Belief that Tatars should constitute an independent nation
Tatar nationalism
is the belief that
Tatars
should constitute an independent nation. Finding historical basis in the
Khanate of Kazan
and Russian?Tatar enmities, Tatar nationalism has often synthesised Islam as a national aspect. Tatar nationalism has historically manifested itself as the
Idel-Ural State
, as well as the
Declaration of State Sovereignty of Tatarstan
[
ru
]
and the country's period of
de facto
independence from Russia in the early 1990s.
Origins
[
edit
]
Tatar nationalism has been cited by historian Sergei Kondrashov as having two historical causes: Firstly is the
Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus'
and the subsequent "Mongolo-Tatar domination of Russia". Secondly is the
Khanate of Kazan
and its subjugation during the
Russo-Kazan Wars
. Tatar nationalism has also been divided between two schools of thought, known as "Bulgarists" and "Tatarists". The Bulgarists place
Volga Bulgaria
as the historical origins of modern-day Tatarstan, with the
Golden Horde
being a foreign, but culturally influential occupying power. The Tatarists, on the other hand, regard Volga Bulgaria and the Golden Horde as equal ancestors of present-day Tatars.
[1]
After the
Russian conquest of Central Asia
, Tatarstan, much like other Muslim-majority nations within the
Russian Empire
, was conflicted between struggles of ethnic and religious nationalism. Historically, much like other religiously-Islamic ethnic groups within the Empire, Tatars described themselves primarily as Muslims rather than aligning themselves with an ethnic or linguistic identity. This was opposed by
?ihabetdin Marcani
, among others, who argued in favour of a Tatar ethnic identity. Prior to the
Russian Revolution
, Tatar activists such as
Gabdulla Apanayev
[
ru
]
organised largely within the
Union of the Muslims of Russia
. Tatar nationalism at this time was influenced by the progressively-minded
Jadid
movement, which sought to fuse Islam and western innovations in regards to education and other similar topics.
[2]
Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union
[
edit
]
The Russian Revolution and the subsequent
Russian Civil War
led to major changes in the development of Tatar nationalism. The
Idel-Ural State
was created in part to represent Tatars, though it lasted only 28 days before being defeated by the
Red Army
. Anti-communist nationalists like Apanayev were executed.
[3]
After the civil war, a group of Muslim
national communists
emerged under the leadership of Tatar
Mirsaid Sultan-Galiev
. Beginning in the 1920s, they were steadily removed from power as part of simultaneous purges of Ukrainian, Central Asian, and Tatar national communists.
The Tatar diaspora, including sizeable communities in Germany, Turkey, and China, was indignant to Soviet government as a whole, and some members such as
Ayaz ?shaki
called for the establishment of an independent Tatar state based on Idel-Ural. This advocacy further encited Soviet paranoia, and, during the
Great Purge
, many Tatars were imprisoned on charges of association with either Sultan-Galiev or ?shaki. As a result of the Great Purge, most of Tatarstan's urban intelligentsia was arrested, exiled, or executed by the outbreak of
World War II
. Tatarstan's major cities were
Russified
.
World War II
[
edit
]
After military setbacks during
Operation Barbarossa
and protests by the government of Turkey on the treatment of Muslim Soviet prisoners of war, Nazi Germany organised the
Idel Ural Legion
in 1942. Comprising Tatars as well as other ethnicities within the
Idel-Ural
region, the Idel Ural Legion included some Tatar nationalists and was stated in German propaganda leaflets to be aimed at the restoration of the Idel-Ural State as independent from the Soviet Union. Most of its members, in addition to their status as prisoners of war, also stated different reasons for joining, such as
anti-Russian sentiment
, opposition to
collective farming
, anti-communism, and their families' religion. At the time, members of the Legion did not view themselves as belonging to separate ethnic groups, instead consisting as part of one singular unit.
[4]
This manifestation of Tatar nationalism did not include its interwar-era leaders, such as ?shaki, who, like many of his peers, was viewed with suspicion by the German government and sidelined.
[5]
At the same time, Tatars also fought for the Soviet Union and became national heroes.
Musa Calil
and his
Calil Group
[
ru
]
, while part of the Idel-Ural Legion, covertly resisted Germany and later defected back to Soviet forces. Calil was posthumously awarded the title of
Hero of the Soviet Union
for his military activities, as well as the
Lenin Prize
for his
Moabit Notebook
[
ru
]
, at the urging of Tatar intelligentsia.
