The Chuvash history
by Shoora Shooroomboos (Shoormboos)
short version

(Alexander Zaryanin)

Chuvashes are a descendants of Volga Bulgarians (Bulghars).

Bulgaria (of the Volga), the state existed in the middle ages from the 8th century A.C. at the mouth of the Volga and Kama rivers. This country was known for its developed trade, handicrafts, and agriculture. Bulgars (Bolghars) supplied furs and leather goods to the Middle East of Asia, to the Byzantine and Europe. The Bulgars produced a lot of grain.
Bulgaria of Volga is described in many sources, mainly Arabic and old Russian, and other.

The epitaphs on the Bulgar's tombstones, that have survived, are written in Arabic letters, but in a language very similar to Chuvash.
Chuvash people by language are direct descendants of the Volga Bulgarians.

Tatars, their own devastating invasion 13-15th ages, had compelled the much a Volga Bulgarians search for salvation on right side of Volga River (bulgarian: Atil, Atel).
Here Bulgars to assimilate the aborigine Cheremises tribes (Mari). Thereby from Bulgar of Volga was formed the modern nation - a Chuvash.

Tatars are usual turkic, they are descendant of medieval state the Golden Horde.
Golden Horde, the part of Mongolian Empire by created Chingizkhan.
Volga Bulgars named by ethnic name 'tatar' the all nomadic tribes on territory of the modern Mongolia and northern China.

At the end of the 14th age Timur (Tamerlane), the known conqueror from Middle Asia, have invaded the Golden Horde. His forces ravaged many cities of the Golden Horde and weakened the might of Horde.
Timur has totally destroyed the cities and villages of Volga Bulghars on the left side of the rivers a Kama and Volga (by the flow). This territory has become a sparsely populated area - the Wild Field. The Timur's army have captured about half of a million of Bulgarians populations.
The survivors of Bulghars escaped on right side of the Volga and Kama. They joined to their relatives who were already there earlier. Bulghars on the right side of Volga were identified - a Chuvash.

Battle in the steppe in winter

In medium 14th age, the Golden Horde has done the islamic an official religion. Everything Tatarian was hostile for Chuvashes. The Chuvashes refused from Islam and having returned to its ancient traditional faith. Volga Bulgars, which remained faithfull Islam, have taken the state language of the Golden Horde - Tatar, and soon definitively become a Tatar - was assimilated.

Exodus of Bulghars

Khanate of the Kazan

In 15th age the Golden Horde has disintegrated on several sovereign (separate) parts - khanates. The much of Tatars come to former territory of Volga Bulgar. Here arised a Kazan Khanate with state center at Kazan - Bulgarian town, a castle.
Chuvashian Bulgars have thinked that Khanate of Kazan will become as the new Bulgar, and had became an ally of Kazan of own accord.
Chuvashes defended Kazan from Russian Tsardom. Russian tsars often time were hit upon Kazan. Chuvashes with union of Cheremises destroyed supplies with reinforcement and foods for Russian troops, and sink the Russian naves that sailed on Volga to Russian army assaulted many times upon Kazan. Russians always happened to remove the siege and return back empty-handed.

At the beginning of 16th age control on Kazan have seized the cruel Islamic dynasty of Crimean Tatar - Ghirey. Under power of Ghireys for Chuvash happened is difficult.
Chuvashia (Ghornaya Storona, the Mounts (Hills) Side) was shown the most rich province of Kazan Khanate. The taxes of Ghireys became more high.

The Chuvashes didn't withstanding oppressive a new powers of Kazan and ceased to help Kazan Khanate. Chuvashes became allies of the Russians. Soon Kazan Khanate lost supports of Chuvash was conquered by Russian Tsardom of tsar Ivan IV (Ivan Awesome).
Thenceforward, the Chuvashes were included in Russian Empire.

Again Chuvashes settled the territories of the former Bulgaria. But they were all the times there.

Ivan IV conquers a Kazan

Soon the Russian rulers forgot their promises to the Chuvash. At beginning of 17th с. in Russia the Ryurikovich's dynasty was changed Romanov family. The Russian tsarist governments of Romanov dynasty had forgotten merits of Chuvashes and had put forward against Chuvashes the many much economic and political sanctions. Was forbidden to Chuvashs the concern in craft production and fabrication of weapons. Chuvashia changed to solely agrarian province and was divided between different regions (gubernia) in Russian Empire.

Russian Orthodox Church oppressively christianized Chuvashes. Chuvashes participated in all riots and rebellions in history of the Russian Empire.
Many Chuvashes, who forgot traditional religion and didn't trusted to Russian priests, have become the atheists. Although, much of Chuvashes didn't forgot their traditional culture and faith.

Bulghars (Bulgarians)

On mouth of Volga and Kama ancestor of the Chuvashes (Volga Bulghars) coming from territories beside Black Sea and steppes of the Don river.
In these territories between Volga river and Black Sea in 7th century existed the nomadic state the Great Bulghar.

Bulghars were the splinter of Huns Empire - of barbarian emperor Attila.

After death of Attila the Huns divided into many tribes with ending in their names on "oghur" or "ghur": Hunoghurs, Saroghurs, Utioghurs, Kutrioghurs etc; also with ending on "ar" or "ir": Savirs (Suvars), Khazars, Avars, and Magyars (Madiars), and so on.

