Almış
Almış iltäbär was the first Muslim ruler of Volga Bulgaria.
Almış was a son of Şilki. He was a ruler of one of the Volga Bulgarian duchies, probably, the Bolghar Duchy. Initially, a vassal of the Khazars, he struggled for independence and unification of all Bulgar tribes and duchies. He sent ambassadors to the Baghdad caliph. In 922, the caliph Al-Muqtadir's ambassador Ibn Fadlan appeared in Bolghar. The Abbasid caliphate became an ally of Volga Bulgaria. Almış adopted the Islamic name Jaʿfar ibn ʿAbdullah.
During the reign of Almış, Volga Bulgaria developed to a united, strong and independent state.
Ibn Fadlan, an Arab traveller, referred to Almış as "the king of Saqaliba".
