Perhaps, there is no tribal group forming Bashkir ethnos was that honored with so plentiful mentions in Eastern sources as the kin Burzan (Burjan). To interpretation of origin of this word (toponym, ethnicon and political term) devoted extensive literature. The fact is that acquaintance of European people with Arabian historiography let them know that Arabian authors called Danube Bulgaria as Burdgan.

P.Shafaric was one of the first who sought for an explanation of the fact. He derived the Arabian term Burdgan from a number of names, known for antique and medieval authors of the west ‘Bulgari, Bulgares, Bulgarkh, Burgari, Burgian, Borgian, Burgan, Borgan, Borgal, Borgar, Burugundi, Wurugundi, Wurgari, Vulgari, Volgares…’. And V.V.Polosin transferred the problem to another plane by supposing that ‘bulgar’, ‘burgar’, ‘burgaz’and ‘burdgan’ represent four different spelling of the ethnonim bulgar in Arabic literature where the third consonant ‘dg’ in ‘burdgan’ gives consonant ‘g’. It is quite probable assumption – in Arabic dialects sounds ‘dg’ and ‘g’ often alternate each other. Thereby, it is correct to read ‘burgan’ but not ‘burdgan’. In shortly speaking V.V.Polosin reduced historical bulgar-burdgan problem to philology issues.

O. Frolova expressed similar idea. Based on data of al-Kazvini about wild and savage kin Burdgan of the Extreme north where reigns either the polar night or the polar day she supposed that Arab author in the result of misprint called Burdgans Normans, in Spain known as ‘lurmans’ or ‘lormanes’. As for O.Frolova an Arab inscription of this term ‘lurman’ can easily transformed into ‘Burdgan’. Actually the fact of existence of living carrier of the ethnonim Burdgan forming a part of the Bashkir nation disproves their opinion. Therefore to find a historical explanation of the problem is reasonable.

Burdgan Kingdom had been known in the territory of the Northern Caucasus since the 3rd century. Ibn Hordadbek narrated that during the reign of Ardashir Papakan (220 – 240s), the founder of Sasanian dynasty, among other frontier to Iran owners was a certain Burdgan-shah.

Referring to Ibn-Hordadbekh’s legend the kin of Burdgan must have been situated in the Caucasus – that is more probably, or in the east of Iran. Ethnogenetic legend of Ya’kuby definitely indicates in favor of the Caucasus region.

Ibn-Hordadbek is but one author that refers Burdgans’ appearance to the period of late antiquity.

In Arab literature the subject of building of Derbent fortification complex by the shah Khusro Anushirwan was very popular. In short the plot of the story came to the next. Interests of developing Turkic khaganate and being at its zenith Persian power intersected in the Caucasus and the Middle Asia where they confronted eftalites state. According to al-Balasury, for contracting an anti-eftality alliance the king of kings shahanshah Anushirwan and the khan of khans khagan Sindjibu met at al-Barshaliya in the Caucasus. The shah resorted to deception and erected the walls of ‘Bab al-Abwab’ and divided estates of Iran and Turan. In order to conciliate the khagan Anushirwan asked for his daughter’s hand promising in return his own one. In fact there happened the following: first, exchange of daughters was fulfilled, secondly, anti-ephthalitian offence alliance was contracted. The building of Derbent fortification complex had been initiated as far back in 439-457 by the shah Ezdigerd II. For Anushirwan had to finish the started construction only. One way or the other before the end of the ephthalitian war and particularly during stopping of the khagan in Barshaliya, the shah couldn’t finish the building.

The Arabian toponym al-Barshaliya is the variation of the name Berziliya only, recorded by Byzantine historiography. The author of the 9th century Feofan Byzantine wrote that Khazars - the great people came out from the interiors of Berziliya, the country of the first Sarmatia. In Armenian literature Berzils were known under the name Basils or Barsils and their appearance in history also dated to the 3rd century. So the traditions – both Byzantyne and Armenian placed Berziliya/Barsiliya, by Arabian sources Burdgan/Barshaliya northwards of Derbent.

In works of later Armenian authors Berziliya figured as ‘the Kingdom of the Huns’. If geographical and historical identity of the toponyms Burdgan, Berziliya, Barshaliya, Waradgan is quite obvious, then can be seemed that phonetically they are disparate. Parallel existence of several forms of ethno-geographical object confused many researchers. Actually, etymology of the term Burdgan and Berziliya (ethnonim and toponym) should trace in Indo-European languages. Ibn-Ruste writing about Volga bulgars mentioned three of their division: actual bulgars, esegels, and bersulas.