Тhe names of the Oghuric tribes can be translated from Chuvash:
The ending the Oghurs names in "oghur" or "ghur" mean from Chuvash word "woghor" - a bull, oxen; and meaning as - the Hun, or tribe (genus, clan)
- Uturghurs (Utrigur, Utigurs) - from "ut" - to go, walking; "ur" - a leg; then in meaning: the leading leg of the bull, or bull's front leg - the advance-guard
- Kuturghurs (Kutrigur, Kutigurs) - from "Kut" - the ass, rear; "ur" - a leg; then in meaning: the rear leg (hind leg) of the bull - the rear-guard
- Saragurs (Shoraghur) - from "shora" - an white, in meaning - white bulls, White Huns.
- Onoghurs (Hunoghur, Vunogur, Vunnuhundur(gur)) - from "won" (un, on) - a ten, in meaning - the ten bulls (tribes).
- Ultsingurs - from "ult" (ulty) - a six, and "sin" - a man, in meaning - the six mans of Huns (bulls).
And others in the same...

In medium 6th age steppe East Europe were occupied by Turkic Khaganate. The descendants of the Attila from gender (clan) Doulu (Toulu, Tula) organized alliance of the resistance against the Turkic - the Oghur.
Turkes withstanding to Oghur were identified as the Oghuz. Acted system of the keywords indicating friend or foe, contraposition of Hunnish "r" - oghur, to Turkic "z" (or "s" or sometimes "d") - the oghuz (and else Hunnish "l" to turkic "sh").
Chuvashes, the only surviving descendants of the Oghurs and Huns.

Oghurs of the Doulu defeated and disunited the Turkic Khaghanate. Turkes renounced faithfulness (allegiance) to its chieftains from Ashina dinasty.
Ashina's, the originally old Hunnish dynasty, have found the refuge beside remained faithful by him the Khazars.

The chieftain of Oghurs, a khan Organ Doulo (the Siberian-Khan), has displaced the Oghuz-Turkic to the east from a lake Balkhash. He beside around of Aral Sea created a richest province Organza (Urgench), known later as Hwarezm.

Map of Oghurs (Doulu) Union 570-620ths


army of Huns Oghurs


Hun-Oghur the Bulghar

The nephew of Organ by name Kubrat Doulo possessed of the main part of Oghurs, he created in steppe beside Black Sea the state of the Bulghars (Bulgaria).

Related ethnoses Khazars and Bulghars became the most cruel enemies.

After death of the Bulgars ruler the khan Kubrat, his sons have separated the tribes between himself. Saved the names of three his sons: Bitboyan (Boyan), Kotraq, Asparuh.
Khazars used the weakening of Bulghars and have conquered their territory.

Khan Kubrat and his sons

The defeated Bulghars dispersed on different sides. A part of Bulghars left in Central Europe. The other part by khan Asparuh (junior son of Kubrat) have moved to Danube riverside. Here Bulghars was mixed with a slavs and founded modern Bulgaria. Remained Bulgarians were got under the power of Khazars.

The most part of Bulghars gradually advanced to mouths of the rivers Volga and Kama (by khan Kotraq). These Bulghars founded Bulgaria of Volga. Volga Bulgaria initially depended by Khazars.

Bulghar's or Khazar's attack

Khazars

The some of descendants of the Huns are Khazars created on occupied lands a new Empire the Khazarian Khaghanate (Khaghanlykh). Khazars had conquered much slavonic and finnish tribes which paid tribute to them.

Khazaria developed as transit trade state for east goods, through Bysanty in Europe, and through Caucasus in Front Asia. The basic businesses of Khazars either as Bulghars was a nomadic stock-breeding. The cities of Khazars, beside Caucasus mountains and in delta of Volga, were as their bases for cool winter period. They consisted basically of temporary nomad's tents - jurt (cюрт). During summer season Khazar's "cities" lefted with their places and going to migrations.

From decaying of Bulghars, the influence of the dynasty Doulou in Siberia came to weaken too. The Oguz turks have occupied the territory beside Aral before Caspian sea.

Magyars (Hungaries)

After leaving Savirs (Sabirs) from Siberia (begining 6th age), here remained else much Huns. The Huns in Siberia having different finns-lapoids tribes which related a modern Khants and Mansies. Even after Avars in the enormous space of Siberian steppe was living many nomadic tribes.

The Huns mired them to nomadic lifestyle.
Here Huns having formed the potentate caste of tribes, and they have adopted the language of local finn-lappids population. The Huns who remained in Siberia named itself - Madiar (Magyar).

In 60-70th years of 6 age Magyars was fall into turkic power. Magyars in fight with conquerors have verged to Oghur alliance under governing the clan Doulou. From name Oghur, Magyars and populations of Siberia often referred to as "ughr" (yugra) or "voghul" - from chuvash: woghor - a bull, ox.
After destruction the Great Bulgharia by Khazars in East Europe, clan of the Doulou became to lose their own positions. The Oguz turks have occupied the territory beside Aral before Kaspian sea.

Turks in change from Huns were not assimilated with won ethnos, in other the conquered peoples took the turkic speech. In total happen east part of Magyars had become a Turkic.
These tribes were identified "Kuman" - a hermmits, from turkic "kum" - a desert. Other their name was - Qypsyaq (Kypchak), and the first of Uigurs were got from Magyars.

Oghuzs have displaced from Central Asia remainder Hephthalites - Kunghars, desert Oghurs, the White Huns. The name of this nomades known as a Bagganak, or Pecheneq.

Magyars displaced out of all sides