Article - HISTORY OF THE CRIMEAN KHANATE

From the Juchi ulus of the Great Horde to the Crimean Khanate

The Crimean Khanate is a sovereign, independent state one of the most powerful in Eastern Europe existed from 1441 to 1783. The founder and at the same time the ancestor of the Giray’s dynasty becomes the first Crimean khan Khadzhi, who received in his nation nickname Melek, which means Angel. For the first time, Khadzhi announced the independence of the Crimean ulus-yurt, earlier which was part of the Great Horde in 1428. However, not all influential beys supported the young khan. He had to give up the khan throne of the Horde Muhammad and seek help in Lithuania. In 1432, Haji alliance with the Lithuanian prince and makes a second attempt to regain his throne in Crimea. But loses in the fight to another challenger, distant to a relative of the Chinggisid grandson of Tokhtamysh - Seid-Akhmed and again goes to Lithuania. Hajji's throne could be finally secured only in 1441. This is facilitated by influential Crimean beys, who personally came to Lithuania to ask Haji to take the throne of their ancestors. In this way the first Crimean Khan created an independent state based on possessions inherited by him.

From the first years of his reign, Haji Giray embarked on reforms. Thanks to his policy in the 15th century in the young Crimean Khanate already the principles of democracy, law and equality of its citizens were in effect.

In 1449, Khadzhi moved the capital from the city of Kyrym (the toponym of the first capital by that time had already spread to the entire peninsula) in the central part of it’s country, the city of Kyrk-Er, located on mountain plateau. In 1452, Hadji defeated his adversary Khan Seyid-Ahmed and in fact the center of the Great Ulus moved to Kyrk-Er. In 1465 he defeated the army of another

Chinggisid Khan Mahmud. After that no one of The Chingizids did not dare to enter into confrontation with the Crimean dynasty. On the contrary, they formally recognize the power of Giray as heir the powerful state of the Chinggisid’s.

The sixth son of Haji Mengli continued the dynasty and political course of Giray’s. Under his rule, the young state strengthened the international authority, entered into alliances with European powers and the Ottoman empire. He was an educated and progressive person. Khan completed the economic and political reforms that has been started in the era of his father.

Thanks to him, the territory of the khanate was divided into administrative territorial districts - beylyks according to a new model, and the heads of beys clans, according to the instructions of the khan, henceforth they were obliged to take the place in the Council of State - Divan. It was with him that finally the estate took shape, and taxes were approved, which did not change over the centuries. Mengli Giray issued a law on succession to the throne, according to khan's power was to be passed from father to son. With this aim, he establishes the heir to the throne - kalgi, and builds a city for him Akmesjit residence. During the reign of Mengli Giray, also builds magnificent palace in the valley of Ashlama Devlet Saray, a number of borderfortresses on the banks of the Dnepr, and the main construction and solemnopening in 1500 of the first university in Eastern Europe -Zyndzhirli madrasah. In mid-June 1502, Mengli Giray Khan won the battle for the throne of the great Genghis Khan and returned the ancient title of Khakan to his dynasty,that is, "khan over khans." From this year, the Crimean Khanate will finally inherited the Chinggisid Empire. Now Mengli Giray and his heirs were the autocratic rulers of the great empire. And the center moved to the Crimean city of Kyrk-Er. In the same year, in honor of his victories Mengli Giray ordered to the Italian architect Aloisio del Nuovo is a magnificent carved portal that adorned the palace of the great khakan Devlet-Saray.In 1512, he who was supported the future Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Selim Yavuz, in his struggle for the throne and married one of his daughters Aishe-Khafsu Sultan. Thus, the khan and sultan's dynasties became related. The son of Mengli Mohammed I in 1515 became the third of the Giray dynasty ruler of the Crimean Khanate. This khan can be safely called as a pro-European ruler. All his foreign affairs was oriented to the West, and his friend and ally was the Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund I. In 1519, the Khan added to his possessions the Nogai Horde and put under the control of the Crimean Khanate Moscovy and Hadji Tarkhan. Further, his ambitious plans included conquer Kharezm and Siberia. We can say about Muhammad Giray that he was a ruler of a new type and at the same time that he was born a warrior. He did not adhere to conservative views, all his energy was aimed at strengthening the authority of the state. However, after the tragic death of Muhammad and his heir Prince Bahadir Giray in April 1524, the throne in Kyrk-Er passed to the second of the son's of Mengli Giray Saadet Giray. Before becoming Khan Saadet, for more than 10 years he lived at the Sultan's court, where he took an active part in the political life of the country and in the military campaigns of the sultans of Selim and Suleiman. Saadet Giray's election to the throne changed the order succession to the throne in the Crimean Khanate. At the head of the Crimean Tatar state was the Khakan, or the khan the ruler, or the supreme lord of the Giray dynasty. However, his power was not absolute.

