Everyone knows Bulgaria. But few people know that once there was another Bulgaria, where minarets rose instead of Orthodox churches, and which could become the most important center of Europe.
Two Bulgaria
In the middle of the first millennium AD, on a vast territory from China to the Balkans, Turkic nomadic states - kaganates, were formed, replacing each other. In this cauldron of medieval statehood, at the turn of the 6th-7th centuries, the state of Great Bulgaria arose on the territory of the North Caucasus. However, almost immediately she came under the pressure of her strong neighbor, which was formed during the same period, the Khazar Kaganate. Under his onslaught, Bulgarian society collapsed. Part moved to the West and founded the state "Bulgaria", which still exists today. The other half went northeast to the Kama River. It was these Bulgarians, who mixed with the local population, went down in history under the name of the Kama and Volga Bulgars. Fertile lands, full of game forests and a system of rivers contributed to the rapid settlement of the nomads. In a relatively short period,within two centuries, a large state arose on this territory (end of the 9th century).
Why Islam
The combination of Muslim architecture and the Central Russian plains puzzled many travelers. So the Flemish Franciscan monk, the famous missionary and traveler Guillaume de Rubruck, wrote in his memoirs: "I do not know how the law of Muhammad went so far north."
The Volga Bulgaria made its choice of faith in 922, although the preconditions existed earlier. The contacts of the Bulgars with the Islamic world began to grow stronger already in the VIII century, after the Khazar Kaganate was conquered by the Arab commander Mervan bin Mohammed.
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A local legend is connected with this, given in the book of the Bulgarian historian Yakub Nugman. Allegedly, one Muslim merchant arrived in the capital of Bulgaria from Bukhara. He was an educated man and perfectly mastered the art of medicine. It so happened that the king and his wife at the same time fell ill with a serious illness. They were treated with all the medicines known then, but the disease only intensified. The merchant found out about this, and said that he could help in trouble, but on condition that they accept his faith. They agreed and were healed, and "accepted Islam and the people of their country accepted Islam."
In fact, the reason was more mundane.
Bulgars needed help to resist their hated neighbor - the Khazar Kaganate.
Such assistance could have been provided by the then center of the Islamic world - the Baghdad Caliphate. At the beginning of the VIII century, they were provided with financial assistance to Bulgaria in the war. Relations with such a rich and developed ally significantly increased the authority of the Bulgars and provided protection, not to mention economic growth - the Arab countries were a profitable trading market.
Once having adopted Islam, the Bulgars no longer retreated from their faith. Subsequently, they tried to spread Islam further, inviting Vladimir Svyatoslavich to accept their religion in 986. But two years later, Russia was baptized, following a different path.
Kingdom of rich cities
After Svyatoslav defeated the Khazar Kaganate, to which the Bulgarians were in vassal dependence, the latter quickly "rose", monopolizing the entire Volga trade route and trade with the Arab East and Iran. Moreover, following the usual rules of trade, they strictly observed that Russian sellers of furs - a popular commodity in the East - did not meet with Arab merchants.
But the Volga Bulgaria lived not only through mediation.
All over the world, the products of their artisans were famous: ceramics, leatherwork. The best sorts of leather in Arab countries were called Bulgar.
Armament also did not lag behind in quality. The Bulgar army could afford the most modern weapons at that time. As an Arab author of the 10th century wrote: “Bulgars ride on horseback, have chain mail and full armor”. And Prince Vladimir, during his campaign to the Volga Bulgaria, even doubted the possibility of confirming the agreements of his father and getting tribute from the Bulgars: “Bulgarians shod in boots will not give tribute: we must look for bast boots”. After that, Kievan Rus concluded "Eternal Peace" with Bulgaria.
The developed cities were not only the center of trade, but also played an important role in the military strategy of the Bulgars. Strongly fortified fortified castles served as important outposts for expanding the territory of the state. With the arrival of the new lands, the Bulgar prince erected a castle-settlement. It became the center of these lands, the main supplier of artisan products, under the protection of its high walls and ramparts, merchants could freely conduct trade operations. So, gradually, the whole life of local residents concentrated around the new city. The land became Bulgarian. This can explain that, in spite of the military defeats that the Bulgar suffered, their territories only expanded. It spread in the east - to the lands of modern Bashkiria, in the south - to present-day Saratov, in the west - to Nizhny Novgorod. In the North, there was no border as such,although the Volga Bulgars mastered the territory up to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Hence the historical assertion that "Bulgarians in the field are weak, but they firmly hold the cities."
Between the devil and the deep sea
The Great Volga Bulgaria was not just developed, it was a powerful state and, at times, even a dangerous neighbor of Kievan Rus. The area of one of the largest cities of the Volga Bulgaria - Bilyar, was larger than medieval Kiev, Vladimir and even Paris. Who knows where the center of modern Europe would be, if not for the invasion of a powerful enemy from the East - the Mongols. Bulgaria turned out to be the first state to face their wild hordes. Even the well-fortified walls of the Bulgar cities were not saved against the nomads. Bilyar, already mentioned by us, in 1236 after a long siege was taken and razed to the ground. According to eyewitnesses, "for several days the Mongols left nothing from the city except its name." So, Europe lost one of the largest, along with the then Constantinople, trade and craft center.
Bulgaria was saved from complete destruction by the rapid adoption of Islam by the Mongols.
The culture and people of the Volga Bulgaria joined the Golden Horde and continued their existence in new conditions. At least, the finds of the Mongolian period correspond in appearance to the handicraft products made during the existence of the Volga Bulgaria. A new heyday continued until the middle of the XIV century, when the “Great Zamyatnaya” or civil strife began in the Golden Horde, which led to the collapse of the state. Rus, rising from its knees at that time, threatened not only the nomads, but also the Bulgars. As a result, Bulgaria lost its strategically important southern lands, which passed to Moscow. Only the northern lands, with the center in Kazan, retained their independence. So the formation of a new state in the Northern Volga region began - the Kazan Khanate, with a new ethnic group of Kazan Tatars.