A leader or commander of a Cossack military group, particularly in Ukraine and Russia.
From Ukrainian and Polish 'hetman', borrowed from German 'Hauptmann' (captain). The word traveled through Eastern European languages and was adopted into English in the 17th century to describe the hierarchical military structure of Cossack societies.
Atamans were essentially the warlords of the steppes—some Cossack atamans became so powerful they negotiated directly with tsars and kings, making them some of the most influential military figures in Eastern European history.
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