What are Tatars by nationality? The leading group of the Tatar ethnic group is the Kazan Tatars. And now few people doubt that their ancestors were the Bulgars. How did it happen that the Bulgars became Tatars? The versions of the origin of this ethnonym are very

In the section on the question: What place do the Tatars occupy in terms of numbers? In Russia, in the world? given by the author I-beam the best answer is Tatars are the main population of the Republic of Tatarstan (1,765.4 thousand people), 1,120.7 thousand people live in Bashkortostan, 110.5 thousand people live in Udmurtia, 47.3 thousand people live in Mordovia, The Republic of Mari El - 43.8 thousand, Chuvashia - 35.7 thousand people. In general, the bulk of the Tatar population - more than 4/5 - lives in the Russian Federation (5.522 thousand people), ranking second in number.
In addition, a significant number of Tatars live in the CIS countries: in Kazakhstan 327.9 thousand people, Uzbekistan - 467.8 thousand people, Tajikistan - 72.2 thousand people, Kyrgyzstan - 70.5 thousand people. , Turkmenistan - 39.2 thousand people, Azerbaijan - 28 thousand people, in Ukraine - 86.9 thousand people, in the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) about 14 thousand people. There is also a significant diaspora throughout the rest of the world (Finland, Turkey, USA, China, Germany, Australia, etc.). Due to the fact that there has never been a separate record of the number of Tatars in other countries, it is difficult to determine the total number of the Tatar population abroad (according to various estimates, from 100 to 200 thousand people).
Source: There are a lot of them in the world. Sunitov is also considered by the West to be a Tatar ethnic group

Reply from Millet[newbie]
and why are you a nationalist here? don’t give a fuck about telling something for someone else’s nation when you don’t know the truth

Reply from Seep[newbie]
1st place is occupied by Tatars

Reply from Ikhonov Roman[newbie]
Yes, and YOU appointed governors from the family of Russian princes, even if the father was sentenced, the son was still allowed to rule. There is no need to flatter yourself. You are quite capable partners of the Rosens - no more and no less. In the USA, after the Spanish settled, 300 years later everyone spoke their languages, and 300 years later no one knows a single Tatar word))

Reply from Jq[newbie]
This creates the impression that no one knows anything about how many Russians, Tatars, migrants, both legal and illegal, and other nationalities live in the Russian Federation. Everything is by eye and deception. The USA knows better about us than our rules

Reply from Zheltkov Alexey[active]
In Russia, Tatars occupy second place (about 6 million). It's hard to say in the world. In general, there are about 8 million Tatars living in the world. In Moscow, the Tatar diaspora is the largest and is considered the most influential. There are Crimean, Astrakhan, Nizhny Novgorod, etc. Tatars In Tatarstan itself, Tatars are in second place in number after Russians (the gap is minimal).

Tribes XI - XII centuries. They spoke Mongolian (the Mongolian language group of the Altai language family). The term “Tatars” first appears in Chinese chronicles specifically to designate their northern nomadic neighbors. Later it becomes the self-name of numerous nationalities speaking Tyuk languages language group Altai language family.

2. Tatars (self-name - Tatars), an ethnic group that makes up the main population of Tatarstan (Tatarstan) (1,765 thousand people, 1992). They also live in Bashkiria, the Mari Republic, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Chuvashia, Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Penza and other regions of the Russian Federation. Turkic-speaking communities of Siberia (Siberian Tatars), Crimea (Crimean Tatars), etc. are also called Tatars. Total number in the Russian Federation (without Crimean Tatars) 5.52 million people (1992). The total number is 6.71 million people. The language is Tatar. Believing Tatars are Sunni Muslims.

Basics

Autoethnonym (self-name)

Tatar: Tatar is the self-name of the Volga Tatars.

Main area of settlement

The main ethnic territory of the Volga Tatars is the Republic of Tatarstan, where, according to the 1989 USSR census, 1,765 thousand people lived. (53% of the republic's population). A significant part of the Tatars live outside of Tatarstan: in Bashkiria - 1121 thousand people, Udmurtia - 111 thousand people, Mordovia - 47 thousand people, as well as in other national-state entities and regions of the Russian Federation. Many Tatars live within the so-called. “near abroad”: in Uzbekistan – 468 thousand people, Kazakhstan – 328 thousand people, in Ukraine – 87 thousand people. etc.

