Volga Bulgaria: the failed center of Europe. Where did the Volga Bulgaria disappear to? Bulgaria where

Volga Bulgaria is a state located on the territory of the Middle Volga region and the Kama region in the X-XIII centuries. It occupied a fairly large territory and was known for its numerous cities. Today historians and archaeologists have information about more than 2 thousand Bulgar settlements located in the Penza, Ulyanovsk and Samara regions of Russia, in Tatarstan and Chuvashia.

Settlement of the Volga region

The history of the Volga Bulgaria is a little over 300 years old, but the settlement of the territory of the future state by Turkic-speaking tribes began much earlier. Their migration was caused by the defeat of the Khazars in Great Bulgaria, stretching from the North Caucasus to the Black Sea. One part moved to the Balkans, where the Danube Bulgaria was created, and the other in the 7th century. occupied the area of ​​the middle reaches of the Volga. After 100 years, another group of Turkic-speaking tribes appears on the territory of the Middle Volga region. The last wave of migration dates back to the 9th century. and is associated with the defeat of the Khazar Kaganate by the Pechenegs.

By the arrival of the Bulgarians, the Middle Volga region was already inhabited by the Finno-Ugric, but the first were able to subordinate them to their influence.

The emergence of the Volga Bulgaria

The first steps towards the consolidation of the Bulgar tribes of the Volga region were made in the middle of the 9th century. However, the policy of centralization and unification of disunited groups into a single state was most clearly manifested in the activities of Eliteber Almush, who came to power in 895.

Almush managed to take control of four rulers and create an efficient squad. From the beginning of the X century. Eliteber begins to mint his own silver coin. In addition, he regulated the collection of tribute, which was paid to the Khazars by the Volga tribes.

By the X century. the first written mentions of the Volga Bulgaria as a single state belong, but in fact up to the middle of the 10th century. the population of the Volga region was dependent on the Khazars.

Bulgaria and the Khazar Kaganate

It is still unknown when the Bulgars came under the control of the Khazars. The Volga region, located on important trade routes, back in the VIII century. was an important point in the expansion policy pursued by the Khazar Kaganate. Volga Bulgaria, based on these lands, also could not fail to interest this state.

From the X century. the economy of the Khazar Kaganate relied only on trade and extensive ties with other countries. In the X century. the level of the Caspian Sea rose significantly, and most of the adjacent territory was flooded. At a time when the Volga Bulgaria began to play an important role in the international arena, the main occupations of the Khazars (fishing and farming) are losing their relevance. Modern researchers see the reason for the interest of the Khazar Kaganate in the Volga lands precisely in the high level of development of the productive forces of Bulgaria, whose economy was based not only on trade, but also on agriculture, cattle breeding, crafts and hunting.

Religious question

In the matter of creating and strengthening the state of the Volga Bulgaria, religion occupied the most important place. The Turkic-speaking tribes brought to the Volga region the foundations of an original pagan faith, the origins of which can be seen in Zoroastrianism.

Almush, realizing the need to strengthen the position of the young state, at the beginning of the 10th century. establishes close ties with Baghdad. In 922, Caliph Ali al-Muktadir sent an embassy to the Volga Bulgaria, which included the famous Arab traveler and writer - Ibn Fadlan. In the same year, Islam was proclaimed the official religion of the state.

The meaning of the adoption of Islam by the Bulgars

Islam in the Volga Bulgaria was a consolidating element. It was under the auspices of this religion that the first rulers managed to unite the previously disunited tribes. In addition, the adoption of Islam as a state religion played an important political role. It was from this moment that the Volga Bulgaria became part of the Muslim world, which made it possible to establish close economic and trade relations with other eastern countries. Archaeological data indicate that after the adoption of Islam, the literacy level of the population increased, scientists, historians, doctors, lawyers and theologians appeared. This was due to the introduction of the Arabic script instead of the Turkic runes.

Socio-political system

The society of the Volga Bulgaria can rightfully be considered early feudal. But the development of feudal relations was hampered by the remnants of the tribal system. Ibn Fadlan testified in his diaries that the Bulgars depended on the ruler of the state, governors of certain regions and the nobility, but there was no enslavement of the peasants by private individuals - feudal lords. Everyone who worked on the land disposed of the harvest independently, while paying an annual in kind tax to the state. In addition, the local feudal nobility exploited peasants from the Mari, Mordovian and Udmurt tribes. They were burdened with tribute and were ruled by governors from the Volga Bulgaria, who kept their squads on their territory.

Political structure

Volga Bulgaria is a classic example of an early feudal monarchy. Until the middle of the X century. the state was headed by Eliteber, subordinate to the Khazar ruler. After the defeat of the Turkic troops by the Kiev prince Svyatoslav, the title of the head of the Volga Bulgaria was changed to that characteristic of Islamic countries. The emir led an independent foreign and domestic policy. This position was hereditary and passed from father to eldest son.

Economic development

Bulgarian tribes in their homeland were actively engaged in cattle breeding. The economic system of this people changed after the formation of the state of the Volga Bulgaria. The main occupations of the local population of the Volga region before the arrival of the Turkic-speaking tribes included agriculture and hunting. This led to the synthesis and borrowing of the foundations of the economy and created the preconditions for the development of the economy of the young state. The main branch of rural production was plow farming. The main tool of the peasant was the plow, which was called "aha". Steam cultivation of the land was also actively used - two-field and tripolye. For the outskirts of the country, the traditional transfer system was characteristic, and for the forest regions, the slash system. Cattle breeding, often represented in a nomadic form, played an important role in the economy. Bulgars bred cows, goats, sheep, horses, etc. In addition, hunting was widespread in the forest regions.

Crafts

Crafts played an important role in the life of the local population. Volga Bulgaria as a whole was characterized by an early separation of handicrafts from agriculture. A significant part of the craftsmen lived in large cities, which were already in the 10th century. become huge centers of metalworking, pottery and jewelry production.

As a rule, artisans made agricultural implements, weapons, various ornaments, ceramics, shoes, clothing, etc. Leather and jewelry from the Volga Bulgaria enjoyed wide popularity abroad.

Trade

The development of domestic trade was hampered by the natural character of agriculture, when the population was interested in the production of food and goods for themselves, and not for sale. With the development of commodity-money relations, the role of exchange in the life of the Bulgars increases significantly.

The Volga Bulgaria occupied a favorable geographical position (the center of the Great Volga Route), therefore, Russian, Khazar, Byzantine and other merchants came to the country. They imported raw materials (gold, silver, iron, tin), metal products, weapons, jewelry, Chinese silk and mirrors, spices, etc. The main export goods were furs, honey, wax, leather, fish, livestock, and wheat.

