universally revered shamail, i.e. a text from the Koran written on glass or paper and inserted into a frame with wishes for peace and prosperity to the family. Flowers on the windowsills were also a characteristic detail of the interior of a Tatar home.

Traditional Tatar villages (auls) are located along rivers and roads. These settlements are characterized by cramped buildings and the presence of numerous dead ends. The buildings are located inside the estate, and the street is formed by a continuous line of blind fences. Externally, a Tatar hut can hardly be distinguished from a Russian one - only the doors open not into the hallway, but into the hut.

8. Sabantui

In the past, the Tatars for the most part were villagers. Therefore, their folk holidays were associated with the cycle of agricultural work. Like other agricultural peoples, spring was especially anticipated among the Tatars. This time of year was celebrated with a holiday called “Saban tue” - “wedding of the plow”.

Sabantuy is a very ancient holiday. In the Alkeevsky district of Tatarstan, a tombstone was discovered, the inscription on which says that the deceased died in 1120 on the day of Sabantuy.

Traditionally, before the holiday, young men and old men began collecting gifts for Sabantuy. The most valuable gift was considered to be a towel, which was received from young women who got married after the previous Sabantuy.

The holiday itself was celebrated with competitions. The place where they were held was called “Maidan”. Competitions included horse racing, running, long and high jumps, and national koresh wrestling. Only men took part in all types of competitions. The women just watched from the sidelines.

The competitions were held according to a routine developed over centuries. Their races began. Participation in them was considered prestigious, so everyone who could entered horses into village races. The riders were boys 8-12 years old. The start was arranged in the distance, and the finish was on the Maidan, where the participants of the holiday were waiting for them. The winner was given one of the best towels. Owners of horses received separate prizes.

While the riders were heading to the starting point, other competitions were taking place, in particular running. Participants were divided by age: boys, adult men, old people.

After the completion of the competition, people went home to treat themselves to festive dishes. And after a few days, depending on the weather, they began sowing spring crops.

Sabantuy remains my favorite to this day mass holiday in Tatarstan. In cities this is a one-day holiday, but in rural areas it consists of two parts: collecting gifts and Maidan. But if earlier Sabantuy was celebrated in honor of the beginning of spring field work(at the end of April), then now - in honor of their end, in June.

Feature Tatar nationality there is a lack of clearly defined appearance features that would make it possible to unmistakably distinguish its representatives from other peoples. Their appearance varies depending on the ethnic group to which they belong. However, anthropology still identifies signs of what Tatars look like, taking into account their characteristic features.

How to identify a Tatar: typical features of nationality

Tatars (self-name “Tatarlar”) belong to the Turkic group, the white race. Since ancient times, the populous ethnic group has influenced the development of Eurasia. The history of the Middle Ages tells how the nation held in suspense a vast territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic coast.

The variety of appearance types of the people is due to their origin, since among the ancestors of the Tatars there were representatives of both the Mongoloid and European races. This also explains the prevalence and population of the nation.

The mixed race, which the Tatars belong to, allows us to see among its representatives dark-haired and fair-haired, red-haired, brown-eyed, with gray eyes and so on.

Depending on where they came from and where they live, many types of a given nationality are distinguished.

These include:

Kazan;
Kasimovsky;
Siberian;
Astrakhan;
Permian;
Crimean Tatars;
mishari;
Teptyari;
Kryashens;
Nagaibaks and others.

The size of the nation in Russia in 2010, according to Wikipedia, is 5.3 million people. In percentage terms, the number of Tatars out of the total population is 3.87%. In terms of prevalence in the Russian Federation, the nationality is recognized as the second after Russian. There are about a million Tatars in the world, they make up more than half of the population of the Republic of Tatarstan (53%), and in the USA, according to statistics, only 2-7 thousand people live.

Representatives of the nation speak the Tatar language, which includes Western and Kazan dialects. In the religion of the people there are Muslims, Orthodox Christians (Kryashens) or atheists (no faith in God). Predominantly in their religion, Tatars belong to Sunnis, not Shiites.

The characteristics of anthropological types help determine nationality by facial features.

Among the Tatars there are 4 of them:

Each of them is characterized by the features shown in the photo.

Head shape

Tatars are characterized by mesocephaly or subbrachycephaly (cranial index 76-80), that is, they are predominantly medium-headed, moderately long and wide skull and oval face.

The Mongoloid type is characterized by brachycephaly, that is, short-headedness. At the same time, the face is wide and flattened.

The photo shows TV presenter Almaz Garayev and actor and TV presenter Timur Batrutdinov.

Almaz Garayev

Timur Batrutdinov

Eyes

It is believed that Tatars are characterized by a Mongolian eye shape and narrow shape. However, this is not necessary; the epicanthus is found predominantly in the Mongoloid type and is poorly developed in the sublaponoid type.

Such signs are unusual for other anthropological types.

The color varies: Tatars are blue-eyed and have brown eyes. But the most common are green ones.

The photo shows singer, actor and director Dmitry Bikbaev.

It is difficult to identify a Tatar by his appearance.

A more typical type is presented below - singer, actor, composer, producer, film director Renat Ibragimov.

Nose

The shape of the olfactory organ among Tatars is varied. Usually the nose is wide, with a straight back or a slight hump. The Pontic type is characterized by a drooping tip, while the Mongoloid and sublaponoid types are characterized by a low nose bridge.

The photo shows singer, actor, entrepreneur, composer, producer Timati (Timur Yunusov) and successful tennis player Marat Safin.

Marat Safin

Hair

Tatars are predominantly characterized by black hair color. But unlike the Uzbeks, Mongols, and Tajiks, there are also fair-haired representatives of the nationality. Tatars can have light brown or red color.

The photographs show Russian football player Ruslan Nigmatullin and actor Marat Basharov.

Ruslan Nigmatullin

Marat Basharov

Appearance of the Tatars

The generalized image of what Tatars are like is a person of average height with mixed pigmentation of eyes and hair, a moderately wide oval face, a straight or hump nose. Men are distinguished by their strongly built bodies and stockiness; women, on the contrary, are frail.

The appearance of Tatars sometimes differs significantly, depending on their belonging to a particular ethnic group.

Kazansky

Among the Tatars of this ethnic group there are often observed European features Appearance: brown hair, sometimes red, light eyes, narrow nose, straight or with a hump. This type is similar to the Slavs.

Mongols may have a wide oval face and narrowed eyes.

Typical for men average height, strong build, short neck. This is due to mixing of blood with Finnish peoples.

The picture shows Kazan Tatar celebrities.

Crimean

The Tatars of this group appeared in the 15th century. Its representatives live in the south of Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Turkey, and Uzbekistan (where they were deported from Crimea in the mid-20th century).

Pure-blooded Crimean Tatars have an appearance close to Slavic. The real representatives of the nation were tall, had light brown or red hair, light eyes and skin.

However, the proximity to Asians brought characteristic features into the image of nationality. Many Tatars acquired the corresponding type of face, dark hair and eyes, dark.

After returning to Crimea, the people are reviving lost original customs and traditions.

The photo shows the Crimean and Kazan Tatars, where the features can be traced, how the ethnic groups differ from each other.

Ural

History of the Tatars on Southern Urals little studied, today the Chelyabinsk region has a huge number of communities.

The anthropological type of a representative of a nationality is presented in the figure.

Often there are dark hair and eyes, possibly narrowed, a wide oval face and nose, prominent cheekbones, and large ears.

Volga region

The Tatars of this group are characterized by signs of the Mongoloid race. This is manifested by dark hair, gray or brown eyes with a crease in the upper eyelid, a wide nose, sometimes with a hump, and usually fair skin.

Men are distinguished by a strong physique and above average height.

