What religion did the Tatars have before Islam. Tatars (origin, customs, traditions, holidays)

The main confessions in Tatarstan are Islam and Orthodoxy. The long-term policy pursued in the republic of balancing the interests of the two leading confessions plays an important role in preserving and strengthening interethnic and interfaith peace and harmony.

As a positive trend, one should note the historically established, stable mutual understanding between representatives of Islam and Orthodoxy, their interaction with each other and with other confessions traditional for our region - Judaism, Catholicism and Lutheranism.

Interfaith cooperation in the interests of all citizens of the Republic of Tatarstan is developing in various areas, including the implementation of socially significant projects (narcotization prevention, work with socially unprotected segments of the population, rehabilitation of people with disabilities, etc.).

In the annual Address of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan R.N. Minnikhanov to the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan dated September 13, 2012, it was emphasized that "..Our unconditional achievement has been and remains the positive state of interethnic and interfaith relations, the spirit of peaceful interaction and cooperation of representatives of various ethnic groups and religions."

As of January 1, 2013, in the Republic of Tatarstan, according to the Office of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation for the Republic of Tatarstan, 1594 religious organizations were registered (1505 as of January 1, 2012), including: Russian Orthodox Church - 305; true Orthodox Church - 2; Old Believers - 5; Roman Catholic Church - 2; Armenian Apostolic Church - 1; Islam - 1193; Buddhism - 1; Orthodox Judaism - 3; Evangelical Christians - Baptists - 6; Evangelical Christians - 5; Evangelical Christians, 26; Evangelical Christians - Pentecostals - 17; Seventh-day Adventists, 10; Lutherans - 5; Reformed Church - 1; New Apostolic Church - 1; Jehovah's Witnesses -5; Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) - 1; church of the last testament - 1; Krishna consciousness (Vaishnavas) - 2; Baha'i faith - 1; other religions - 1.

A clear expression of the process of religious revival in the republic was the religious construction and restoration of churches transferred to the use and ownership of religious organizations. There are 1,763 religious buildings and prayer houses of various confessions, of which 1,382 mosques are in use and property of Muslims, 320 Orthodox churches, and 61 prayer houses of other confessions.

In terms of the number of registered religious communities, the Republic of Tatarstan is one of the leaders among the subjects of the Russian Federation. In recent years, the number of religious organizations has stabilized, there has been a slight increase in communities, mainly represented by associations of the leading confessions - Islam and Orthodoxy.

The activities of two centralized religious organizations - the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kazan Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, transformed into the Tatarstan Metropolis, territorially cover the entire republic. There are 9 monasteries, 1 theological seminary under the Kazan diocese, 10 Muslim religious educational institutions under the Spiritual Muslim Board of the Republic of Tatarstan, including the Russian Islamic Institute.

On August 28, 1999, the Law of the Republic of Tatarstan "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" came into force. It takes into account the specific features of a multinational republic, concretizes the features of the legal regime for the separation of church and state, clearly defines the position of the state in regulating religious relations, and outlines the boundaries of recognized and protected freedom of conscience and freedom of religion. The law, by its content, is aimed at achieving mutual understanding, tolerance and respect in matters of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion.

At an extraordinary session of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan on August 3, 2012, amendments were adopted to the Law of the Republic of Tatarstan "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations", aimed at protecting human rights and freedoms, preventing religious extremism, promoting the strengthening of intra-confessional and inter-confessional harmony. According to the changes, foreign citizens cannot act as founders of a local religious organization. From now on, only Russians have such a right. And candidates applying for the position of clergy will be required to present a diploma of religious education. Whether or not to recognize it, religious organizations registered on the territory of the Russian Federation will decide on their own.

The interaction of the President of the Republic of Tatarstan and representatives of authorities with religious organizations of the main confessions has noticeably increased, the practice of meetings with spiritual leaders has expanded, during which problems of concern to believers are discussed - the restoration and construction of new places of worship, issues of religious education, spiritual and moral education. President R.N. Minnikhanov takes part in significant Muslim events - the All-Russian Forum of Tatar Religious Figures "National Identity and Religion", "Izge Bolgar Zhyeny", the Alekseevsky Chime Festival of bell ringing, and visits religious educational institutions.

At the initiative of the State Councilor of the Republic of Tatarstan M.Sh. Shaimiev, a large-scale project "Cultural heritage - the island-city of Sviyazhsk and ancient Bolgar" is being implemented for 2010-2015, within the framework of which many religious objects that are sights of Russia are being reconstructed and built.

In the Middle Ages, the Tatar empire was one of the largest in the world. Initially, these were scattered tribes, incapable even of self-organization. But the introduction of a single religion made it possible to unite different leaders and create a powerful state, which all of Europe was afraid of. Not everyone knows what religion the Tatars profess.

Who are the Tatars

A large and colorful people living from central Europe to the Far East of Russia are called Tatars. The origin of this ethnic group still causes controversy in the circles of scientists. Some believe that the Tatars are the descendants of the Mongols who assimilated with the less numerous peoples of Siberia. Others argue that the main distinguishing feature of this ethnic group is the Turkic language. But there are also facts on which there is no disagreement. What religion do the Tatars have, the Russian people have known since the XIII century.

Impressed by the wonders of the Arab countries, Khan Uzbek forcibly introduced Islam. Such an act consolidated the nation, but not in the way the ruler would have liked. Many Tatars did not accept the new faith. Initially, discontent did not manifest itself at the global level, but a series of unsuccessful battles, the weakening of the state and the low economic level of development led to the fact that many tribes began to migrate to Russia.

