Tartary was a broad European cartographic term for vast, poorly understood regions of Central Asia and Siberia, not a unified empire.

Historical maps from the Middle Ages through the 19th century labeled a massive expanse of Asia as 'Tartary,' reflecting limited European knowledge rather than political reality. This area encompassed diverse peoples and territories without centralized control, often divided into Chinese Tartary, Muscovite Tartary, and independent regions. The label was a geographic placeholder rather than a state designation.