It should be noted that non-money exchange was used in trade, but since 903 metal coins - dirhams, which Almush first began to mint, appear in use.

Cities

The capital of the Volga Bulgaria was located in the city of Bolgar. It flourished in the XI-XII centuries, when it was the largest economic, political and cultural center of the state. The city is located at the mouth of the Kama River - at the crossroads of international trade routes. Thanks to this, Bolgar became an important merchant center.

Bilyar is the second most important city in the Volga Bulgaria, which lay on the banks of the river. Small Cheremshan. In connection with the military threat emanating from the strengthened Vladimir-Suzdal principality, in the XII century. the capital of the state is transferred to Bilyar. Since that time, in written sources, it is referred to as the "Great City".

The development of trade contributed to the strengthening of such Bulgar cities as Suvar, Oshel, Balymer, Iski Kazan, Kashan, Djuketau, etc., which were not only economic centers, but also strategically important fortresses.

Relationship with Vyatichi in the 10th century

After the successful campaign of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav against the Khazar Kaganate, the Bulgars begin their expansion to the lands of the Vyatichi who lived in the upper reaches of the Oka. This river was an important trade route. Controlling it would generate huge profits. The Türkic tribes managed to establish close trade ties with the Vyatichi, which did not weaken even after the establishment of the Kiev protectorate over them.

After the death of the Grand Duke Svyatoslav Igorevich, Russia entered a period of civil strife. The struggle was especially active between his sons - Yaropolk and Vladimir. At this time, the Vyatichi, with the support of the Volga Bulgaria, refuse to pay tribute to the Kiev prince and raise several powerful uprisings.

In the X century. the ruler of Bulgaria married the Vyatka princess, the daughter of Yaropolk. Such a dynastic union would have allowed their son to claim the Kiev throne, but for the Volga state it was beneficial only from the point of view of establishing control over the upper course of the river. Oka.

Relations with Kievan Rus in the 10th century

In 985, the "Eternal Peace" was concluded between the Bulgarian ruler and Vladimir the Great. This date marks the beginning of a close relationship between the two states. In addition, having signed this agreement, Vladimir renounced claims to the Volga trade route. "Eternal Peace" is a significant achievement of the Bulgarian diplomacy, since the basis of the economy of this country was precisely the trade activity.

After the conclusion of the agreement, the embassy came to Vladimir with a proposal to accept Islam and make it the state religion. It should be noted that after the defeat of the pagan reform, the prince was in search of an optimal religion. The main choice was between Byzantine Christianity and Islam, which was professed by the Volga Bulgaria. Religion, according to Vladimir, was designed to consolidate society and increase the importance of Russia in the international arena, so he refused the offer of the embassy and adopted Byzantine Christianity.

Volga Bulgaria and Kievan Rus in the XI - XIII centuries.

Peaceful trade relations between states for several centuries were interrupted by short-term wars. Even at the end of the 10th century. Vladimir the Great made an unsuccessful trip to the lands of the Bulgars, and from the XI century. regular clashes with the northeastern Russian principalities begin.

The reason for these conflicts should be explained by the interest of both parties in control over the lands located on the banks of the river. Oka and its tributaries. In 1120, the Vladimir-Suzdal prince Yuri Dolgoruky made a successful campaign against the Turkic-speaking tribes, but his goal was not to seize any territories, but to plunder. As a result of several destruction of the Volga Bulgaria by Russian squads in the XI century. its capital had to be moved inland - to the city of Bilyar.

In 1220 Oshel, the most important economic center of Bulgaria, was destroyed. After that, Eliteber several times sent his ambassadors to the Vladimir-Suzdal princes, but only in 1224 was it possible to make peace.

Mongol conquest

The territory of the Volga Bulgaria was repeatedly raided by the Mongol-Tatar hordes. In 1223 the Mongols managed to defeat the Russian-Polovtsian army in the battle on the river. Kalka, but Genghis Khan's campaigns against the Volga population in 1229 and 1232. were less successful.

In 1236, Batu Khan gathered a huge battle-worthy army and moved west. In the same year, most of the Bulgar cities were destroyed. The "Great City" Bilyar also fell.

Batu's new campaign in 1240 finally undermined the economic life of the Volga Bulgaria. As a result of these Mongol conquests, all important centers, including the capital, were destroyed, and the population of Bilyar was almost completely exterminated.

Under the rule of the Golden Horde

In 1243 Volga Bulgaria became one of the provinces of the powerful Golden Horde. From then on, its rulers fell under vassal dependence on the khan and were obliged to pay tribute to him.

At the same time, the period of the Golden Horde domination was marked by a new cultural and economic flourishing of the Volga Bulgaria. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the proclamation of Islam as the state religion of the Golden Horde. And the former "Great City" Bilyar becomes the temporary residence of the khan.

Decline of the Volga Bulgaria

As a result of internal strife in the Golden Horde, the territory of the Volga region came under the control of Bulat-Temir in 1361. From that time on, the state of the Volga Bulgaria ceases to exist and splits into two principalities. In the XV century. the southern Bulgarian regions come under the control of Moscow, and the northern ones with the center in Kazan become the basis for the formation of a new state - the Kazan Khanate.

It began about 100,000 years ago, in the Paleolithic era. At the end of the 9th century and at the beginning of the 10th century, the first appeared here - the Volga Bulgaria. For quite a long time it was the only developed state on the territory of the Far East of Europe. Presumably, the Bulgars were the earliest Turkic group, which in the process was among those who advanced to Europe.

The Volga Bulgaria was considered the most northern Muslim country in the world by Persian and Arab geographers. The date of adoption of Islam in this country is considered to be 922. It was then that the Caliph of Baghdad sent a group of the future embassy to the city of Bolgar, which included builders and preachers of Islam. Due to the fact that a powerful neighbor constantly put pressure on the state, the king of Bulgaria Almush was forced to convert to Islam and become a loyal subject of the Caliph Bogdad. Thus, he was able to strengthen the defense of his country, becoming an ally of the Arab Caliphate. But there were also such Bulgars who refused to accept Islam. This group, led by Prince Vyrag, separated. This gave impetus to the emergence of the Chuvash nation. Subsequently, the people adopted Christianity and became the only Orthodox Turkic people.