Siberian

It is characterized by an oriental appearance, which is visually easy to distinguish from Russian. Characterized by a mixture of Caucasoid and Mongoloid types. Sometimes appearance Siberian Tatars comparable to Uzbek.

Representatives of the nationality have dark hair and eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a wide nose oriental type. The physique is correct, men are characterized by strength and endurance.

Gorkovsky (Nizhny Novgorod)

They act as a subethnic group of Tatar-Mishars. Their characteristic feature is the clicking Nizhny Novgorod dialect. Live in Nizhny Novgorod, Dzerzhinsk and Tatar villages.

The Pontic anthropological type of appearance predominates, manifested by dark or mixed pigmentation of the eyes and hair, a nose with a hump and a drooping tip, and average height. Caucasian features are possible, differing from the previous ones in light hair and eye color. The Mongoloid type of appearance is not numerous.

Astrakhan

A group of Tatars formed on the territory of the modern Astrakhan region. They are considered descendants of the Turkic-speaking population of the Golden Horde and have their own dialect.

In the course of historical development, the people experienced the influence of the Nogais.

The appearance of the Astrakhan Tatars is more characterized by Mongoloid features than Caucasoid ones. There is a dark color of hair and eyes, some narrowness, a wide oval face and nose.

What do Tatar women look like?

The appearance features of the fairer sex of Tatar nationality are similar to those of men. Most of them are of European ethnicity, however, the Mongoloid type is also common.

The photo shows various types Tatar appearance: famous journalist and TV presenter Liliya Gildeeva and the beautiful Miss “Youth of Tatarstan-2012” Albina Zamaleeva.

Liliya Gildeeva

Albina Zamaleeva

Face

Tatar girls are characterized by a rounded oval face, unexpressed squinting of the eyes, and possibly the presence of epicanthus. Their color varies from blue to black. Green eyes are more common.

The photo shows the singer AsylYar (Alsu Zainutdinova).

Her biography notes that she is the very first in history to perform a song in the Tatar language at the International Eurovision Song Contest.

Hair color is also varied; among Tatar women there are blondes, brunettes, brown-haired, and redheads.

The photo shows the Olympic champion, Europe, Russia rhythmic gymnastics, deputy State Duma Alina Kabaeva and model Diana Farkhullina.

Alina Kabaeva

Diana Farhullina

Depending on the type of appearance, the skin is dark or light. It is often whiter than that of representatives of Slavic nationality.

Figure

Most Tatar women are characterized by slim figures, fragility and grace. An example of this is theater and film actress Chulpan Khamatova.

Tatar women are of average height, about 165 centimeters, long legs are uncharacteristic. Some representatives of the nation are characterized by a square figure: broad shoulders along with the same hips. A narrow waist emphasizes the beauty of Tatar women.

The photograph shows the famous fashion model Irina Shayk (Shaykhlislamova), a Tatar on her father’s side.

Features of character and mentality

To understand who the Tatars are, it is important to know who they came from. Their origin left an imprint on their appearance and lifestyle.

Briefly, the theory of where the Tatars came from calls the place where the roots of the nation were formed ancient state Volga Bulgaria. Their ancestors are the Bulgars. The Turkic-Bulgar ethnos came from the Asian steppes and settled in the Middle Volga region. IN X-XIII centuries the people created their own statehood. We are mainly talking about the Volga-Ural group, other varieties are considered as separate communities. For example, the theory of Tatar-Mongol origin reduces or even denies the participation of Volga Bulgaria in the history of the Kazan Tatars.

There is often a dispute about whether Tatars are Asians or Europeans. It is due to racial mixing. Geneticists claim that the nation is mostly Caucasian, with a minority of Mongoloids.

The photo shows Tatar boys and girls in national costumes.

The mentality and culture of the people are influenced by their religion - they profess Islam, which they adopted on May 21, 922.

The character of a Tatar man is characterized by stubbornness and indifference. However, at the same time, he is hardworking, hospitable, and has a sense of self-esteem, which is sometimes perceived as pride and arrogance. Crimean Tatars are distinguished by their calmness and enterprise in stressful situations. They are careerists, striving for knowledge and new opportunities.

What kind of Tatar men are in relationships is determined by their character: they are reliable, reasonable, law-abiding, purposeful. Religion allows polygamy, but it is extremely rare. Usually a second wife, a younger one, is brought into the house to help with everyday life when the first one gets old.

A Tatar wife is obedient and submissive to her husband, devoted in love; from childhood, girls are prepared for a long-lasting and only marriage. Women are inquisitive, clean, hospitable, attentive to people, love to cook and raise children. Among the dishes that Tatars eat are kazylyk (dried horse meat), gubadia (layer cake), talkysh kaleve (dessert), and chak-chak. The basis of culinary masterpieces is dough and a thick layer of fat.

Tatar women follow fashion, are interested in new products and love beautiful clothes: despite her submissiveness to her husband and loyalty to customs and traditions, you won’t find her in a black burqa.

The photo shows singer Alsou (Safina/Abramova).

It is believed that Tatar women are passionate in bed, and men are skilled lovers.

Religion does not prohibit marriages with people of other faiths, so a Tatar wife and a Russian husband meet, and vice versa. Such families are quite happy, each member adheres to his own religious beliefs. From a mixture of Russians and Tatars, mestizos are born. Children of mixed blood are often outwardly attractive, combining the features of 2 nationalities.

An interesting fact is the appearance in some infants of a sign of belonging to the Mongoloid race - a specific spot (Mongolian). This Tatar mark in a child is a bluish patch of skin on the buttocks, sacrum, and thighs.

Sometimes it is mistaken for a bruise, although this is considered a sign of oriental blood. With age, the spot disappears.

Tatarov emphasizes worship and respect for elders.

The marriage ceremony is interesting. After the wedding, the guy and the girl do not live together for another year. It is considered correct that at this time the young woman remains with her parents, and the husband (in Tatar the word sounds “ir”) comes as a guest.

Differences from other nations

By comparing the appearances of the Tatars and similar peoples, identical and distinctive features are identified.

For example, the Bashkirs also belong to the Turkic family, have a similar language and adhere to the same religion. However, there are differences in appearance. Tatars are predominantly characterized by Caucasian features, while Bashkirs are characterized by Mongoloid features.

Bashkirka

There is a theory that Jews are similar to Tatars. This is due to the similar structure of DNA. Proponents of the hypothesis believe that the majority of Ashkenazi Jews did not belong to Israel and are Turks.

There is a commonality between the Tatars and the Turks. This is their belonging to the Turkic peoples.

The Tatars also have a close connection with the Kazakhs. Previously, they were classified as one people, connected by the Turkic community. However, it is not difficult to distinguish nationality by appearance.

For visual comparison, the picture shows the anthropological types of different peoples.

Stereotypes

There are many stereotypes about the Tatar people, right and wrong, which have outlived their usefulness or are still their distinctive features to this day.

An uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar!- phraseological unit refers to the time when the Russians were under the yoke. The Tatars were cruel invaders, they showed violence and ferocity. The Russians accordingly considered them a nasty people and hated them with all their hearts. Therefore, the uninvited guest in the proverb appears as an unexpected invader, like the Tatarva, as they were disparagingly called in Rus'.
The Tatars are cunning and stingy. People are characterized by frugality; they do not like to waste money. The Tatar is thrifty and prosperous, creating comfortable living conditions for himself, managing his finances wisely.
Self-love and arrogance. Sometimes Tatars call themselves special, arguing that their roots are inherent in great people. This is the reason why representatives of the nation are not liked. However, it is also common for other nationalities to extol their people and consider them better than others.
Tea lovers. Not a single event or meeting takes place without a drink.
Hospitality. Tatars are friendly and inquisitive. They are happy to receive guests in the house. The hosts will put exquisite Tatar delicacies on the table and maintain a pleasant conversation

Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongolian points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars

It should be noted that in addition to linguistic and cultural community, as well as general anthropological features, historians pay a significant role to the origin of statehood. So, for example, the beginning Russian history It is not the archaeological cultures of the pre-Slavic period that are considered, nor even the tribal unions of those who migrated in the 3rd and 4th centuries Eastern Slavs, and Kievan Rus, which developed by the 8th century. For some reason, a significant role in the formation of culture is given to the spread (official adoption) of the monotheistic religion, which happened in Kievan Rus in 988, and in Volga Bulgaria in 922. Probably, the Bulgaro-Tatar theory arose primarily from such premises.