[6]
Tatar dissidents
[
edit
]
Unlike many other nationalities within the Soviet Union, such as
Crimean Tatars
and
Ukrainians
, Volga Tatars lacked a similarly well-organised and substantial dissident movement after World War II. However, there were notable events of dissent among Tatars, such as
Salix Battal
[
ru
]
's 1961 poem
Letter of Batu Khan
and calls to upgrade the
Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
to the status of a
union republic
. In response to Battal's proposal, he was removed from the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
. A six-member dissident group, known to the
KGB
as the "Aydeldinov Group", included
Nurixan Fattax
[
ru
]
,
Fuat Valiev
[
ru
]
,
Gabdulla ?amukov
[
ru
]
and
Fajeq Moxemetjenov
[
ru
]
, and was known to argue for nationalistic viewpoints.
[7]
Independent Tatarstan (1990?1994)
[
edit
]
Amidst the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
, Tatar political leaders sought to establish themselves as separate from Russia. The
Declaration of State Sovereignty of Tatarstan
[
ru
]
, passed on 24 October 1990, defined Tatarstan as a sovereign state within the Soviet Union.
[8]
When the Soviet Union dissolved, Tatarstan found itself in a state of
de facto
independence, something which Tatar leaders sought to strengthen with a
1992 sovereignty referendum
and a wide-reaching nation-building exercise. The
Tatar language
and Islamic education were publicly revived,
[9]
while the
Kul Sharif Mosque
began being rebuilt.
[10]
Tatar nationalism at this time split between moderate and radical camps. The radical
Ittifaq Party
, led by
Fauziya Bayramova
, expressly opposed Jadid,
Sufism
, and
European Islam
, promoting strong anti-Russian sentiment and an Islamic Tatarstan. The moderate
All-Tatar Public Center
, on the other hand, was primarily concerned with Tatar independence as opposed to religious matters.
[11]
Ultimately, Tatarstan signed a power-sharing agreement with the Russian government in 1994. As part of the agreement, Tatarstan received significant powers, which were later granted to other republics in a system of
asymmetric federalism
.
[12]
Since 1994
[
edit
]
With
Vladimir Putin
's accession to the Russian presidency in 2000, Tatarstan's powers have since been significantly eroded as part of a process of centralisation.
[13]
Nonetheless, Tatar nationalism has remained a significant part of political life, primarily in opposition to perceived Russian
Tatarophobia
.
[14]
Tatar nationalism has also, on occasion, come into conflict with Russians, such as during a 2011 protest regarding Russia's status within Tatarstan.
[15]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Kondrashov, Sergei (1999).
Nationalism and the Drive for Sovereignty in Tatarstan, 1988-1992: Origins and Development
. Springer. pp. 66?67.
ISBN
9781349407521
.
- ^
"Апанаев, Габдулла (1862-1919)"
[Apanayev, Gabdulla (1862?1919)].
Islamic Portal
(in Russian)
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
Faller, Helen M. (1 April 2002). "Repossessing Kazan as a Form of Nation-building in Tatarstan, Russia".
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs
.
22
(1): 82 – via Taylor & Francis.
- ^
Gilyazov, Iskander (2005).
Легион "Идель-Урал"
[
The Idel-Ural Legion
] (in Russian). Kazan: Tatar Book-Publishing House. pp. 9, 14, 18.
ISBN
5-298-04052-7
.
- ^
Rezunkov, Viktor (23 April 2016).
"Драма легиона "Идель-Урал"
"
[The drama of the Idel-Ural Legion].
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
(in Russian)
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
Farisov, Farit.
"Тайны татарского народа"
[Secrets of the Tatar people].
Kitapxana
(in Russian). Archived from
the original
on 8 June 2012
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
"Татарские диссиденты"
[Tatar dissidents].
Tatarica
(in Russian)
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
"Tatar State Sovereignty"
.
Michigan State University
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
Pope, V. (24 February 1992). "Tatarstan: Descendants of Genghis Khan are marching".
U.S. News & World Report
.
- ^
Faller, Helen M. (1 April 2002). "Repossessing Kazan as a Form of Nation-building in Tatarstan, Russia".
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs
.
22
(1): 84?85 – via Taylor & Francis.
- ^
Schmoller, Jesko (2018).
"The Unfolding of the Tulip"
.
Anthropological Journal of European Cultures
.
27
(1): 110?111 – via JSTOR.
- ^
Solnick, Steven (29 May 1996).
"Asymmetries in Russian Federation Bargaining"
(PDF)
.
The National Council for Soviet and East European Research
.
- ^
"Agreement on delimitation of powers with Tatarstan approved"
.
RBC
(in Russian). 26 July 2007
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
Oermann, Ross.
"Kazan's New Spirit: Lasting Social Effects of Tatarstan's Sovereignty Movement"
.
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
- ^
Dzutsati, Valery (4 January 2012).
"Tatar Nationalism Remains Vibrant Force in Volga Region"
.
Jamestown Foundation
. Retrieved
20 June
2023
.
External links
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- Note
: Forms of nationalism based primarily on
ethnic groups
are listed above. This does not imply that all nationalists with a given ethnicity subscribe to that form of
ethnic nationalism
.
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