Number

The dynamics of the population of the Tatar ethnic group according to the country's censuses is as follows: 1897 – 2228 thousand (total number of Tatars), 1926 – 2914 thousand Tatars and 102 thousand Kryashens, 1937 – 3793 thousand, 1939 – 4314 thousand ., 1959 - 4968 thousand, 1970 - 5931 thousand, 1979 - 6318 thousand people. The total number of Tatars according to the 1989 census was 6649 thousand people, of which 5522 thousand were in the Russian Federation.

Ethnic and ethnographic groups

There are several quite distinct ethno-territorial groups of Tatars; they are sometimes considered separate ethnic groups. The largest of them is the Volga-Urals, which in turn consists of the Kazan, Kasimov, Mishar and Kryashen Tatars). Some researchers, as part of the Volga-Ural Tatars, especially highlight the Astrakhan Tatars, which in turn consist of such groups as the Yurt, Kundrovskaya, etc.). Each group had its own tribal divisions, for example, the Volga-Ural group - Meselman, Kazanly, Bolgar, Misher, Tipter, Kereshen, Nogaybak, etc. Astrakhan - Nugai, Karagash, Yurt Tatarlars.
Other ethno-territorial groups of Tatars are Siberian and Crimean Tatars.

Language

Tatar: The Tatar language has three dialects - western (Mishar), middle (Kazan-Tatar) and eastern (Siberian-Tatar). Earliest known literary monuments in the Tatar language dates back to the 13th century; the formation of the modern Tatar national language was completed at the beginning of the 20th century.

Writing

Until 1928, Tatar writing was based on Arabic script; in the period 1928-1939. - in Latin, and then based on Cyrillic.

Religion

Islam

Orthodoxy: Believers of the Tatars are mainly Sunni Muslims, the group of Kryashens are Orthodox.

Ethnogenesis and ethnic history

The ethnonym “Tatar” began to spread among the Mongolian and Turkic tribes of Central Asia and southern Siberia from the 6th century. In the 13th century during the aggressive campaigns of Genghis Khan and then Batu, the Tatars appeared in Eastern Europe and make up a significant part of the population of the Golden Horde. As a result of complex ethnogenetic processes occurring in the 13th-14th centuries, the Turkic and Mongolian tribes of the Golden Horde consolidated, including both the earlier Turkic newcomers and the local Finnish-speaking population. In the khanates formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde, it was primarily the elite of society who called themselves Tatars; after these khanates became part of Russia, the ethnonym “Tatars” began to be adopted by the common people. The Tatar ethnic group was finally formed only at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1920, the Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created as part of the RSFSR, and since 1991 it has been called the Republic of Tatarstan.

Farm

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the basis of the traditional economy of the Volga-Ural Tatars was arable farming with three fields in forest and forest-steppe regions and a fallow-fallow system in the steppe. The land was cultivated with a two-toothed plow and a heavy Saban plow in the 19th century. they began to be replaced by more improved plows. The main crops were winter rye and spring wheat, oats, barley, peas, lentils, etc. Livestock farming in the northern regions of the Tatars played a subordinate role; here it was of a stall-pasture nature. They raised small cattle, chickens, and horses, the meat of which was used for food; the Kryashens raised pigs. In the south, in the steppe zone, animal husbandry was not inferior in importance to agriculture, and in some places it had an intensive semi-nomadic character - horses and sheep were grazed all year round. Poultry was also bred here. Vegetable gardening among the Tatars played a secondary role; the main crop was potatoes. Beekeeping was developed, and melon growing was developed in the steppe zone. Hunting as a trade was important only for the Ural Mishars; fishing was of an amateur nature and only commercial on the Ural and Volga rivers. Among the crafts of the Tatars, woodworking played a significant role; leather processing and gold embroidery were distinguished by a high level of skill; weaving, felting, blacksmithing, jewelry and other crafts were developed.

