Kasimov Khanate: history, territory, government

This state formation, which arose in the 15th century and lasted more than two hundred years, is still the subject of heated discussions, with authoritative historians participating in it. Kasimov's khanate is really a unique phenomenon of the past. When did it arise? What status did it have? What role did he play in Russian history? Why did the kingdom of the "Genghisides" collapse? These are the main issues that are controversial for scientists studying the past. The lack of direct sources and the scarcity of evidence force historians to make only assumptions about what the Kasimov Khanate was a few centuries ago. Today, this phenomenon is not fully understood. Let's try to summarize the basic theory of scientists and analyze what could be the history of the Kasimov Khanate.

The nucleation center

The above structure with subsequent signs of statehood arose, according to scientists, in the territory where the tribe of the mesh lived. Its representatives, who spoke one of the Finno-Ugric languages, led a semi-nomadic way of life. At the beginning of the second millennium Slavic krivichi invaded the territory of the tribe. It can not be said that the Meshchers were pleased with the uninvited guests, but they did not turn them out of their territory.

And the Krivichs stood at a higher stage of development, so they helped the Aborigines to make their culture of being more civilized. At the same time, the hosts were amazed at how Slavs could live long in one place. The moths saw for the first time dwellings made of logs, which were much more comfortable to live in than in the dugouts. After a while and the "natives" began to build themselves huts, following the example of krivichi. And the strangers also fed on agriculture, and also engaged in pottery and smith work. All this did not escape the attention of the owners. In the end, the two tribes will make friends and get along with each other. Their blood is mixed, the pagan customs, language and culture will be relegated to the background of the Aborigines. They will adopt all the "advanced" achievements of the Slavs and will live by their example.

Gorodets Meshchersky

Years later, the mershares and krivichi will form a single whole. Their settlement is transformed into a social-territorial community with a beautiful name Gorodets Meshchersky. That's when the Kasimov Khanate arose. Territorially the settlement was located near the place where the Babenka River flowed into the Oka.

According to some sources, in the middle of the 12th century Gorodets Meshchersky was visited by Grand Duke Yury Dolgoruky. He then cared about the strengthening of the borders of Ancient Rus and, having convinced himself that the settlement of Krivich and Slavs has a convenient location, Gorodets Meshchersky was ordered to turn into a fortress.

It was in 1152, and officially it is believed that the city was founded just then. The settlement was protected by a wooden fence, a moat and an earthen rampart. So Gorodets Meshchersky became the main guardian of the Suzdal-Vladimir Principality. The settlement strictly followed the tasks assigned until the Mongol-Tatars came to Rus in 1376. The enemy was plundered and set on fire by Gorodets Meshchersky.

New town

However, after a while the surviving invaders managed to rebuild the city, but in another place. Now the settlement (which later received a different name - New Nizova Town) was located between two large ravines, which represented insuperable barriers to the enemy from the western and eastern sides. From the north, the city was framed by impassable forests, and from the south by a river with a high mountainous shore. To strengthen the protection of the city from all sides were installed earthen ramparts, on top of which towered wooden walls. The process of erecting the New Lower Town was carried out during the reign of the Moscow prince Dmitry Donskoy and his prince Vasily. Both adhered to the policy of consolidating the Russian lands, so soon a new settlement of the Mesherians and Krivichs, ruled by Prince Alexander Ukovich, became part of the Moscow Principality. And the New Nizova city, as before, performed the functions of defending the borders, because in the neighborhood there was a mighty Kazan Khanate, which became part of Rus during the reign of Ivan IV.

Politics of the Kazan rulers

Power in the kingdom of Kazan alternately passed from hand to hand to various clans. One of the sons of the ruling dynasty named Mahmutek, in order to win the throne, deprived the life of his own father and brother.