During its development, the Volga Bulgaria achieved a lot. According to a written source of that period, this state was called the country of a thousand cities. The largest cities were Bilyar and Bolgar, which in terms of their area and population exceeded such cities of that time as London, Kiev, Paris, Novgorod. For example, Bolgar was three times larger than Paris. In its central part, the royal palace and the Cathedral Mosque were towering. Already at that time, baths with tap water were built in the city. The residential buildings had heating and sewerage. In addition to the above, the state was also called the land of reason. And these are not empty words. Here, such sciences as medicine, history, astronomy, mathematics have achieved great development.

The Volga Bulgaria reached its highest prosperity during the reign of Emir Gabdulla Chelbir. During this period, the Bulgars were quite strong in the art of war. This is confirmed by the fact that the Volga Bulgars are the only people who were able to defeat the troops of Genghis Khan in 1223. After that, the Mongols unsuccessfully stormed the Bulgar state for 13 years. Only in 1229, having gathered all their forces near the Yaik River (Ural), the Mongols were able to defeat the Bulgars and Polovtsians and began to rapidly advance through the territory of the state, and in 1936 it was completely ruined. Part of the Bulgars fled and found protection from the great Vladimir prince.

Already in 1240 the Bulgar state became part of the Golden Horde. For a long time there were massive Bulgars uprisings. According to Khudyakov M.G., the end of hopes for the return of the former state was put by the plundering of the capital - the city of Bolgar - and the transfer of the cultural and political center to Kazan. now it is firmly entrenched in these lands. The remaining indigenous people had to adapt to the new authorities. Gradually, the creation of mixed families of Bulgars-Tatars took place, however, all newborn children were considered Tatars. There was, so to speak, the "eradication" of such a nation as the Bulgars, and the emergence of a new one - the Volga Tatars.

As for it, he just died. Many scientists tried to find in the modern Tatar language at least a few words close to the Bulgar origin. However, here it is necessary to take into account one more nationality - the Chuvash. If you remember, then this is exactly the part of the Turkic group that did not convert to Islam and separated. They are the ones who speak the archaic Turkic language, which is unlike any other language. And when comparing the ancient chronicles of the Volga Bulgars and the Chuvash language, one can find many identical words. In a word, the Chuvash language is as close as possible to the Bulgar.

Bulgaria Volga-Kama, the state of the Bulgars of the Volga-Kama, Finno-Ugric peoples and others in the Middle Volga and Kama regions in the 10-14 centuries. Capitals: Bulgar city, from the 12th century. Bilyar. Until 965 it depended on the Khazar Kaganate. On the banks of the Volga and Kama, cities were built - centers of crafts and trade. The basis of the economy was plow farming. In the 10th century. Islam is accepted. Trade developed with the Arab Caliphate, Byzantium, Eastern Slavs, etc. It competed with the Old Russian state, the Grand Duchy of Vladimir. Conquered by the Mongol-Tatars by 1241. In the second half of the 13th century. the Bulgar and Zhukotin princedoms were formed, in the 90s. 14th century defeated by Timur, in the 15th century. entered the Kazan Khanate.

Territory

Written sources do not give complete information about the territory of the Volga Bulgaria. Arab and Persian geographers considered the Bulgars' country to be the northernmost in the world, inhabited by Muslims, and located it in the extreme, seventh, climate of the Earth. Ibn Rust was the first to give information about its location in his encyclopedia "Dear Jewels", compiled around 903-913. He reports: “The Bulgarian land is adjacent to the land of the Burtases. Bulgarians live on the banks of the river, which flows into the Khazar (Caspian) Sea and is called Itil (Volga) ... ". Al-Istarkhi and later authors give more specific information about the south-eastern border of Bulgaria, defining it in the Yaik region. Reports about the western border of Bulgaria, as a rule, boil down to the fact that Bulgaria is located east of the lands inhabited by the Slavs. There is no exact information about the northern and southern limits of the country; some authors, for example, al-Kashgari, write that Bulgars also live on the Lower Volga. According to medieval written sources, it is difficult to determine what the authors mean when describing the borders of the Volga Bulgaria. It is not clear whether the sources refer exclusively to the territory of direct residence of the Bulgars, or, defining the limits of the Bulgar land, the authors describe the nomadic territories of a semi-sedentary part of the population or land that are included in the sphere of economic and political influence of Bulgaria.

The location of the archaeological sites makes it possible to outline the territory of the Volga Bulgaria in general terms. Some Muslim geographers of the 10th-11th centuries place the western borders of the Volga Bulgaria to the east of the Slavic tribes. The southern and northern limits of the Volga Bulgaria are generally elusive according to written sources. RG Fakhrutdinov did a great job in this direction, who in the 60-70s of the last century began to identify and map archaeological monuments of the Bulgar time. The main monuments of the Bulgar time are located on the territory of modern Tatarstan, Ulyanovsk, Samara, Penza regions and Chuvashia.

At present, more than 2 thousand Bulgar monuments of the X-XIV centuries have been identified. Among them there are about 190 settlements and more than 900 settlements. Most of them belong to the pre-Mongol time - 170 settlements and more than 700 settlements. Most of the monuments of the Bulgar time are located on the territory of Tatarstan. In other regions, there are much fewer such monuments. In the Ulyanovsk region - about 200, in the Samara region - about 160, in the Penza region - about 70, in Chuvashia - about 70.

Based on written and archaeological sources, different authors define the borders of the Volga Bulgaria in different ways. Traditionally, it is believed that the territory of the Volga Bulgaria included part of the territories of the Middle Volga region: Predkamye, Zakamye and Predvolzhye. Khalikov A.Kh. and Kazakov E.P. believe that the northern border of Bulgaria passed along the right bank of the Kama River, the western one - in the region of the Sviyaga River basin, the eastern one along the Chistopol-Bilyarsk line or the Shishma River, the southern one in the Samarskaya Luka region. Khuzin F. Sh. Defines the Kazanka River as the northern border, the Samara Luka as the southern border, the Sura River as the western border, and the Belaya and Ural lower reaches, as the eastern and southeastern ones.

However, some researchers, for example M.Z.Zakiev, are of the opinion that the Volga Bulgaria was located on a much larger territory: the western borders in their view coincide with the borders of Ancient Rus, the eastern borders are in the region of the Irtysh, Ob, Yenisei rivers, southern and south -eastern are determined by the northwestern and northern regions of Khorezm and the Caucasian ridge, the northern ones go out to the Kara Sea.

Population

There are no exact data on the population of the Volga Bulgaria. Only al-Balkhi mentions that the number of inhabitants of Bulgar and Suvar was 10 thousand people each. According to the approximate and possibly overestimated estimates of Alekseev, the population of the Volga Bulgaria could reach 1.5-2 million people.