The origins of religion

Islam originated in 611, was consolidated by the Koran, and for two centuries was actively spreading in the territory of Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Tatars also accepted Islam. Religion in the VIII-IX century was not planted artificially, most of the people turned to it of their own free will. Volga Bulgaria - the progenitor region of this ethnic group - was the first to adopt Islam. The khans were especially concerned about the faith.

One of them, Almysh, asked Baghdad to organize the construction of mosques and send preachers. His request was granted. Nevertheless, pagan roots in some places made themselves felt, Allah was called by the name of another god - Tengri.

Animism (that is, belief in the existence of spirits and souls) still remained close to the population. It was clearly traced in shamanic rituals. And Tengri was the main celestial deity, the creator of plants and the conqueror of thunder.

But it was Islam that became a significant step in raising to the highest level of civilization. In 1241, the state was captured by the Mongols and became part of the Golden Horde. Genghis Khan was the first to call the population of Buryatia and the Turkic-speaking units of the troops simply with one word - "Tatars". The religion of Islam was then alien to the Mongols, and the already mentioned Uzbek forcibly turned Christians into Muslims.

Followers of the prophet

Mohammed became the founder of this religion. This simple man lived in the city of Mecca and worked as a merchant for a long time. The man received visions, and in 615 he decided to preach publicly. Along with the fans, the pursuers also appeared. After his death, Islam split into two lines. This was due to the fact that the disciples could not determine who would become the successor of the prophet.

A minority became supporters of Shia Islam, and more than 90% - Sunni. What religion do Tatars belong to today? According to their beliefs, they are Sunni Muslims.

According to the theory, Muhammad was the harbinger of the word of God. Unlike Christianity, the prophet was not the son of God. The name Allah is translated as "one god", and his earthly home is a mosque. It is worth noting that the Tatars, who were used to leading a nomadic lifestyle, were not inclined to construction. Only thanks to the adoption of Islam, cities appeared on their lands. They were designed by architects from Arab countries.

Mix of styles

Tatars lived at the turn of different cultures. East, Europe, Russia, Islam, Christianity, polytheism - all this influenced the architectural style. Mosques are especially striking. Since the religion of the Mongol-Tatars is Islam, the khans actively built places of worship. But initially they had nothing to do with the openwork mosques of Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Castles became God's houses. It was a forced necessity, since the Horde was constantly at war. Subsequently, on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, almost all the centers of Islamic culture, which the tsarist troops could reach, were defeated. Tatars living in Russia were forced to accept Orthodoxy.

declining architecture

Despite the persecution and obstacles, some of the monuments were rebuilt and began to operate again. Especially in the capital of the modern Republic of Tatarstan. By the way, not only those Tatars whose religion is Islam had a hand in this.

The first building, which was founded as a symbol of two faiths (Orthodoxy and Islam) in one city, was the restoration of the place of worship of al-Marjani. Not inferior in splendor to another Muslim prayer building in Kazan - Apanaevskaya. Construction began in 1768. Remarkably, the project was approved by Catherine II herself, and the Islamic community allocated funds.

On the territory of modern Russia there are other, no less significant monuments of Islam. Unfortunately, very few of them have survived in their original form, but the Islamic community continues to work actively to restore its heritage.

Faith in Christ

According to many researchers, today almost 20% of the Turkic tribes of Russia are Orthodox in several generations. And their numbers are slowly growing. Since in mixed marriages of Orthodox and Muslims, the child is usually baptized.

It is believed that some separate groups of Tatars began to profess Christianity as early as the 10th century. They had to change their views under the pressure of the Golden Horde and the khans, who severely cracked down on anyone who spoke out in defense of Orthodoxy. It is noteworthy that the religion of the Crimean Tatars was originally Christian. The local population refused to accept Islam. The result of this behavior was the destruction of all Orthodox churches.

Tatars of Siberia

The indigenous ethnic group of Western and Southern Siberia is the Turkic race. In general, she is different from other members of the tribe. But genetically the closest relatives are Bashkirs, Kazakhs and Sarti. The religion of the Siberian Tatars is a mixture of Islam and rituals. So, much attention is paid to the name at birth, marriage, funeral.

Funeral rites, the celebration of the Eastern New Year and animal spells are practiced. Along with this, the Siberian Tatars adhere to Ramadan, celebrate Kurban and so on.

The region of residence of this group of Turkic tribes is far from Moscow. During the time of the power of the Golden Horde, the main goal of the wars was enrichment, so Siberia did not arouse any interest among the khans. The situation did not change much even when the Russian tsars finally defeated the Mongol hordes and put an end to the empire of Genghis Khan.

Thus, the local population found itself in a certain isolation. It was able to develop on its own. The main teachers and preachers, as before, were shamans. The Siberian Tatars, whose religion is a unique symbiosis of classical Sunni Islam and ancient shamanism, are of the greatest interest to ethnographers. This group of tribes practically did not assimilate and was able to preserve the true history of their ethnic group.

WHAT RELIGION DID THE MONGOLO-TATARS HAVE?

Abbreviations
AB - Alexander Bushkov
ET - Evgeny Temezhnikov
NF - Nosovsky and Fomenko

AB: There were Christian churches in Great Saray, and at the "khan's headquarters" there was an Orthodox bishop.

