The Tatars: The History of the Tatar Ethnic Groups and Tatar Confederation

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents A history of the Tatar peoples covers a huge expanse of territory, time, and the rise and fall of many Tatar communities. As such, they played a role in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East over several centuries, and from Genghis Khan to Ivan the Terrible and Josef Stalin, some of history’s most infamous tyrants have played a key role in this story. Crucially, the history of the Tatars is one that seems to take place at the fringes of the great empires. Geographically the Tatars descend from several parts of Asia, particularly Central Asia, but the Crimean region has been the nexus of several great power rivalries and numerous conflicts. Yet the Crimean Tatars endured through many of these, aligning themselves with a number of larger powers and developing a reputation as fearsome warriors. Today the Tatars are mainly linked with and live in the Volga region of the Russian Federation. Indeed, Tatarstan is a republic in modern Russia. The “Volga Tatars” are perhaps the best known of the peoples known as Tatars and today number about 5 million people. Yet, other Tatars and those descending from Tatars also live in modern Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkey and many other countries in Europe and former Soviet republics. What, then, defines a Tatar? Historically, Tatars have been considered ethnically Turkic and related to Central (and North) Asian peoples. In practice, this meant the Turkic and Mongol peoples that were predominantly nomadic or semi-nomadic. Tatars, for the most part, converted to Islam and their lands, once settled, were punctuated by mosques and Islamic religious practices. Perhaps the best example of Tatar culture that survives today is in the Kazan region of Tatarstan around the Volga River, for instance the Kul-Sharif mosque in Kazan. As the centuries progressed, the Tatars came to represent an important group within Russia and its surrounding countries, as not only members of those societies but also sitting slightly outside the establishment. One example would be Ukraine, where the Crimean Tatars were important players in the politics and trade of the region, but who were essentially independent until the Russian Empire came to dominate the Crimean Peninsula. The Tatars represented a unique fusion of Central Asian culture, style and practices and in many ways represent the crossroads between east and west. However, for centuries they also represented the marauding hordes of eastern invaders who remained in the Ukraine and Russia region and appeared to be engaged in perpetual war. Once the Tatars had been incorporated into the Russian Empire and then its successor the Soviet Union, they were often discriminated against. In the case of Soviet leader Josef Stalin’s rule, that meant deportation as “suspicious” fifth columnists. The Tatars would fight for repatriation up until the end of the Soviet period and beyond. The The History of the Tatar Ethnic Groups and Tatar Confederation looks at the origins of the ethnic groups, their place in medieval times, and their impact on various modern nations. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Tatars like never before.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

58 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2020

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Jerry Jares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having recently read a book about Medieval Russia, I learned that the Tatars significantly influenced the lands from Bulgaria to China and beyond. I thought it would be helpful to understand more about the Golden Horde. The most amazing thing I learned was about Genghis Kan's life; he lived an incredibly difficult life. The book points out that most great warriors could rely on their history to help them. Julius Caesar had powerful and well-trained  Roman soldiers to back him up. Genghis had nothing. He created a fierce warrior fighting force by the strength of his cunning, intelligent policies, and dogged determination.

This book broadened my understanding of the Khans; I thought Kublai Khan followed Genghis. He was the first Mongol emperor of China when he toppled the Song Dynasty.

This book explains that the Tatars made most of their money by plundering and enslaving people. After becoming Muslim, they raided Christian communities and gathered enslaved people for the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East. These slave harvesting raids continued from the late 15th to the mid-18th century.

The Crimea Tatars were safe with the support of the Ottoman Empire. In 1529, the Ottomans overreached their power by trying to take Vienna. Christian countries joined the fight to keep Islam from the Austrian capital. Later, Suleiman the Magnificent died, and the Ottoman Empire began to struggle.

The Crimea Tatars became vassals of Russia. Stalin deported almost 200,000 Tatars out of Crimea. It took generations to return, but it was too late; Russians had taken their homes and lands. Even today, the Tatars are struggling with their Russian overlords. They are a minority group in trouble.

[alexandraly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would recommend to anyone interested in an overview of Tatar civic formation, language, and regional identity spanning until roughly 1950. It is pretty weak in covering Golden Horde, but is useful in understanding crimean & volga tatars and why they're historically anti-Russian

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

October 2023

Good overview

[Mustafa Muftuoglu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief history of Tatars. It should not be taken as a main source but might be a good starting point for further readings.