Figure 1.-- This is a Tatar couple with a small boy in front of their home. We are not sure when the photograph was taken, perhsps the 1920s. |
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The Tatar people in the Russian Empire were the Turkic tribes that burst upon China, the Middle East, and Europe under Ghengis Kahn during the Middle Ages. The Russians broke the Mongol-Tatar yoke (1480). Europeans referred to Lesser (European) Tartary and Greater (Asian) Tartary. These were geogrphic not political referencs. Tsar Ivan IV conquered the two great Tatar khanates of Kazan (1552) and Astrakhan (1556). Tsarina Catherine finally conquered the the Crimean Khanate (1783). Katherine saw Islam as a more suitable religion than Orthodox Christianity for civilizing her Asian conquests. The largest Tatar group are the Volga Tatars. They are native to the Volga region (Tatarstan and Bashkortostan). As the Volga Tartars are by far he largest, the Russians often just refer to them just as 'Tatars'. They speak a Turkic language now called the Turkic language. The Russians estimate the population at 6 million. There are other smaller Tartar groups, the most important of these are the Crimean Tartars. Their language can be understood by the Volga Tartars. The various Tartar groups were absirbed into the Tsarist Empire and with the Russian Revolution and Civil War, also the Soviet Union. The Volga Tatars became the leaders of Russian Islam and and played an important role in the development of the Russian Empire’s backward Asian regions. As a result, a prosperous Tatar merchant class developed in the Tsarist Empite. There was a notable level of urbanization and assimilation as well as a diaspora throughout the Empire. There was fierce fighting in Tartar areas during the Russian Civil War. The Bolsheviks finally prevailed in what might be called Tataria. The Bolsheviks established the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) (1920).
The Tatar people in the Russian Empire were the Turkic tribes that burst upon China, the Middle East, and Europe under Ghengis Kahn during the Middle Ages. The most important Tartar group was the Golden Horde. The name refeered to the fact that the Mongol ruling elite came from the 'Golden Family' of Genghis. Hordedid not have its modern mening, but was derived from Mongol. It was Genghis' granson Batu Khan, who advanced far into eastern Europe and established the rule of the Golden Horde in Russia (1251). This had a huge impact on Russia as it essentislly separated Russia culturaly from Europe duriung a critical period. Alexander Newski in the north around Novgorod managed to retain a degree of autonomy. The Mongols used Novgorad to collect tribute from the Russians. Thus would prove to be the foundation of the Tsarist state. While the Golden Horde (Золотая Орда) began as a Mongol khanate, it evolved into a Turkicized khanate (13th century). They controled the western sector of the huge Mongol Empire. This included Novogorod/Muscovy or modern northwestern Russia and areas if Eastern Europe, including Poland. . Batu Khan died (1255). Nogai's insurection resulted in a minor civil war (late-1290s). Even so the dynasty continued to a powerful firce for a century (until 1359). The Horde's military power was at its peak during the reign of Uzbeg (1312–41). They eventually became indeondent of the Mongols. It was Uzbeg who forsake the traditional animistic religion for Islan. At the time, the Horde controlled a huge empire from the Urals west to the Danube and at times east to Siberia and south to the Black Sea and the Caucasuses, bordering on the Mongol Ilkhanate. Internal revolts broke tge Horde apart and was only briefly reunited under Tokhtamysh (1381). Tammerlane invaded (1396). The result was to break the Horde into several smaller Tatar khanates. And they gradually declined in power over time. The Horde finall began tgo desintegrate (early-15th century). It began to be called the Great Horde (1433) which splintred into small Turkic khanates: Kazan, Astrakhan and the Crimea. With this decline, the northern Slavic vassal state of Muscony was anle to win its indeoendence from the weakened Trtars. (1480). Russian history describes this as destroying the 'Tatar Yoke'. This occurred at the Great stand on the Ugra River. The Crimean Khanate and the Kazakh Khanate, the final renamests of the Golden Horde, persisted in a reduced existence for several more centurues in the south and southeast (1783 and 1847).