The basis of the population of the Volga Bulgaria was made up of the Turkic-speaking tribes. The first information about such tribes is given by Ibn Rust. He reports that "The Bulgarians are divided into three sections: one is called Bersula, the other is Esgel, and the third is called Bulgarians." These tribes are also mentioned by the author of "Khudud al-Alam": "Bahdula, Ishkil and Bulgars". In the reports of Ibn Rusta and other authors, information from the note of Ibn Fadlan, reporting on the Baranjars and King Askal, is given and not entirely correctly interpreted. In the second half of the 10th century. of these ethnonyms, only “Bulgars” continue to appear.

History of the Volga Bulgaria

One of the hordes, consisting mainly of Kutrigur tribes, under the command Kotraga moved from the territory of Great Bulgaria to the north and settled (VII-VIII centuries) in the region of the middle Volga and Kama, where the state of the Volga Bulgaria was subsequently formed.

This legend is not supported by archaeological evidence. Bulgars came from Khazaria at the end of the VIII century. The second big wave of migration from Khazaria took place at the beginning of the 10th century ..

At the beginning of the 10th century, the Bulgarian Baltavar Almush adopted the Khanifid Islam under the name Jafar ibn Abdallah, as evidenced by the silver coins minted in Bulgaria. Coins were minted in Bolgar and Suvar throughout the 10th century, the last of which dates back to 387 according to the Muslim calendar (997/998).

In 922, the Baltavar, in search of military support against the Khazars, whose rulers professed Judaism, invites an embassy from Baghdad, officially declares the Islam-Hanifid religion as the state religion and takes the title of Emir.

However, the “people” (subordinate tribe, clan) Sawan (śśuvanä ... “the title received by a person two steps below Khakan = Turkic Yabgu”), headed by “King Virag” (apparently, this is a Hungarian name (like Almush), means "Flower", widespread in Hungary) probably expressed dissatisfaction about this ("refused"), as a result the aristocracy of the Bulgarians was divided into two parties (the second was headed by "Tsar Askal"). After threats from Almush (to strike with a sword), the first party also obeyed. Obviously, “Tsar” Virag with the title of Savan was the second person (the second step below the Khakan) in Volga Bulgaria after the Baltavar Almush (the first step below the Khakan). In addition, it is known that the “king of Almush” with his tribe had “four subordinate kings” with his subordinate tribes, which corresponds to the structure of the state and the name of the Bulgar - “five tribes”.

These events and facts were described in the notes of Ahmed Ibn Fadlan, a member of the Baghdad embassy on the Volga.

After Almush, his son Mikail ibn Jagfar ruled, and then his grandson Abdullah ibn Mikail.

In 965, after the fall of the Khazar Kaganate, Bulgaria, previously a vassal to him, became completely independent, but she also became a victim of the eastern campaign of the Kiev prince Svyatoslav Igorevich in those years (964-969).

In 985, the Kiev prince Vladimir, in alliance with the Torks, conducted a military campaign against Bulgaria and concluded a peace treaty with her:

“Ide Volodymyr to the Bulgarians with Dobryneya, we will leave with our own people, in boats, and bring the torques along the coast on a horse. And so defeat the Bulgarians. And Dobrynya's speech to Volodymyr: “Sglyadakh is a koladnik, and the essence of everything is in sapozѣkh. Sim tribute to us do not pay, after looking for a lapotnik. And make peace Volodymyr from the Bulgarians, and the mouthѣs coming in between itself, and rѣsha to the Bulgarians: "Tolli do not wake peace with us, if the stone will start to float, and the hop will get dirty." And Vladimir will come to Kiev. "

In 986, an embassy from the Volga Bulgaria visited Kiev with a proposal to accept the Muslim faith from the Bulgars by the Kievites, headed by Prince Vladimir.

In 1006, a trade agreement was concluded between Russia and the Volga Bulgaria: the Bulgar merchants could trade freely on the Volga and Oka, and the merchants of Russia - in Bulgaria.

In 1088, the Kama Bulgars briefly captured the Murom.

In 1107 the Volga Bulgars besieged and took Suzdal.

In 1120, Yuri Dolgoruky organized a military campaign against the Volga Bulgaria. In the summer of 1164, Andrei Bogolyubsky, together with the Murom prince Yuri Vladimirovich, went to Bulgaria: the city of Bryakhimov was captured. In 1172 Bogolyubsky went to the Kama Bulgars. In 1184 Vsevolod the Big Nest and the Grand Duke of Kiev Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich fought with the Volga Bulgars. In 1186 Vsevolod the Big Nest again sent troops to the Kama Bulgars.

In 1217-1219 the Bulgars captured Unzha and Ustyug. In response, the Rostov, Suzdal and Murom regiments under the command of the brother of Vladimir Prince Svyatoslav Vsevolodovich took, plundered and burned the large city of Oshel. In 1221 in Gorodets between the Vladimir principality and the Volga Bulgaria an armistice was signed for six years, in 1229 in Korenev - for another six years.

In 1223, after the battle on Kalka, the Mongol troops went east through the lands of the Volga Bulgars and were utterly defeated by the Bulgar troops. This defeat, together with the defeat at Pervan in 1221, are exceptions against the background of the successes of the Mongol army during the period of conquest until the defeat at Ain Jalut in 1260. In 1229 the Bulgars and Polovtsians were defeated by the Mongols at the Yaik River (Ural). In 1232, the Mongols reached the place where the Zhukot River flows into the Kama. Finally, in 1236, the Mongol army led by Subedei devastated the entire Volga-Kama Bulgaria. Some Bulgars fled under the protection of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Yuri Vsevolodovich. In 1239, the Mongols invaded Volga Bulgaria for the second time and conquered it.

In 1240, after two uprisings in a row, the territory of the Volga Bulgaria became part of the Golden Horde, although unrest in the region continued for a long time, and the Mongol-Tatars had to pacify the rebellious Bulgars more than once.

According to M.G. Khudyakov, the end of hopes for the restoration of the former Bulgaria was brought about by the plundering of the Bulgar city by Russian ushkuyniks - Novgorod detachments engaged in plunder. Subsequently, Kazan became a single cultural and political center of the Volga Bulgars. Thus, the new name of the former state - the Kazan Khanate - was finally strengthened.

After the formation of the Golden Horde, the Volga Bulgarians (Bulgars) became one of the main components in the ethnogenesis of modern Kazan Tatars and Chuvashes.

