Founded in 1240, Altin-Orda State established dominion in Dest-i Kipchak and the Kipchak lands ranging from Irtish towards the banks of Tuna, the Northern Caucasus, and the Crimea, Bulgaria in Idyll, Ural Mountains and Harezm. In Dest-i Kipcak, the eastern Kipchaks led a nomadic life while the Western Kipchaks were half-nomadic. The Kipchaks arrived in the Eastern Europe in the century XI. Then, the main military force of the Altin-Orda State was composed of these Kipchaks. Mongolian-Tatars combined with the western Kipchaks in Altin-Orda and then they lost their national identities. (15) In the first half of the century XIV., the western Kipchaks started to call themselves as Tatar. Tatar language was the official language of Altin-Orda State and Islam was its official religion of the state. After the foundation of Altin-Orda State, the Bulgarian geography in Idyll became the fundamental centre of population that alimented the State of Altin-Orda and the Bulgarian City was the capital of Altin-Orda. In Bulgarian country, the Altin-Orda coins were minted until the years of 1330. Pursuant to the foundation of Saray as the capital, the Bulgarian City was used as excursion spot in which Altin-Ordu Khans spent their summers until the second half of the century XIV. Kipchaks came to Idyll Bulgaria between the centuries of XI-XIII and they were charged in the Bulgarian army. However, pursuant to the foundation of Altin-Orda, Kipchaks raided towards the banks of Idyll in crowded groups. But in the centuries XIII-XIV, the Kipchaks could not find enough room for them in the Bulgarian bureaucracy. It is possible to observe this fact from the tombstones extracted from this region. 90% of two hundred tombstones that have been extracted so far were written in Bulgarian language (today's Chuvash language, roticism), and the rest 10% were written in Kipchak language.

Upon the raids of Pulat Timur as we have stated above, Timur and Russians, the Bulgarian Chuvash people advanced to the left side of Çulman-Idyll and some of them went to the central and northern regions of today's Chuvashistan on the banks of Idyll. The people on the right side of Idyll emigrated from the region of Ulyanovs (Simbir) and the southern and southeastern regions of today's Chuvashistan and settled in the southern regions of today's Tataristan and in the lowest sections and the northeastern parts of Sive River. In the beginning of the century XV, Mongol Tatars established dominion on 5/4 of all the Bulgarian-Chuvash people.

Instead of the State of Altin-Orda that dissolved in the first half of the century XV, the Kazan Khanate was established. Then, Kipchak-Tatars started again to advance towards the banks of Idyll in crowded groups. Uluğ Muhammed Han who founded the Kazan Khanate brought his army composed of three thousands of Tatars to Kazan. As a result, crowded Tatar groups started to immigrate to Kazan from the centre of Altin-Orda, the environs of Azov, Astarhan and the Crimea. Kazan Khanate that established dominion over the Finno-Ugrian tribes and Bulgarians-Chuvash people completed its development.

As stated in the written reference books, a tribe of Miser Tatars on the banks of Idyll was a part of the Finno-Ugrians that lived in Kasim Khanate that dominated in Meşçeri in the centuries of XV-XVI. (Most of Meşçer people had become Russians) and they were mixed with Kipchak-Tatars that came from the State of Altin-Orda and became Tatars).

The first stage in which today's Chuvash people attained their national identity was the period of Idyll-Bulgarian State. We observe that various Finno-Ugrian tribes combined with the Bulgarian-Chuvash people living in this region and they were assimilated. The people of the Bulgarian State that mostly lived in urban areas became Muslims, and the majority of the people who lived in rural areas and villages continued their ancient beliefs. But this Shamanism was changed under the influence of Islam and it got closer to Islam. The establishment of monotheism, the concepts such as heaven, hell, canonically lawful and unlawful things, faith, the Devil, prophet and sin, etc. were adopted in Chuvash Shamanism under the influence of Islam. The Bulgarian State had various struggles with these people who were non-Muslims.

Most of the Bulgarians that adopted the religion of Islam were mixed in Kipchaks in time and they become Tatars. As a result of the increase in religious pressure in the period of Kazan Khanate, the Chuvash people who were not Muslims get collected together with the Finno-Ugrian tribes. This was the second state in which the Chuvash people attained their national identity.When they lived under the dominion of Kazan Khanate, the Chuvash people struggled continuously against the religious oppression and they appealed for the help of the Russian soldiers when they rebelled in 1546. Upon the support of the Russian armed soldiers, they saved the Chuvash geography from the soldiers of Khan.In the year of 1551, Chuvash people made peace with Russians were under their dominion. On the occasion of this movement of peace, Ivan the IV had given them his golden seal. In the course of besieging Kazan in 1552, Chuvash people helped to Russians.

Chuvash people who were united with the Russian Tsardom faced the policies of forced adoption of Christianity and Russian identity. They were subjected to various pressures and oppression about these issues within the period of 445 years in which they were under the Russian dominion. However, we should clearly state that the Russian policy towards the disintegration of Idyll-Ural brought forward the expansion of Chuvash people on a wider geography. Chuvash people had lost 4/5 of their population and 9/10 of their lands in the period of Kazan Khanate. Then, they increased their population ten folds and their geographical area three folds under the Russian dominion. The Russian dominion stopped the process of Chuvash people becoming Tatars, but it started their process of becoming Russians. As a result of the Russian policies towards the adoption of Christianity and Russian identity by the Chuvash people, Russia sent missioners to the region that knew Chuvash language. These missioners started some sorts of works upon Chuvash language. These works sometimes caused violence and even rebellions. As a result of these activities, the Chuvash people had become Christians. But it cannot be stated that the forced adoption of Russian identity was successful.

The Chuvash Autonomous Region founded in 1920 was transformed into Chuvash Autonomous Republic in the year of 1925. In the Soviet period, the activities towards the orientation of the youth to atheism were accelerated besides the policies of the adoption of Russian identity. As a continuation of the policy of Russian identity, the Chuvash language was externalised and the official language of Chuvashistan was stated as Russian in the constitution. However, in the process of expansion and restructuring that started in 1985, we observe that some struggles have been initiated for return to the mother tongue, national culture and the independence in Chuvashistan. In accordance with a law adopted in 1991, the statement of "The official and educational language of Chuvash Autonomous Republic is Russian language" was changed as "The official and educational languages of Chuvash Autonomous Republic are Russian and Chuvash languages". As a result of these modifications, some schools have been opened in Chuvashistan that provides education in Chuvash language and the activities towards the return of Chuvash people to their mother tongue and national culture gained a new impetus.

The End

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