Volga Tatar nationalism is the belief thatTatars should constitute an independent nation. Finding historical basis in theKhanate of Kazan and Russian–Tatar enmities, Tatar nationalism has often synthesised Islam as a national aspect. Tatar nationalism has historically manifested itself as theIdel-Ural State, as well as theDeclaration of State Sovereignty of Tatarstan [ru] and the country's period ofde facto independence from Russia in the early 1990s.
Tatar nationalism has been cited by historian Sergei Kondrashov as having two historical causes: Firstly is theMongol invasion of Kievan Rus' and the subsequent "Mongolo-Tatar domination of Russia". Secondly is theKhanate of Kazan and its subjugation during theRusso-Kazan Wars. Tatar nationalism has also been divided between two schools of thought, known as "Bulgarists" and "Tatarists". The Bulgarists placeVolga Bulgaria as the historical origins of modern-day Tatarstan, with theGolden 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 theRussian conquest of Central Asia, Tatarstan, much like other Muslim-majority nations within theRussian 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 byŞihabetdin Märcani, among others, who argued in favour of a Tatar ethnic identity. Prior to theRussian Revolution, Tatar activists such asGabdulla Apanayev [ru] organised largely within theUnion of the Muslims of Russia. Tatar nationalism at this time was influenced by the progressively-mindedJadid movement, which sought to fuse Islam and western innovations in regards to education and other similar topics.[2]
The Russian Revolution and the subsequentRussian Civil War led to major changes in the development of Tatar nationalism. TheIdel-Ural State was created in part to represent Tatars, though it lasted only 28 days before being defeated by theRed Army. Anti-communist nationalists like Apanayev were executed.[3] After the civil war, a group of Muslimnational communists emerged under the leadership of TatarMirsaid 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 asAyaz İshaki called for the establishment of an independent Tatar state based on Idel-Ural. This advocacy further incited Soviet paranoia, and, during theGreat Purge, many Tatars were imprisoned on charges of association with either Sultan-Galiev or İshaki. As a result of the Great Purge, most of Tatarstan's urban intelligentsia was arrested, exiled, or executed by the outbreak ofWorld War II. Tatarstan's major cities wereRussified.
After military setbacks duringOperation Barbarossa and protests by the government of Turkey on the treatment of Muslim Soviet prisoners of war, Nazi Germany organised theIdel Ural Legion in 1942. Comprising Tatars as well as other ethnicities within theIdel-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 asanti-Russian sentiment, opposition tocollective 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 İshaki, 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 Cälil and hisCälil Group [ru], while part of the Idel-Ural Legion, covertly resisted Germany and later defected back to Soviet forces. Cälil was posthumously awarded the title ofHero of the Soviet Union for his military activities, as well as theLenin Prize for hisMoabit Notebook [ru], at the urging of Tatar intelligentsia.[6]
Unlike many other nationalities within the Soviet Union, such asCrimean Tatars andUkrainians, 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 asSalix Battal [ru]'s 1961 poemLetter of Batu Khan and calls to upgrade theTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic to the status of aunion republic. In response to Battal's proposal, he was removed from theCommunist Party of the Soviet Union. A six-member dissident group, known to theKGB as the "Aydeldinov Group", includedNurixan Fättax [ru],Fuat Väliev [ru],Gabdulla Şamukov [ru] andFajeq Möxemetjenov [ru], and was known to argue for nationalistic viewpoints.[7]
Amidst thedissolution of the Soviet Union, Tatar political leaders sought to establish themselves as separate from Russia. TheDeclaration 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 ofde facto independence, something which Tatar leaders sought to strengthen with a1992 sovereignty referendum and a wide-reaching nation-building exercise. TheTatar language and Islamic education were publicly revived,[9] while theKul Sharif Mosque began being rebuilt.[10] Tatar nationalism at this time split between moderate and radical camps. The radicalIttifaq Party, led byFauziya Bayramova, expressly opposed Jadid,Sufism, andEuropean Islam, promoting strong anti-Russian sentiment and an Islamic Tatarstan. The moderateAll-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 ofasymmetric federalism.[12]
WithVladimir 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 RussianTatarophobia.[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]
Media related toTatar nationalism at Wikimedia Commons