Volga-Bulgar language

The Volga-Bulgar language is known by the epitaphs of the 13th-14th centuries written in Arabic graphics. in the former territory of the Volga Bulgaria. Their analysis shows that in the Volga Bulgaria two different languages ​​(s- and p-types) functioned simultaneously. Gravestones of the 1st style are written in the z-dialect close to the Karakhanid language. The most numerous tombstones of the 2nd style (90%) are written in the p-dialect, which is similar to the Chuvash language. The earliest known stone tombstone (1271) belongs to the monuments of the 1st style and is written in the 3rd dialect.

Administrative structure

The first capital of the state was the city of Bulgar (Bolgar the Great), 140 km south of Kazan, the present city of Bolgar.

Other large cities are Bilyar (where the capital was moved in the XII century due to the raids and plunders of the Bulgar from the Russian lands), Suvar, Djuketau ("Lipovaya Gora"), Oshel (Ashly), Kashan, Kermenchuk, Murom town, etc. ...

Economy

In the pre-Mongol period, Bulgaria had a diversified economy, the basis of which was primarily agriculture with agriculture and animal husbandry sufficiently developed for that period, handicraft production, trade, hunting and fishing.

Agriculture

The most important in the agriculture of the Volga Bulgaria was agriculture. The climate of the Volga-Kama region also contributed to this. The large role of agriculture is also noted in the written sources of that time.

Agriculture made it possible to meet the internal needs of the state for grain, and also created a significant potential for export. Bulgars traded bread with Russia, this is also evidenced by the "Tale of Bygone Years", which says that from Suzdal during the famine of 1024 they went to the "Bulgarians and brought zhita and tacos".

The heritage of the Volga Bulgaria

In the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, various Tatar socio-political movements, primarily representatives of the Vaisov movement, promoted the ideas of the "revival of the Bulgarian identity" of the Tatar people and the Bulgar statehood.

The first exponent of the ideas of Bulgarism among the Kazan Tatars is B. Vaisov (1810-1893), who called himself a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and the rulers of the Volga Bulgaria.

At the turn of the XX-XXI centuries, the ideology, which received the name "Bulgarism", again began to spread among the Tatars thanks to the activities of the "neo-Bulgarists", as well as modern discoveries, testifying to the close connection of the Volga-Kama Bulgars and modern Tatars.

Literature

• Kovalevsky A.P. On the degree of reliability of Ibn-Fadlan // Historical notes. Volume 35.1950.

Links

• Bolgar: green alternative
• Bulgarian State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve
• Publications about Suvar
• Volga Bulgaria
• P.V. Golubovsky Bulgarians and Khazars, eastern neighbors of Russia under Vladimir the Holy
• Davletshin G. Bulgarian-Tatar gravestones
• Ibn Fadlan. "Note" about the trip to the Volga
• Kuchkin V.A. On the routes of the campaigns of the ancient Russian princes against the state of the Volga Bulgarians in the 12th - first third of the 13th century.
• An article about Volga Bulgaria on the website of Kazan State University
• Khakimzyanov F., Mustafina D. Epigraphic monuments of the Bulgar city
• G.V. Yusupov Introduction to Bulgaro-Tatar epigraphy

Everyone knows that the people living in the territory of modern Tatarstan are called Tatars. But how many people know that this people has very little in common with such a familiar concept for us as the Mongol-Tatars, as well as the fact that much earlier than the invasion of Genghis Khan, the interfluve of the Volga and Kama was inhabited by residents of a huge highly developed state - the Volga Bulgars. But it would be historically correct to call their present descendants not Tatars, but Bulgars

We continue the story of the great conquests of the Mongols, begun in the previous issue. The Great Mongol Empire began with the conquest of China. This happened 20 years before the appearance of the Mongol hordes off the banks of the Volga. Recall that by this time the Mongols had already conquered Bukhara, Samarkand, reached the Caspian Sea, devastated the territory of modern Punjab, visited Armenia and Azerbaijan, inflicted a crushing defeat on a large Georgian army, captured Astrakhan, Crimea, took the Genoese fortress Sudak by storm

The first state of medieval Europe, which faced an armada of indomitable Mongol warriors, was the Volga Bulgaria. And who knows where the modern economic and political center of Europe would have ended up if the Mongols had not destroyed the Volga Bulgaria.

The Great Volga Bulgaria was not just developed, it was a powerful state. Using the waterways, the Bulgars had very extensive trade ties. The sphere of interests of the Volga Bulgaria included: Russia, the Baltic States, Scandinavia, Byzantium, Khorezm, Iran, Dalmatia, China and India. In the 10th century, the area of ​​one of the largest cities of the Volga Bulgaria - Bilyar - was larger than medieval Vladimir, Kiev and Paris combined, and in terms of development, Bilyar surpassed most of its modern cities.

Bulgars were the first in Europe who began to smelt cast iron, mastered the manufacture of steel. Back in the 9th century, their builders erected stone and wooden mosques, schools, palaces with central heating and running water. In Central Asia and Iran, the best leather and footwear is still called Bulgar.

Even 76 years before the baptism of Kievan Rus, after direct negotiations with Baghdad, Bulgaria converted to Islam.

According to legend, the Bulgar preachers in 986 came to the Grand Duke Vladimir Svyatoslavovich in Kiev and also offered to convert to Islam. But after more than two years, Russia, as you know, having been baptized, went its own way ... It is also known that until the appearance of the warlike Mongol tribes, Bulgaria remained one of the most developed and influential states in Europe.

And it was Bulgaria at the beginning of the XIII century that became that outpost on the left bank of the Itil River (as the Volga was then called. - Ed.), Which slowed down the advance of the Mongol hordes to Russia and deep into Europe ... It was Volga Bulgaria, and not Russia, as is commonly believed , the first to take the terrible blow of the Horde. However, in fairness it must be said that the Russian raids on the Volga Bulgaria were no less bloody than the conquests of the Mongols, and began long before the arrival of the Horde. The first was headed by Svyatoslav back in 965. The next one, in 985, was undertaken by Prince Vladimir: Kievan Rus at all costs wanted to get trade relations between Bulgaria and the Arabs. The Mongols were eager to go to Europe, but the Volga Bulgaria interfered with these aspirations. Therefore, her fate was decided.

