Russia :
Penza Oblast
Mordovia
Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
Chuvashia
Ulyanovsk Oblast
Tatarstan
Samara Oblast
Saratov Oblast
Volgograd Oblast
Orenburg Oblast
Bashkortostan 622,500 (1897) ~ 1,000,000 (1926) Mishary were dominant in the Tatar state and originate from the Golden Horde. | ||
The Mishar Tatars (self definition: мишәрләр mişärlär, мишәр татарлары mişär tatarları) are a subgroup of the Volga Tatars of Tatars and the indigenous people of the Mordovia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Chuvashia of Russian Federation, Penza, Ulyanovsk, Orenburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Volgograd, Saratov Oblasts of Russia and immigrant minority of Finland. The majority of Finnish Tatars are Mishar Tatars. The Mishar Tatar dialect is one of the two Volga Tatar dialects.
They are descendants of Cuman-Kipchak tribes who mixed with the Burtas in the Middle Oka River area and Meschiora. The origin of Mishar Tatars of Mishar Yurt are Meshchera (Meshcherian), a Mordvinic languages-speaking Moksha Mordvins of Mukhsha Ulus who came under Tatar influence and adopted the language and the Sunni Muslim religion.