Bulgars

Quick Facts: Who was Bulgars?

Subject:

Bulgars

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Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished across the Pontic–Caspian steppe.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Bulgars (also Bulghars, Bulgari, Bolgars, Bolghars, Bolgari, Proto-Bulgarians) were Turkic semi-nomadic warrior tribes that flourished in the Pontic–Caspian steppe and the Volga region between the 5th and 7th centuries. They became known as nomadic equestrians in the Volga-Ural region, but some researchers trace Bulgar ethnic roots to Central Asia. During their westward migration across the Eurasian Steppe, the Bulgar tribes absorbed other tribal groups and cultural influences in a process of ethnogenesis, including Iranic, Uralic, and Hunnic tribes. The Bulgars spoke a Turkic language, the Bulgar language of the Oghuric branch. They preserved the military titles, organization, and customs of Eurasian steppes as well as pagan shamanism and belief in the sky deity Tangra.

Career & Major Achievements

The Bulgars became semi-sedentary during the 7th century in the Pontic-Caspian steppe, establishing the polity of Old Great Bulgaria c. 630–635, which was defeated by the Khazar Khaganate in 668 AD. In 681, Khan Asparukh conquered Scythia Minor, opening access to Moesia, and established the Danubian Bulgaria – the First Bulgarian Empire, where the Bulgars became a political and military elite. They merged subsequently with established Byzantine populations, as well as with previously settled Slavic tribes, and were eventually Slavicized, thus becoming one of the ancestors of modern Bulgarians. Most of the remaining Pontic Bulgars migrated in the 7th century to the Volga River, where they assimilated the people of the Imenkovo culture and founded Volga Bulgaria; they preserved their identity well into the 13th century. The modern Volga Tatars, Bashkirs and Chuvash people claim to have originated from the Volga Bulgars.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The etymology of the ethnonym Bulgar is not completely understood and difficult to trace back earlier than the 4th century AD. Since the work of Tomaschek (1873), it is generally said to be derived from Proto-Turkic root *bulga- ("to stir, to mix; to become mixed"), which with the consonant suffix -r implies a noun meaning "mixed". Other scholars have added that bulğa might also imply "to stir, disturb, confuse" and Talat Tekin interpreted Bulgar as the active present participle "mixing" (i.e. rather than the passive perfect participle "mixed"). Both Gyula Németh and Peter Benjamin Golden initially advocated the "mixed race" theory, but later, like Paul Pelliot, considered that "to incite, rebel", or "to produce a state of disorder", i.e. the "disturbers", was a more likely etymology for migrating nomads. According to Osman Karatay, the "mixed" etymology cannot rely on the westward migration of the Oğurs and their supposed meeting and merging with the Huns, north of the Black Sea, as the Oghurs were documented in Europe only since 463, while the Bulgars were first mentioned in 482 – an overly short time period for any such ethnogenesis to occur.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1873: 1873 Milestone — Since the work of Tomaschek (1873), it is generally said to be derived from Proto-Turkic root *bulga- ("to stir, to mix; to become mixed"), which with the consonant suffix -r implies a noun meaning "mixed".

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Bulgars

True or False: “The Bulgars were exclusively descended from Huns who migrated westward after the fall of Rome.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While they interacted with Hunnic tribes, scholars suggest their ethnogenesis involved absorbing influences from Iranic and Uralic groups, not solely being a direct offshoot.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Bulgars