Articles

The Conception of Proto-Slavic Ethnic Background of the Ancient Bulgars: A Reinvestigation

Vostok/Oriens '2015, №6

 
The article examines whether a certain Proto-Slavic language group could form the ancient Bulgars. An East-Iranian-speaking group did play a certain role in the ethnic genesis of Bulgars. From the fifth century onwards the ethnic history of Bulgars proceeded in strong political cooperation with the Turkic-speaking (more precisely Ogur-speaking) tribes who migrated from Central Asia. The Ogur-speaking Unnogundurian state emerged in the Northern Black Sea region during the end of the sixth or the beginning of the seventh century. After 640 the Bulgars join the Unnogundurian state. Then the process of Slavicization of Unnogundurs did begin. The Bulgars of the Middle Volga region had also Proto-Slavic and East-Iranian identity. In this region, as in the Danube, Bulgars over time were under the leadership of Ogur-speaking steppe aristocracy. In the Golden Horde period the Oguric language was supplanted in Middle Volga region by common Turkic language, except for the modern Chuvash language.

Keywords: ancient Bulgars, Proto-Slavic tribes, Ogurs, Unnogundurs, Asparukh of Bulgaria, Kubrat, Rasho Rashev

Pages: С. 12–27