Almış, ruler of Volga Bulgaria

Almış, son of Shilki, was head of the Volga Bulgar tribes and held the title iltäbär as a vassal of the Khazar khagan. To free himself from Khazar rule he wrote to the Abbasid caliph al-Muqtadir asking for scholars to teach Islam and craftsmen to build a mosque and a fortress.

In May 922 the caliph's embassy, with its secretary Ibn Fadlan, reached Almış's camp. Almış had the Friday sermon read in the caliph's name, took the name Jafar ibn Abdallah and became known as emir of the Bulgars. Ibn Fadlan's account is the main source on him.