Two of his younger brothers (Yakub and Kasim) were forced to flee from their native khanate in order to be saved. Suddenly they found themselves in the Moscow Principality, where they asked Prince Vassily II for protection and asylum. However, the Russian ruler himself in the middle of the 15th century did not want to go on an open confrontation with the Kazan rulers. In the summer of 1445, Basil the Dark lost in the battle of Suzdal the offspring of Khan Ulu-Muhammad. And the Moscow prince together with his cousin was then in captivity. But a few months later, Basil II was released for a huge ransom. The Russian ruler was forced to conclude an agreement with Ulu-Mukhamed on enslaving terms. The prince undertook to take with him a multitude of Tatars, which came from a noble family, and to determine in the Moscow principality "for feeding." Naturally, the Russian people were indignant that they would have to support foreigners. Well, when the sons of the Kazan khan came to ask Vasily for the Dark Protection, he was delighted at this turn of events. And the sons of Ulu-Muhamed really did serve properly. Kasim helped the prince in the fight against Dmitry Shemyaka, he also spoke on the side of the Russians in military campaigns against the khans of the Golden Horde. For valor, courage and devotion, Basil II gave Kasim an inheritance, centered on Gorodets Meshchersky. So on the border of Muscovy, the Kasimov Khanate was formed (the time of its appearance was 1452), which was managed by one of the younger sons of Khan Ulu-Muhamed.

At the same time, some historians tend to think that the Tatars appeared on the Meshchersky land before it was handed over to Kasim. Speech, in particular, is about the representatives of the princely family Shirinsky. According to legend, they left the lands of the weakened Golden Horde and moved to a new place of residence, which was located territorially in the area of the banks of the Oka and Tsna rivers. And one of the princes Shirinsky decided to settle in Meshcherskaya land and even converted to Christianity, having received a new name - Michael. Some scientists believe that it was he who was the ancestor of the Meshcher princes. But whether it was in reality, it is not known.

Kasim's Kingdom

Even in the years of Kasim's rule, Gorodets Meshchersky was entrusted to him with a new name. He received the names of Kasimov city and the City of Kasim. After the son of Khan Ulu-Muhamed died, the capital of the former settlement of the marshes and krivichi began to be called Kasimov. Well, a few years later the settlement was "transformed" by historians into the Kasimov Khanate (kingdom). As soon as this state unit was formed, which was dependent on Ancient Rus, the majestic buildings of Muslim architecture began to appear in it.

Culture

It should be emphasized that not only the history of Kasimov's khanate, but also its culture is unique.

In the second half of the 15th century, architects built here a real masterpiece of architecture - a stone mosque with a minaret, which has survived, albeit not in its original form, to the present day. And today you can climb the minaret and see the picturesque nature of the Ryazan Region from a bird's eye view. The mosque is a massive structure with an open balcony and a spiral stone staircase. On the balcony there is a platform, climbing on which, the mullah encouraged the citizens to pray. However, the platform on the balcony of the tower served as a place from which the commanders looked around the troops. Not far from the mosque is the mausoleum of Khan Shah-Ali (Tekih), built of white stone.

Quite noteworthy is the question of whether the younger son of Ulu-Mukhamed was minting metal money in the lot. Experts in history argue that this could well be. At least until the 16th century. However, numismatists doubt that the coins of the Kasimov Khanate existed in principle. However, the merchant N. Shishkin mentioned in his literary work wrote that he was lucky enough to keep metal money in the middle of the 16th century. On the coin, the merchant saw Arabic inscriptions, which were translated as "Shah Ali / Tsar Kasimovsky, year 1553". But numismatists are sure that Shishkin got a fake, because such a form for the Tatar coin was unacceptable. The real money was indicated by the name of the ruler, the place of release and the year.

Undoubtedly, the formation of the Kasimov Khanate is a multi-stage process, which eminent historians and writers were interested in. For example, the history of this fate of the Russian state was studied in detail in the second half of the 19th century by the scientist V. Velyaminov-Zernov. The result of his research was the four-volume "Study of Kasimov's tsars and princes." Writer V. Soloviev in the same 19 century published the novel "Kasimov's Bride." Well, a few years later the merchant N. Shishkin, who lived on the territory of the Mescher land, wrote a book in which he described in detail and details what the formation of the Kasimov Khanate was.