Traditional clothing

Traditional clothing Tatars were sewn from home-made or purchased fabrics. The underwear of men and women was a tunic-shaped shirt, men's length almost to the knees, and women's almost to the floor with a wide gather at the hem and a bib decorated with embroidery, and trousers with wide steps. The women's shirt was more decorated. The outerwear was swinging with a continuous fitted back. This included a camisole, sleeveless or with short sleeves; the women's was richly decorated; over the camisole, men wore a long, spacious robe, plain or striped, belted with a sash. In cold weather they wore quilted or fur beshmets and fur coats. On the road they wore a straight-back fur sheepskin coat with a sash or a checkmen of the same cut, but made of cloth. The men's headdress was a skull cap of various shapes; a fur or quilted hat was worn over it in cold weather, and a felt hat in summer. Women's headdresses were distinguished by a great variety - various types of richly decorated hats, bedspreads, towel-shaped headdresses. Women wore a lot of jewelry - earrings, braid pendants, breast jewelry, baldrics, bracelets; silver coins were widely used in making jewelry. Traditional types of shoes were leather ichigs and shoes with soft and hard soles, often made of colored leather. The work shoes were bast shoes Tatar sample, which were worn with white cloth stockings, and mishars with onuchas.

Traditional settlements and dwellings

Traditional Tatar villages (auls) were located along the river network and transport communications. In the forest zone, their layout was different - cumulus, nesting, chaotic; the villages were characterized by crowded buildings, uneven and confusing streets, and the presence of numerous dead ends. The buildings were located inside the estate, and the street was formed by a continuous line of blank fences. The settlements of the forest-steppe and steppe zones were distinguished by the orderliness of their development. In the center of the settlement there were mosques, shops, public grain barns, fire sheds, administrative buildings, families of wealthy peasants, clergy, and merchants also lived here.
The estates were divided into two parts - the front yard with housing, storage and premises for livestock, and the back yard, where there was a vegetable garden, a threshing floor with a current, a barn, a chaff barn, and a bathhouse. The buildings of the estate were located either randomly or grouped in a U-, L-shape, in two rows, etc. The buildings were erected from wood with a predominance of timber frame technology, but there were also buildings made from clay, brick, stone, adobe, and wattle structures. The dwelling was three-partitioned - izba-seni-izba or two-partitioned - izba-seni; among the wealthy Tatars there were five-walled, cross-shaped, two- and three-story houses with storage rooms and shops on the lower floor. The roofs were two- or four-slope; they were covered with planks, shingles, straw, reeds, and sometimes coated with clay. Predominated interior layout Northern-Central Russian type. The stove was located at the entrance, bunks were laid along the front wall with a “tour” place of honor in the middle, along the line of the stove the dwelling was divided by a partition or curtain into two parts: the women’s – kitchen and the men’s – guest. The stove was of the Russian type, sometimes with a boiler, mounted or suspended. They rested, ate, worked, slept on bunks; in the northern regions they were shortened and supplemented with benches and tables. The sleeping places were enclosed by a curtain or canopy. Embroidered fabric products played an important role in interior design. In some areas, the exterior decoration of dwellings was abundant - carvings and polychrome painting.

Food

The basis of the diet was meat, dairy and plant foods - soups seasoned with pieces of dough, sour bread, flat cakes, pancakes. Wheat flour was used as a dressing for various dishes. Homemade noodles were popular; they were cooked in meat broth with the addition of butter, lard, and sour milk. Delicious dishes included baursak - dough balls boiled in lard or oil. There was a variety of porridges made from lentils, peas, barley, millet, etc. Various meats were consumed - lamb, beef, poultry; horse meat was popular among the Mishars. They prepared tutyrma for future use - sausage with meat, blood and cereals. Beleshi were made from dough with meat filling. There were a variety of dairy products: katyk - a special type of sour milk, sour cream, kort - cheese, etc. They ate few vegetables, but from the end of the 19th century. Potatoes began to play a significant role in the diet of the Tatars. The drinks were tea, ayran - a mixture of katyk and water, the festive drink was shirbet - made from fruit and honey dissolved in water. Islam stipulated dietary prohibitions on pork and alcoholic beverages.

Social organization

Until the beginning of the 20th century. Social relations of some groups of Tatars were characterized by tribal division. In the area family relations there was a predominance of small families with a small percentage of large families, including 3-4 generations of relatives. There was avoidance of men by women, female seclusion. The isolation of male and female youth was strictly observed; the status of men was much higher than that of women. In accordance with the norms of Islam, there was a custom of polygamy, more typical for the wealthy elite.