The Bulgar-Tatar theory is based on the position that the ethnic basis of the Tatar people was the Bulgar ethnos, which formed in the Middle Volga and Urals region from the 8th century. n. e. (recently, some supporters of this theory began to attribute the appearance of Turkic-Bulgar tribes in the region to the 8th-7th centuries BC and earlier). The most important provisions of this concept are formulated as follows. The main ethnocultural traditions and features of the modern Tatar (Bulgaro-Tatar) people were formed during the period of Volga Bulgaria (X-XIII centuries), and in subsequent times (Golden Horde, Kazan Khan and Russian periods) they underwent only minor changes in language and culture. The principalities (sultanates) of the Volga Bulgars, being part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde), enjoyed significant political and cultural autonomy, and the influence of the Horde ethnopolitical system of power and culture (in particular, literature, art and architecture) was of a purely external nature, which did not have a noticeable impact on Bulgarian society. The most important consequence of the dominance of Ulus Jochi was the collapse single state Volga Bulgaria into a number of possessions, and the single Bulgar nation into two ethno-territorial groups (“Bulgar-Burtas” of the Mukhsha ulus and “Bulgars” of the Volga-Kama Bulgar principalities). During the period of the Kazan Khanate, the Bulgar (“Bulgaro-Kazan”) ethnos strengthened the early pre-Mongol ethnocultural features, which continued to be traditionally preserved (including the self-name “Bulgars”) until the 1920s, when it was forcibly imposed on it by Tatar bourgeois nationalists and the Soviet government ethnonym "Tatars".

Let's go into a little more detail. Firstly, the migration of tribes from the foothills of the North Caucasus after the collapse of the state of Great Bulgaria. Why is it that at present the Bulgarians, the Bulgars assimilated by the Slavs, have become a Slavic people, and the Volga Bulgars are a Turkic-speaking people who have absorbed the population that lived before them in this area? Is it possible that there were much more newcomer Bulgars than local tribes? In this case, the postulate that Turkic-speaking tribes penetrated this territory long before the Bulgars appeared here - during the times of the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Khazars, looks much more logical. The history of Volga Bulgaria begins not with the fact that alien tribes founded the state, but with the unification of the door cities - the capitals of the tribal unions - Bulgar, Bilyar and Suvar. The traditions of statehood also did not necessarily come from alien tribes, since local tribes neighbored powerful ancient states - for example, the Scythian kingdom. In addition, the position that the Bulgars assimilated local tribes contradicts the position that the Bulgars themselves were not assimilated by the Tatar-Mongols. As a result, the Bulgar-Tatar theory is broken by the fact that the Chuvash language is much closer to the Old Bulgar than the Tatar. And the Tatars today speak the Turkic-Kipchak dialect.

However, the theory is not without merits. For example, the anthropological type of the Kazan Tatars, especially men, makes them similar to the peoples of the North Caucasus and indicates the origin of their facial features - a hooked nose, a Caucasian type - in the mountainous area, and not in the steppe.

Until the early 90s of the 20th century, the Bulgaro-Tatar theory of the ethnogenesis of the Tatar people was actively developed by a whole galaxy of scientists, including A. P. Smirnov, H. G. Gimadi, N. F. Kalinin, L. Z. Zalyai, G. V. Yusupov, T. A. Trofimova, A. Kh. Khalikov, M. Z. Zakiev, A. G. Karimullin, S. Kh. Alishev.

The theory of the Tatar-Mongolian origin of the Tatar people is based on the fact of the resettlement of nomadic Tatar-Mongolian (Central Asian) ethnic groups to Europe, who, having mixed with the Kipchaks and adopted Islam during the period of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde), created the basis of the culture of modern Tatars. The origins of the theory of the Tatar-Mongol origin of the Tatars should be sought in medieval chronicles, as well as in folk legends and epics. The greatness of the powers founded by the Mongolian and Golden Horde khans is spoken of in the legends of Genghis Khan, Aksak-Timur, and the epic of Idegei.

Supporters of this theory deny or downplay the importance of Volga Bulgaria and its culture in the history of the Kazan Tatars, believing that Bulgaria was an underdeveloped state, without urban culture and with a superficially Islamized population.

During the period of the Ulus of Jochi, the local Bulgar population was partially exterminated or, retaining paganism, moved to the outskirts, and the main part was assimilated by incoming Muslim groups who brought urban culture and a language of the Kipchak type.

Here again it should be noted that, according to many historians, the Kipchaks were irreconcilable enemies with the Tatar-Mongols. That both campaigns of the Tatar-Mongol troops - under the leadership of Subedei and Batu - were aimed at the defeat and destruction of the Kipchak tribes. In other words, the Kipchak tribes during the Tatar-Mongol invasion were exterminated or driven to the outskirts.

In the first case, the exterminated Kipchaks, in principle, could not cause the formation of a nationality within the Volga Bulgaria; in the second case, it is illogical to call the theory Tatar-Mongol, since the Kipchaks did not belong to the Tatar-Mongols and were a completely different tribe, albeit Turkic-speaking.

The Tatar-Mongol theory can be called if we consider that Volga Bulgaria was conquered and then inhabited by Tatar and Mongol tribes that came from the empire of Genghis Khan.

It should also be noted that the Tatar-Mongols during the period of conquest were predominantly pagans, not Muslims, which usually explains the tolerance of the Tatar-Mongols towards other religions.

Therefore, it is more likely that the Bulgar population, who learned about Islam in the 10th century, contributed to the Islamization of the Ulus of Jochi, and not vice versa.

Archaeological data complement the factual side of the issue: on the territory of Tatarstan there is evidence of the presence of nomadic (Kipchak or Tatar-Mongol) tribes, but their settlement is observed in the southern part of the Tataria region.

However, it cannot be denied that the Kazan Khanate, which arose on the ruins of the Golden Horde, crowned the formation of the Tatar ethnic group.

This is strong and already clearly Islamic, which had for the Middle Ages great value, the state contributed to the development and, during the period under Russian rule, the preservation of Tatar culture.

There is also an argument in favor of the kinship of the Kazan Tatars with the Kipchaks - the linguistic dialect is referred by linguists to the Turkic-Kipchak group. Another argument is the name and self-name of the people - “Tatars”. Presumably from the Chinese “da-dan”, as Chinese historians called part of the Mongolian (or neighboring Mongolian) tribes in northern China

The Tatar-Mongol theory arose at the beginning of the 20th century. (N.I. Ashmarin, V.F. Smolin) and actively developed in the works of Tatar (Z. Validi, R. Rakhmati, M.I. Akhmetzyanov, and more recently R.G. Fakhrutdinov), Chuvash (V.F. Kakhovsky, V.D. Dimitriev, N.I. Egorov, M.R. Fedotov) and Bashkir (N.A. Mazhitov) historians, archaeologists and linguists.

Turkic-Tatar theory of ethnogenesis of the Tatars and a number of alternative points of view

The Turkic-Tatar theory of the origin of the Tatar ethnos emphasizes the Turkic-Tatar origins of modern Tatars, notes the important role in their ethnogenesis of the ethnopolitical tradition of the Turkic Kaganate, Great Bulgaria and the Khazar Kaganate, Volga Bulgaria, Kipchak-Kimak and Tatar-Mongol ethnic groups of the Eurasian steppes.