Role in the history of Russia

One way or another, but the territory on which the settlement of Krivich and Meshcher was in ancient times became a strategic object for the Russian state even during the reign of Yuri Dolgorukov. A century later, this is already a culturally and politically developed Kasimov Khanate. 1445-1552 years have become for him the most significant in history. And it all began with Ulu-Muhamed, who helped Vasily the Dark to return the throne lost as a result of the uprising. Dmitry Shemyaka was deposed. And as a token of gratitude for the help, the Moscow prince gives Meshchersky land to Kasim's possession.

And he served Vasily Dark faith and truth, participating in military battles on the side of the Russian state. Thus, the Kasimov Khanate, whose rulers continued the policy of the younger son of Ulu-Muhamed after his death, became a real stronghold of Ancient Rus.

Shah-Ali

Especially in this respect it should be noted the merits of Khan Shah Ali. Even in his adolescence, he was dragged into an intricate political game, where Kazan alternately took sides of the Moscow Principality, then the Crimean Khanate. Shah-Ali repeatedly became the ruler of the Kazan kingdom, but each time he was deposed (in one case on the initiative of Ivan IV). In the end, he will get the Kasimov Khanate (the capital city is Qasim).

In 1552 Shah-Ali together with his army helped Ivan the Terrible conquer Kazan.

Noteworthy are the relationship between the future ruler of the Kasimov kingdom and the beautiful Suimbeki, who was the widow of the deceased Khan of Kazan. The girl did not like the short and plump Shah Ali, but Ivan IV intended to marry a couple at any price and realized his plans. But neither Sumibeki nor Shah-Ali brought happiness to this marriage. The beautiful widow lived her whole life like a bird in a cage, without leaving the limits of the Kasimov Palace, and the khan was always burdened by being disgusted with his wife.

The military exploits of the Kasim Khan admired many Russian soldiers. Shah-Ali helped suppress the uprising in Kazan in 1554, then participated in the battle of Vyborg with the Swedes, then went on a military campaign against Livonia. And in 1562 he fought on the side of the Russians against the Polish king Sigismund, in this military operation Shah captured Polotsk. A year later the king ordered the khan to go to Lithuania. In this campaign Shah Ali was accompanied by the boyar Ivan Volsky.

One way or another, but the Tatar military leader helped to significantly expand the borders of the Russian state. And was the Kasimov Khanate great? The territory occupied this area included, in addition to the capital, several feudal estates with formal autonomy, including Temnikov, Yenkai, Shatsk, Kadom.

From the point of view of ethnicity, the "kingdom" was represented by three groups: Mordvinians, Kasim Tatars and Tatars-Mishars. This is confirmed by historians and ethnographers, who for a long time studied the phenomenon called Kasimov Khanate. What language did its residents speak? On one of the dialects of the Tatar with elements of the Mishar dialect.

Shah Ali died in 1567, and the body of the ruler was buried in the Kasimov mausoleum.

A few centuries later the historian V.Velyaminov - Zernov wrote that, in addition to the khan, there are the bodies of his husband Bulak-Shal and Suimbek, as well as several relatives.

Shah Ali's successor

Who then took possession of the Kasimov Khanate? Historical essays indicate that this distant fate was awarded to a distant relative of Shah Ali and, at the same time, the great-grandson of the Khan of the Golden Horde of Akhmat. His name was Sain-Bulat. The Ivan the Terrible entrusted the administration of the Meshchersky land to him. And the new master of the Kasimov Khanate began to help the Russian tsar conquer new territories.

