Khanate of Kazan
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The Kazan Khanate (Tatar: Qazan xanlığı/Казан ханлыгы; Russian: Казанское ханство, tr: Kazanskoe khanstvo) (1438-1552) was a Tatar state on the territory of former Volga Bulgaria with its capital in Kazan. It covered contemporary Tatarstan, Mari El, Chuvashia, Mordovia, parts of Udmurtia and Bashkortostan.
It was founded by Olug Moxammat khan in 1437 or 38 as the Golden Horde finally disintegrated. An alternative theory suggests that by late 14th - early 15th century, the former territories of Volga Bulgaria (Kazan Ulus or Kazan Duchy within Golden Horde) managed to regain a degree of independence. The principality was self-governed and maintained a dynasty of Bolgar rulers. Olug Moxammat usurped the throne with help of local nobility. There are suggestions that the transfer of power was finalized by Moxammat's son Maxmud in 1445.
The Kazan Khanate was prone to civil turmoil and struggles for the throne. The khans were replaced 19 times in 115 years, for a total of 15 khans, some ruling 2 or 3 times. The Khan was often elected from Gengizides by Kazan noblemen and even by the citizens themselves.
The politics of the Kazan Khanate were strongly influenced by Muscovy, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Crimean Khanate. Kazan was the capital from 1437 to 1552. In 1487 the Russians briefly occupied the town of Kazan, only to withdraw shortly thereafter. During the war against the Russian occupation (1552-1556) Mishatamaq and Chalem became capitals of the Kazan Khanate.
In 1552 the khanate was conquered by Tzar Ivan IV of Russia. In retaliation, Devlet I Giray of Crimea attacked Moscow.
Khanate's geography and population
The territory of the Kazan Khanate included the lands of Muslim Bolgar-populated Bolğar, Cükätäw, Kazan, Qaşan duchies and other lands that originally belonged to Volga Bulgaria. The majority of the population were Kazan Tatars (i.e. Muslim Bolgars that adopted the Tatar language). Their self-idenitity was not restricted to Tatar; many identified as simply Muslims or the people of Kazan. According to Ginghizide tradition, the local Turkic tribes were also called Tatars by the steppe nobility and, later, by the Russian elite. The local feudal nobility consisted of ethnic Bolgars, but the Kazan khans' court and body guard were composed of steppe Tatars (Kipchaks, and later of Nogais) that lived in Kazan. The higher nobility was also drawn from the Golden Horde. It included members from 4 families: Arghin, Barin, Qipchaq, and Shirin. Islam was the state religion.Subject territories included the Chuvash, Mari, Mordva, Tatar-Mishar, Udmurt, and Bashkir lands, and the steppe areas of Volga Bulgaria. Perm and some of the Komi tribes were also incorporated into the Khanate. The lands settled by the Mishars, who arrived during the period of the Golden Horde period, were also settled by Finnic Mordvins and Burtas, who were later assimilated into the resident Mishar population. Their territory was governed by former steppe Tatars. Some of the Mishar duchies never belonged to Kazan and instead joined the Qasim Khanate or Russia.
Russian sources state that about 5 languages were used in the Kazan khanate. The first was the Tatar language (consisting of the Middle dialect of the Kazan Tatars, formerly Muslim Bolgars) and the Western dialect of the Mishars (formerly steppe Tatars who spoke Kipchak). The Chuvash language was a descendant of the Bolgar language, which was still spoken around pagan Chuvash. The Bolgar language also strongly influenced the Middle dialect of Tatar language. The other three were probably the Mari language, the Mordvin languages and the Bashkir language, which also developed from the Bolgar and Kipchak languages.
The state language was Tatar, and its written form Old Tatar language was predominant. The Volga, Kama and Vyatka were the main rivers of the khanate, as well as the major trade ways. Most of the khanate territory was covered by forests, and only the southern part consisted of steppe. The main population of the steppes consisted of Manghites, also known as Nogais, who sometimes recognized the rule of the Kazan khan, but often raided agricultural Tatars and Chuvash, as they had done in the Golden Horde period.
Later, Nogais were transplanted and replaced with Kalmyks, and later this area was settled by Tatars, Chuvash and Russians, but some defensive walls were built to guard the southern border. Since the khanate was established, Tatar Cossack troops defended the khanate from Nogais.The Western Urals were also under the control of Kazan.
Economics
The Khanate's urban population produced clay ware, wood and metal handiworks, leather, armor, ploughs and jewels. The major cities were Qazan, Arça, Cükätaw, Qaşan, Çallı, Alat and Cöri. The urban populattion also traded with the people of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Russia. In the 16th century, Russia became the main trading partner of Kazan, and the khanate shared the economic system of Moscow. The major markets were the Taşayaq Bazaar in Kazan and the Markiz Isle fair on the Volga River. Agricultural landownership was based on the söyurğal and hereditary estates.Society
The state was governed by the khan. His actions were based on cabinet council Diwan's decisions and advice.The nobility included bäk (beg), ämir (emir), and the morza (murza). Military estates consisted of the uğlan (ulan), bahadir, içki (ichki). Muslim clergy also played a major role. They were divided into säyet (seid), şäyex (sheikh), qazí (qazi), and imams. The ulema or clergy played a judicial role, and maintained the madrassas and maktabs (schools). The majority of the population were qara xalıq (black people): a free Muslim population, who lived on state land (the designation "black" in Turkic culture was often used to refer to commoners, and not intended as a racial designation; on this point see also Khazars). The feudal lands were mostly settled by çura (serfs). Prisoners of war were often sold in Turkey or Central Asia. Occasionally they were sold within the Khanate as slaves (qol) and sometimes were settled on feudal lands to became çura later. The non-Muslim population of the Khanate were required to pay the yasaq.
