The Khanate of Kazan ( tt, Казан ханлыгы, Kazan xanlıgı; russian: Казанское ханство, Kazanskoye khanstvo) was a medieval Tatar Turkic state that occupied the territory of former
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state ...
between 1438 and 1552. The khanate covered contemporary
Tatarstan,
Mari El,
Chuvashia
Chuvashia (russian: Чувашия; cv, Чӑваш Ен), officially the Chuvash Republic — Chuvasia,; cv, Чӑваш Республики — Чӑваш Ен is a republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. It is the homeland of the Chuv ...
,
Mordovia, and parts of
Udmurtia and
Bashkortostan
The Republic of Bashkortostan or Bashkortostan ( ba, Башҡортостан Республикаһы, Bashqortostan Respublikahy; russian: Республика Башкортостан, Respublika Bashkortostan),; russian: Респу́блик� ...
; its capital was the city of
Kazan
Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzan is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and t ...
. It was one of the successor states of the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...
(Kipchak Khanate), and it came to an end when it was
conquered by the
Tsardom of Russia
The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I ...
.
Geography and population
The territory of the khanate comprised the
Muslim Bulgar-populated lands of the
Bolğar,
Cükätäw,
Kazan
Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzan is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and t ...
, and
Qaşan duchies and other regions that originally belonged to
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state ...
. The
Volga
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catch ...
,
Kama and
Vyatka were the main rivers of the khanate, as well as the major trade ways. The majority of the population were
Kazan Tatars
The Volga Tatars or simply Tatars ( tt-Cyrl, татарлар, tatarlar) are a Turkic ethnic group native to the Volga-Ural region of Russia. They are subdivided into various subgroups. Volga Tatars are Russia's second-largest ethnicity after ...
. Their self-identity was not restricted to Tatars; many identified themselves simply as Muslims or as "the people of Kazan".
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
was the state religion.
The local feudal nobility consisted of ethnic Bulgars, but the court and bodyguard of the Kazan khans were composed of steppe Tatar (
Kipchaks
The Kipchaks or Qipchaks, also known as Kipchak Turks or Polovtsians, were a Turkic nomadic people and confederation that existed in the Middle Ages, inhabiting parts of the Eurasian Steppe. First mentioned in the 8th century as part of the ...
, and later of
Nogais) that lived in Kazan. According to the
Ginghizide tradition, the local Turkic tribes were also called ''
Tatars
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different Turki ...
'' by the steppe nobility and, later, by the Russian elite. Part of the higher nobility hailed from the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...
. It included members of four leading noble families: Arghin, Barin, Qipchaq, and Shirin.
Peoples subject to the khan included the
Chuvash,
Mari,
Mordva,
Mishar Tatars,
Udmurt, and
Bashkir. The
Permians and some of the
Komi tribes were also incorporated into the Khanate. The Mishars had arrived during the period of the Golden Horde and gradually assimilated the resident Finnic Mordvins and
Burtas. Their territory was governed by former steppe Tatars.
Some Mishar duchies were never controlled from Kazan and instead gravitated towards the
Qasim Khanate or
Muscovite Russia.
Most of the khanate territory was covered by forests, and only the southern part adjoined the
steppe
In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes.
Steppe biomes may include:
* the montane grasslands and shrublands biome
* the temperate gras ...
. The main population of the steppes were the nomadic Manghites, also known as
Nogais, who sometimes recognized the rule of the Kazan khan, but more often raided agricultural Tatars and Chuvash, as they had done in the Golden Horde period. Later, Nogais were transplanted and replaced with
Kalmyks. More recently, this area was settled by Tatars, Chuvash and Russians, who erected defensive walls to guard the southern border. Since the khanate was established, Tatar Cossack troops defended the khanate from the Nogais.
Russian sources indicate that at least five languages were used in the Kazan khanate. The first and foremost was the
Tatar language, including the Middle dialect of the Kazan Tatars and the Western dialect of the Mishars. Its written form (
Old Tatar language) was the favoured language of the state. The
Chuvash language
Chuvash ( , ; , , ) is a Turkic language spoken in European Russia, primarily in the Chuvash Republic and adjacent areas. It is the only surviving member of the Oghur branch of Turkic languages, one of the two principal branches of the Tur ...
was a descendant of the
Bolgar language, spoken by the pagan
Chuvash people. 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, likewise developed from the Bolgar and
Kipchak languages.
History
The former territories of
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state ...
