Volga-Bulgarians

[Marquis de Said]

Does anyone know any good books or websites with information about the Volga-Bulgarians especially about the names of their khans? This question is sort of related to playing MTW, as you can play the Volga-Bulgars in the XL mod, but I have found it a bit unrealistic that their khans and generals have names similar to the Mongols. Since the Volga-Bulgarians were a Muslim nation, wouldn't they have Muslim or Arabic names, such as Muhammad or Ahmad?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Marquis de Said

[Steppe Merc]

The Volga Bulgars were Turks. Some might have Muslim names, but I think they would have more Turkish names, though certaintly not Mongolian.

[sharrukin]

Cannot swear to the accuracy but I found these.
Utiger and Bulgar names;

KURT/KUBRAT
ALKHASI
EALKH
OLKH
ALKH
KHUMSKHI
KHONSA
DOKHS
SHEKHTEM
KAVKHAN
AVITOKHOL
ASPARUKH
VINEKH
ESKHACH
OKHSUN
SANDILKH
KHINIALON
ERNICH
GOSTUN
BEZMER
ASPAROUKH
TERVEL
SEVAR
KORMISOSH
VINEKH
TELETZ
OUMOR

[Aenlic]

After 922, when the Volga Bulgars converted to Islam, they rapidly adopted Arabic names, even so far as using the "ibn" designator for "son of" and other specifically Arabic naming conventions. After 922, mixed in with the Arabic names were Turkic names, and also some Khazar names from their time as a Khazar vassal. They even stopped calling themselves khans and kagans, and adopted the term shiekh. Sometime before 922, Almas Khan of the Volga Bulgars decided he needed to consolidate the warring tribes and gain an ally who might aid him against the Khazars and the Rus and the Turkic various steppes tribes. He sent a letter to the Baghdad Kaliph asking for an alliance with the Abbassids and for learned men to teach the Quran and build mosques. The Kaliph sent Ahmad ibn Fadlan (who you may remember as a more fictionalized character in The 13th Warrior, but was an actual scholar and historian and ambassador for the Kaliph). Just a few days after his arrival, the Volga Bulgars proclaimed Islam as the official religion.

The best place to find names of rulers for just about any culture anywhere at any time is here:

Regnal Chronologies

This site is full of great information. It's a wonderful resource for MTW modding.

The section on Volga Bulgaria, from the General Index is in the Eurasia section, under Russia, in the Kazan listing. Here:

Khanate of the Volga Bulgars

[Marquis de Said]

Thanks for the replies, guys. They were of great help. Information on the Volga-Bulgars on the Internet is pretty scarce, but I the names and links you provided should be more than enough.

Cheers,
Marquis