VI: “The religion of the bulk of the Mongols by the beginning of the 13th century. remained shamanism. The "eternal blue sky" was revered as the main deity. The Mongols also revered the deity of the earth, various spirits and ancestors. The noble elite of the Kerait tribe as early as the beginning of the 11th century. converted to Nestorian Christianity. Buddhism and Christianity were also widespread among the Naimans. Both of these religions spread in Mongolia through the Uighurs.
Ivanin: “Genghis Khan and the Mongols, as a nomadic people, as well as their Chinese neighbors, were not very religious and were completely indifferent to different religions. Regardless of this, Genghis Khan's political rules regarding religion were in keeping with the spirit of the times. He lived in the age of the Crusades, the great struggle between Christians and Muslims, he knew the fanaticism of both, the strife between sects of the same religion, he knew the hatred that existed between Shiites and Sunnis, and, like a skilled politician, did not stick to any of the religions. , and, having conceived to conquer the world, he equally patronized all religions. Knowing the influence of the clergy on the minds, he patronized him.
Ibn al-Athir: “As for their faith, they worshiped the Sun at its rising. They had no forbidden food, and they ate all the riding animals, dogs, pigs, and so on.
Kartlis tskhovreba: “In their custom, they worshiped a single god, who was called Tengri in their language. And they began to write like this: "Mangu Tengri Kuchundur", that is: "By the power of the immortal god."
Kirakos: “They have no worship, they do not worship [anyone], but the divine name is mentioned often, on any occasion. And we do not know whether they are praising the living god or invoking another deity, and they do not know either. But usually they tell this: their sovereign is a relative of God, who took the sky as his inheritance and gave the land to the khakan. It was said that Genghis Khan, the father of the khakan, was not born from the seed of a man, but simply from invisibility, light appeared and, penetrating through a hole in the roof of the house, said to the mother [of Genghis]: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, the lord of the earth.”
Ioganka: “After all, the Tatars by military power subjugated various tribes from the Christian peoples, but they allow them to continue to maintain their law and faith, not caring or caring little about who holds what faith - so that in worldly service, in paying taxes and on military campaigns, they [subjects] did for their masters what they were obliged to according to the issued law ... And there were Tatars, judges of the Bascards, who, not being baptized, but filled with Nestorian heresy, when we began to preach our faith to them, with gladly accepted [her]."
Bridia: “However, [they found out that] the Tartars believe in one God, the creator of things, visible and invisible, and the giver of blessings [measured] for this age, as well as evil. However, they do not honor Him properly because they have different idols. They have some images of human figures made of felt, which they place on either side of the entrance to the yurt above an udder made of felt in a similar way by them, and claim that they are the keepers of the cattle and sacrifice milk and meat to them. But to a greater extent, they revere silk idols, which they put on a covered wagon [inside it], [or] at the entrance to the yurt ... They do not force anyone to leave their faith, as long as they obey their orders in everything.
Thomas of Split: “They are not bound by Christian, Jewish, or Saracen law, and therefore they do not know justice and do not keep their oath.”
Rubruk: “So, on the eve of Pentecost, we gathered in our chapel, and Mangu Khan sent three secretaries to be arbitrators: one Christian, one Sarrazin and one Tuin; and it was declared: “The order of Mangu is as follows, and no one dares to say that this order differs from the order of God. He orders that no one, under the threat of the death penalty, dare to speak caustic or offensive words to another interfere with this." Then everyone was silent."
ET: The Internet would like to introduce such orders!

ET: And what faith was Genghis Khan himself and his successors?

VI: “Chinggis Khan and his successors were equally patronizing to all religions and to the servants of religious cults. But Khubilai preferred one of the Buddhist sects, the so-called "Red Hats" - the Sakya sect that developed in Tibet in the 11th century. .
Juvaini: “Because Genghis Khan did not obey any faith and did not follow any confession, he shied away from fanaticism and from preferring one religion to another, and from exalting one over the other. On the contrary, he revered, loved and honored scholars and hermits of all kinds, considering them mediators before the Lord God, and as he looked at Muslims with respect, so he had mercy on Christians and idolaters. His children and grandchildren, several people each, chose one of the faiths according to their inclination: some imposed Islam (on their necks), others followed the Christian community, some chose the veneration of idols, and some more observed the ancient rule of grandfathers and fathers and did not they did not bow to the side, but there are few of them left. Although they accept (different) faiths, they move away from fanaticism, and do not deviate from Genghis Khan's Yasa, which orders all rumors to be counted as one and differences between them not to be made.
ET: So is Mengu Khan.
Rubruk: “It was on this day that Mangu Khan arranged a feast, and he has such a custom that on those days that his soothsayers call him holidays, or some Nestorian priests - sacred, he arranges a solemn meeting at the court, and on such days, first of all, Christian priests come in their vestments, pray for him and bless his cup. When they leave, the Saracen priests appear and do the same. After them come the priests of the idols, doing the same.