Spiritual culture and traditional beliefs

It was typical for the wedding rituals of the Tatars that the parents of the boy and girl agreed on the marriage; the consent of the young people was considered optional. During preparations for the wedding, the relatives of the bride and groom discussed the size of the bride price, which was paid by the groom's side. There was a custom of kidnapping the bride, which eliminated the payment of bride price and expensive wedding expenses. Basic wedding rituals including festive feast were held in the bride's house without the participation of the newlyweds. The young woman remained with her parents until the bride price was paid, and her move to her husband’s house was sometimes delayed until the birth of the first child; it was also accompanied by many rituals.
The festive culture of the Tatars was closely connected with the Muslim religion. The most significant of the holidays were Korban Gaete - sacrifice, Uraza Gaete - the end of the 30-day fast, Maulid - the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. At the same time, many holidays and rituals were of a pre-Islamic nature, for example, related to the cycle of agricultural work. Among the Kazan Tatars, the most significant of them was Sabantuy (saban - “plow”, tui - “wedding”, “holiday”), celebrated in the spring before sowing. During it, competitions were held in running and jumping, national wrestling keresh and horse racing, and a collective meal of porridge was held. Among the baptized Tatars traditional holidays were dated to the Christian calendar, but also contained many archaic elements.
There was a belief in various master spirits: water - suanasy, forests - shurale, earth - fat anasy, brownie oy iyase, barn - abzar iyase, ideas about werewolves - ubyr. Prayers were held in groves called keremet; it was believed that an evil spirit with the same name lived in them. There were also ideas about other evil spirits - gins and peris. For ritual help they turned to the yemchi - that’s what healers and healers were called.
Folklore, songs and dance art related to use musical instruments– kuraya (a type of flute), kubyz (labial harp), and over time the accordion became widespread.

Bibliography and sources

Bibliographies

Material culture of the Kazan Tatars (extensive bibliography). Kazan, 1930./Vorobiev N.I.

General work

Kazan Tatars. Kazan, 1953./Vorobiev N.I.
Tatars. Naberezhnye Chelny, 1993./Iskhakov D.M.
Peoples of the European part of the USSR. T.II / Peoples of the world: Ethnographic essays. M., 1964. P.634-681.
Peoples of the Volga and Urals regions. Historical and ethnographic essays. M., 1985.
Tatars and Tatarstan: Directory. Kazan, 1993.
Tatars of the Middle Volga and Urals. M., 1967.
Tatars // Peoples of Russia: Encyclopedia. M., 1994. pp. 320-331.

Selected aspects

Agriculture of the Tatars of the Middle Volga and Urals 19th-early 20th centuries. M., 1981./Khalikov N.A.
Origin Tatar people. Kazan, 1978./Khalikov A.Kh.
Tatar people and their ancestors. Kazan, 1989./Khalikov A.Kh.
Mongols, Tatars, Golden Horde and Bulgaria. Kazan, 1994./Khalikov A.Kh.
Ethnocultural zoning of the Tatars of the Middle Volga region. Kazan, 1991.
Modern rituals of the Tatar people. Kazan, 1984./Urazmanova R.K.
Ethnogenesis and main milestones in the development of the Tatar-Bulgars // Problems of linguoethnohistory of the Tatar people. Kazan, 1995./Zakiev M.Z.
History of the Tatar ASSR (from ancient times to the present day). Kazan, 1968.
Settlement and number of Tatars in the Volga-Ural historical and ethnographic region in the 18th-19th centuries. // Soviet ethnography, 1980, No. 4./Iskhakov D.M.
Tatars: ethnos and ethnonym. Kazan, 1989./Karimullin A.G.
Handicrafts of the Kazan province. Vol. 1-2, 8-9. Kazan, 1901-1905./Kosolapov V.N.
Peoples of the Middle Volga region and Southern Urals. Ethnogenetic view of history. M., 1992./Kuzeev R.G.
Terminology of kinship and properties among the Mishar Tatars in the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic // Materials on Tatar dialectology. 2. Kazan, 1962./Mukhamedova R.G.
Beliefs and rituals of the Kazan Tatars, formed due to the influence on the life of their Sunni Mohammedanism // Western Russian Geographical Society. T. 6. 1880./Nasyrov A.K.
Origin of the Kazan Tatars. Kazan, 1948.
Tatarstan: national interests (Political essay). Kazan, 1995./Tagirov E.R.
Ethnogenesis of the Volga Tatars in the light of anthropological data // Proceedings of the Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences. New gray T.7 .M.-L., 1949./Trofimova T.A.
Tatars: problems of history and language (Collected articles on problems of linguistic history, revival and development of the Tatar nation). Kazan, 1995./Zakiev M.Z.
Islam and the national ideology of the Tatar people // Islamic-Christian borderland: results and prospects of study. Kazan, 1994./Amirkhanov R.M.
Rural housing of the Tatar ASSR. Kazan, 1957./Bikchentaev A.G.
Artistic crafts of Tatarstan in the past and present. Kazan, 1957./Vorobiev N.I., Busygin E.P.
History of the Tatars. M., 1994./Gaziz G.