In December 1237, the leader of the Mongols, Subudai Bugatur, defeated the main Bulgar troops. And when the Bulgarians reached the detachments of the army of Batu's brother - Sheibani, they exterminated and captured most of the population of Bulgaria. From the formerly prosperous, and now plundered Bulgar cities, there are solid ashes

The Mongols included Bulgaria in the Jochi ulus of the Great Mongol Empire. In 1242, Genghis Khan's grandson Batu, returning from an unfinished European campaign, settled on the territory of the Volga Bulgaria. And only a little later, not far from Astrakhan, he founded the only city built and not destroyed by the Mongols - the famous capital of the Golden Horde - Sarai.

On the Bulgarian lands, Mongol warriors and Baskaks - collectors of tribute were firmly entrenched. And the entire once rich and prosperous state turned from the center of the "occupied territories" into the province of the Golden Horde.

Another, undoubtedly, tasty morsel for the Mongol conquerors was the other largest city of the Volga Bulgaria. The story of its fall under the onslaught of devastating raids is also interesting.

In pre-Mongol times, Bilyar was the core of the economic and cultural life of the Volga Bulgaria. This city was rightfully considered the trade center of the then Volga region, whose goods were in demand far beyond the borders of the country.

The center of the city was occupied by a huge citadel. Its area is 60 hectares. Nearby were stone houses in which the royal family and entourage lived. Bilyar reached its greatest prosperity by the beginning of the 13th century: stone and brick buildings were heated by an underground heating system, the windows in the houses were glazed. In the Middle Ages, glass windows were a rarity even in Western Europe. In Bilyar, light green or light blue glass was brewed and blown right next to the building under construction.

Russian chronicles called it “The Great City of Bilyar”. Metallurgists, blacksmiths, jewelers, bone cutters, carpenters, masons, tanners, glass blowers and other artisans lived here. During the famine in Russia in 1024 and 1229, a rich Bulgar city provided "humanitarian aid" to the starving Russian cities

Here, in Bilyar, trade routes converged from Central Asia and Iran, Russia and the Baltic States, the Caucasus and Byzantium, as well as from the North - the Lands of Darkness. During the Silver Crisis, merchants in the city used lead or fur money - their equivalent was the skins of martens and squirrels. Merchants who came from afar stayed in hotels - caravanserais.

Bilyar, like other fortified cities of the Volga Bulgaria, served as a buffer for the force that was steadily advancing on Russia. But in 1236, after the Mongol siege, the huge, well-equipped and fortified city was taken, plundered and destroyed. According to eyewitnesses, "for several days the Mongols left nothing from the city except its name." This is how one of the largest and most developed cities of the Volga Bulgaria, and the medieval world as a whole, perished.

Such a legend is connected with the fall of Bilyar. During the invasion of Batu, 40 girls from Bilyar built a fortress on the top of the mountain, and for a long time successfully defended themselves from enemies. When the maiden fortress fell, the Mongols gathered to bury the brave warriors alive. But they turned into birds and flew away.

Since then, the locals have considered and still consider these places sacred. Moreover, both Muslims, and Orthodox, and pagans. Muslims and Orthodox Christians honor the sacred key that gushes out from under the mountain. And at the top of Khu-Jalar-Tau - a mountain of pilgrims - at the skeleton of an old oak they worship the ancient pagan god, the lord of the sky, Tengre, leaving bandages on the branches of the trees with the most intimate requests and wishes.

According to legend, only saints were buried in this land. From the top of the hill, there was a beautiful view of the valley, in which the amazing city of Bilyar once stood

Russian campaigns to the Volga Bulgaria

OK. 965 years Military campaign of the Russian prince Svyatoslav against the Volga Bulgars. Svyatoslav plundered the capital - Bulgar.

985 year Hike of Prince Vladimir to the Volga Bulgars. The campaign did not bring him the final victory. But the prince managed to sign a treaty of peace and trade that was very important for Kiev with the Bulgars: after the adoption of Islam, the Bulgars established close ties with the Arab world, and the Russians were very interested in these ties.
Returning from the campaign, Vladimir installed idols on the Kiev hills, made a solemn sacrifice to the god Perun and, as they say, even provoked the murder of two Varangian Christians.

988 year The most probable date for the conversion of Vladimir to Christianity. This choice was partly dictated by marital considerations: Vladimir asked for the hand of Princess Anna, Basileus' sister, whom he could not claim, remaining a pagan.

1006 year New trade agreement with the Volga Bulgars.

Volga Bulgaria

VII century The beginning of the development of the Middle Volga region by the Bulgars
VIII century Mass resettlement of Bulgars to the Volga
903 - 976 Minting of coins in the cities Bulgar and Suvar
922 June Arrival of the ambassadors of the Arab Caliphate at the headquarters of Emir Almush and the official adoption of Islam by the Bulgars
1006 Conclusion of a trade agreement with Kievan Rus
1068, 1107, 1149 - 1157, 1164, 1171, 1205, 1218, 1220, 1221, 1222 Chronicle mentions of the Russian-Bulgar relations
1135 and 1155 Arrival in the Bulgar city of the famous Arab traveler Al Garnati
1223, 1229 and 1232 The first clashes of the Bulgars with the Mongols and the repulsion of their attacks
1229 Treaty with Russia
1236 Capture of Bulgar by Batu Khan
1236 - 1240 Bulgars against the Mongols
1240 resumption of minting of coins in Bulgar under the Mongols, the beginning of stone town planning
1240 - 1260 Bulgar - the capital of the Jochi ulus
1313 - 1350 The flourishing of Bulgar in the Jochi ulus under the rule of Uzbek Khan and Janibek
XIV century (first half) Start of pig iron production
1361 The capture of the city of Bulak by Timur
1391, June 18. The participation of the Bulgars in the battle of Timur and Tokhtamysh on the Kundurcha river
1430 Termination of minting coins in Bulgar
1431 The destruction of the Bulgar by the Russian prince Fyodor the Pestry and the rise of Kazan. After this campaign the Bulgar practically ceased to exist
1712 The first detailed description of the settlement by clerk Mikhailov
1722, July 2. A visit to the Bulgar by Peter I and the publication of a decree on the preservation of the monument. (Peter personally climbed the entire settlement and was very pleased and excited.)
1884 The first repair and restoration work in the black chamber, excavations near the cathedral mosque
and in the new town
1995, February 20 Decree of the President of Russia Boris Yeltsin on the inclusion of the Bulgar Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve in the list of objects of historical and cultural heritage of federal significance

A special page in the history of the struggle of the Volga Bulgars with the Mongols was inscribed by the largest city not only of the Volga Bulgaria, but also of the entire Europe of that time - Bulgar. An ancient legend says that it was a city with beautiful mosques, slender minarets and luxurious palaces. It was here in 922 that Emir Almush converted to Islam. Eleven centuries ago "through thousands of tribes of infidels" the embassy of the Caliph al-Muqtadir went from Baghdad to the Bulgar city. A caravan of 3 thousand camels and horses and 5 thousand people traveled here for eight months.