(Kazan Ulus or Kazan Duchy) may have regained a degree of independence within the disintegrating Golden Horde by the turn of the 15th century. The principality was self-governed and maintained a dynasty of
Bolgar rulers. Whatever the status of this proto-state, the founder of the khanate was
Ulugh Muhammad, who assumed the title of khan and usurped the throne of Kazan with some help from local nobility in 1437 or 1438. It has been suggested that the transfer of power from the local Bolgar dynasty to Muhammad was finalized by his son
Maxmud in 1445.
Throughout its history, the khanate was prone to civil turmoil and struggles for the throne. The khans were replaced 19 times in 115 years. There were a total of
fifteen reigning khans, some ascending the throne multiple times. The Khan was often elected from the
Gengizides by vernacular nobility and even by the citizens themselves.
Regarding the history of the khanate, there is a scarcity of sources. Not only no single document of the khanate survived the Russian conquest, but even the documents of early Russian colonial administration (Prikaz Kazanskogo Dvortsa) were all destroyed during the
Time of Troubles.
Early history
During the reign of Ulugh Muhammad and his son Maxmud, Kazan forces raided
Muscovy and its subject lands several times.
Vasily II of Moscow engaged in the
Great Feudal War against his cousins, was defeated in a battle near
Suzdal
Suzdal ( rus, Суздаль, p=ˈsuzdəlʲ) is a town that serves as the administrative center of Suzdalsky District in Vladimir Oblast, Russia, which is located on the Kamenka River, north of the city of Vladimir. Vladimir is the a ...
, and was forced to pay ransom 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. After that, the Kazan Khanate became a protectorate of Moscow, and Russian merchants were allowed to trade freely throughout its territory. Supporters of a union between the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
and the
Crimean Khanate tried to exploit the population's 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. The combined forces of khan Muhamed Giray and his Crimean allies then attacked Muscovy.
The final decade
The reinforcement of
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
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 Safa Giray's relatives (including
Devlet I Giray
Devlet I Giray (1512–1577, r. 1551–1577, ; ', ) was a Crimean Khan. His long and eventful reign saw many highly significant historical events: the fall of Kazan to Russia in 1552, the fall of the Astrakhan Khanate to Russia in 1556, th ...
) were in
Crimea
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
. Their invitation to the throne of Kazan was vitiated by a large portion of vernacular nobility. 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
The Volga (; russian: Во́лга, a=Ru-Волга.ogg, p=ˈvoɫɡə) is the longest river in Europe. Situated in Russia, it flows through Central Russia to Southern Russia and into the Caspian Sea. The Volga has a length of , and a catch ...
River (
Taw yağı) were ceded 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 Mokhammad
Yadegar Mokhammad ( tt-Latn, Yädegär Möxämmäd, Yädkär, Yädegär, ) (died 1565) was the last khan of the Kazan Khanate, occupying the position from March–October 1552. He was the son of Astrakhan khan Qasim II. Between 1542 and 1550 he ...
, along with the
Nogays, to aid them.
Downfall
In August 1552, forces of
Ivan the Terrible, operating from the Russian castle of
Sviyazhsk,
laid siege to Kazan. The Russians defeated the Tatar inland troops, burnt
Archa and some castles. On October 3, after two months of siege and destruction of the
citadel walls, the Russians entered the city. Some defenders managed to escape but most were put to the sword.
Yadegar Moxammad was imprisoned and the population was slaughtered.
After the fall of Kazan, territories such as
Udmurtia and
Bashkortostan
The Republic of Bashkortostan or Bashkortostan ( ba, Башҡортостан Республикаһы, Bashqortostan Respublikahy; russian: Республика Башкортостан, Respublika Bashkortostan),; russian: Респу́блик� ...
joined
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
without a conflict. The administration of the khanate was wiped out; 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 such as
Germogen
Hermogenes, or Germogen (russian: Гермоге́н) (secular name Yermolay) (before 1530 – 17 February 1612) was the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia from 1606. It was he who inspired the popular uprising that put an end to the Time of Troub ...
forcibly baptized many Tatars.
Resistance
Part of the population continued to resist Russian rule until 1556. 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 the Kazan rebels, their commanders were executed.
By some estimates, the population of the former khanate declined by several thousands during the wars. The administration, known as the
Kazan Palace's Office undertook the forced
Russification and
Christianization of the Tatars and other peoples. The term ''Tsardom of Kazan'' was in use until 1708 when the
Kazan Governorate was formed.
Economics
The Khanate's urban population produced clay ware, wood and metal handiworks, leather, armor, ploughs and jewels. The major cities included
Qazan,
Arça
Arsk ( rus, Арск, p=ˈarsk; tt-Cyrl, Арча, ''Arça'') is a town and the administrative center of Arsky District in the Tatarstan, Russia, located on the Kazanka River, from the republic's capital of Kazan. As of the 2010 Census, its ...