The Mongol or Tartar dominance of central Asia was absolute (during the 14th and 15th centuries). And they continued theor hold on Muscovy as asal state. Tartar raiders conducted the Crimean-Nogai raids into Russia to capture slaves, most of whom then sold in the Ottoman Empire. The raids adversely affected areas of modrn Russia and Ukraine, but adverselyv affected the Tartars as well. They discouraged settlemnent of the 'Wild Fields' -- the steppe and forest-steppe land that extends some hundred miles south of Moscow to the Black Sea, meaning large areas of Ukraine. The raids played aole in developing the Cossacks as did the spread of serfdom. The Tartar hold was finally broken by the Russians. Tsarist forces made the Great Stand on the Ugra River (1480).
Europeans referred to Lesser (European) Tartary and Greater (Asian) Tartary. These were geogrphic not political referencs. Tsarist Russia gradually expanded into central Asia and conquered the Tartat khanates (16th-18th centuries). The process was gradual.
The Crimean Tatars attacked Russia (1507). The Tatars hopeed to reverse the defeat on the Ugra River.
(1507). Two centuries of Russo-Crimean Wars follows for control of the Volga Basin. Further east, the Russo-Kazan Wars lasted for a century. The wars ended ended with the Russian conquest of the Kazan khanate and control over central Asia.
Tsar Ivan IV became the conquest of the various Tartar khanates that were created by the breakup of the Goldren Horde. Ivan conquered the two great Tatar khanates of Kazan (1552) and Astrakhan (1556). Kazan continued as a Russian vassal state, within the Qasim Khanate until 1681. The Russians conquered the Tyumen Khanate, later known as the Khanate of Sibir (1598). The Rusians conquered the Nogai Horde (1634). Tsarina Catherine finally conquered the the Crimean Khanate (1783). The Russians gradually conquered the large Kazakh Khanate During the 18th century, but it was finally absorbed into the Tsarist Empire only in the 19th century (1847). This gave the Russians control of central Asia.
With the Russian Revolution and Civil War, the Tartats became part of the Soviet Union. There was fierce fighting in Tartar areas during the Russian Civil War. The Bolsheviks finally prevailed in what might be called Tataria. The Bolsheviks established the Tartar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) (1920). The Bolsheviks launched an atheism campaign which was intensified by Stalin. Tartars, especially the Crimean Tartars were supressed by Stalin during Workd war II.
The Tartats were the largest of the Muslim populations in the Soviet Union. This played a role in World War II. Many were aleinated by Stalin's athesist campaign. They were one of the most assimilated amd modernized Muslim population in the world at the time of World war II. The primary Tartar group is the Volga Tartars. There are other smaller Tartar groups, the most important of these are the Crimean Tartars.
The largest Tartar group are the Volga Tatars. They are native to the Volga region (Tatarstan and Bashkortostan). As the Volga Tartars are by far the largest, the Russians often just refer to them as 'Tatars'. They speak a Turkic language now called the Turkic language. Katherine saw Islam as a more suitable religion than Orthodox Christianity for civilizing her Asian conquests. The various Tartar groups were absorbed into the Tsarist Empire. The Volga Tatars became the leaders of Russian Islam and and played an important role in the development of the Russian Empire’s backward Asian regions. As a result, a prosperous Tatar merchant class developed in the Tsarist Empite. There was a notable level of urbanization and assimilation as well as a diaspora throughout the Empire. The Russians estimate the population at 6 million. The Tartars were by far the largest national minority in the Soviet Union that was not granted its own Union Republic. The Tartars were the sixth largest ethnic grouping (thus being more numerous than nine peoples having their own SSRs). The Soviet Union Republics shared borders with foreign countries. Tataria (centered on the Middle Volga) was entirely surrounded by Russian territory and thus could not be separated from Russia when the Soviet Uniin was disolved (1991). Only about 25 percent od Soviet Tartars lived in the Tatar ASSR where they constituted less than half of the population. The rest of Soviet Tasrtars were dispersed throughout the Soviet Union. The same continues to be the case in modern Russia.
Their language can be understood by the Volga Tartars.Islam was a factor in the Soviet Union
during World War II. The Germans reached the Crimea, but not the mid-Volga where the Tartar ASSR was located. Some tartars joined German Muslim formations during World War II. The Crimean Tatars were thus one of the ethnic groups targeted by Stalin for World War II deportations. had an especially horrendous experience. Nearly half died of hunger and disease as aesult of the brutal NKVD deportments.
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