ET: Information about Batu is contradictory.
Vassaf: “Although he [Batu] was of the Christian faith, and Christianity is contrary to common sense, but (he) had no inclination and disposition towards any of the religious denominations and teachings, and he was alien to intolerance and boasting.”
Juzjani: “He [Batu] was a very fair man and a friend of Muslims; under his patronage, Muslims lived freely. Mosques were built in the camp and among his tribes with a community of worshipers, an imam and a muezzin ... Some trustworthy people told the following: Batu secretly became a Muslim, but did not discover (this) and showed full confidence to the followers of Islam ... They buried him according to the Mongolian rite.
Juvaini: "He [Batu] was a sovereign who did not adhere to any faith and sect, he considered them only a way of knowing the deity and was not a follower of any of the sects and religious teachings."
Dominican Andre: “The Tsar of Tartar strives only for domination over everyone, as well as for the monarchy of the whole world and does not long for anyone’s death, but he allows everyone to remain in his faith after he subjugates himself, and does not force anyone to turn to a faith alien to him.”

ET: The son and successor of Genesis Sartak was a Christian.
Juvaini: "Sartak was a follower of the Christian religion".
Qazvini: "He (Sartak) chose the Christian faith".
Juzjani: “After the death of Batu Khan, his son Sartak remained, who treated Muslims extremely cruelly and unfairly ... Approaching his uncle Berka Khan, he (Sartak) refused (to visit him), turned off the road and did not go to his uncle. Then Berka Khan sent people to Sartak (to tell him): “I stand in your place as a father; why do you pass like a stranger and don’t come to me?” When the messengers brought the news of Berk Khan to Sartak, the accursed Sartak answered: “You are a Muslim, but I adhere to the Christian faith; to see a Muslim face (for me) misfortune. May Allah curse him many times!” .
Kirakos: “He had a son named Sartach, whom we mentioned above, brought up by a Christian nurse; having entered the age, he believed in Christ and was baptized by the Syrians, who raised him. He greatly facilitated the position of the church and Christians and, with the consent of his father, issued an order for the release [from taxes] of priests and the church, sent it to all ends, threatening death to those who exact taxes from the church or the clergy, no matter what tribe they belonged to , even from Muslim mosques and their attendants. From that time on, emboldened, vardapets, bishops and priests began to appear to him. He kindly received everyone and fulfilled all their requests. He himself lived in constant fear of God and piety - he carried an altar with him in his tent, always performing sacred rites.

ET: True, he was a strange polygamist Christian.
Rubruk: "He himself has six wives, and his first-born son has two or three of them near him."

ET: Sartak's successor, Batu's brother Berke, was a Muslim from birth.
Genealogy of the Turks: “Berke Khan was a Muslim. Some stories mention that Berke Khan was born from his mother (already) a Muslim, so at the time of birth, no matter how much they wanted to give him milk, he did not take milk from his mother until one of the Muslim women gave him milk and nursed him » .
Juzjani: “When the mother gave birth to Berka Khan, his father said: “I am making this son a Muslim, get him a Muslim nurse, so that she cuts his umbilical cord in a Muslim way and that he drinks Muslim milk, because this son of mine will be a Muslim.” According to according to this instruction, his umbilical cord was cut by a wet nurse according to the Muslim rite, and he (Berka) drank Muslim milk.After he reached the period of study and instruction, several Muslim imams were gathered and one of them was chosen to teach him (Berka) the Qur'an.Some trustworthy people said, that his teaching of the Koran took place in Khujand, with one of the learned pious people of this city.
ET: Berke has already started spreading Islam.
Baibars: “In 661 (1263) the ambassadors of Berke, the king of Tatars arrived (in Egypt) with the news that he had converted to Islam. They had a letter from him, which contained the names of those who converted to Islam from the Tatar houses and left the crowd of infidels, with a detailed listing of them by tribes and clans, (indicating) individuals and rats, younger and older "

ET: The subsequent khans of the Golden Horde were also Muslims, but there were exceptions.
Elbirzali: “He (Tokhta) was unfaithful to the religion of worshiping idols, he loved the Uighurs, i.e. lamas and magicians, and showed them great honor. He was just and disposed towards people of goodness of any religion, but he respected Muslims more than others.
Ibn Kasir: "He (Tokhta) was a determined and brave man, professed the Tatar faith (consisting) in the worship of idols and stars, loved lamas, sages and doctors, and patronized Muslims more than all (other) peoples" .

AB: This is what is said about Mamai: “The godless Tsar Mamai, seeing his death, began to call on his gods…” Do you know which ones? Well, Mohammed, of course. However, Mohammed is in the very last place ... "... his gods: Perun and Salavat, and Rakliy, and Khors, and his great accomplice Mohammed."

ET: The adoption of Islam in the Golden Horde dragged on for centuries. Here is what an eyewitness writes more than half a century after the Battle of Kulikovo.
Barbaro: “There is nothing else to say about the Tatars, except perhaps that those of them who remained pagans worship idols, carrying them with them on their carts; however, among them there are those who have the custom to worship every day some animal that they met when they first left the house.

ET: That Perun and Khors are present, so, according to B.A. Uspensky, supported by M.A. Vasiliev, the pagan religions of different peoples did not differ in the eyes of Russian scribes, they believed the existence of a single pagan, non-Orthodox culture. So, the scribe, what pagan gods he knew, wrote such: Mamai called on the Thunder and the Sun. For, simultaneous faith in both Mohammed and Perun is impossible. Islam considers idolatry to be a terrible sin.

A significant role in the development of the Tatar ethnos was played by the spread of the ideas of world religions preaching Monotheism: Orthodoxy and Islam, whose missionaries went exactly along the trade routes. Recall that, according to Rubruk, the Uighurs who lived "among the Tatars" were "mixed with Christians and Muslims", and long before this Catholic missionary visited them, "through frequent reasoning, they came to the conclusion that they believe only in the One God" . Let's not forget that we are talking about the very Uighurs, "part of which" were the Tatars. And accordingly, the next prerequisite for the creation of a single state by the Tatars is, undoubtedly, a religion that preaches faith in the One God.