The Turkic-Tatar concept of the origin of the Tatars is developed in the works of G. S. Gubaidullin, A. N. Kurat, N. A. Baskakov, Sh. F. Mukhamedyarov, R. G. Kuzeev, M. A. Usmanov, R. G. Fakhrutdinov , A.G. Mukhamadieva, N. Davleta, D.M. Iskhakova, Y. Shamiloglu and others. Supporters of this theory believe that it best reflects the rather complex internal structure of the Tatar ethnic group (characteristic, however, for all large ethnic groups), combines best achievements other theories. In addition, there is an opinion that one of the first to complex character ethnogenesis, not reducible to one ancestor, was indicated by M. G. Safargaliev in 1951. After the late 1980s. The unspoken ban on the publication of works that went beyond the decisions of the 1946 session of the USSR Academy of Sciences lost its relevance, and accusations of the “non-Marxism” of the multicomponent approach to ethnogenesis ceased to be used; this theory was replenished by many domestic publications. Proponents of the theory identify several stages in the formation of an ethnic group.

Stage of formation of the main ethnic components. (mid-VI - mid-XIII centuries). Noted important role Volga Bulgaria, Khazar Kaganate and Kipchak-Kimak state associations in the ethnogenesis of the Tatar people. At this stage, the formation of the main components occurred, which were combined at the next stage. The great role of Volga Bulgaria was that it founded the Islamic tradition, urban culture and writing based on Arabic script (after the 10th century), which replaced the most ancient writing - the Turkic runic. At this stage, the Bulgars tied themselves to the territory - to the land on which they settled. The territory of settlement was the main criterion for identifying a person with a people.

The stage of the medieval Tatar ethnopolitical community (mid-XIII - first quarter of the 15th centuries). At this time, the consolidation of the components that emerged at the first stage took place in a single state - the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde); medieval Tatars, based on the traditions of peoples united in one state, not only created their own state, but also developed their own ethnopolitical ideology, culture and symbols of their community. All this led to the ethnocultural consolidation of the Golden Horde aristocracy, military service classes, Muslim clergy and the formation of the Tatar ethnopolitical community in the 14th century. The stage is characterized by the fact that in the Golden Horde, on the basis of the Oguz-Kypchak language, the norms of the literary language (literary Old Tatar language) were established. Earliest surviving literary monuments on it (Kul Gali’s poem “Kyisa-i Yosyf”) was written in the 13th century. The stage ended with the collapse of the Golden Horde (XV century) as a result of feudal fragmentation. In the formed Tatar khanates, the formation of new ethnic communities began, which had local self-names: Astrakhan, Kazan, Kasimov, Crimean, Siberian, Temnikov Tatars, etc. During this period, the established cultural community of the Tatars can be evidenced by the fact that there was still a central horde (Great Horde, Nogai Horde) most of the governors on the outskirts sought to occupy this main throne, or had close ties with the central Horde.

After the mid-16th century and until the 18th century, a stage of consolidation of local ethnic groups within the Russian state was distinguished. After the annexation of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia to the Russian state, the processes of migration of the Tatars intensified (as mass migrations from the Oka to the Zakamskaya and Samara-Orenburg lines, from the Kuban to the Astrakhan and Orenburg provinces are known) and interactions between its various ethno-territorial groups, which contributed to their linguistic and cultural rapprochement. This was facilitated by the presence of a single literary language, a common cultural, religious and educational field. To a certain extent, the unifying factor was the attitude of the Russian state and the Russian population, who did not distinguish between ethnic groups. There is a common confessional identity - “Muslims”. Some of the local ethnic groups that entered other states at this time (primarily the Crimean Tatars) further developed independently.

The period from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century is defined by supporters of the theory as the formation of the Tatar nation. Exactly the same period mentioned in the introduction to this work. The following stages of nation formation are distinguished: 1) From XVIII to mid-19th century - the stage of the “Muslim” nation, at which religion was the unifying factor. 2) From the middle of the 19th century to 1905 - the stage of the “ethnocultural” nation. 3) From 1905 to the end of the 1920s. - stage of the “political” nation.

At the first stage, the attempts of various rulers to carry out Christianization were beneficial. The policy of Christianization, instead of actually transferring the population of the Kazan province from one denomination to another, through its ill-consideration, contributed to the cementation of Islam in the consciousness of the local population.

At the second stage, after the reforms of the 1860s, the development of bourgeois relations began, which contributed to the rapid development of culture. In turn, its components (the education system, the literary language, book publishing and periodicals) completed the establishment in the self-consciousness of all the main ethno-territorial and ethnic class groups of the Tatars of the idea of belonging to a single Tatar nation. It is to this stage that the Tatar people owe the appearance of the History of Tatarstan. For the specified period of time Tatar culture I not only managed to recover, but also made some progress.

From the second half of the 19th century, the modern Tatar literary language began to form, which by the 1910s had completely replaced the old Tatar language. The consolidation of the Tatar nation was influenced by strong impact high migration activity of Tatars from the Volga-Ural region.

The third stage from 1905 to the end of the 1920s. - This is the stage of the “political” nation. The first manifestation was the demands for cultural-national autonomy expressed during the revolution of 1905-1907. Later there were ideas of the State of Idel-Ural, the Tatar-Bashkir SR, the creation of the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. After the 1926 census, the remnants of ethnic class self-determination disappeared, that is, the social stratum “Tatar nobility” disappeared.

Let us note that the Turkic-Tatar theory is the most extensive and structured of the theories considered. It really covers many aspects of the formation of the ethnic group in general and the Tatar ethnic group in particular.

In addition to the main theories of the ethnogenesis of the Tatars, there are also alternative ones. One of the most interesting is the Chuvash theory of the origin of the Kazan Tatars.

Most historians and ethnographers, just like the authors of the theories discussed above, are looking for the ancestors of the Kazan Tatars not where these people currently live, but somewhere far beyond the territory of present-day Tatarstan. In the same way, their emergence and formation as a distinctive nationality is attributed not to the historical era when this took place, but to more ancient times. In fact, there is every reason to believe that the cradle of the Kazan Tatars is their real homeland, that is, the region of the Tatar Republic on the left bank of the Volga between the Kazanka River and the Kama River.

There are also convincing arguments in favor of the fact that the Kazan Tatars arose, took shape as a distinctive people and multiplied over a historical period, the duration of which covers the era from the founding of the Kazan Tatar kingdom by the Khan of the Golden Horde Ulu-Mahomet in 1437 and up to the Revolution of 1917. Moreover, their ancestors were not the alien “Tatars”, but local peoples: Chuvash (aka Volga Bulgars), Udmurts, Mari, and perhaps also not preserved to this day, but living in those parts, representatives of other tribes, including those who spoke the language , close to the language of the Kazan Tatars.
All these nationalities and tribes apparently lived in those wooded regions since time immemorial, and partly perhaps also moved from Trans-Kama, after the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and the defeat of Volga Bulgaria. In terms of character and level of culture, as well as way of life, this diverse mass of people, at least before the emergence of the Kazan Khanate, differed little from each other. Likewise, their religions were similar and consisted of the veneration of various spirits and sacred groves - kiremetii - places of prayer with sacrifices. This is confirmed by the fact that until the revolution of 1917 they remained in the same Tatar Republic, for example, near the village. Kukmor, a village of Udmurts and Maris who were not touched by either Christianity or Islam, where until recently people lived according to the ancient customs of their tribe. In addition, in the Apastovsky district of the Tatar Republic, at the junction with the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, there are nine Kryashen villages, including the village of Surinskoye and the village of Star. Tyaberdino, where some of the residents, even before the Revolution of 1917, were “unbaptized” Kryashens, thus surviving until the Revolution outside of both the Christian and Muslim religions. And the Chuvash, Mari, Udmurts and Kryashens who converted to Christianity were only formally listed in it, but continued to live according to ancient times until recently.