Selected regional groups

Geography and culture of ethnographic groups of Tatars in the USSR. M., 1983.
Teptyari. Experience of ethnostatistical study // Soviet ethnography, 1979, No. 4./Iskhakov D.M.
Mishar Tatars. Historical and ethnographic study. M., 1972./Mukhamedova R.G.
Chepetsk Tatars (Brief historical sketch) // New in ethnographic studies of the Tatar people. Kazan, 1978./Mukhamedova R.G.
Kryashen Tatars. Historical and ethnographic research material culture(mid 19th - early 20th centuries). M., 1977./Mukhametshin Yu.G.
On the history of the Tatar population of the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (about the Mishars) // Tr.NII YALIE. Issue 24 (serial source). Saransk, 1963./Safrgalieva M.G.
Bashkirs, Meshcheryaks and Teptyars // Izv. Russian Geographical Society.T.13, Issue. 2. 1877./Uyfalvi K.
Kasimov Tatars. Kazan, 1991./Sharifullina F.M.

Publication of sources

Sources on the history of Tatarstan (16-18 centuries). Book 1. Kazan, 1993.
Materials on the history of the Tatar people. Kazan, 1995.
Decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars on the formation of the Autonomous Tatar Soviet Socialist Republic // Collection. legalizations and orders of the workers' and peasants' government. No. 51. 1920.

Read further:

Karin Tatars – ethnic group, living in the village of Karino, Slobodsky district, Kirov region. and nearby settlements. Believers are Muslims. Perhaps they have common roots with the Besermyans (V.K. Semibratov), living in the territory of Udmurtia, but, unlike them (who speak Udmurt), they speak a dialect of the Tatar language.

Ivkinsky Tatars- a mythical ethnic group, mentioned by D. M. Zakharov based on folklore data.

We all know that our country is a multinational state. Of course, the bulk of the population is Russian, but, as you know, the Tatars are the second largest ethnic group and the largest people of Muslim culture in Russia. We should not forget that the Tatar ethnic group arose in parallel with the Russian one.

Today, Tatars make up a little more than half of the population national republic- Tatarstan. At the same time, a considerable number of Tatars live outside the Republic of Tatarstan - in Bashkortostan -1.12 million, in Udmurtia -110.5 thousand, in Mordovia - 47.3 thousand, in Mari El - 43.8 thousand, Chuvashia - 35.7 thousand. In addition, Tatars also live in the regions of the Volga region, the Urals and Siberia.

Where did the name of the ethnic group “Tatars” come from? This question is considered very relevant at the present time, since there are many different interpretations of this ethnonym. We will present the most interesting ones.

Many historians and researchers believe that the name “Tatars” comes from the name of the large influential family “Tata”, from which many Turkic-speaking military leaders of the “Golden Horde” came.

But the famous Turkologist D.E. Eremev believes that the origin of the word “Tatars” is somehow connected with the ancient Turkic word and people. “Tat”, according to the ancient Turkic chronicler Mahmud Kashgari, is the name of an ancient Iranian family. Kashgari said that the Turks called “tatam” those who spoke Farsi, that is, the Iranian language. Thus, it turns out that the original meaning of the word “tat” was probably “Persian,” but then in Rus' this word began to designate all eastern and Asian peoples.