,
Cükätaw
Cükätaw (pronounced ; Tatar: Җүкәтау) or Juketau (called ''Zhukotin'' in Russian chronicles) was a medieval Bolgar city during the 10th to 15th centuries CE. The city was situated on the right bank of the Kama, near the modern city of Chis ...
,
Qaşan, Çallı, Alat and Cöri. The urban population also traded with the people of
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...
, the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...
, and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
. 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
khan
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
*Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
governed the state. He based his actions on decisions and consultations of a cabinet council, or
Diwan. The nobility comprised the ranks of ''bäk'' (
beg), ''ämir'' (
emir
Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
), and ''
morza''. 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
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
), ''qazí'' (
qazi), and ''
imams''. The ''
ulema
In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...
'', or clergy, played a judicial role, and maintained the ''
madrassas'' (schools) and ''maktabs'' (libraries).
The majority of the population comprised ''qara xalıq'' (black people), a free Muslim population
[
]
who lived on state land. The feudal lands were mostly settled by ''çura'' (serfs). Prisoners of war were usually sold to
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
or into
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...
. Occasionally they were sold within the Khanate as slaves (''qol'') and sometimes were settled on feudal lands to become ''çura'' later. The Muslim and non-Muslim population of the Khanate had to pay the
yasaq.
Administration and military
The Khanate was divided into 5
daruğa
''Darugha'' ( ba, даруга, tt-Cyrl, даруга, translit=daruğa, from Mongol: ''daru-'', 'to press, to seal') was a territorial subdivision in the Mongol Empire. A ''darugha'' was ruled by a ''darughachi''.
Later, the term was used for th ...
: Alat, Arça, Gäreç, Cöri and Nuğay. The term daruğa translates as "direction". They replaced the "duchies" that the khanate originated from. Some feudal lords sporadically asserted independence from Kazan, but such attempts would be promptly suppressed.
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
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a p ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
also served the Kazan khans. Fire-arms (arquebuse) were used for defending the walls of Kazan.
Culture
In general, the culture of the Kazan Khanate descended from that of
Volga Bulgaria
Volga Bulgaria or Volga–Kama Bulgaria, was a historic Bulgar state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries around the confluence of the Volga and Kama River, in what is now European Russia. Volga Bulgaria was a multi-ethnic state ...
. Cultural elements of the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragmen ...
were also present in noble circles.
A large part of the urban population was literate. Large libraries were present in
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s and
madrassahs.
Kazan
Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: Help:IPA/Tatar, ɑzan is the capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and t ...
became a center of science and theology.
Although Islamic influence predominated, lay 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
Bolghar ( tt-Cyrl, Болгар, cv, Пăлхар) was intermittently the capital of Volga Bulgaria from the 8th to the 15th centuries, along with Bilyar and Nur-Suvar. It was situated on the bank of the Volga River, about 30 km downstrea ...
retained its position 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.
See also
*
List of Kazan khans
*
Islam in Tatarstan
*
Tatar nobility
*
Ar begs
*
List of Turkic states and empires
The following is a list of dynasties, states or empires which are Turkic-speaking, of Turkic origins, or both. There are currently six recognised Turkic sovereign states. Additionally, there are six federal subjects of Russia in which a Turkic l ...
*
List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
*
Qasim Khanate
References
*
*Viacheslav Shpakovsky, David Nicolle, Gerry Embleton, ''Armies of the Volga Bulgars & Khanate of Kazan, 9th–16th centuries'', Osprey Men-at-Arms 491 (2013).
* Azade-Ayshe Rorlich
Origins of Volga Tatarsin: ''The Volga Tatars, a Profile in National Resilience'' (1986).
* Muhammad Murad Ramzi (محمد مراد الرمزي) (1908)
Talfīq al-akhbār wa-talfīḥ al-āthār fī waqāʼiʻ Qazān wa-Bulghār wa-mulūk al-Tātār (تلفيق الاخبار وتلقيح الآثار في وقائع قزان وبلغار وملوك التتار) First edition (الطبعة الاولي) Volume 1 (المجلد الاول) Printed at the Al-Karīmiyyah and Al-Ḥussayniyyah printing shop in the town of "Orenburg" upon committed expenses (طبع بالمطبعة الكريمية والحسينية ببلدة "اورنبورغ" على مصاريف ملتزمه).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kazan, Khanate Of
Vassal states of the Ottoman Empire
Former monarchies