Initially, the khan's title passed from father to son. Under the first rulers, but over time they began to be elected by their people through Dert Karachi - representatives of the most influential clans of the khanate. It was a democratic principle of voting, at the first time, the merits of one or another Giray were taken into account. Succession to the throne carried out only through the male line. Women from the circle succession to the throne was excluded. There was no institute of regency in the Crimean Khanate. Giray's is a numerous clan, and it was forbidden to physically eliminate potential applicants for the throne. The khan had a great powers. He was the lord of the khutbah, his name was mentioned first in the Friday prayer. A little later, the khan will yield this rights to the Ottoman Sultan, but exclusively as the caliph of Muslims, not as a monarch of a neighboring state.

In many sources gives an erroneous assumption that Crimean Khanate was the vassal of Ottoman Empire. Sultan, exclusively as a cleric in a solemn atmosphere could bestow the Khan with the Caliph blessing, and also an expensive robe and saber. But the Crimean Khanate was not a suzarian of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans always remembered that Giray's and the Chinggisid's respected their high status. Another thing that such ceremonies created confusion in official documents. For example, in diplomatic formulations, the Sultan's chancellery called as an subjects anyone who asked the Sultan for help, alliance or assistance. The khan's prerogative was to issue a coin with his own name and tamga. Each Crimean khan had his own personal monogram the graphic symbol of the supreme power is tughra. It was always placed above the first line of an official document. Heraldic coat of arms Giray's was a generic tarakh-tamga, which he passed on from the Chinggisid's. An important feature was that everyone had access to the Crimean Khan, subjects, from courtier to peasant, who could personally give him his own complaint. This happened during the court meetings where the ruler was often present. He also owned the right "life and death" of subjects, with the exception of clergy. Of course, the khan had the right to make laws.

But in conditions democratic course, members of the Divan Council of State could reject the decision of the head of state. Therefore, each khan had his own leverage, be it a certain approach to one or another nobleman or your hobby. Thus, the country did not always depend on personal quality and ambitions, one or another ruler. The Crimean Khanate was a multinational state. Big part of the population professed Islam, another Christianity, Karaimism and Judaism. Non-Muslims were considered subjects of the khan. They were guaranteed complete inviolability of their property, freedom trade, craft and business activities of any scale. They were absolutely equal with Muslims when the conclusion of contracts, their signatures, their legal capacity were not subject to doubt. They had the right to move freely in and around the country, to live in any village or city, except Bakhchisaray. The Crimean Khanate had two main annual taxes with non-Muslim population. These were kharaj and jizya. Kharaj was credited from land and crops. He went into service materially unsecured Muslim warriors. From this tax were exempted families of gentiles, where were no men.

The second tax is a capitation tax (or jizya) – throughout the history of the khanate never increased. Women, prisoners, children, poor, clergymen from among Christians and Jews were freed from paying the total tax. Reduced jizyah paid non-Muslims living in the border regions of the country. Jizya freed the non-Muslim population from participation in military campaigns.