In passing, we note that the existence almost in our time of “unbaptized” Kryashens casts doubt on the very widespread point of view that the Kryashens arose as a result of the forced Christianization of Muslim Tatars.

The above considerations allow us to make the assumption that in the Bulgar state, the Golden Horde and, to a large extent, the Kazan Khanate, Islam was the religion of the ruling classes and privileged classes, and the common people, or most of them: Chuvash, Mari, Udmurts, etc. lived according to their ancient grandfathers customs.
Now let's see how, under those historical conditions, the Kazan Tatar nationality could arise and multiply, as we know them in late XIX and the beginning of the 20th centuries.

In the middle of the 15th century, as already mentioned, on the left bank of the Volga, Khan Ulu-Mahomet, who had been overthrown from the throne and fled from the Golden Horde, appeared with a relatively small detachment of his Tatars. He conquered and subjugated the local Chuvash tribe and created the feudal-serf Kazan Khanate, in which the victors, the Muslim Tatars, were the privileged class, and the conquered Chuvash were the serf common people.

In the latest edition of the Bolshoi Soviet Encyclopedia In more detail about the internal structure of the state in its finalized period, we read the following: “Kazan Khanate, a feudal state in the Middle Volga region (1438-1552), formed as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde on the territory of Volga-Kama Bulgaria. The founder of the dynasty of Kazan khans was Ulu-Muhammad.”

The highest state power belonged to the khan, but was directed by the council of large feudal lords (divan). The top of the feudal nobility consisted of Karachi, representatives of four of the most noble families. Next came the sultans, emirs, and below them were the Murzas, lancers and warriors. Big role played by the Muslim clergy, who owned vast waqf lands. The bulk of the population consisted of “black people”: free peasants who paid yasak and other taxes to the state, feudal-dependent peasants, serfs from prisoners of war and slaves. The Tatar nobles (emirs, beks, murzas, etc.) were hardly very merciful to their serfs, who were also foreigners and people of other faiths. Voluntarily or pursuing goals related to some benefit, but over time, the common people began to adopt their religion from the privileged class, which was associated with the renunciation of their national identity and with a complete change in their way of life and way of life, in accordance with the requirements of the new “Tatar” faith - Islam. This transition of the Chuvash to Mohammedanism was the beginning of the formation of the Kazan Tatars.

The new state that arose on the Volga lasted only about a hundred years, during which raids on the outskirts of the Moscow state almost did not stop. In the internal life of the state there were frequent palace coups and henchmen ended up on the khan’s throne: either Turkey (Crimea), or Moscow, or the Nogai Horde, etc.
The process of forming the Kazan Tatars in the above-mentioned way from the Chuvash, and partly from other, peoples of the Volga region occurred throughout the entire period of the existence of the Kazan Khanate, did not stop after the annexation of Kazan to the Moscow state and continued until the beginning of the twentieth century, i.e. almost up to our time. The Kazan Tatars grew in number not so much as a result of natural growth, but as a result of the Tatarization of other nationalities of the region.

Let us give another rather interesting argument in favor of the Chuvash origin of the Kazan Tatars. It turns out that the Meadow Mari now call the Tatars “suas”. From time immemorial, meadow mari have been close neighbors to that part Chuvash people, which lived on the left bank of the Volga and was the first to become Tatarized, so that not a single Chuvash village remained in those places for a long time, although according to historical information and scribal records of the Moscow State there were many of them there. The Mari did not notice, especially at the beginning, any changes among their neighbors as a result of the appearance of another god among them - Allah, and forever retained the former name for them in their language. But for distant neighbors - the Russians - from the very beginning of the formation of the Kazan kingdom, there was no doubt that the Kazan Tatars were the same Tatar-Mongols who left a sad memory of themselves among the Russians.

Throughout the relatively short history of this “Khanate,” continuous raids by “Tatars” on the outskirts of the Moscow state continued, and the first Khan Ulu-Magomet spent the rest of his life in these raids. These raids were accompanied by the devastation of the region, the robberies of the civilian population and the deportation of them “in full”, i.e. everything happened in the style of the Tatar-Mongols.

Introduction

Conclusion

Introduction

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. In the world and in the Russian Empire, a social phenomenon developed - nationalism. Which promoted the idea that it is very important for a person to classify himself as a member of a certain social group - a nation (nationality). A nation was understood as a common territory of settlement, culture (especially a common literary language), and anthropological features (body structure, facial features). Against the background of this idea, in each of the social groups there was a struggle to preserve culture. The emerging and developing bourgeoisie became the herald of the ideas of nationalism. At this time, a similar struggle was carried out on the territory of Tatarstan - world social processes did not bypass our region.

In contrast to the revolutionary cries of the first quarter of the 20th century. and the last decade of the 20th century, who used very emotional terms - nation, nationality, people, in modern science it is customary to use a more cautious term - ethnic group, ethnos. This term carries within itself the same community of language and culture, like people, nation, and nationality, but does not need to clarify the nature or size of the social group. However, belonging to any ethnic group is still an important social aspect for a person.

If you ask a passerby in Russia what nationality he is, then, as a rule, the passerby will proudly answer that he is Russian or Chuvash. And, of course, one of those who are proud of their ethnic origin, there will be a Tatar. But what will this word – “Tatar” – mean in the mouth of the speaker? In Tatarstan, not everyone who considers themselves a Tatar speaks or reads the Tatar language. Not everyone looks like a Tatar from a generally accepted point of view - a mixture of features of the Caucasian, Mongolian and Finno-Ugric anthropological types, for example. Among the Tatars there are Christians and many atheists, and not everyone who considers themselves a Muslim has read the Koran. But all this does not prevent the Tatar ethnic group from surviving, developing and being one of the most distinctive in the world.

Development national culture entails the development of the history of the nation, especially if the study of this history has been prevented for a long time. As a result, the unspoken, and sometimes even public, ban on studying the region led to a particularly violent surge in the Tatar historical science, which is still observed today. Pluralism of opinion and lack factual material led to the formation of several theories trying to combine the greatest number known facts. Not just historical doctrines have been formed, but several historical schools that are conducting a scientific dispute among themselves. At first, historians and publicists were divided into “Bulgarists,” who considered the Tatars to be descended from the Volga Bulgars, and “Tatarists,” who considered the period of the formation of the Tatar nation to be the period of the existence of the Kazan Khanate and denied participation in the formation of the Bulgar nation. Subsequently, another theory appeared, on the one hand, contradicting the first two, and on the other, combining all the best of the available theories. It was called “Turkic-Tatar”.

As a result, we can, based on the above key points, to formulate the purpose of this work: to reflect the largest range of points of view on the origin of the Tatars.

The tasks can be divided according to the points of view considered:

Consider the Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongol points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars;

Consider the Turkic-Tatar point of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars and a number of alternative points of view.

The chapter titles will correspond to the designated tasks.

point of view ethnogenesis of the Tatars

Chapter 1. Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongol points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars

It should be noted that in addition to linguistic and cultural community, as well as general anthropological features, historians pay a significant role to the origin of statehood. So, for example, the beginning of Russian history is considered not to be the archaeological cultures of the pre-Slavic period, or even the tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs who migrated in the 3rd-4th centuries, but Kievan Rus, which emerged by the 8th century. For some reason, a significant role in the formation of culture is given to the spread (official adoption) of the monotheistic religion, which happened in Kievan Rus in 988, and in Volga Bulgaria in 922. Probably, the Bulgaro-Tatar theory arose primarily from such premises.