At the beginning of the 11th century, Christianity spread among the Kereit Tatars, which was due to the following factors. In 1000, the offensive of the Liao (Khitan) empire to the west, to the possessions of the Tatars, resumed with renewed vigor. The threat of Khitan aggression was so tangible that the nomads tried to go west and in late 1013 - early 1014 attacked Yarkand. Here they were met by the Karluks, who had already become Muslims, and after a four-year war they pushed them back to the steppes.

"Against the backdrop of this cruel war, when the Buddhists of the Liao Empire, the Confucians of the Song Empire and the Muslims of Central Asia became enemies of the nomads, they acquired an ideological banner and a way to overcome tribal strife in the preaching of monks who had been expelled from China shortly before and found no shelter."

In 1009, the Kereites were baptized by Nestorian preachers. The number of adult Kereites was determined for the beginning of the 11th century at 200 thousand people who, according to legend, converted to Christianity. Consequently, taking into account the children and the elderly, there were twice as many of them. ”At about the same time, the Turkic-speaking Onguts, descendants of the militant Shato Turks, adopted Christianity.

The community of "Tatar tribes" was mono-ethnic, these tribes had one Tatar language, which slightly differed in different regions, possibly in dialects. It was monoethnicity that was the factor that contributed to the success of the Nestorian preachers, who managed to convert such strong tribes of black Tatars as the Naimans and Kereites to their faith.

The second factor that accompanied the success of the Nestorians: the language of the medieval Tatars had already reached the appropriate development, thanks to which the Nestorian missionaries "found words in the language of the local population that conveyed adequately complex Christian concepts."

"The adoption of Christianity meant not only the political unification of the country that adopted it, but ethnic unification, because the strife between the tribes was supported by tribal cults. In the presence of a common confession, a basis appeared for coordinating actions, even with the political fragmentation of the ethnic group, which opposed itself to the Gentiles" (L.N. .Gumilyov, "In search of a fictional kingdom").

But not all Tatar tribes adopted Christianity, but only "some", although "strong" ones: Kereites and Naimans from Black Tatars, as well as Onguts from White Tatars.

There was also a group of Tatars who did not accept Christianity: naturally, representatives of the Muslim world did not remain inactive, but preached their doctrine, and, presumably, found followers among the tolerant Tatars.

At the same time, questions of faith among Genghisides did not mix with state affairs. The church was completely separated from the state (with the exception of tax breaks for the church, both Christian and Muslim). One of the basic norms of the Koran was elevated to the principle of the state policy of the Genghisides: "There is no compulsion to religion" (Koran, 2: 256). The Qur'an proclaims the right to choose in faith for everyone and denies compulsion to believe, and thus: "And if your Lord wished, then all who on earth would believe in their entirety. Will you force people to become believers?"

This assumption is supported by the fact that from the very beginning of the emergence of the Mongol state, the most important state posts in it, along with Nestorian Christians, were also occupied by Muslims.

Even apologists for the "generally accepted opinion" about the Mongol-Tatars as "conquerors and oppressors" are forced to admit facts that indicate that the Chingizid Tatars adhered to the above norms of the Koran. And above all, Genghis Khan himself.

Let's see, nevertheless, what documentary information is available about the religions of the Tatar-Mongols.

Firstly, the Tatars professed Monotheism: “Rashid ad Din definitely speaks of monotheistic worship of God. He has a number of statements by Genghis Khan on this issue. God's help descends from the Lord, and on earth with His help prosperity appeared" (L.N. Gumilyov, "In Search of a Fictional Kingdom").

The same work by L.N. Gumilyov contains the text of Genghis Khan’s prayer when he prayed on a hilltop, hanging a belt around his neck, untying the ties of his cloak and falling on his knees: “O eternal Lord, you know and know that Altan Khan started enmity. I am the one who seeks retribution and vengeance for the blood. If you know that this is my right retribution, send strength and victoriousness from above to me and lead me to be helped by angels, people, peri and divas. These words might seem like traditional Muslim addresses to Allah, but the name of Allah is not mentioned anywhere, and everywhere there is the Persian word "Khuda", that is, "God".

It should be noted that Muslim Tatars even now, when they commemorate God, often prefer to use the word Khodai, and the Arabic word Allah is used when they read a prayer (for example, namaz), that is, when they "send worship", as it should be in the official Islam, in Arabic.

It is also worth supplementing the example cited above from the work of L.N. Gumilyov that the prayer of Genghis Khan was similar to "traditional Muslim appeals to Allah." According to Western researchers (for example, Alain Frank), in the Tatar historical collection "Daftar and Genghis Name" Genghis Khan is perceived precisely as a Muslim. That is, for the author of this collection, who undoubtedly used more ancient sources that have not come down to us, and possibly "Altyn Dafter" of the Mongol-Tatars, Genghis Khan's belonging to the Muslim religion, and precisely to that the authors themselves are chroniclers, was taken for granted. Otherwise, being a Muslim himself, the author would certainly have noted that, like the Arabs or Persians, they say, Genghis Khan was not a Muslim, but, alas, was a "pagan", because this was a fundamental issue for the author who respected the norms of the Koran - the religion of the main Hero of the chronicle, and to sin against the truth in this matter, he could not afford.

