Scientists proved that ethnogeny of eastern Bashkirs had begun mainly on the basis of ancient Turk tribes.

In the middle of the VI century Turks had founded the powerful state, spreading from the Pacific Ocean in the East to the North Caucasus in the West and from forest-steppe regions of Siberia in the North to frontiers of China and Middle Asia in the South. South Ural – the ethnic territory of Bashkirs – was in staff of the Turk Empire.

According to written chronicles ancient Bashkir tribes had appeared in Ural in the IX century and information of travelers proved that. Thus, Arab traveler Sallam-at-Tardjuman had visited Bashkir lands about 840 and that time he outlined the approximate borders of the country. Another Arab author Al-Masudi (died about 956) reminded Bashkirs among other belligerent nations, describing the wars near the Aral Sea. Other authors also wrote about Bashkirs as the main nation of South Ural. For example, Ibn-Rust (903) wrote that Bashkirs were „self-dependent nation, occupying the territory on both sides of the Ural Ridge between Volga, Kama, Tobol and upstream Yaik“.

The book of Achmed ibn-Fadlan includes truthful information about Bashkirs. He had visited Volga Bulgaria in a staff of the embassy of a Baghdad’s caliph in 922. He described them as a belligerent Turk nation, preying various forces of nature, birds and animals. At the same time, as the author reported, another group of Bashkirs prayed a higher form of religion, including the pantheon of 12 gods, headed by Tengri – the Heaven’s God.

In Ural zone Bashkirs consolidated as a single nation with the common ethnic peculiarities, original culture and language. Here they interacted with local Finno-Ugric and Sarmatian – Allan population and dissolved them in their environment, being more numerous nation.

In the XII century many Eurasian nations, despite their stable resistance, had been found under the power of Mongols. The first meeting of Bashkirs with Mongols occurred in 1219-1220, when Genghis-Khan at the head of the great host spent that summer near Irtysh-river, where summer pastures of Bashkirs laid. The confrontation between two nations was lasting for a long time.

In the XII-XIV centuries the whole territory of Bashkirs was in a staff of the Golden Horde. For example, the brother of Batu-Khan, Sheibani, received the lands to the east from Ural Mountains, that time inhabited by the ancestors of contemporary Kurgan Bashkirs.

During the period of Mongolian-Tatar dominion the features of Kipchacks strengthened in ethnic-cultural appearance of a part of Bashkirs. In the epoch of the Golden Horde separate Mongolian elements flew into their staff, in XVII-XVIII centuries – a part of Kalmyks and Middle Asian Sarts and in XVI-XX centuries – various groups of Tatars.

After the early-feudal Mongolian state had broken down, Bashkirs appeared separated between NOGAISKAYA horde and Kazan and Siberian khanates, founded in the XV century. Trans-Ural Bashkirs subordinated to Siberian khanate.

In this very complicated internal and external situation Moscow state was the only power, able to become a reliable support for Bashkir nation.

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