Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria

The Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria lasted from 1223 to 1236.

In 1223, after winning the battle of Kalka, a part of Mongol troops under Mongolian general Subedei's and noyon Jebe's command was sent to invade Volga Bulgaria. However, the Mongol cavalry was caught in ambush and was defeated near the Zhiguli hills on the Volga's right bank.

In 1229, the Mongols under Kukday's and Bubede's command defeated Bulgar frontier-guards at the Ural River.

In 1232, the Mongol cavalry smashed the southeastern part of the Bashkirs lands, as well as some parts of Volga Bulgaria.

In 1236, the united Mongol forces, led by Batu, besieged and seized Bolghar, Bilär, Suar, Cükätaw, and other cities and castles. The cities' inhabitants were killed or sold to slavery. The defenses of Volga Bulgaria were weakened as the different duchies had not been united. Volga Bulgaria became a part of Jochi's ulus of the Golden Horde. It was divided into different duchies; later each of them became a vassal of the Golden Horde and received some autonomy.

According to some historians, over 80% of the country's population was killed during the invasion. The remaining population mostly relocated to the northern areas (territories of modern Chuvashia and Tatarstan). Some autonomous duchies appeared in those areas. Steppe areas of Volga Bulgaria were settled by nomadic Kipchaks and Mongols, and the agricultural development went down.

The cities of Volga Bulgaria were rebuilt and became trade and craft centers of the Golden Horde. Some Bulgarians, primarily masters and craftsmen, were forcibly moved to Saray and other southern cities of the Golden Horde to work there. Bulgaria also stayed a center of agriculture and handicraft of all of the Golden Horde.

The population of Volga Bulgaria was mostly Muslim. Under the influence of Bulgarian culture, more and more nomadic Mongols and Kipchaks were converted to Islam. On the other hand, the language, used by Muslims of the Golden Horde, transformed into the Kipchak language, adopted by all Muslim Volga Bulgars. As a result of a later mixing of the Kipchak and Bolgar languages, the modern Tatar language developed.

Some of Bulgaria's non-Islamic population kept the Bolgar language, which was influenced by the Mari language, a language commonly used in the territories they relocated to. This lead to the development of the modern Chuvash language.

Some historians apologize that during the rule of the Mongols, the population of Volga Bulgaria did not change in ethnic ranges and stayed Bolgar and partly Finnic. Alternatively, some apologize, that some Kipchaks were forcibly relocated to Bulgaria's land. Undoubtedly, some Bulgars were forcibly relocated to the territory of modern Astrakhan Oblast, the population of which was previously nomadic.

The language of literature in the Golden Horde became what is now called the Old Tatar language.

Volga Bulgaria's Muslim community preferred to call themselves Muslims (Möselmannar), but used the word Bolghar to distinguish themselves from nomadic Moslem Kipchak. They did not call themselves Tatars until the 19th century. Russian sources also originally distinguished Volga Bulgars from nomadic Tatars, but later the word "Tatar" became synonymous with "Turkic Muslim". To distinguish between themselves, they started to use names of the khanates: the population of Khanate of Kazan called themselves the people of Kazan (Qazanlı); this name was also used by the steppe Tatars and by the Russians.

After all of the Tatar lands had been conquered, the word Tatar became a common name for the local population, as well as for the Volga Bulgars, whose ancestors were the most numerous part of Russian Tatars—the Volga Tatars. However, the Volga Tatars did not widely adopt this name until the 19th century, partially because that was the only suitable name to describe the local population, which, besides Volga Bulgars, also included Misha's and Siberian Tatars' ancestors, as a nation.

In the beginning of the 20th century, Russians preferred to use separate names for the nations of the region. The word Tatars was only used to describe Volga Tatars (who are in fact Volga Bulgars). However, even today not enough distinction is made between the Tatars and their assimilated conquerors.

In the middle of the 14th century some duchies of Volga Bulgaria became more independent and even coined their own money. The duchies were ruled by the Bulgar nobles. In 1420s, the Kasan Duchy (Kasan Ulus) under the Ghiasetdin's leadership became practically independent from the Golden Horde.

In 1440s, all lands with Volga Bulgar population were included into the Khanate of Kazan, which was ruled by Mongol dynasties. The Khanate also included Mari and Chuvash lands, while the rulers of the territories of Bashkirs, Udmurts, and Mordvins were considered vassals of Kazan. These were the peoples that traditionally had been under the economic and cultural influence of Volga Bulgaria.

This article was originally translated from:
"Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria". Tatar Encyclopedia. Kazan: Tatarstan Republic Academy of Sciences Institution of the Tatar Encyclopaedia, 2002.