TATARS (the common form Tartars is less correct), a name given to nearly three million inhabitants of the Russian empire, chiefly Muslim and of Turkish origin. The majority—in European Russia—are remnants of the Mongol invasion of the 13th century (see MONGOLS), while those who inhabit Siberia are survivals of the once much more numerous Turkish population of the Ural Altaic region, mixed to some extent with Finnish and Samoyedic stems, as also with Mongols. The name is derived from that of the Ta-ta Mongols, who in the 5th century inhabited the north eastern Gobi, and, after subjugation in the 9th century by the Khitans, migrated southward, there founding the Mongol empire. Under the leadership of Batu they moved westwards, driving with them many stems of the Turkish Ural-Altaians towards the plains of Russia. The present Tatar inhabitants of European Russia, contain very little admixture of Mongolian blood, but belong to the Turkish branch of the Ural-Altaic stock, only Batu, his warriors, and a limited number of his followers being Mongols, while the bulk of the 13th century invaders were Turks. On the Volga they mingled with remnants of the old Bulgarian empire, elsewhere with Finnish stems, and with remnants of the ancient Italian and Greek colonies in Crimea, and Caucasians in Caucasus. The name of Tatars, or Tartars, given to the invaders, was after wards extended to different stems of the same Turkish branch in Siberia, and even the bulk of the inhabitants of the high plateau of Asia and its N.W. slopes, described under the name of Tartary.
The Tatar inhabitants of the Russian empire formed three large groups—those of European Russia and Poland, those of Caucasus, and those of Siberia. (I) The Kazan Tatars, de scendants of the Kipchaks settled on the Volga in the 13th cen tury, where they mingled with survivors of the old Bulgarians and partly with Finnish stems. They speak a pure Turkish dialect ; they are middle-sized, broad-shouldered and strong, and mostly have black eyes, a straight nose and salient cheek bones. They are Mohammedans; polygamy is practised only by the wealthier classes. They are excellent agriculturists and gardeners, very laborious, and have a good reputation for honesty. (2) The Bashkirs who live between the Kama, Ural and Volga are pos sibly of Finnish origin, but now speak a Tatar language and have become Mohammedans. (3) The Astrakhan Tatars are agricul turists and gardeners. The Kundrovsk Tatars still continue the nomadic life of their ancestors. (4) The Crimean Tatars, who occupied the Crimea in the 13th century, have preserved the name of their leader, Nogai. The mountain Tatars closely resemble those of Caucasus, while those of the steppes—the Nogais—are decidedly of a mixed origin from Turks and Mongols.
(5) The Tatars of Caucasia, who inhabit the upper Kuban, the steppes of the lower Kuma and the Kura, and the Aras. Of these the Nogais on the Kuma show traces of an intimate mixture with Kalmucks. They are nomads, supporting themselves by cattle-breeding and fishing; few are agriculturists. The Karachais in the upper valleys about Elburz live by agriculture. (6) The mountain Tatars, divided into many tribes, are scattered through out the provinces of Baku, Erivan, Tiflis, Kutais, Daghestan, and partly also of Batum. They are certainly of a mixed origin, and
present a variety of ethnological types. All who are neither Armenians nor Russians, nor members of any distinct Caucasian tribe, are often called Tatars. Although most fervent Shiites, they are on very good terms with their Sunnite neighbours. Poly gamy is rare and their women go to work unveiled.
The Siberian Tatars occupy three distinct regions—a strip run ning west to east from Tobolsk to Tomsk, the Altai and its spurs, and South Yeniseisk. They originated in the agglomerations of Turkish stems which in the region north of the Altai reached some degree of culture between the 4th and the 8th centuries, but were subdued and enslaved by the Mongols. They are difficult to classify, for they are the result of somewhat recent minglings of races and customs. (7) The Baraba Tatars take their name from one of their stems (Barama), live in Tobolsk, a few in Tomsk, by agriculture, either in separate villages or along with Russians. (8) The Cholym or Chulym Tatars on the Cholym and both the rivers Yus speak a Turkish language with many Mongol and Yakut words, and are more like Mongols than Turks. (9) The Abakan or Minusinsk Tatars occupied the steppes on the Abakan and Yus in the 17th century, after the withdrawal of the Kirghizes, and represent a mixture with Kaibals (whom Castren considers as partly of Ostiak and partly Samoyedic origin) and Beltirs also of Finnish origin. Their language is also mixed. They are known under the name of Sagais. ( o) The Tatars of the northern slopes of the Altai are of Finnish origin. They comprise some hundreds of Kumandintses, the Lebed Tatars, the Chernevyie or Black-Forest Tatars and the Shors, descendants of the Kuznetsk or Iron-Smith Tatars. They are chiefly hunters and have main tained their Shaman religion and tribal organization into suoks. They live partly also on cedar-nuts and honey collected in the forests. Their dress is that of their former rulers, the Kalmucks, and their language contains many Mongol words. (I 1) The Altai Tatars, or "Altaians," comprise—(a) the Mountain Kalmucks who have nothing in common with the Kalmucks except their dress and mode of life, while they speak a Turkish dialect, and (b) the Teleutes, or Telenghites, a remain ler of a formerly numerous and warlike nation who have migrated from the moun tains to the lowlands, where they now live along with Russian peasants.