Editing Tatarstan (section)

=== Middle Ages ===
{{further|Turco-Mongols|Great Tartary}}The earliest known organised state within the boundaries of Tatarstan was [[Volga Bulgaria]] (c.&nbsp;700–1238). The [[Volga Bulgars]] had an advanced mercantile state with trade contacts throughout Inner [[Eurasia]], the [[Middle East]], and the [[Baltic region|Baltic]], which maintained its independence despite pressure by such nations as the [[Khazars]], the [[Kievan Rus]], and the [[Cuman]]-[[Kipchaks]]. [[Islam]] was introduced by missionaries from [[Baghdad]] around the time of [[Ibn Fadlan]]'s journey in 922.

[[File:Bolgar archeological works.jpeg|thumb|Archaeological works at [[Bolgar, Spassky District, Republic of Tatarstan|Bolgar]]]]

Volga Bulgaria finally fell to the armies of the [[Mongol]] prince [[Batu Khan]] in the late 1230s (see [[Mongol invasion of Volga Bulgaria]]). The inhabitants, a large amount of them killed and the rest mixing with the [[Golden Horde]]'s [[Kipchaks]], became known as the [[Volga Tatars]]. In the 1430s, the region again became independent as the base of the [[Khanate of Kazan]], a capital having been established in [[Kazan]], {{Convert|170|km||abbr=on}} up the Volga from the ruined capital of the Bulgars.

The Khanate of Kazan [[Russo-Kazan Wars|was conquered]] by the troops of Tsar [[Ivan the Terrible]] in the 1550s, with Kazan being taken in 1552. A large number of Tatars were [[Forced conversion|forcibly converted]] to Christianity and were culturally [[Russification|Russified]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=DERRICK |first1=MATTHEW A. |title=TERRITORY AND THE CHANGING SHAPE OF TATAR ISLAM IN TSARIST AND SOVIET RUSSIA {{!}} MATTHEW A. DERRICK {{!}} IJORS International Journal of Russian Studies |website=www.ijors.net |url=https://www.ijors.net/issue2_1_2013/articles/derrick.html}}</ref> Cathedrals were built in Kazan; by 1593 all mosques in the area were destroyed. The Russian government forbade the construction of mosques, a prohibition that was not lifted until the 18th century by [[Catherine the Great]]. The first mosque to be rebuilt under Catherine's auspices was constructed in 1766–1770.