Volga Bulgaria 470955 226042680 2008-07-16T15:56:48Z RekishiEJ 983723 Interwiki:+zh [[Image:Keçe manara.JPG|thumb|200px|right|The Little Minaret in Bolghar]] {{otheruses|Bulgaria (disambiguation)}} <!--[[Image:Volga Bulgaria1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Volga Bulgaria in 8th century]]--> <!-- [[Image:Great Volga Bulgaria1.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Greatest expanse of Volga Bulgaria]] --> '''Volga Bulgaria''' or '''Volga-Kama Bolghar''', is an historic state that existed between the [[7th century|7th]] and [[13th century|13th centuries]] around the confluence of the [[Volga River|Volga]] and [[Kama River|Kama]] [[river]]s in what is now [[Russia]]. Today, both the Republics of [[Tatarstan]] and [[Chuvashia]] are considered to be descendants of Volga Bulgaria. ==Origin== {{History_of_Russia}} {{History_of_Tatarstan}} First-hand information on Volga Bulgaria is rather sparse. As no authentic [[Bulgar]] records have survived, most of our information comes from contemporary [[Arabic]], [[Iran|Persian]], [[India]]n or [[Russia]]n sources. Some information is provided by excavations. It is thought that the territory of Volga Bulgaria was originally settled by [[Finno-Ugric]] peoples. The [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]]<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521364477&id=u-SsbHs5zTAC&pg=PA504&lpg=PA504&dq=%22volga+bulgars%22%2Bturkic&sig=w9lT1dSoGCfAIW7YYl4PatPu0x4 The New Cambridge Medieval History — Volga Bulgars]</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-80003/Turkic-languages Britannica Online — Bolgar Turkic]</ref> [[Bulgars]] moved from the [[Azov]] region in about AD [[660]], commanded by [[Kotrag]], [[Kubrat]]'s son. They reached [[Idel-Ural]] in in the [[8th century]], where they became the dominant population at the end of the 9th century, uniting other tribes of different origin which lived in the area.<ref>{{TES|Болгарлар}}</ref> 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 the [[Slavs]], adopting a [[South Slavic languages|South Slavic language]] and the [[Eastern Orthodox]] faith. Most scholars agree that the Volga Bulgars were subject to the great [[Khazaria]]n Empire. Sometime in the late 9th century unification processes started, and the capital was established at [[Bolghar|Bolğar]] (also spelled Bulgar) city, 160 km south from modern [[Kazan]]. Most scholars doubt, however, that the state could assert independence from the Khazars until the latter were annihilated by [[Svyatoslav of Rus]] in [[965]]. {{clear}} ==Maps== [[Image:Premongol.png|thumb|380px|left|Volga Bulgaria in the Eurasian world of AD 1200]] [[Image:VolgaBulgaria.jpg|thumb|380px|Detailed map of Volga Bulgaria]] {{clear}} ==Rise== [[Image:Bulgarmosque.jpg|thumb|right|180px|The Black Chamber in [[Bolghar]].]] [[Image:NE_700ad.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Europe and the Steppes in 700 AD, showing the Volga Bulgars and their neighbors.]] A large part of the region's population was [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] and included [[Bulgars]], [[Suars]], [[Barsil]], [[Bilars]], [[Baranjar]]s and part of [[Burtas]] (by [[ibn Rustah]]). Modern [[Chuvash]]es and [[Tatars|Kazan Tatar]]s descend from the Volga [[Bulgars]] (with more or less significant admixtures of [[Finno-Ugric peoples|Finno-Ugric]] and [[Kipchak]] Turkic populations, respectively). Another part comprised Finnic and Magyaric ([[Asagel]] and [[Pascatir]]) tribes, from which [[Bisermän]]s and [[Tatars]] probably descend. [[Islam]] was adopted as the state religion in the early tenth century, under [[Almış]]. [[Ibn Fadlan]] was dispatched by the [[Abbasid]] [[Caliph]] [[al-Muqtadir]] in 922/3 to establish relations and bring [[qadi]]s and teachers of [[Sharia|Islamic law]] to Volga Bulgaria, as well as help in building a fort and a mosque.<ref>[http://www.nordicway.com/search/Vikings%20in%20the%20East.htm Vikings in the East, Amazing Eyewitness Accounts]</ref> [[Tengriism]] and other religions, however, continued to be practiced. Commanding the [[Volga River]] in its middle course, the state controlled much of [[Volga trade route|trade between Europe and Asia]] prior to the [[Crusades]] (which made other trade routes practicable). The capital, [[Bolghar]], was a thriving city, rivalling in size and wealth with the greatest centres of the Islamic world. Trade partners of Bolghar included from [[Viking]]s, [[Bjarmland]], [[Yugra]] and [[Nenets]] in the north to [[Baghdad]] and [[Constantinople]] in the south, from Western Europe to [[China]] in the East. Other major cities included [[Bilär]], [[Suar]] (Suwar), [[Qashan|Qaşan]] (Kashan) and [[Cükätaw]] (Juketau). Modern cities [[Kazan]] and [[Yelabuga]] were founded as Volga Bulgaria's border fortresses. 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== [[Image:Devil tower.jpg|thumb|225px|Devil's Tower in [[Yelabuga]], 12th century.]] {{main|Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria}} In September [[1223]] near [[Samara, Russia|Samara]] an advance guard of [[Genghis Khan]]'s army under command of [[Uran]], son of [[Subutai]] [[Bahadur]], entered Volga Bulgaria but was defeated in the [[battle of Samara Bend]]. In [[1236]], the [[Mongols]] [[Siege of Bilär|returned]] but it took them five years to subjugate the whole country which at that time was suffering from internal war. Henceforth Volga Bulgaria became a part of the Ulus [[Jochi]], later known as the [[Golden Horde]]. It was divided into several principalities; each of them became a vassal of the Golden Horde and received some autonomy. By the 1430s, the [[Khanate of Kazan]] was established as the most important of these principalities. ==See also== {{Wikisource1911Enc|Bulgaria, Eastern}} *[[Atil]] *[[Balymer]] *[[Bulgaria]] *[[Bulgarism]] *[[Bulgars]] *[[Chuvashia]] *[[Khanate of Kazan]] *[[Khazaria]] *[[Tatarstan]] *[[Qol Ghali]] == External links == *[http://www.bulgars.ru/ We are Bulgars, not Tatars (Мы болгары, а не татары)], Bulgar National Congress {{ru icon}} *[http://bariev.narod.ru/Volga_Bolgar/Volga_Bolgar.html Volga Bulgars: History and Culture (Волжские Булгары : история и культура)] {{ru icon}} ==References== {{Reflist}} [[Category:Volga Bulgaria|*]] [[bg:Волжска България]] [[cv:Атăлçи Пăлхар]] [[cs:Volžské Bulharsko]] [[de:Wolgabulgaren]] [[el:Βουλγαρία του Βόλγα]] [[es:Bulgaria del Volga]] [[fa:ولگا بلغاریا]] [[it:Volga Bulgaro]] [[he:בולגריה של הוולגה]] [[hu:Volgai Bulgária]] [[ja:ヴォルガ・ブルガール]] [[no:Volga-Bulgaria]] [[pl:Bułgaria Wołżańsko-Kamska]] [[pt:Bulgária do Volga]] [[ro:Bulgaria de pe Volga]] [[ru:Волжская Булгария]] [[tt:İdel buyı Bolğar däwläte]] [[tr:Volga Bulgar Devleti]] [[uk:Волзька Булгарія]] [[zh:伏尔加保加利亚]]