Despite their disagreements, historians agree on one thing - the ethnonym “Tatars” is certainly of ancient origin, but it was adopted as the name of modern Tatars only in the 19th century. The current Tatars (Kazan, Western, Siberian, Crimean) are not direct descendants of the ancient Tatars who came to Europe along with the troops of Genghis Khan. They formed into a single nation only after European peoples gave them the name “Tatars”.

Thus, it turns out that a complete deciphering of the ethnonym “Tatars” is still waiting for its researcher. Who knows, maybe you will one day give an accurate explanation of the origin of this ethnonym. Well, for now let's talk about the culture of the Tatars.

It is impossible to ignore the fact that the Tatar ethnic group has an ancient and colorful history.
The original culture of the Tatars, without a doubt, has entered the treasury of world culture and civilization. Judge for yourself, we find traces of this culture in the traditions and language of the Russians, Mordovians, Mari, Udmurts, Bashkirs, Chuvashs, and the national Tatar culture synthesizes everything best achievements Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Indo-Iranian peoples. How did this happen?

The thing is that the Tatars are one of the most mobile peoples. Landlessness, frequent crop failures in their homeland and the traditional desire for trade led to the fact that even before 1917 they began to move to various regions Russian Empire. During the years of Soviet rule, this migration process only intensified. That is why, at present, there is practically no federal subject in Russia where representatives of the Tatar ethnic group live.

Tatar diasporas have formed in many countries around the world. In the pre-revolutionary period, Tatar national communities were formed in countries such as Finland, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and China. After the collapse of the USSR, Tatars who lived in the former Soviet republics also ended up abroad - in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and the Baltic countries. Later, in the middle of the 20th century, Tatar national diasporas were formed in the USA, Japan, Australia, and Sweden.

According to most historians, the Tatar people themselves, with a single literary and practically common spoken language developed during the existence of such a Turkic state as the Golden Horde. The literary language in this state was the so-called “idel terkise”, that is, Old Tatar, based on the Kipchak-Bulgar language and incorporating elements of Central Asian literary languages. The modern literary language arose in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries on the basis of the middle dialect.

The development of writing among the Tatars was also gradual. Archaeological finds in the Urals and Middle Volga region indicate that in ancient times the Turkic ancestors of the Tatars used runic writing. From the moment of the voluntary adoption of Islam by the Volga-Kama Bulgars - the Tatars - they used Arabic writing, later, in 1929 - 1939 - Latin script, and since 1939 they have used the traditional Cyrillic alphabet with additional characters.

The modern Tatar language belongs to the Kipchak-Bulgar subgroup of the Kipchak group of the Turkic language family. It is divided into four main dialects: middle (Kazan Tatar), western (Mishar), eastern (language of the Siberian Tatars) and Crimean (language of the Crimean Tatars). Don’t forget that almost every district, every village has its own special mini-dialect. However, despite dialectal and territorial differences, the Tatars are one nation with a single literary language, a single culture - folklore, literature, music, religion, national spirit, traditions and rituals. It is noteworthy that the Tatar nation occupied one of the leading places in the Russian Empire in terms of literacy even before the 1917 coup. I would like to believe that the traditional thirst for knowledge has been preserved in the current generation.

More from

Scratch a Tatar and you will find a Russian
Multinational Russia

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

Still from the film "Mongol"

Who are the Tatars? The history of this ethnonym, 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.

The modern Tatar people do not have a 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.

The emergence of the Ulus Jochi on the banks of the Volga was an 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.

During the era of the Golden Horde, there was a huge potential for reproduction Tatar culture. But Khanate of Kazan 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.

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.

On August 20, 1552, a 50,000-strong 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, a tunnel was being built 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, the chronicler wrote, 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, of course, did not mean the death of the Tatar people. On the contrary, it is

As a part of Russia, in fact, the Tatar nation emerged, which finally received its truly national-state formation - the Republic of Tatarstan.

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.

