Qaratay
Encyclopedia
Qaratays are an ethnic group within Mokshas
in Kamsko-Ustyinsky District
, Tatarstan
around the village of Mordovsky Karatay. They speak Tatar
complemented by Moksha
words, sometimes considered as a Qaratay Dialect of the Kazan Tatar language. They number about 100.
Once they lived in three villages, but one of them was submerged by Kuybyshev Reservoir.
Another one was re-settled as "unperespective" during the 1950s.
The village of Mordovsky Karatay became the last Qaratay village.
Their ancestors were Uralic tribes who lived in the territory of today Tatarstan and were assimilated by Volga Bolgars/Tatars
between the 8th and 15th centuries. Living around Tatars, they started speaking a Tatar language. Neighbouring Mordvins in Tetyushsky District
, however, still speak a Uralic language.
Qaratays were converted to Christianity
between the 16th and 18th, although the pre-Christian elements were preserved until the 20th century.
Qaratays have a local saint, Michail the Killed (Ubiyenny in Russian), who was killed by Qaratays 300 years ago. His house is now regarded as a sacred place.
Mokshas
The Mokshas are an ethnic group belonging to Volgaic branch of Finnic peoples who live mostly on the west side and to the south of the great bend of the Volga river, and along a tributary of the Oka, the Moksha river in Russian Federation.Their native language is Moksha , one of the three...
in Kamsko-Ustyinsky District
Kamsko-Ustyinsky District
Kamsko-Ustyinsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the forty-three in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. It is located in the western portion of the republic and borders with Verkhneuslonsky District in the north, Tetyushsky District in the south, Apastovsky District in...
, Tatarstan
Tatarstan
The Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
around the village of Mordovsky Karatay. They speak Tatar
Tatar language
The Tatar language , or more specifically Kazan Tatar, is a Turkic language spoken by the Tatars of historical Kazan Khanate, including modern Tatarstan and Bashkiria...
complemented by Moksha
Moksha language
The Moksha language is a member of the Finno-Volgaic subdivision of the Uralic languages with about 500,000 native speakers. Moksha is the majority language in the western part of Mordovia....
words, sometimes considered as a Qaratay Dialect of the Kazan Tatar language. They number about 100.
Once they lived in three villages, but one of them was submerged by Kuybyshev Reservoir.
Another one was re-settled as "unperespective" during the 1950s.
The village of Mordovsky Karatay became the last Qaratay village.
Their ancestors were Uralic tribes who lived in the territory of today Tatarstan and were assimilated by Volga Bolgars/Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
between the 8th and 15th centuries. Living around Tatars, they started speaking a Tatar language. Neighbouring Mordvins in Tetyushsky District
Tetyushsky District
Tetyushsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the forty-three in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. Its administrative center is the town of Tetyushi. District's population: 27,040 ; Population of Tetyushi accounts for 46.6% of the district's population....
, however, still speak a Uralic language.
Qaratays were converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
between the 16th and 18th, although the pre-Christian elements were preserved until the 20th century.
Qaratays have a local saint, Michail the Killed (Ubiyenny in Russian), who was killed by Qaratays 300 years ago. His house is now regarded as a sacred place.