History of Bashkortostan
10th century) describes the Bashkirs as "an independent people, occupying territories on both sides of the Ural mountain ridge between Volga, Kama, Tobol and upstream of Yaik river".
However, works by ibn Fadlan, Giovanni del Carpine,[3] William of Rubruck,[4] as well as Bashkir epic poetry and genealogies (shejere) suggest that an independent local governance had existed in the region before the 13th century.
Kuzeev[7] and states that "...The Bashkirs of the tribes bülär, yänäy, meñ and äyle wrote in their genealogies that the Bulgar khans Aidar, Säit, Ämir, Sälim, Ilham and Ğabdulla were their rulers.
Kuzeev[9] to maintain that Tabyn Khanate, a strong Bashkir nationstate had existed within Dasht-i Qipchaq, the confederation of Turkic states, before the Mongol invasion.
The site contains a rock with an Arabic inscription saying that Husein-bek, the son of Izmer-bek, resides at the location, who died on the 7th day of the month Muharram in year 444 of Hijra, i.e. 1066 AD.
The authors of the "History of Bashkortostan" maintain that the Bashkirs entered the Mongol State in 1207 or 1208, suggesting that "the entrance was both promoted by coercion and, at the same time, a voluntary act of recognition".
The western Bashkirs became subjects of the Russian empire, and received credentials from the tsar confirming their patrimonial rights to their traditional lands as well as to the abandoned Nogai camps.
Meanwhile, an alternative viewpoint exists, primarily in Western historiography, which maintains that Bashkortostan never joined the Russian Empire of its own volition, but was conquered.
From this, Alton Donelly concludes that Russia pursued an "imperialistic" policy in the newly joined Bashkortostan and included a consistent infringement of the Bashkirs’ interests.
However, they maintain that this fact cannot give ground to re-evaluations of the accession's circumstances: its free-will basis is attested by both Russian and Bashkir historical sources.
During World War II, Bashkiria became one of the major regions of the Soviet Union to accommodate plants and factories evacuated from Western Russia, as well as great masses of people, as well as providing the country with weaponry, fuel, and foodstuffs.
[20] This agreement was effectively rescinded following the demand of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation in June 2009 to strike out all language referring to regional sovereignty.
In August 2020, Bashkortostan experienced significant environmental protests centered around Kushtau Hill, a site considered sacred by the local community.
The Bashkir Soda Company (BSK) initiated limestone mining operations on Kushtau, leading to public outcry over potential environmental damage and the desecration of a cultural landmark.
In response to the escalating tensions, Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov met with activists on August 16, and announced the suspension of all mining activities on Kushtau until a mutually agreeable solution could be reached.
[23] In January 2024, mass protests erupted in Bashkortostan following the sentencing of environmental activist Fail Alsynov to four years in prison on charges of "inciting ethnic hatred."
[24] The demonstrations, initially centered in the town of Baymak, soon spread to Ufa, with participants demanding Alsynov's release and greater regional autonomy.