The Bulgar-Tatar theory is based on the position that the ethnic basis of the Tatar people was the Bulgar ethnos, which formed in the Middle Volga and Urals region from the 8th century. n. e. (recently, some supporters of this theory began to attribute the appearance of Turkic-Bulgar tribes in the region to the 8th-7th centuries BC and earlier). The most important provisions of this concept are formulated as follows. The main ethnocultural traditions and features of the modern Tatar (Bulgaro-Tatar) people were formed during the period of Volga Bulgaria (X-XIII centuries), and in subsequent times (Golden Horde, Kazan Khan and Russian periods) they underwent only minor changes in language and culture. The principalities (sultanates) of the Volga Bulgars, being part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde), enjoyed significant political and cultural autonomy, and the influence of the Horde ethnopolitical system of power and culture (in particular, literature, art and architecture) was purely external in nature, which did not have any impact significant influence on Bulgarian society. The most important consequence of the dominance of the Ulus of Jochi was the disintegration of the unified state of Volga Bulgaria into a number of possessions, and the single Bulgar nation into two ethno-territorial groups (“Bulgaro-Burtas” of the Mukhsha ulus and “Bulgars” of the Volga-Kama Bulgar principalities). During the period of the Kazan Khanate, the Bulgar (“Bulgaro-Kazan”) ethnos strengthened the early pre-Mongol ethnocultural features, which continued to be traditionally preserved (including the self-name “Bulgars”) until the 1920s, when it was forcibly imposed on it by Tatar bourgeois nationalists and the Soviet government ethnonym "Tatars".

Let's go into a little more detail. Firstly, the migration of tribes from the foothills of the North Caucasus after the collapse of the state of Great Bulgaria. Why is it that at present the Bulgarians, the Bulgars assimilated by the Slavs, have become a Slavic people, and the Volga Bulgars are a Turkic-speaking people who have absorbed the population that lived in this area before them? Is it possible that there were much more newcomer Bulgars than local tribes? In this case, the postulate that Turkic-speaking tribes penetrated this territory long before the Bulgars appeared here - during the times of the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Khazars, looks much more logical. The history of Volga Bulgaria begins not with the fact that alien tribes founded the state, but with the unification of the door cities - the capitals of the tribal unions - Bulgar, Bilyar and Suvar. The traditions of statehood also did not necessarily come from alien tribes, since local tribes neighbored powerful ancient states - for example, the Scythian kingdom. In addition, the position that the Bulgars assimilated local tribes contradicts the position that the Bulgars themselves were not assimilated by the Tatar-Mongols. As a result, the Bulgar-Tatar theory is broken by the fact that the Chuvash language is much closer to the Old Bulgar than the Tatar. And the Tatars today speak the Turkic-Kipchak dialect.

The theory of the Tatar-Mongolian origin of the Tatar people is based on the fact of the migration of nomadic Tatar-Mongolian (Central Asian) ethnic groups to Europe, who, having mixed with the Kipchaks and adopted Islam during the period of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde), created the basis of the culture of modern Tatars. The origins of the theory of the Tatar-Mongol origin of the Tatars should be sought in medieval chronicles, as well as in folk legends and epics. The greatness of the powers founded by the Mongolian and Golden Horde khans is spoken of in the legends of Genghis Khan, Aksak-Timur, and the epic of Idegei.

During the period of the Ulus of Jochi, the local Bulgar population was partially exterminated or, retaining paganism, moved to the outskirts, and the main part was assimilated by incoming Muslim groups, who brought urban culture and the language of the Kipchak type.

The Tatar-Mongol theory can be called if we consider that Volga Bulgaria was conquered and then inhabited by Tatar and Mongol tribes that came from the empire of Genghis Khan.

It should also be noted that the Tatar-Mongols during the period of conquest were predominantly pagans, not Muslims, which usually explains the tolerance of the Tatar-Mongols towards other religions.

Therefore, it is more likely that the Bulgar population, who learned about Islam in the 10th century, contributed to the Islamization of the Ulus of Jochi, and not vice versa.

However, it cannot be denied that the Kazan Khanate, which arose on the ruins of the Golden Horde, crowned the formation of the Tatar ethnic group.

This is strong and already clearly Islamic, which was of great importance for the Middle Ages; the state contributed to the development and, during the period under Russian rule, to the preservation of Tatar culture.

Chapter 2. Turkic-Tatar theory of ethnogenesis of the Tatars and a number of alternative points of view

The Turkic-Tatar concept of the origin of the Tatars is developed in the works of G. S. Gubaidullin, A. N. Kurat, N. A. Baskakov, Sh. F. Mukhamedyarov, R. G. Kuzeev, M. A. Usmanov, R. G. Fakhrutdinov , A.G. Mukhamadieva, N. Davleta, D.M. Iskhakova, Y. Shamiloglu and others. Proponents of this theory believe that it best reflects the rather complex internal structure of the Tatar ethnic group (characteristic, however, for all large ethnic groups), combines the best achievements of other theories. In addition, there is an opinion that M. G. Safargaliev was one of the first to point out the complex nature of ethnogenesis, which cannot be reduced to a single ancestor, in 1951. After the late 1980s. The unspoken ban on the publication of works that went beyond the decisions of the 1946 session of the USSR Academy of Sciences lost its relevance, and accusations of the “non-Marxism” of the multicomponent approach to ethnogenesis ceased to be used; this theory was replenished by many domestic publications. Proponents of the theory identify several stages in the formation of an ethnic group.

Stage of formation of the main ethnic components. (mid-VI - mid-XIII centuries). The important role of the Volga Bulgaria, the Khazar Kaganate and the Kipchak-Kimak state associations in the ethnogenesis of the Tatar people is noted. At this stage, the formation of the main components occurred, which were combined at the next stage. The great role of Volga Bulgaria was that it founded the Islamic tradition, urban culture and writing based on Arabic script (after the 10th century), which replaced the most ancient writing - the Turkic runic. At this stage, the Bulgars tied themselves to the territory - to the land on which they settled. The territory of settlement was the main criterion for identifying a person with a people.

The stage of the medieval Tatar ethnopolitical community (mid-XIII - first quarter of the 15th centuries). At this time, the consolidation of the components that emerged at the first stage took place in a single state - the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde); medieval Tatars, based on the traditions of peoples united in one state, not only created their own state, but also developed their own ethnopolitical ideology, culture and symbols of their community. All this led to the ethnocultural consolidation of the Golden Horde aristocracy, military service classes, Muslim clergy and the formation of the Tatar ethnopolitical community in the 14th century. The stage is characterized by the fact that in the Golden Horde, on the basis of the Oguz-Kypchak language, the norms of the literary language (literary Old Tatar language) were established. The earliest surviving literary monument on it (Kul Gali’s poem “Kyisa-i Yosyf”) was written in the 13th century. The stage ended with the collapse of the Golden Horde (XV century) as a result of feudal fragmentation. In the formed Tatar khanates, the formation of new ethnic communities began, which had local self-names: Astrakhan, Kazan, Kasimov, Crimean, Siberian, Temnikov Tatars, etc. During this period, the established cultural community of the Tatars can be evidenced by the fact that there was still a central horde (Great Horde, Nogai Horde) most of the governors on the outskirts sought to occupy this main throne, or had close ties with the central Horde.

The period from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century is defined by supporters of the theory as the formation of the Tatar nation. Exactly the same period mentioned in the introduction to this work. The following stages of nation formation are distinguished: 1) From the 18th to the mid-19th century - the stage of the “Muslim” nation, in which religion was the unifying factor. 2) From the middle of the 19th century to 1905 - the stage of the “ethnocultural” nation. 3) From 1905 to the end of the 1920s. - stage of the “political” nation.