The conversion to Islam of the state on the Volga was an epoch-making event that influenced both the history of the city and the history of the entire people - the Volga Bulgars.

The Bulgar city possessed the most powerful defensive structures at that time - a huge earthen rampart and a ditch almost 6 kilometers long.

“The earth groaned and buzzed from the multitude of troops, and wild beasts were stunned ...” And when hordes of Mongol troops stood at the walls of the Bulgar, its inhabitants put up desperate resistance to the enemies. For 13 years (!) The city withstood the regular raids of the Mongols. To conquer the rebellious grandson of Genghis Khan, Batu, gathered a huge army at that time - from 200 to 250 thousand people. But they managed to capture and destroy the Bulgars only in 1236. And two years later, when the Mongol troops left for Russia, an uprising broke out in Bulgar

It was here, in Bulgar, that Russians, Armenians and other princes of the countries conquered by the Mongols came for the labels on the rule ...

Only after 20 years did the city manage to recover from the wounds inflicted by the Mongols. At the end of the XIII century Bulgar, referred to in Russian chronicles as "Bryakhimov" - or the city of Ibragim, was the most significant city in the Volga region - a concentration of crafts and trade. In the 1250s, coins were already minted here on behalf of the supreme Mongol rulers. Aga Bazar, 6 kilometers from the city, became the largest international river port, where merchants from the Caspian Sea, Russia and Scandinavia came. Volga Bulgaria, although it became part of the Golden Horde, nevertheless retained independence in construction and trade.

However, the rich Bulgar lands haunted not only the Mongols. Russian princes also did not miss the chance to seize the rich city and profit from the booty ... In 1376, the Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich and Dmitry Suzdalsky sent a large army to Bulgaria under the command of Prince Bobrok-Volynsky. Here, at the walls of Bulgar, Russian troops first met with the use of firearms and war camels. The Bulgar horses are accustomed to the appearance of camels, but the Russian cavalry, seeing the outlandish animals, literally rushed scatteringly. But not for long ... Victory still remained with the attackers: the Bulgar prince Asan asked for peace and paid a huge ransom to the Russians “so that the troops would not plunder the cities”.

In 1399, the Moscow prince Vasily I undertook another campaign against the Bulgars. He even managed to temporarily "drive out the Tatars from the Bulgar" - a "limited contingent" of Mongol warriors and Baskaks - tribute collectors. The last known mention of Bulgar refers to 1431, to the campaign of the Moscow prince Fyodor the Pestroi against it. It was then, most likely, that the city was completely destroyed.

VOLGA BULGARIA(Volga Bulgaria, Volga-Kama Bulgaria), (Idel bue Bulgarians), (early X century - 1236), a medieval feudal state in the Volga-Ural region. It arose as a result of the resettlement of the Bulgars at the end of the 7th century from the right bank of the Middle Don to the Volga region. They occupied the territory along the Volga from Samarskaya Luka to the mouth of the Kama. In the process of the formation of the state, the most powerful was the union of the Bulgars' tribes led by the ruler Almush, who created the Bulgarian and Suvar emirates in the 1st half of the 9th century. In 920-921, the Almush embassy visited Bukhara and Baghdad, in 921-923 the embassy of the Baghdad caliph al-Muktadir - the city of Bulgar. Thus, in 922 the diplomatic recognition of the Volga Bulgaria took place. Sources (including numismatic ones) report the existence of a dynasty of Bulgar rulers from the Almush clan - Jaffarids. The names of the Bulgar rulers are known:

• Shilki
• Almush
• Mikail ibn Jagfar
• Mikail ibn Ahmad
• Abdallah ibn Mikail
• Talib ibn Ahmad
• Mumin ibn Ahmad
• Mumin ibn al-Hasan
• Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mumin
• Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad.

At the beginning of the 10th century they bore the title "eleteber", from the middle of the 10th century - emir and were sovereign rulers, their name (after the caliph) was mentioned in the daily prayer - khutba, they determined the policy in the state and minted their own coins. In written sources, beks (princes) are mentioned - the rulers of certain lands and cities, the military nobility (chura) and the Muslim clergy. The main population consisted of free rural community members and city dwellers (artisans, merchants) - a taxable population who paid a home tax to the state treasury.

The collapse of the Khazar Kaganate (about 980) led to the formation of a single Bulgarian state. Volga Bulgaria fought against the Khazars, Kievan Rus. In 985, the Bulgarian ruler made peace with the Kiev prince Vladimir I. By the beginning of the 11th century, the Volga Bulgaria occupied the territory from the Oksko-Sviyazhsky interfluve in the west to the Southern Urals in the east, from Possurye and Samara Luka in the south to the Predkamye in the north. In the XII century, the Bulgar rulers expanded their influence in the Upper Kama and Lower Volga regions, with the center in the city of Saksin.

Bulgars were engaged in agriculture, cattle breeding, fishing, trades (hunting for fur-bearing animals, beekeeping), various crafts (metallurgy of iron and bronze, woodworking, glass-making, bone-carving, pottery, jewelry, weapons), trade. The centers of handicraft production and trade were the cities of Bolgar (with its suburb Aga Bazar), Bilyar, Suvar, Djuketau, Oshel. This is evidenced by the finds of coins, imported products from various countries. Active trade was conducted with Russia, the countries of Eastern and Western Europe, as well as with the states of the Transcaucasus and the Black Sea region. They exported furs, skins, leather (including morocco - "Bulgari"), grain, honey and wax, and imported - luxury goods, spices, silk, weapons, silver (in the 9th-10th centuries), amber. One of the most important items of treasury income was the trade duty (tithe).

