Bulgarism

{{expand Chuvash|date=January 2023}}

{{Expand Russian|date=January 2019}}

File:Памятник Ибрагиму Первому.jpg Ibrahim ibn Muhammad, a ruler of Volga Bulgaria, founder of Elabuga[https://www.votpusk.ru/country/dostoprim_info.asp?ID=15922 "Памятник булгарскому эмиру Ибрагиму I бен Мухаммаду"]]]

Bulgarism is an ideology aimed at the "revival of Bulgars' national identity" and Volga Bulgaria statehood.Татарская энциклопедия, Kazan, 2002, vol. 1, p. 490. It originated in the second half of 19th century within the Wäisi movementУсманова Д. М. Мусульманское «сектантство» в Российской империи: «Ваисовский Божий полк староверов-мусульман». 1862—1916 гг., Kazan. 2009, p. 3. and the Society for the study of the native land (Chuvashia).Денисов П. В., "Этнокультурные параллели дунайских болгар и чувашей", Чебоксары: Чуваш. кн. изд-во, 1969, [http://xn--80ad7bbk5c.xn--p1ai/ru/content/vvedenie p. 10] It was revived at the end of the 20th century as "neobulgarism" in Tatarstan, Bashkortoston and Chuvashia.

The ideology is based on the theory that Volga Tatars, Bashkirs and Chuvash descend from Volga Bulgars. The theory was supported by the Soviet authorities in mid-20th century as an alternative to the "reactionary" theory claiming the Golden Horde descent.Schnirelmann, p. 24Azade-Ayse Rorlich, "The Volga Tatars: A Profile in National Resilience", 1986, {{ISBN|0817983929}}, Chapter 1: "The Origins of Volga Tatars", p. 6Victor Schnirelmann, "Who gets the past?: competition for ancestors among non-Russian intellectuals in Russia", Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1996, {{ISBN|0-8018-5221-8}}, {{ISBN|978-0-8018-5221-3}}, Chapter 4: "The Rivalry for the Bulgar Legacy"{{cite book |author=D. M. Dunlop |title=The History of the Jewish khazars |year=1967 |location=New Jersey |page=34}}

In the 21st century, the ideas of Bulgarism have been revived through the activities of Neo-Bulgarists.