But it is believed that the religion professed in the XIII century by the ruling elite of the Tatar-Mongol, along with Nestorianism, was shamanism.

In this matter, all sources, both Christian and Muslim, should not be treated with great confidence. It must be remembered that for the "Muslims" (Arabs and Persians), the Tatars were enemy No. 1 already in the XII - early XIII centuries, and, naturally, they were very far from recognizing their enemies as Muslims, even if some of the Tatars professed Islam. Moreover, the Arabs and Persians could not recognize as "real Muslims" the Tatars who professed Islam later, when at the end of the 13th-14th centuries they claimed the role of "spiritual shepherds" of the Tatars. It was extremely unprofitable for representatives of the "Muslim world" to recognize any of the Tatars who professed Islam "differently as they" and did not accept this faith from their clergy and did not follow their "instructions" regarding religion as Muslims for objective reasons.

At first, during the war with the Mongol-Tatars, the Arabs and Persians could not in any way recognize their enemies as co-religionists. And without this, the people of the "Muslim world" did not burn with the desire to fight against the Tatars of Genghis Khan. And after the creation of the Mongol state, it was impossible to change the already accepted point of view. Everyone was interested in recognizing Genghis Khan and his descendants as "pagans". And it was beneficial and necessary for Muslims (Arabs and Persians, Sunnis and Shiites), and Christians (Catholics and Orthodox), since everyone, each to a certain extent, sought to become the main mentors of the Chingizid Tatars on religious issues and convince them to accept their own religion. , abandoning the "paganism" of their ancestors.

Therefore, neither Yazu (Yasa, Yazu) in the original, nor even in a complete and accurate list, nor Altyn Dafter, nor any "Tatar books and papers with Tatar letters" have come down to us. And almost no reliable information about the religion of the Tatars, except for Nestorianism, was left at all either before Genghis Khan or under him.

Thus, not one religion was professed by the medieval Tatars in the 11th-12th centuries, but at least two: Christianity of the Nestorian persuasion and Islam, probably "reformed" and adapted to be perceived in the Tatar language. Perhaps, no official representative of the "Muslim world" would recognize this religion as Islam in the generally accepted sense.

The reason why the Tatars professed not one, but "different ways" of believing in God, as well as the presence of various ethno-political associations, were socio-political and demographic conditions and reasons. Firstly, the spread of Tatars across the vast expanses of Eurasia, and secondly, contacts with representatives of different religious denominations.

There are many strangers in our country. It is not right. We should not be strangers to each other.
Let's start with the Tatars - the second largest ethnic group in Russia (there are almost 6 million of them).

1. Who are the Tatars?

The history of the ethnonym "Tatars", as it often happened in the Middle Ages, is the history of ethnographic confusion.

In the 11th-12th centuries, the steppes of Central Asia were inhabited by various Mongol-speaking tribes: Naimans, Mongols, Kereits, Merkits and Tatars. The latter wandered along the borders of the Chinese state. Therefore, in China, the name of the 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 undertook a punitive campaign against real Tatars in retaliation for the poisoning of his father. The order that the lord of the Mongols gave to his soldiers has been preserved: to destroy everyone who is 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, “due to their extraordinary greatness and honorary position, other Turkic clans, with all the difference in their ranks and names, became known under their name, and everyone was called Tatars.”

The Mongols themselves never called themselves Tatars. However, the Khorezm and Arab merchants who were constantly in contact with the Chinese brought the name "Tatars" to Europe even before the arrival of Batu Khan's troops here. Europeans brought together 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 Russia is designated as "Moscow Tartaria" or "European Tartaria".

As for the modern Tatars, they have absolutely nothing to do with the Tatars of the XII-XIII centuries either by origin or by language. 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 even more, the formation of modern Tatars was influenced by the Finno-Ugric peoples and Russians. According to anthropological data, more than 60% of Tatars have Caucasoid features, and only 30% have Turkic-Mongolian features.

2. Tatar people in the era of Genghisides

The appearance on the banks of the Volga Ulus Jochi was an important milestone in the history of the Tatars.

In the era of Genghisides, Tatar history became truly global. The system of state administration and finance, the postal (Yamskaya) service, inherited by Moscow, has reached perfection. More than 150 cities arose where the boundless Polovtsian steppes recently stretched. Some of their names sound like a fairy tale: Gulstan (land of flowers), Saray (palace), Aktobe (white vault).

Some cities in size and population far exceeded those of Western Europe. For example, if Rome in the XIV century had 35 thousand inhabitants, and Paris - 58 thousand, then the capital of the Horde, the city of Saray, had more than 100 thousand. According to Arab travelers, there were palaces, mosques, temples of other religions, schools, public gardens, baths, and water supply in Saray. Not only merchants and warriors lived here, but also poets.

All religions in the Golden Horde enjoyed the same freedom. According to the laws of Genghis Khan, insulting religion was punishable by death. The clergy of each religion were exempted from paying taxes.

The contribution of the Tatars to the art of war is indisputable. It was they who taught the Europeans not to neglect intelligence and reserves.
In the era of the Golden Horde, a huge potential for the reproduction of the Tatar culture was laid. But the Kazan Khanate continued this path mostly by inertia.