At the second stage, after the reforms of the 1860s, the development of bourgeois relations began, which contributed to the rapid development of culture. In turn, its components (the education system, the literary language, book publishing and periodicals) completed the establishment in the self-consciousness of all the main ethno-territorial and ethnic class groups of the Tatars of the idea of belonging to a single Tatar nation. It is to this stage that the Tatar people owe the appearance of the History of Tatarstan. During this period of time, Tatar culture not only managed to recover, but also achieved certain progress.

From the second half of the 19th century century, the modern Tatar literary language began to form, which by the 1910s had completely replaced the old Tatar language. The consolidation of the Tatar nation was strongly influenced by the high migration activity of Tatars from the Volga-Ural region.

In addition to the main theories of the ethnogenesis of the Tatars, there are also alternative ones. One of the most interesting is the Chuvash theory of the origin of the Kazan Tatars.

There are also convincing arguments in favor of the fact that the Kazan Tatars arose, took shape as a distinctive people and multiplied over a historical period, the duration of which covers the era from the founding of the Kazan Tatar kingdom by the Khan of the Golden Horde Ulu-Mahomet in 1437 and up to the Revolution of 1917. Moreover, their ancestors were not the alien “Tatars”, but local peoples: Chuvash (aka Volga Bulgars), Udmurts, Mari, and perhaps also not preserved to this day, but living in those parts, representatives of other tribes, including those who spoke the language , close to the language of the Kazan Tatars.
All these nationalities and tribes apparently lived in those wooded regions since time immemorial, and partly perhaps also moved from Trans-Kama, after the invasion of the Tatar-Mongols and the defeat of Volga Bulgaria. In terms of character and level of culture, as well as way of life, this diverse mass of people, at least before the emergence of the Kazan Khanate, differed little from each other. Likewise, their religions were similar and consisted of the veneration of various spirits and sacred groves - kiremetii - places of prayer with sacrifices. This is confirmed by the fact that until the revolution of 1917 they remained in the same Tatar Republic, for example, near the village. Kukmor, a village of Udmurts and Maris who were not touched by either Christianity or Islam, where until recently people lived according to the ancient customs of their tribe. In addition, in the Apastovsky district of the Tatar Republic, at the junction with the Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, there are nine Kryashen villages, including the village of Surinskoye and the village of Star. Tyaberdino, where some of the residents, even before the Revolution of 1917, were “unbaptized” Kryashens, thus surviving until the Revolution outside of both the Christian and Muslim religions. And the Chuvash, Mari, Udmurts and Kryashens who converted to Christianity were only formally included in it, but continued to live according to ancient times until recently.

The above considerations allow us to make the assumption that in the Bulgar state, the Golden Horde and, to a large extent, the Kazan Khanate, Islam was the religion of the ruling classes and privileged classes, and the common people, or most of them: Chuvash, Mari, Udmurts, etc. lived according to their ancient grandfathers customs.
Now let's see how, under those historical conditions, the Kazan Tatars as we know them at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries could arise and multiply.

In the latest edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, we read the following in more detail about the internal structure of the state in its finalized period: “Kazan Khanate, a feudal state in the Middle Volga region (1438-1552), formed as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde on the territory of Volga-Kama Bulgaria. The founder of the dynasty of Kazan khans was Ulu-Muhammad.”

The highest state power belonged to the khan, but was directed by the council of large feudal lords (divan). The top of the feudal nobility consisted of Karachi, representatives of the four most noble families. Next came the sultans, emirs, and below them were the Murzas, lancers and warriors. A major role was played by the Muslim clergy, who owned vast waqf lands. The bulk of the population consisted of “black people”: free peasants who paid yasak and other taxes to the state, feudal-dependent peasants, serfs from prisoners of war and slaves. The Tatar nobles (emirs, beks, murzas, etc.) were hardly very merciful to their serfs, who were also foreigners and people of other faiths. Voluntarily or pursuing goals related to some benefit, but over time, the common people began to adopt their religion from the privileged class, which was associated with the renunciation of their national identity and with a complete change in their way of life and way of life, in accordance with the requirements of the new “Tatar” faith - Islam. This transition of the Chuvash to Mohammedanism was the beginning of the formation of the Kazan Tatars.

The new state that arose on the Volga lasted only about a hundred years, during which raids on the outskirts of the Moscow state almost did not stop. In the internal life of the state, frequent palace coups took place and proteges found themselves on the khan’s throne: either from Turkey (Crimea), then from Moscow, then from the Nogai Horde, etc.
The process of forming the Kazan Tatars in the above-mentioned way from the Chuvash, and partly from other, peoples of the Volga region occurred throughout the entire period of the existence of the Kazan Khanate, did not stop after the annexation of Kazan to the Moscow state and continued until the beginning of the twentieth century, i.e. almost up to our time. The Kazan Tatars grew in number not so much as a result of natural growth, but as a result of the Tatarization of other nationalities of the region.

Let us give another rather interesting argument in favor of the Chuvash origin of the Kazan Tatars. It turns out that the Meadow Mari now call the Tatars “suas”. From time immemorial, the Meadow Mari were close neighbors with that part of the Chuvash people who lived on the left bank of the Volga and were the first to become Tatars, so that in those places not a single Chuvash village remained for a long time, although according to historical information and scribal records of the Moscow State there were them there many. The Mari did not notice, especially at the beginning, any changes among their neighbors as a result of the appearance of another god among them - Allah, and forever retained the former name for them in their language. But for distant neighbors - the Russians - from the very beginning of the formation of the Kazan kingdom, there was no doubt that the Kazan Tatars were the same Tatar-Mongols who left a sad memory of themselves among the Russians.

Thus, the Chuvash theory is also not without its foundations, although it presents us with the ethnogenesis of the Tatars in the most original form.

Conclusion

As we conclude from the material considered, at the moment even the most developed of the available theories - the Turkic-Tatar one - is not ideal. It leaves many questions for one simple reason: the historical science of Tatarstan is still extremely young. A lot of historical sources have not yet been studied; active excavations are underway on the territory of Tataria. All this allows us to hope that in the coming years the theories will be replenished with facts and will acquire a new, even more objective shade.

The material considered also allows us to note that all theories are united in one thing: the Tatar people have complex history origin and complex ethnocultural structure.

In the growing process of world integration, we are already striving to create a single state and a common cultural space European states. Tatarstan may not be able to avoid this either. The trends of recent (free) decades indicate attempts to integrate the Tatar people into the modern Islamic world. But integration is a voluntary process, it allows you to preserve the self-name of the people, language, and cultural achievements. As long as at least one person speaks and reads Tatar, the Tatar nation will exist.

List of used literature

1. R.G.Fakhrutdinov. History of the Tatar people and Tatarstan. (Antiquity and Middle Ages). Textbook for secondary schools, gymnasiums and lyceums. - Kazan: Magarif, 2000.- 255 p.

2. Sabirova D.K. History of Tatarstan. From ancient times to the present day: textbook / D.K. Sabirova, Ya.Sh. Sharapov. – M.: KNORUS, 2009. – 352 p.

3. Kakhovsky V.F. Origin of the Chuvash people. – Cheboksary: Chuvash Book Publishing House, 2003. – 463 p.

4. Rashitov F.A. History of the Tatar people. – M.: Children's book, 2001. – 285 p.

5. Mustafina G.M., Munkov N.P., Sverdlova L.M. History of Tatarstan XIX century - Kazan, Magarif, 2003. – 256c.

6. Tagirov I.R. History of the national statehood of the Tatar people and Tatarstan - Kazan, 2000. – 327c.

That the ethnonym “Tatars” was also quite easily accepted by the Turkic-speaking Muslim population of the Lower Volga region and Siberia. In the conditions of the formation of the Tatar ethnic community (late 18th – early 20th centuries), the ethnonym “Tatar” acted as a real alternative to the amorphous confessional name “Muslims”. Let us note that by the 18th century the Bulgar ethnos no longer existed for a long time, and the ethnonym “Bulgar” accordingly became...

