The territory of the Khanate comprised theMuslim Bulgar-populated lands of theBolğar,Cükätäw,Kazan, andQaşan duchies and other regions that originally belonged toVolga Bulgaria. TheVolga,Kama andVyatka were the main rivers of the khanate, as well as the major trade ways. The majority of the population wereKazan Tatars. Their self-identity was not restricted to Tatars; many identified themselves simply as Muslims or as "the people of Kazan".Islam 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, and later ofNogais) that lived in Kazan. According to theGinghizide tradition, the local Turkic tribes were also calledTatars by the steppe nobility and, later, by the Russian elite. Part of the higher nobility hailed from theGolden Horde. It included members of four leading noble families: Arghin, Barin, Qipchaq, and Shirin.
Peoples subject to the khan included theChuvash,Mari,Mordvins,Mishar Tatars,Udmurt, andBashkir. Some of theKomi tribes were also incorporated into the Khanate. The Mishars had arrived during the period of the Golden Horde and gradually assimilated the resident Mordvins andBurtas. Their territory was governed by former steppe Tatars.Some Mishar duchies were never controlled from Kazan and instead gravitated towards theQasim Khanate orMuscovite Russia.
Most of the khanate territory was covered by forests, and only the southern part adjoined thesteppe. 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 withKalmyks. 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 theTatar 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. TheChuvash language was a descendant of theBolgar language, spoken by the paganChuvash people. The Bolgar language also strongly influenced the Middle dialect of Tatar language. The other three were probably theMari language, theMordvin languages and theBashkir language, likewise developed from the Bolgar andKipchak languages.
The former territories ofVolga Bulgaria (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 ofBolgar rulers. Whatever the status of this proto-state, the founder of the khanate wasUlugh 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 sonMaxmud 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 offifteen reigning khans, some ascending the throne multiple times. The Khan was often elected from theGengizides 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 theTime of Troubles.[1]
During the reign of Ulugh Muhammad and his son Maxmud, Kazan forces raidedMuscovy and its subject lands several times.Vasily II of Moscow engaged in theMuscovite War of Succession against his cousins, was defeated in a battle nearSuzdal, and was forced to pay ransom to the Kazan khan.
In July 1487, Grand DukeIvan 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 theOttoman Empire and theCrimean 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 theAstrakhan Khanate, theCrimean Khanate and theNogay Horde. The combined forces of khan Muhamed Giray and his Crimean allies then attacked Muscovy.
The reinforcement ofCrimea displeased the pro-Moscow elements of the Kazan Khanate, and some of these noblemen provoked a revolt in 1545. The result was the deposition ofSafa Giray. A Moscow supporter,Şahğäli, occupied the throne. Following that year, Moscow organizedseveral campaigns to impose control over Kazan, but the attempts were unsuccessful.
With the help of theNogays, 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 sonÜtämeşgäräy was recognized as khan. His regent and the de facto ruler of the khanate was his motherSöyembikä. The administration of the ulanQoşçaq gained a degree of independence under her rule.
At that time Safa Giray's relatives (includingDevlet I Giray) were inCrimea. 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 TsarIvan the Terrible,Şahğäli, for the second time.
At the same time the lands to the west of theVolga 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 theAstrakhan princeYadegar Mokhammad, along with theNogays, to aid them.
In August 1552, forces ofIvan the Terrible, operating from the Russian fortress-island ofSviyazhsk,laid siege to Kazan. The Russians defeated the Tatar inland troops and burntArcha and some castles. On October 3, after two months of siege and destruction of thecitadel 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 asUdmurtia andBashkortostan joinedRussia 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 asGermogen forcibly baptized many Tatars.
Part of the population continued to resist Russian rule until 1556. Rebel governments were formed inChalem andMishatamaq, but as theNogays underĞäli 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,[2] the population of the former khanate declined by several thousand during the wars. The administration, known as theKazan Palace's Office undertook the forcedRussification andChristianization of the Tatars and other peoples.[3] The termTsardom of Kazan was in use until 1708 when theKazan Governorate was formed.
Whether the khanate had its ownflag is still unclear. Nevertheless, the Dutchman Carlus (Carel) Allard noted thatCaesar of Tataria used two flags, andZilant was pictured on the first.
The Khanate's urban population produced clay ware, wood and metal handiworks, leather, armor, ploughs and jewels.[citation needed] The major cities includedQazan,Arça,Cükätaw,Qaşan, Çallı, Alat and Cöri. The urban population also traded with the people ofCentral Asia, theCaucasus, andRussia. In the 16th century, Russia became the main trading partner of Kazan, and the khanate shared the economic system of Moscow.[citation needed] 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.
Thekhan governed the state. He based his actions on decisions and consultations of a cabinet council, orDiwan. The nobility comprised the ranks ofbäk (beg),ämir (emir), andmorza. Military estates consisted of theuğlan,bahadir,içki (ichki). Muslim clergy also played a major role. They were divided intosäyet (seid),şäyex (sheikh),qazí (qazi), andimams. Theulema, or clergy, played a judicial role and maintained themadrassas (schools) andmaktabs (libraries).
The majority of the population comprisedqara xalıq (black people),[4] a free Muslim population[5]who lived on state land. The feudal lands were mostly settled byçura (serfs). Prisoners of war were usually sold[by whom?] toTurkey or intoCentral Asia. Occasionally they were sold within the Khanate as slaves (qol) and sometimes were settled on feudal lands to becomeçura later. The Muslim and non-Muslim population of the Khanate had to pay theyasaq.
The Khanate was divided into 5daruğa: 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 fromNogay, theCrimea andRussia also served the Kazan khans. Firearms (arquebuse) were used for defending the walls of Kazan.
In general, the culture of the Kazan Khanate descended from that ofVolga Bulgaria. Cultural elements of theGolden Horde were also present in noble circles.
A large part of the urban population was literate. Large libraries were present inmosques andmadrassahs.Kazan became a center of science and theology.
The city ofBolghar 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.
^The designation "black" in Turkic culture was often used to refer to commoners, and not intended as a racial designation; on this point see alsoKhazars
^Fuller, Graham E. (2010-08-11).A World Without Islam. Little, Brown (published 2010).ISBN9780316072014. Retrieved2015-10-04.It was actually the Orthodox Church militant that first stimulated [...] Russian campaigns of conquest to the East, advocating the spread of Christianity into the well-established Muslim Kazan Khanate. Immediately after the conquest the church established a strong institutional presence in the Tatar regions and planned for the forced conversion of its Muslim population to Orthodox Christianity. [...] Despite its establishment of churches, monasteries, and religious institutions in the newly conquered regions, the church was to be frustrated in its goal of imposing Christianity on Muslim turf.
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 Tatars in:The Volga Tatars, a Profile in National Resilience (1986).
1These are traditional areas of settlement; the Turkic group has been living in the listed country/region for centuries and should not be confused with modern diasporas. 2State with limited international recognition.