What’s the origin of the tribe Burdgan/Berzila? Byzantine and Bashkir sources, namely ethno-genetic legends of Bashkirs can give an answer to this question. Bashkir writer of the19th century Mukhammedsalim Umetbaev told the following story: Iskander was a shah: he possessed many lands; then his army seized Zangistan province; coming back home he captured Khorasan; and owned a thousand of districts and a hundred of islands, from there to Chin, from Chin to Khitai, from there to Uigurs kindred to Bashkirs; from there to Turkestan, then to Khawerstan, further to alan-burdgans these and other tribes afterwards mixed with Bashkirs. Thereby, historical memory noted two important facts of ethnogenesis of the Bashkir nation: first, Turkic origin of Bashkirs (ancient bashkirs), and Alanian (Iranian) origin of Burdgans.

During Khazar campaigns of the VII century Arabs faced with the nation Burdgan and collided with them again in the VIII century during wars with Byzantine Empire, but that time on Balkans and Asia Minor that caused the Bulgar-Burdgan issue. Masudi and also Ibn-Said had compiled his “Geography” to a considerable degree on the basis of modern for his period data considered Burdgan and Bulgar as different nations.

Late Arabian writers, for example, Ibn-Haldun on modern for that time political map can find neither Burdgans on Balkans, nor all the more Burdgans on the Caucasus, therefore blindly followed al-Idrisi: called Volga bulgars by their own name, and Danube ones – by archaic term Burdgans, having lost its real meaning long ago. European explorers of the 19th and 20th centuries concluded that terms Burdgans and Danube Bulgars were equal and automatically started to number them with Burdgans and Caucasian Burdgans never caring about proves.

In the second half of the 7th and the early 8th century Arabian-Khazarian wars took place in the course of which Muslims carried devastating campaigns to the depth of Khazaria. Unconquerable Arabian army occupied Spain on the west and part of western China on the east, but never failed to conquer Khazaria. In 721 governor-general of Armenia Dgerrah ibn Abdallah conquered Derbent and faced the army led by the son of Khazar khagan.

Thus, we can state that Burdgans/Berzils as a result of different political events divided into several parts. One part as far back as the 6th century together with the Avars went away to Balkans. Arabian invasions across the territory of Burdgan/Berzilia as well as internecine dissensions, forced the princedom inhabitants seek for more tranquil place for living. That’s the reason why another part of Burdgans went away together with Bulgars to Middle Volga and became part of the Volga Bulgars under the name of Bersula. The third part of Burdgans formed a part of latest Desht-i-Kypchak as separate kin Burdg-ogly. The fourth part of the Burdgans remained at the territory of their primordial inhabitance if to be exact - in ancient Alania.

The last and the only group of Burdgans preserved till our days is a part of the present Bashkirs.

Thus, ancient kingdom of Burdgans made up a nucleus of so-called ‘the Kingdom of Huns’ by the 7th century AD died in the result of destructive Arabian campaigns to Khazaria because of being positioned on front line. Its death coincided with appearance at the territory of Bashkiria Turbaslinskiy archeological culture carrying evident northern Caucasus parallels. It made first culture explorers think about Alanian and Bulgarian origin of their owner. Taking into account that in Bashkir tribal nomenclature the name Bulgar is absent but Alan-Burdgan existed it is appropriate to mention that it is Burdgans not Bulgars’ migrated from the territory of Northern Caucasus to South Urals. Especially archeologically the former and the latter are alike. According to written sources these migrations can occur in the second half of the 7th century. Possibly migrations from the Northern Caucasus to South Urals happened earlier. Probably the population of the site of the settlement Ufa-II in definite period of time (VI – X cc.) was Burdgans. In IX – X c. migrated from Altai region Turkic ethos Bashkort (ancestors of bashkirs) subdued Burdgans and Ugor tribes of Urals; as a result South Ural Bashkirs grew out of it.

Ethnogenetic legends of Bashkirs-Burdgans hold the memory of Northern Caucasus Berziliya. In Bashkiria the kin of Burzan was considered the color of the nation.

Burdgans being descendants of Alan-Sarmatian tribes, living at the territory between the Aral sea, South Ural and Northern Caucasus are autochthon of Eastern Europe and bordering to it Zauralie and Kazakhstan steppes. Aryan descendants of Burdgans left after themselves monuments like Arkaim and other archeological objects of “the country of cities”. In spiritual culture the authorship of the epos “Ural-batyr” preserved the mythology of Indo-Aryan tribes belongs to them.


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