The unity of the Horde was based on a system of brutal terror. After Khan Uzbek, the Horde experienced a period of feudal fragmentation. 14th century - separated Central Asia 15th century - the Kazan Khanate and the Crimean Khanate separated. End of the 15th century - the Astrakhan and Siberian principalities separated 5. Tatar-Mongol invasions of Rus' in the second half of the 13th century. 1252 - Invasion of the Nevryu army in the North. -eastern Rus' for...

Its reflection is mainly on national holidays, festivities - Sabantuy, Navruz. Chapter II. Analysis of folklore and staged dances of the Astrakhan Tatars 2.1 General overview dance culture of the Astrakhan Tatars Folk dances Astrakhan Tatars, like the art of any other people, is rooted in ancient times. The Muslim religion bans dance, humiliation...

In K. D'Osson) and father Nogai, who in turn became the eponym of the Nogai, or Nogais (21, p. 202). The above explanation by K. D'Osson of how and why the ethnonym Tatars switched to Turkic tribes and peoples and became synonymous with the ethnonym Turk. In the ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde of Russian chronicles, or Kok-Orda “Blue Horde” among eastern authors), which covered...

Introduction

Chapter 1. Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongol points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars

Chapter 2. Turkic-Tatar theory of ethnogenesis of the Tatars and a number of alternative points of view

Conclusion

List of used literature

Introduction

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th century. In the world and in the Russian Empire, a social phenomenon developed - nationalism. Which promoted the idea that it is very important for a person to classify himself as a member of a certain social group - a nation (nationality). A nation was understood as a common territory of settlement, culture (especially a common literary language), and anthropological features (body structure, facial features). Against the background of this idea, in each of the social groups there was a struggle to preserve culture. The emerging and developing bourgeoisie became the herald of the ideas of nationalism. At this time, a similar struggle was being waged on the territory of Tatarstan - global social processes did not bypass our region.

If you ask a passerby in Russia what nationality he is, then, as a rule, the passerby will proudly answer that he is Russian or Chuvash. And, of course, one of those who are proud of their ethnic origin will be a Tatar. But what will this word – “Tatar” – mean in the mouth of the speaker? In Tatarstan, not everyone who considers themselves a Tatar speaks or reads the Tatar language. Not everyone looks like a Tatar from a generally accepted point of view - a mixture of features of the Caucasian, Mongolian and Finno-Ugric anthropological types, for example. Among the Tatars there are Christians and many atheists, and not everyone who considers themselves a Muslim has read the Koran. But all this does not prevent the Tatar ethnic group from surviving, developing and being one of the most distinctive in the world.

The development of national culture entails the development of the history of the nation, especially if the study of this history has been prevented for a long time. As a result, the unspoken, and sometimes open, ban on studying the region led to a particularly rapid surge in Tatar historical science, which is observed to this day. Pluralism of opinions and a lack of factual material have led to the formation of several theories trying to combine the largest number of known facts. Not just historical doctrines have been formed, but several historical schools that are conducting a scientific dispute among themselves. At first, historians and publicists were divided into “Bulgarists,” who considered the Tatars to be descended from the Volga Bulgars, and “Tatarists,” who considered the period of the formation of the Tatar nation to be the period of the existence of the Kazan Khanate and denied participation in the formation of the Bulgar nation. Subsequently, another theory appeared, on the one hand, contradicting the first two, and on the other, combining all the best of the available theories. It was called “Turkic-Tatar”.

As a result, we can, based on the key points outlined above, formulate the purpose of this work: to reflect the largest range of points of view on the origin of the Tatars.

The tasks can be divided according to the points of view considered:

Consider the Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongol points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars;

Consider the Turkic-Tatar point of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars and a number of alternative points of view.

The chapter titles will correspond to the designated tasks.

point of view ethnogenesis of the Tatars

Chapter 1. Bulgaro-Tatar and Tatar-Mongol points of view on the ethnogenesis of the Tatars

It should be noted that in addition to linguistic and cultural community, as well as general anthropological features, historians pay a significant role to the origin of statehood. So, for example, the beginning of Russian history is considered not to be the archaeological cultures of the pre-Slavic period, or even the tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs who migrated in the 3rd-4th centuries, but Kievan Rus, which emerged by the 8th century. For some reason, a significant role in the formation of culture is given to the spread (official adoption) of the monotheistic religion, which happened in Kievan Rus in 988, and in Volga Bulgaria in 922. Probably, the Bulgaro-Tatar theory arose primarily from such premises.

The Bulgar-Tatar theory is based on the position that the ethnic basis of the Tatar people was the Bulgar ethnos, which formed in the Middle Volga and Urals region from the 8th century. n. e. (recently, some supporters of this theory began to attribute the appearance of Turkic-Bulgar tribes in the region to the 8th-7th centuries BC and earlier). The most important provisions of this concept are formulated as follows. The main ethnocultural traditions and features of the modern Tatar (Bulgaro-Tatar) people were formed during the period of Volga Bulgaria (X-XIII centuries), and in subsequent times (Golden Horde, Kazan Khan and Russian periods) they underwent only minor changes in language and culture. The principalities (sultanates) of the Volga Bulgars, being part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde), enjoyed significant political and cultural autonomy, and the influence of the Horde ethnopolitical system of power and culture (in particular, literature, art and architecture) was purely external in nature, which did not have any impact significant influence on Bulgarian society. The most important consequence of the dominance of the Ulus of Jochi was the disintegration of the unified state of Volga Bulgaria into a number of possessions, and the single Bulgar nation into two ethno-territorial groups (“Bulgaro-Burtas” of the Mukhsha ulus and “Bulgars” of the Volga-Kama Bulgar principalities). During the period of the Kazan Khanate, the Bulgar (“Bulgaro-Kazan”) ethnos strengthened the early pre-Mongol ethnocultural features, which continued to be traditionally preserved (including the self-name “Bulgars”) until the 1920s, when it was forcibly imposed on it by Tatar bourgeois nationalists and the Soviet government ethnonym "Tatars".

Let's go into a little more detail. Firstly, the migration of tribes from the foothills of the North Caucasus after the collapse of the state of Great Bulgaria. Why is it that at present the Bulgarians, the Bulgars assimilated by the Slavs, have become a Slavic people, and the Volga Bulgars are a Turkic-speaking people who have absorbed the population that lived in this area before them? Is it possible that there were much more newcomer Bulgars than local tribes? In this case, the postulate that Turkic-speaking tribes penetrated this territory long before the Bulgars appeared here - during the times of the Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Khazars, looks much more logical. The history of Volga Bulgaria begins not with the fact that alien tribes founded the state, but with the unification of the door cities - the capitals of the tribal unions - Bulgar, Bilyar and Suvar. The traditions of statehood also did not necessarily come from alien tribes, since local tribes neighbored powerful ancient states - for example, the Scythian kingdom. In addition, the position that the Bulgars assimilated local tribes contradicts the position that the Bulgars themselves were not assimilated by the Tatar-Mongols. As a result, the Bulgar-Tatar theory is broken by the fact that the Chuvash language is much closer to the Old Bulgar than the Tatar. And the Tatars today speak the Turkic-Kipchak dialect.

During the period of the Ulus of Jochi, the local Bulgar population was partially exterminated or, retaining paganism, moved to the outskirts, and the main part was assimilated by incoming Muslim groups, who brought urban culture and the language of the Kipchak type.