In the Footsteps of the Tatars:
Poland's Only Muslim Minority
#heritage
Author:
Wojciech Oleksiak
Published: Sep 30 2014
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Legend has it that King Jan III Sobieski was so delighted with a Tatar cavalry captain’s service that he gave him as much land in Poland as he could survey on horseback in one day. This is how Tatars ended up in Poland, in the eastern province of Podlasie.
The so-called Tatar Trail, comprising of a circle of cities –
Białystok, Sokółka, Bohoniki, Krynki, Kruszyniany, Krynki and Supraśl – is only 150km long, but it allows visitors to experience the unique ambience of a place where four cultures and religions have co-existed for centuries. Although Poland has a long history of Catholic-Orthodox and Catholic-Judaic relations, Tatars were the only ones to bring and maintain strong links to Islam and oriental culture. A journey along the Tatar Trail guides tourists through their one-of-a-kind contributions to Polish culture.
Bogusław R. Zagórski, an expert on the Islamic world, notes:
In the grand scheme of things, it is the only example of a lasting Muslim community in a non-Islamic European country. A community that has, throughout the ages, enjoyed the same rights and privileges until today. They feel that Poland is their fatherland... It's a phenomenon that Poland can be proud of.
Trans. WO
Where did the Polish Tatars come from?
Tatar historical reconstruction society Kresy in Kruszyniany, photo: Anatol Chomicz / Forum
The first Tatars came to Poland in the 14th century when Vytautas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, offered them asylum in appreciation for their military services during the war against the Teutonic Knights. Those who came were mostly political exiles, elders of the Golden Horde and Crimea who were forced to leave their communities. Their excellent combat skills were very much in demand in Poland and Lithuania during the turbulent 15th century, and Tatars fought well, for instance, at the epic
Battle of Grunwald in 1410 (one of the biggest battles in the history of medieval Europe).
The second wave of Tatar immigration is much closer to the legend we told you above. In subsequent centuries, Tatars were eagerly compensated with knighthoods, coats of arms and land in reward for fighting alongside the Polish army. As a matter of fact, it was Jan III Sobieski who gave significant land in Podlasie to Tatars. It was his way of appeasing their rebellion in the late 17th century, which arose when the Polish gentry questioned the Tatar's right to nobility and their soldiers weren't paid frequently enough.
Tatars established a region on the present-day border with Belarus as their enclave and by that means formed the biggest centre of Muslim culture in Poland. They are often referred to as Lipka Tatars (being inhabitants of the Lithuanian parts of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth), Polish Tatars,
Lipkowie, or
Muślimi.