Moscow of Ivan the Terrible seemed to Western Europeans an Asian city not only in its unusual architecture and development, but also by 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. Subsequently, the Tatar births gave Russia huge amount representatives of the intelligentsia, prominent military and socio-political figures.

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 a shoe, an army coat, a zipun, a caftan, a bashlyk, and a cap. In a fight, he used his fist. Being a judge, he ordered to put shackles on the convicted person and give him a whip. Setting off on a long journey, he sat in the sleigh with the coachman. And getting up from the mail sleigh, he went into a tavern, which replaced the ancient Russian tavern.

After the capture of Kazan in 1552, the culture of the Tatar people was preserved, first of all, thanks to Islam. Islam (in its Sunni version) is the traditional religion of the Tatars. The exception is a small group of them, which in XVI-XVIII centuries was converted to Orthodoxy. That’s what they call themselves: “Kryashen” - baptized.

Islam in the Volga region established itself back in 922, when the ruler Volga Bulgaria voluntarily converted to the Muslim faith. But even more important was the “Islamic revolution” of Khan Uzbek, who at the beginning of the 14th century made Islam the state religion of the 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 was opened - a governing body of Muslims, with its center in Ufa.

But what can be said about the “orphan of Kazan” or about uninvited guests? Russians have long said that “the old proverb is said for a reason” and therefore “there is no trial or punishment for the proverb.” Silencing inconvenient proverbs is not best way achieve interethnic understanding.

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

Indeed, the Moscow sovereigns considered it their duty to win over 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 oppression by the Tatar Baskaks and the greed of the Khan's courtiers. 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.

Every nation has its own distinctive features, which make it possible to determine a person’s nationality almost without errors. It is worth noting that Asian peoples are very similar to each other, since they are all descendants of the Mongoloid race. How can you identify a Tatar? How do Tatars look different?

Uniqueness

Without a doubt, every person is unique, regardless of nationality. And yet there are some common features, which bring together representatives of a race or nationality. Tatars are usually classified as members of the so-called Altai family. This is a Turkic group. The ancestors of the Tatars were known as farmers. Unlike other representatives of the Mongoloid race, the Tatars do not have a bright pronounced features appearance

The appearance of the Tatars and the changes that are now manifested in them are largely caused by assimilation with Slavic peoples. Indeed, among the Tatars they sometimes find fair-haired, sometimes even red-haired representatives. This, for example, cannot be said about the Uzbeks, Mongols or Tajiks. Do Tatar eyes have any special characteristics? They do not necessarily have narrow eyes and dark skin. Are there any common features of the appearance of Tatars?

Description of the Tatars: a little history

The Tatars are among the most ancient and populous ethnic groups. In the Middle Ages, mentions of them excited everyone around: in the east of the shores Pacific Ocean and to the Atlantic coast. A variety of scientists included references to this people in their works. The mood of these notes was clearly polar: some wrote with rapture and admiration, while other scientists showed fear. But one thing united everyone - no one remained indifferent. It is quite obvious that it was the Tatars who had a huge influence on the course of development of Eurasia. They managed to create a distinctive civilization that influenced a variety of cultures.

The history of the Tatar people has had both ups and downs. Periods of peace were followed by brutal times of bloodshed. The ancestors of modern Tatars took part in the creation of several strong states at once. Despite all the vicissitudes of fate, they managed to preserve both their people and their identity.

Ethnic groups

Thanks to the works of anthropologists, it became known that the ancestors of the Tatars were not only representatives of the Mongoloid race, but also Europeans. It was this factor that determined the diversity in appearance. Moreover, the Tatars themselves are usually divided into groups: Crimean, Ural, Volga-Siberian, South Kama. The Volga-Siberian Tatars, whose facial features have the greatest characteristics of the Mongoloid race, are distinguished by the following characteristics: dark hair, pronounced cheekbones, brown eyes, a wide nose, a fold above the upper eyelid. Representatives of this type are few in number.

The face of the Volga Tatars is oblong, the cheekbones are not too pronounced. The eyes are large and gray (or brown). Nose with a hump, oriental type. The physique is correct. In general, the men of this group are quite tall and hardy. Their skin is not dark. This is the appearance of the Tatars from the Volga region.