Culture
In general, the culture of the Kazan Khanate descended from that of Volga Bulgaria. Cultural elements of the Golden Horde were also present in noble circles.
A large part of the population were literate. Large libraries were present in mosques and madrassahs. Kazan became a center of science and theology. Worldly literature also developed: the most prominent Old Tatar language poets were Möxämmädyar, Ömmi Kamal, Möxämmädämin, Ğärifbäk, and Qolşärif. Möxämmädyar renovated the traditions of Kazan poetry, and his verses were very popular.
The city of Bolghar still was preserved as a sacred place, but had this function only, due to the emergence of Kazan as a major economic and political center in the 1430s.
The architecture of the khanate is characterized by white-stone architecture, and wood carvings.
Administrative division
Khanate was divided into 5 daruğa: Alat, Arça, Gäreç, Cöri and Nuğay. The term daruğa translates into direction. They replaced some duchies that the khanate originated from. Some feudal lords gained independence from Kazan, but those attempts were later suppressed.
Military forces
The military of the khanate consisted of armament and men from the darughas and subject lands, khan guards, and the troops of the nobility. The number of soldiers was never constant, ranging from 20,000 to 60,000 in number. Often, troops from Nogay, the Crimea and Russia also served the Kazan khans.
Fire-arms (arquebuse) were used for defending the walls of Kazan.
History
During the reign of Olug Moxammat and his son Maxmud, Kazan forces occupied Muscovy and its subject lands several times. The Grand Duke of Moscow Vassily II was defeated in a battle near Suzdal, and was forced to pay tribute to the Kazan khan. In July 1487, Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow occupied Kazan and seated a puppet leader, Möxämmädämin, on the Kazan throne. The Kazan Khanate subsequently became a Moscow protectorate. As Russian influence grew stronger, Russian nobles and merchants received more advantageous conditions than the local population.
The supporters of a union with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate tried to use those grievances to provoke revolts ( in 1496, 1500, and 1505), but with negligible results. In 1521, Kazan emerged from the dominance of Moscow, concluding a mutual aid treaty with the Astrakhan Khanate, the Crimean Khanate and the Nogay Horde. Kazan and Crimean forces then attacked Muscow jointly.
The reinforcement of Crimea displeased the pro-Moscow elements of the Kazan Khanate, and some of these noblemen provoked a revolt in 1545. The result was the deposition of Safa Giray. A Moscow supporter, Şahğäli, occupied the throne. Following that year, Moscow organized several campaigns to impose control over Kazan, but the attempts were unsuccessful. With the help of the Nogays, Safa Giray returned to the throne. He executed 75 noblemen, and the rest of his opposition escaped to Russia. In 1549 he died, and his 3-year old son Ütämeşgäräy was recognized as khan. His regent and the de-facto ruler of the khanate was his mother Söyembikä.
The administration of the ulan Qoşçaq gained a degree of independence under her rule. At that time sons of Safa Giray Mübarek, Bülek, and Safa Giray Mubarek's grandson Devlet I Giray were in Crimea. When an invitation to the Kazan throne was sent to them, the elements of the nobility that were interested in fostering instability protested. Under Qoşçaq's government relations with Russia continued to worsen. A group of disgruntled noblemen at the beginning of 1551 invited a supporter of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, Şahğäli, for the second time.
At the same time the lands to the east of the Volga River (Chuvashia) were given to Russia. Ütämeşgäräy, along with his mother, was sent to a Moscow prison. Şahğäli occupied the Kazan throne until February 1552. Anti-Moscow elements in the Kazan government exiled Şahğäli and invited the Astrakhan prince Yadegar Moxammad, along with the Nogays, to aid them.
Kazan was then put under siege. The forces of Ivan IV were concentrated in the Russian castle of (Sviyazhsk). Later Kazan was completely besieged. In August 1552, the Russians defeated the Tatar inland troops, burnt Archa and some castles. After 2 months of siege, and after the destruction of the citadel walls on October 3, the Russians entered the city. Some defenders escaped from the siege, but most were unable to. Yadegar Moxammad was imprisoned and the majority of the population of Kazan (nearby 50'000-60'000) was slaughtered.
After the fall of Kazan, territories such as Udmurtia and Bashkortostan joined Russia without a conflict. The khanate's administration was liquidated, pro-Moscow and neutral nobles kept their lands, but others were executed. Tatars were then resettled far away from rivers, roads and Kazan. Free lands were settled by Russians and sometimes by pro-Russian Tatars. Orthodox bishops forcibly baptized many Tatars - resisters were sometimes executed.
Until 1558, however, part of the population continued to resist Russian rule. Rebel governments were formed in Chalem and Mishatamaq. But as the Nogays under Ğäli Äkräm often raided the agricultural population, the coalition went to ruin. After a brutal repression against Kazan rebels ended, their commanders were executed. By some estimates nearly 500,000 inhabitants of the khanate died during the wars of occupation. The Colonial administration, known as the Kazan Palace's Office undertook the Russification of the Tatars and other peoples. The term Khanate of Kazan was in use until 1708 when the Kazan Governorate was formed.
According to some scholars, the Khanate of Kazan was briefly restored in 1612 with the help of the ethnic Russian population, but Russian forces under the leadership of Kuzma Minin suppressed the rebellion.
See also
- Kazan
- Volga Bulgaria
- Tatarstan
- List of Kazan khans
- List of Turkic states and empires
- Ar begs
- Qasim Khanate
- Mukhsha Ulus
- Idel-Ural State
Source
- () [Origins of Volga Tatars]
- () [Brief History of Khanate]
- () [Khahate of Kazan on ÖzTürkler]
- () [Early Tatar Flags]
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