Among the fragments of the Golden Horde, scattered along the borders of Russia, Kazan was of the greatest importance for Moscow due to its geographical proximity. Spread out on the banks of the Volga, among dense forests, the Muslim state was a curious phenomenon. As a state formation, the Kazan Khanate arose in the 30s of the 15th century and, over a short period of its existence, managed to show its cultural identity in the Islamic world.

3. Capture of Kazan

The 120-year neighborhood of Moscow and Kazan was marked by fourteen major wars, not counting the almost annual border skirmishes. However, for a long time, both sides did not seek to conquer each other. Everything changed when Moscow recognized itself as the "third Rome", that is, the last defender of the Orthodox faith. Already in 1523, Metropolitan Daniil outlined the further 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, the 50,000-strong Russian army encamped under the walls of Kazan. The city was defended by 35 thousand selected soldiers. About ten thousand more Tatar horsemen hid in the surrounding forests and disturbed the Russians with sudden raids from the rear.

The siege of Kazan lasted five weeks. After the sudden attacks of the Tatars from the side of the forest, the cold autumn rains annoyed the Russian army most of all. The soaking wet warriors even thought that Kazan sorcerers sent bad weather on them, who, according to Prince Kurbsky, went out onto the wall at sunrise and performed all sorts of spells.

All this time, Russian warriors, led by the Danish engineer Razmussen, were digging a tunnel under one of the Kazan towers. On the night of October 1, the work was completed. 48 barrels of gunpowder were laid in the tunnel. At dawn there was a huge explosion. It was terrible to see, says the chronicler, many tormented corpses and crippled people flying in the air at a terrible height!
The Russian army rushed to the attack. The royal banners were already fluttering on the city walls, when Ivan the Terrible himself drove up to the city with guards regiments. The presence of the tsar gave the Moscow warriors new strength. Despite the fierce 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 flush with the city walls.

The death of the Kazan Khanate did not mean the death of the Tatar people. On the contrary, it was within Russia that the Tatar nation was actually formed, which finally received its truly national-state formation - the Republic of Tatarstan.

4. Tatars in Russian history and culture

The Muscovite state has never closed itself in a narrow national-religious framework. Historians have calculated that among the nine hundred most ancient noble families of Russia, Great Russians make up only one third, while 300 families come from Lithuania, and the other 300 come from Tatar lands.

The Moscow of Ivan the Terrible seemed to Western Europeans an Asian city not only in terms of its unusual architecture and buildings, but also in terms of 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 with his sons and Kazan tsars sat at the first table, Metropolitan Macarius with the Orthodox clergy at the second table, and the third table was entirely reserved for the Circassian princes. In addition, two thousand noble Tatars feasted in other chambers!

In the state service, they were given not the last place. And there was no case that the Tatars in the Russian service betrayed the Moscow Tsar.

Subsequently, the Tatar clans gave Russia a huge number of intellectuals, prominent military and political figures. I will name at least some names: Alyabyev, Arakcheev, Akhmatova, Bulgakov, Derzhavin, Milyukov, Michurin, Rachmaninov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Tatishchev, Chaadaev. The Yusupov princes were direct descendants of the Kazan queen Suyunbike. The Timiryazev family comes from Ibragim Timiryazev, whose last name literally means "iron warrior." General Ermolov had Arslan-Murza-Yermol as his ancestor. Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov wrote: "I am a purebred Tatar both on the side of my father and on the side of my mother." He signed "Arslanbek", which means "Lion". You can list indefinitely.

Over the centuries, the culture of the Tatars was also absorbed by Russia, and now many native Tatar words, household items, culinary dishes have entered the consciousness of a Russian person as if they were their own. According to Valishevsky, when going out into the street, a Russian person put on shoe, armyak, zipun, caftan, hood, cap. In a fight, he let go fist. As a judge, he ordered to put on the convict shackles and give him whip. Going on a long journey, he got into a sleigh to coachman. And, getting up from the mail sleigh, he went into tavern, which replaced the old Russian tavern.

5. Religion of the Tatars

After the capture of Kazan in 1552, the culture of the Tatar people was preserved primarily 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 the 16th-18th centuries were converted to Orthodoxy. This is how they call themselves: "Kryashen" - "baptized".

Islam in the Volga region was established as early as 922, when the ruler of the Volga Bulgaria voluntarily converted to the Muslim faith. But even more important was the "Islamic revolution" of Uzbek Khan, who at the beginning of the XIV 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 the persecution of Islam and the forcible planting of Christianity among the Tatars. Only the reforms of Catherine II fully legalized the Muslim clergy. In 1788, the Orenburg Spiritual Assembly was opened - the governing body of Muslims, with its center in Ufa.

In the 19th century, within the Muslim clergy and the Tatar intelligentsia, forces gradually matured that felt the need to move away from the dogmas of medieval ideology and traditions. The revival of the Tatar people began precisely with the reform of Islam. This religious renewal movement was called Jadidism (from the Arabic al-Jadid - renewal, "new method").

Jadidism has become a significant contribution of the Tatars to modern world culture, an impressive demonstration of Islam's ability to modernize. The main result of the activity of the Tatar religious reformers was the transition of the Tatar society to Islam, cleansed of medieval fanaticism and meeting the requirements of the times. These ideas penetrated deeply into the stratum of the people, primarily through Jadid madrasahs and printed matter. Thanks to the activities of the Jadids among the Tatars, by the beginning of the 20th century, faith was basically separated from culture, and politics became an independent sphere, where religion already occupied a subordinate position. Therefore, today the Russian Tatars are in the full sense of the word a modern nation, which is completely alien to religious extremism.