Kazan Tatars: appearance and customs

The appearance of the Kazan Tatars is described as follows: strongly built strong man. The Mongols have a wide oval face and a slightly narrowed eye shape. The neck is short and strong. Men rarely wear a thick beard. Such features are explained by the fusion of Tatar blood with various Finnish nationalities.

The marriage ceremony is not like a religious event. From religiosity - only reading the first chapter of the Koran and a special prayer. After marriage, a young girl does not immediately move into her husband’s house: she will live with her family for another year. It is curious that her newly-made husband comes to her as a guest. Tatar girls are ready to wait for their lover.

Only a few have two wives. And in cases where this happens, there are reasons: for example, when the first one is already old, and the second one, younger, now runs the household.

The most common Tatars are of the European type - owners of light brown hair and light eyes. The nose is narrow, aquiline or hump-shaped. Height is short - women are about 165 cm.

Peculiarities

Some features were noticed in the character of a Tatar man: hard work, cleanliness and hospitality border on stubbornness, pride and indifference. Respect for elders is what especially distinguishes the Tatars. It was noted that representatives of this people tend to be guided by reason, adapt to the situation, and are law-abiding. In general, the synthesis of all these qualities, especially hard work and perseverance, makes a Tatar man very purposeful. Such people are able to achieve success in their careers. They finish their work and have a habit of getting their way.

A purebred Tatar strives to acquire new knowledge, showing enviable perseverance and responsibility. Crimean Tatars have a special indifference and calmness in stressful situations. Tatars are very curious and talkative, but during work they remain stubbornly silent, apparently so as not to lose concentration.

One of the characteristic features is self-esteem. It manifests itself in the fact that the Tatar considers himself special. As a result, there is a certain arrogance and even arrogance.

Cleanliness sets Tatars apart. They do not tolerate disorder and dirt in their homes. Moreover, this does not depend on financial capabilities - both rich and poor Tatars zealously monitor cleanliness.

My home is your home

Tatars are very hospitable people. We are ready to host a person, regardless of his status, faith or nationality. Even with modest incomes, they show warm hospitality, ready to share a modest dinner with a guest.

Tatar women are distinguished by their great curiosity. They are attracted by beautiful clothes, they watch with interest people of other nationalities, and follow fashion. Tatar women are very attached to their home and devote themselves to raising children.

Tatar women

What an amazing creature - a Tatar woman! In her heart lies the immeasurable deepest love to your loved ones, to your children. Its purpose is to bring peace to people, to serve as a model of peacefulness and morality. A Tatar woman is distinguished by a sense of harmony and special musicality. She radiates a certain spirituality and nobility of soul. Inner world Tatars are full of riches!

Tatar girls from a young age are aimed at a strong, long-lasting marriage. After all, they want to love their husband and raise future children behind solid walls of reliability and trust. No wonder the Tatar proverb says: “A woman without a husband is like a horse without a bridle!” Her husband’s word is law for her. Although witty Tatar women complement - for any law, however, there is an amendment! And yet this devoted women who sacredly honor traditions and customs. However, don’t expect to see a Tatar woman in a black burqa - this is a stylish lady who has a sense of self-esteem.

The appearance of the Tatars is very well-groomed. Fashionistas have stylized items in their wardrobe that highlight their nationality. For example, there are shoes that imitate chitek - national leather boots worn by Tatar girls. Another example is appliques, where patterns convey the stunning beauty of the earth's flora.

What's on the table?

A Tatar woman is a wonderful hostess, loving and hospitable. By the way, a little about the kitchen. The national cuisine of the Tatars is quite predictable in that the basis of the main dishes is often dough and fat. Even a lot of dough, a lot of fat! Of course, this is far from the healthiest diet, although guests are usually offered exotic dishes: kazylyk (or dried horse meat), gubadia (a layer cake with a wide variety of fillings, from cottage cheese to meat), talkysh-kalev (an incredibly high-calorie dessert from flour, butter and honey). You can wash down all this rich treat with ayran (a mixture of katyk and water) or traditional tea.

Like Tatar men, women are distinguished by their determination and perseverance in achieving their goals. Overcoming difficulties, they show ingenuity and resourcefulness. All this is complemented by great modesty, generosity and kindness. Truly, a Tatar woman is a wonderful gift from above!