Led by the warlord Genghis Khan, the warlike Mongol tribes conquered most of Asia and much of Europe in the 13th century. One of the tribes, made up of Turkic and Mongolian peoples, settled on the Volga River and took the name of the Golden Horde, which came to be known as Tatars.
At that time, Lithuania was a large country, with territories stretching as far south as the Black Sea and almost as far east as Moscow. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania once covered an area larger than France today. Both in the south and in the east, the Lithuanian territory bordered the lands ruled by the Tatars, and the two peoples were in contact. The messengers of the Tartar Khan used to bring news to Trakai, and the Lithuanian messengers used to travel to the Tartar Khan with the messages of Vytautas the Great. Sometimes the Lithuanians fought with the Tatars, and sometimes they united and marched against the Russian rulers.
Vytautas was the one who 600 years ago invited several hundred noble Tatar families to come to Lithuania, settling them in Trakai, Vilnius, near Alytus and Švenčionys. Their villages were meant to protect the outskirts of Trakai and Vilnius from enemy attacks. The main activity of the Tatars was warfare as Vytautas' guard. Their soldiers were known to be extremely brave and loyal - it was virtually impossible to bribe them. Together with Vytautas, the Tatars took part in the famous Battle of Žalgiris (Grunwald).
Over 3,000 to 4,000 Tatars still live in Lithuania, some of whom still follow their customs, promote Islam, and speak Tatar. However, only a few people speak Tatar. Many more Tatars live in Belarus and Poland, especially where the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania used to stretch. In the Middle Ages, noble Tatars considered moving there a privilege. The dukes presented them with lands and various favours.
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