The beginnings of Kazan: political aspect

Bulgars that came to the Middle Volga region at the end of the VII century quickly subdued Turkic and Ugric tribes. This tribe settled not only on the territories of Lower By-Kama and Volga regions, but also moved to the north. At the same time there arose the first Bulgar state; there appeared new towns and the first Bulgar coins.

Volga Bulgary was ruled in the same manner as all states of the Early Feudal period. The head of the country was emir. The first emir of Bulgary was Almush. It was he who sent Bulgar embassy to Bukhara and Baghdad and accepted on his territory the ambassadors of caliph of Baghdad. Under his command was the army consisting of 50 thousand people. The governors of separate areas also obeyed him.

According to the treaty of 985 Bulgars and Russian were to live in peace until “stone will learn to swim and hops will sink”. An important treaty between Volga Bulgary and Vladimir-Suzdal princedom was signed in 1229. They bound their relations facing the menace of Mongolian invasion. Contractor agreed to exchange the captive and allowed merchants and fishermen to freely enter their territories.