Volga Bulgars
Learn more about Volga Bulgars
Image:Bolgar man by Gerasimov.jpg
Volga Bulgar man by Mikhail Gerasimov.
The Volga Bulgars were a culture in southern modern Russia along the Volga River from approximately 900 to 1300 CE. They were related to the original Bulgars of Old Great Bulgaria which had existed in approximately the same region around 600 to 700. Unlike their western Christian counterparts, the Volga Bulgars adopted Islam and enjoyed trade with neighboring Turkic peoples.
The Volga Bulgars were conquered by the Mongols in 1237, then again by Timur in 1361. They disappeared from historical prominence following their annexation by Muscovy in 1431. They are thought to be the ancestors of the modern Tatars and Chuvashs.
