Islam among the Chuvashes and its Role in the Change of Chuvash Ethnicity

Abstract

The Chuvashes are descendants of Volga-Bulgarians who were the first people to accept Islam as the official state religion in Turkish history. Although some of them have kept alive the traditional beliefs and practices to the present day, they are regarded as a Christian Turkish community today. Because of this there is an exceptional place for Chuvashes from the point of view of the history of religions and the history of Turkish culture in the Turkish world. Since Chuvashes started to accept Islam, Chuvashes living in rural areas accepted Islam superficially and Islam was not defining in their moral conduct. But Chuvashes who accepted Islam later on became imams, muezzins, teachers in madrasahs and the other religious employees. Many Chuvashes were influenced by Tatars who were strong representatives of Islam in the Volga-Urals region. This caused Chuvashes to define themselves as Tatars. In the meantime, the Muslim Chuvashes have been identified as Tatars in written sources. Chuvashes who have maintained traditional religious beliefs were also influenced by the Islamic culture. This influence can be seen in their rites, religious practices and terminologies. In this article, the relation of Chuvashes with Islam and their changing ethnic identity in the form of Tatarization is examined and analyzed in their historical context.