tartars

Tartars is a historical exonym that western sources used to refer to various Turkic- and Mongol-speaking peoples across Eurasia beginning in the medieval period. It did not denote a single self-identified nation, but rather a broad set of groups associated with the Kipchak and Karluk confederations and successors of the Mongol Empire in Central Asia, the Volga region, the Caucasus, and parts of Eastern Europe. In modern usage, the term is largely replaced by specific ethnonyms such as Tatars.

Today, the most prominent groups classed as Tatars are the Volga Tatars, who form the largest Tatar community and are centered in Tatarstan along the Volga River, as well as Crimean Tatars, concentrated in Crimea and in diaspora communities abroad. Smaller groups include Siberian Tatars and other Turkic peoples in Russia. Outside Russia, sizable Tatar communities exist in Ukraine, Turkey, and several Central Asian countries due to historical migration and political changes.

Language and culture are central to Tatar identity. The Tatar language has two widely recognized varieties: Volga Tatar and Crimean Tatar, both belonging to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic language family. In Russia, Tatar is co-official with Russian in Tatarstan. Writing systems have changed over time, with historical use of Arabic script and later Latin and Cyrillic scripts; Cyrillic is predominant today.

Historically, Tartars played a key role in the Mongol Empire’s successor states, notably the Golden Horde and the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Crimea. These entities influenced trade, politics, and culture across the region from the 13th to the 16th centuries. The term “Tartars” is now considered outdated in many contexts, with precise ethnonyms preferred. Most Tatars today are Sunni Muslims and maintain rich literary and cultural traditions.