CHAPTER V.

WHO ARE THE TATARS?

Origin of the Tatars—Original common stock of the Mongol, Toungous, Turk, and Ugrian groups of nations—Short account of each of these—The Tatars belong to the Turk race—Their royal race, the Gerays, descendants of Zingis Khan, through Tóktamish—Discord in the kingdom of Kiptchak for one hundred years—Kingdom of Crimea founded by Mahomet II.—Held tributary to Constantinople till conquest by the Russians—The conditions—Popular notion that the Gerays are next heirs to the throne of Constantinople—Selim Geray—Constitution of Crimea—Power of the Khans with the Grand Sultan—The Sultans, or royal family, of the Gerays—The wives of the Khans—Character of the Tatars—Their manner of living—Their fidelity 48