According to written and archaeological sources, the remains of about 150 cities are known (Bolgarskoye, Bilyarskoye, Bogdashkinskoye, Dzhuketaukoye, Suvarskoye settlement), 800 villages, as well as small castle towns. In the X century, Bulgar coins were minted in Bolgar and Suvar. The capital of the state in the X - 1st half of the XII century - Bolgar, from the middle of the XII century - Bilyar. The Bulgar culture of urban planning adopted the traditions of the Turkic states (Turkic Kaganate, Great Bulgaria, Khazar Kaganate), as well as the countries of the Muslim East and Russia. Many large cities of the Volga Bulgaria were divided by fortifications into an inner and outer city (Bilyar, Suvar, Djuketau). Most of the Bulgar cities had a manor-quarter layout. Sometimes outside the city fortifications there were buildings of caravanserais. The massive development of cities consisted of ground wooden dwellings, semi-dugouts and dugouts, as well as outbuildings (industrial premises, metallurgical furnaces, pottery forges). Among them, the buildings of monumental architecture stood out - brick and white-stone public buildings (mosques, baths, caravanserais) and mausoleums. In some cases, small fortified settlements were built near large cities (for example, Nikolaevobaran II and Gorkinskoe near Bilyar). The cities had a system of fortifications in the form of ditches and earthen ramparts, on top of which wooden walls were built.

The dominant religion in the Volga Bulgaria was Islam. He began to penetrate into the Volga-Ural region from the 1st half of the 10th century thanks to the establishment of trade relations between the countries of Northern Europe and the East. The spread of Islam in the Volga region is associated with preachers from Central Asia (Khorezm and the state of the Samanids). According to the legends of the Bulgars, the adoption of Islam in the Volga Bulgaria was associated with the activities of preachers ("fakikhs") from Bukhara. After the formation of the Bulgar state, the emergence of cities and the adoption of Islam by the rulers of the Bulgars, Islam became the main religion (900-920). The visit of the country by the embassy of the Baghdad caliph al-Muqtadir (922) at the invitation of the ruler Almush had a significant impact. As a result, Islam was proclaimed the state religion. Initially, Muslim communities appeared in Bolgar, Suvar, Bilyar and other large cities of the Volga Bulgaria. By the end of the 10th century, almost the entire population of the country had converted to Islam. This is evidenced by archaeological data: the widespread distribution of burial grounds with Muslim rituals (the orientation of the dead according to the qiblah: head to the west, the body turned to the right side, the face is turned towards Mecca, the absence of things). Islam influenced the spiritual culture of the Bulgar society, pushing pagan cults into the area of ​​superstition. Already from the end of the 10th century, the Volga Bulgaria became a country of "classical Islam", many prominent Muslim scholars and theologians lived and worked in it. Volga Bulgaria has become the northernmost Islamic country.

A Bulgarian literary language was formed on the basis of the Türkic language of the Kypchak-Oguz type, which existed in the form of various dialects even among the Türko-Bulgar tribes. This is evidenced, in particular, by the inscriptions on household items.

There is various information about the development of arts and crafts, music and literature. In all large communities there were mektebs and madrassas, where they learned to read and write and the basics of religion. In particular, the sciences developed: astronomy, astrology, medicine, theology, law, geography. There was a historiographic tradition - "Tavarikh-i Bulgar" ("History of Bulgaria") by Yakub ibn Nugman. Among the Bulgars there were famous theologians, philosophers and writers. An outstanding literary monument, the poem of Kul Gali "Kyissa-i Yosyf" ("The Legend of Yusuf", 1233), has survived from the period of the Volga Bulgaria.

Decorative and applied art in the Volga Bulgaria developed on the basis of local traditions, but under the strong influence of Muslim culture. Bulgar jewelers worked with various metals and alloys - from gold and silver to copper and lead - using various craft techniques and techniques of artistic metal processing: artistic casting, chasing, engraving, stamping (basma), drawing, plating, filigree (filigree), grains and possibly mob. In the Volga Bulgaria, carving on bone, stone and wood, as well as on precious and semiprecious stones, reached high development. Women's jewelry is typical - neck torcs, silver temporal pendants, earrings, bracelets, rings, belt pads, ceremonial weapons (ornamented hatchets), horse equipment, metal dishes, household items - locks, stamps, mirrors. Glass making developed, including the manufacture of tableware (household and alchemical), window glass, beads and glazed ceramic dishes. The production of ceramic dishes reached a high level of development, which included a set of various ceramic products - from bowls, mugs, lamps and to jugs, korchags and one and a half meter hums for water and food storage. The flourishing of the Bulgarian state, the growth of cities, the formation of a literary language and the establishment of a single spiritual and material culture of the Muslim type throughout the country contributed to the formation of a single ethnopolitical community - the Bulgar people, which constituted the main population of the country. Bulgaria also included the Eastern Finnish (ancestors of the Mordovians, Mari and Udmurts), Turkic (Pechenegs, Kipchaks) and Ugric (Madjars) peoples.

The army, which consisted of the emir's guard and the militias of various regions, led by the beks, numbered 50 thousand soldiers. The backbone of the army was the military service nobility, from among whom military leaders were promoted and detachments of heavily armed horsemen were formed. Infantry played a supporting role in the fighting. The river fleet was often used to transport troops. Operational-tactical art was developed: the basis of tactics in offensive wars was a sudden raid, and when repelling an attack - active defense. In a field battle, the Bulgars used maneuvers and envelopes of the enemy.

Since the 11th century, the Bulgars often encountered the Kipchaks and Yemeks who roamed the South Ural and Trans-Volga steppes. With the beginning of the reign of Yuri Dolgoruky (1125-1157), large-scale campaigns of conquest of the Russian princes began in the Volga region. Bulgars tried to counteract their offensive along the Volga by raids on Russian cities (for example, on Kostroma in 1152). During the reign of Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157-1174) and Vsevolod III the Big Nest (1176-1212), Russian troops repeatedly invaded Volga Bulgaria (1164, 1172, 1183, 1185, 1205). The campaign of the Russian princes against Bilyar (1183) was especially large. The Vadimiro-Suzdal princes practically conquered the Upper Poochye. In response to the activity of the Russians in the Kama region, the Bulgars captured and burned the city of Ustyug (1218), and the Russian princes took Oshel by storm (1122). After that, peace was established in the Volga region, secured by the Bulgaro-Russian treaties. In the second quarter of the XIII century, the Volga Bulgaria experienced several wars with the Mongol khans. In 1223, the Bulgars defeated the troops of the Mongolian commander Subede, who invaded their possessions, and in 1229 and 1232 they stopped the Mongols on the approaches to the main centers of the country. In 1236-1237 the Volga Bulgaria was conquered by the Mongols, headed by Batu. In 1238-1244, uprisings of the Bulgar population broke out in Bulgaria under the leadership of the Bayan and Djiku Beks, and in the Lower Volga region and in the South Urals - the Yemeks led by Bek Bachman. The anti-Mongol uprisings were suppressed by troops under the command of Subede and Burundai. Volga Bulgaria became part of Ulus Jochi (Golden Horde), and Bolgar became the first headquarters of the khan