Tartary

1806 Cary Map of Tartary or Central Asia - Geographicus - Tartary-cary-1806

Giovanni Botero - Tartaria map and description

Tartary was a term historically used in Western literature and cartography to designate a vast and vaguely defined region in Central Asia and North Asia. The area known as Tartary was believed to be inhabited by peoples considered to be of Turkic and Mongolic origin, notably the Tatars and the Mongols, among others. The concept of Tartary has evolved over time, reflecting the changing geographical and political understandings of the world, as well as the shifting boundaries of empires and states in Asia.

Etymology

The term "Tartary" is believed to have originated from the Persian word Tātār or Tātar, which was used to describe the Mongol invaders who conquered parts of Persia in the 13th century. Over time, the term was adopted and adapted by European languages to refer to the vast territories in Asia that were under the control or influence of Turkic and Mongolic peoples.

Geography

Tartary was not a precise geographical term but was generally understood to encompass the territories north of the Great Wall of China, stretching westward to the Caspian Sea, and from the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent northward to the Arctic Ocean. This vast area included parts of modern-day Russia, Mongolia, China, Central Asia, and Siberia. The region was often divided into subregions such as "Great Tartary" (covering the more northerly and easterly parts) and "Little Tartary" (referring to the Crimean Peninsula and its surroundings).

History

The history of Tartary is intertwined with the migrations, conquests, and settlements of Turkic and Mongolic peoples across Asia. The Mongol Empire, established by Genghis Khan in the early 13th century, is perhaps the most well-known and influential period in the history of Tartary. The empire's expansion across Asia reshaped the political and cultural landscape of the region, leaving a lasting legacy.

In the centuries that followed, the term Tartary was used by European explorers, traders, and missionaries who traveled to Asia. Their accounts, often based on second-hand information and filled with exoticized descriptions, contributed to the mythologized image of Tartary in the Western imagination.

Decline of the Term

The use of the term Tartary declined in the 19th and early 20th centuries as more accurate geographical knowledge became available and as the political entities in the region evolved. The establishment of nation-states and the dissolution of empires in Asia led to the adoption of new, more precise terms for the regions and peoples formerly grouped under the banner of Tartary.

Legacy

While the term Tartary has fallen out of use, its historical and cultural significance remains a subject of interest for historians and scholars. The concept of Tartary reflects the complex interplay of geography, empire, and identity in Asian history, as well as the ways in which these ideas were perceived and constructed in the Western world.

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