6. About the Kazan orphan and the uninvited guest

The Russians have long said: "An old proverb is not said without reason" and therefore "there is no trial or reprisal against the proverb." Silencing uncomfortable proverbs is not the best way to achieve interethnic understanding.

So, Ushakov’s “Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language” explains the origin of the expression “Kazan orphan” as follows: originally it was said “about the Tatar mirzas (princes) who, after the conquest of the Kazan Khanate by Ivan the Terrible, tried to get all sorts of indulgences from the Russian tsars, complaining about their bitter fate” .

Indeed, the Moscow sovereigns considered it their duty to caress and ingratiate the Tatar murzas, especially if they decided to change their faith. According to the documents, such "Kazan orphans" received about a thousand rubles of annual salary. 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 coloring - this is how they began to talk about anyone who only pretends to be unhappy, trying to arouse sympathy.

Now - about the Tatar and the guest, which of them is "worse" and which is "better".

The Tatars of the times of the Golden Horde, if they happened to come to a subordinate country, behaved like masters in it. Our chronicles are full of stories about the oppression of the Tatar Baskaks and the greed of the Khan's courtiers. Russian people involuntarily got used to every Tatar who came to the house, to consider not so much a guest as a rapist. 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 host was tied up”; "The edge is not great, but the devil brings a guest - and the last one will be carried away." Well, and - "an uninvited guest is worse than a Tatar."

When times changed, the Tatars, in turn, knew what he was like - the Russian "intruder". Tatars also have a lot of offensive sayings about Russians. What can you do about it?

History is the irreparable past. What was, was. Only the truth heals morals, politics, 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.

7. Tatar hut

Unlike other Turkic peoples, Kazan Tatars lived for centuries not in yurts and wagons, but in huts. True, in accordance with the common Turkic traditions, the Tatars retained a way of separating the female half and the kitchen with a special curtain - charshau. In the second half of the 19th century, instead of ancient curtains, a partition appeared in Tatar dwellings.

On the male half of the hut there was a place of honor for guests and a place for the owner. Here, space was allocated for relaxation, a family table was laid, many household chores were carried out: men were engaged in tailoring, saddlery, weaving bast shoes, women worked at a loom, twisted threads, spun, rolled felt.

The front wall of the hut from corner to corner was occupied by wide bunks, on which soft down jackets, feather beds and pillows rested, which were replaced by felt among the poor. Nars are in fashion to this day, because they have traditionally been assigned a place of honor. In addition, they are universal in their functions: they can serve as a place to work, eat, rest.

Red or green chests were an obligatory attribute of the interior. According to custom, they were an indispensable part of the dowry of the bride. In addition to the main purpose - storing clothes, fabrics and other valuables - the chests noticeably enlivened the interior, especially in combination with the bedding picturesquely laid on them. There were so many chests in the huts of rich Tatars that sometimes they were placed on top of each other.

The next attribute of the interior of the Tatar rural dwellings was a bright national feature, moreover, characteristic only for Muslims. This is a popular and universally revered shamail, i.e. a text from the Koran written on glass or paper and inserted into a frame with wishes for peace and prosperity for the family. A characteristic detail of the interior of the Tatar dwelling was also flowers on the windowsills.

Traditional Tatar villages (auls) are located along rivers and roads. These settlements are distinguished by tightness of buildings, the presence of numerous dead ends. The buildings are located inside the estate, and the street is formed by a continuous line of deaf fences. Outwardly, the Tatar hut is almost indistinguishable from the Russian one - only the doors do not open in the canopy, but inside the hut.

8. Sabantuy

In the past, the Tatars for the most part were rural residents. Therefore, their folk holidays were associated with the cycle of agricultural work. Like other agricultural peoples, the Tatars were especially expecting spring. This time of the year was celebrated with a holiday, which was called "Saban tue" - "wedding of the plow."

Sabantuy is a very ancient holiday. In the Alkeyevsky district of Tatarstan, a tombstone was found, the inscription on which says that the deceased reposed in 1120 on the day of Sabantuy.

Traditionally, before the holiday, young men and elderly men began collecting gifts for Sabantuy. The most valuable gift was considered to be a towel, which was received from young women who married after the previous Sabantuy.

The holiday itself was celebrated with competitions. The place where they were held was called "Maidan". Competitions included horse racing, running, long and high jumps, national wrestling koresh. Only men took part in all types of competitions. The women just watched from the sidelines.

Competitions were held according to the developed routine for centuries. They started their races. Participation in them was considered prestigious, so everyone who could put up horses at the village races. The riders were boys 8-12 years old. The start was arranged in the distance, and the finish was on the Maidan, where the participants of the holiday were waiting for them. The winner was given one of the best towels. Horse owners received separate prizes.

At the time when the riders went to the starting point, other competitions were held, in particular, running. Participants were divided by age: boys, adult men, old people.

After the end of the competition, people went home to treat themselves to festive dishes. A few days later, depending on the weather, they started sowing spring crops.

Sabantuy remains the most beloved mass holiday in Tatarstan to this day. In the cities, this is a one-day holiday, and in the countryside it consists of two parts: the collection of gifts and the Maidan. But if earlier Sabantuy was celebrated in honor of the beginning of spring field work (at the end of April), now it is in honor of their end, in June.