In 1573 the Khan was baptized into Orthodoxy and took the name of Simeon. After this, Ivan IV took the Meshchersky region from Sain-Bulat, but left him the title. And two years later, Grozny suddenly proclaimed Simeon Bekbulatovich "king and grand duke of all Russia". Naturally, all this turned out to be an ordinary props: Ivan IV would never give up the throne. A few months later, Grozny deprived the Khan of the great title, but in return gave it to Tverskoy for possession. But what about the Kasimov Khanate? The territory of this autonomy, from the point of view of representatives of the Tatar aristocracy, has been gradually decreasing since the 16th century. All this is explained by the fact that the task of the Muslim vassal of Rus was accomplished already by three quarters, and Ivan VI himself no longer saw great prospects in the kingdom founded by the younger son of Ulu-Muhamed.

The Kingdom in Troubled Time

When the throne in Rus tried to capture False Dmitri II, the Khan of the Kazakh Uraz-Muhammad dynasty reigned in the Meshchersky land. This patrimony was transferred to him in 1600 by Boris Godunov himself. When the troubled times arrived in Russia, the Khan recognized the real ruler in the Tushino thief. Uraz-Muhammad moves to Tushino. For such an act, Tsar Vasily Shuisky besieged the capital of the Kasimov Khanate. The impostor was forced to flee and subsequently found himself in Kaluga. Soon, the Kazakh khan also leaves the boundaries of his lot and is first in the camp of the Polish king, and then goes to Kaluga, staying at the court of Sigismund III. The son of the ruler of the Kasimov kingdom at the time was also in Kaluga. And after a while the offspring of Uraz-Muhammad declares to False Dmitry II that the Khan wants to betray him. As a result, the Tushinsky thief lured Uraz-Mukhammed to hunt, and then killed him. But soon the same fate will befall the impostor, who will perish at the hands of the Nogai prince Peter Urusov.

Meshchera in the 17th century

In the first half of the 17th century, Araslan Aleevitch occupied the throne in Kasimov, who at first served as a voivode in the Second Militia and commanded the Tatar army on the Vologda River. During his reign, Moscow began to interfere more and more in the internal affairs of the Khanate. The governors of the Russian tsar soon began to settle disputes between representatives of the Tatar nobility. Advantageous tandem (Kasimov Khanate and Rus) during the reign of Mikhail Romanov outlived itself by almost one hundred percent.

But it should be emphasized that up to the twenties of the 17th century the Tatars continued to actively participate on the side of the Muscovite sovereign in military campaigns against Lithuanians, Poles and "Russian Likhodites." Then they guarded the border of Russia from the threat of an attack from the Crimean Tatars. After the death of Araslan Aleyevich, the Meshchersk lands were transferred to the management of his young son Seid-Burkhan. However, the power of this representative of the Siberian dynasty was minimal. Kasimov's khanate, whose economy was in fact in the hands of the Moscow sovereign, became one of the main sources of replenishment of the Russian treasury. But the juvenile ruler was forbidden to communicate with foreign merchants and ambassadors. Already an adult, Seid-Burhan adopted Orthodoxy, becoming Basil Araslanovich. In Kasimov he remained a governor, although very little depended on his will. Seid-Burhan died in 1679.

Sunset Kingdom

The last ruler of the Mescherian lands was Fatima-Sultan (the wife of Khan Araslan Aleyevich). Being already elderly, she was on the throne for only 2 years, and her governorship also had a formal character. She was deprived of her life by her confidants. The reason for the murder was that the ruler wanted to adopt Orthodoxy.

Kasimov's khanate, whose territory after the death of Fatima-Sultan finally passed under the administration of the Moscow princes, ceased to exist in 1681. Then Meshchersky lands were visited by Tsar Peter I, who allowed his "funnier" -a clown of Balakirev-to be called "Kasinov khan". Later, Empress Catherine I gave Kasimov to the management of one of his associates.

In the wooden Kasimov, fires have repeatedly occurred, from which the historical face of the city suffered, in the first place. Only at the end of the 18th century it became stone thanks to the efforts of the architect I. Gagin. Modern Kasimov, located in the Ryazan region, is a place of concentration of tourists from all corners of Russia.