Funds were annually allocated from the khan's treasury for the needs of Christian and Jewish communities. Mint - Darabhane and at the same time the main treasury of the country - was under the control of the Karaites. Gentiles could be in the diplomatic corps. But on higher posts at the khan's court, even if they converted to Islam, they could not claim. Another important feature in the Crimean Khanate is the absence of slavery like that. In the first years of the formation of the khanate, several large fish markets were in Kef, but they were all run by Genoese and their descendants. Later, need of them disappeared. To the khanate prisoners fell after military campaigns. But they were given choice. Either they are in service for five or six years, and after are released home, or they convert to Islam and become free and equal inhabitants of the khanate. The state treasury was constantly replenished with taxes, but the main role in the country's economy was played by handicrafts, agriculture, animal husbandry, trade, etc.

The steppe part of the peninsula was the best suited for growing high quality wheat and some other grains. Therefore, the inhabitants of the steppe are Nogais, who were engaged in animal husbandry, began to develop a new branch of the economy - grain crops.

Crimean wheat became the main product of the exported goods in XV century. Genoese merchants from Kafa bought grain from the Nogais for more than low price, and then resold it to Europe.

How much grain was exported from Crimea in those centuries, exactly unknown. But there is evidence that, for example, Kafa herself ate in year 2 800 tons of bread. Surely an approximate amount was required for the rest of the settlements of Crimea and the North Black Sea region. After the Genoese ceased to exist trading posts, the Crimean Tatar merchants were successfully engaged in the grain business.

This is evidenced by the French merchant and traveler Jean Chardin in the 17th century.

Salt was an important food. In the middle of the XIII century Wilhelm Rubruk wrote about his traveler. Since the 15th century, salt lakes have been khan property, and all profits from salt sales went to the state treasury.

Crimean animal husbandry played an important role. In the Crimea in the 15th century there was a special breed of fat-tailed sheep was bred, whose fat was highly valued.

In addition to sheep in the steppe part of the khanate, thoroughbred two-humped camels, cattle and poultry.

The Crimean South Coast tobacco was in demand. Originally tobacco was grown only for the needs of the Crimean population, but by the 17th century, when he became popular, his crops increased, gradually improved seed quality, some of which were delivered from

Istanbul and other Asian provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Crimean tobacco was exported to Europe. Income from the tobacco industry brought large incomes to the khan's treasury.

There were large linen weaving workshops in the khanate, linen fabrics and the yarn was exported abroad. Crimean gray bee honey was not delivered only to the court of the Crimean Khan, but to the table of the Ottoman Sultan. From honey made sweets, used in medicine, cosmetics, and there was enough wax for four large Crimean candle factories. Fruits and vegetables arrived from the interior of the peninsula, and even unknown yet to Europe rice.

A craft that has become widespread in the foothills, mountain and coastal villages and towns. Over time, craft production took the form of shop organizations. Among the most developed types of production belonged to tanning products and metal processing, mainly cold and firearms.

The Crimean Khanate flourished, providing its population with everything necessary, both local production and foreign goods. That is, the economic basis for the flourishing of the Crimean Tatar culture was created by the Crimean Tatars themselves.

The Crimean Khanate at all times had a powerful military potential, but paradoxically, it is not a regular army had. The mobilization of the militia prevailed here. Giray could gather tens of thousands of soldiers under their banner in a matter of days. Crimean’s possessed a unique property rather quickly if necessary to bring their ranks on alert. The main force of the Crimean troops were cavalry - fast, maneuverable, possessing centuries of experience. In the conditions of the XV-XVII centuries, it was quite expedient, since the maintenance of a permanent army from no funds were spent from the state treasury. The Crimean’s went on a campaign already trained. In the steppe, every man was a warrior, an excellent rider and an archer. The battles which the Crimean Tatar askers could suffered a fiasco was rare. And the secret was that from an early age

Crimean Tatars taught their sons to all hardships and hardships military life, taught to use weapons, ride a horse, endure the cold and be unpretentious in food. Developed endurance, agility, courage. Crimean askers did not know what barracks and daily training. They made up the state reserve of the armed forces, which was convened only during the war. And they were not needed supply with neither horses, nor ammunition, nor provisions.

Each of those who came to the assembly point had a three-month supply of dry food called azik or zahire. The only exception was the professional personal khan guard kapi-kulu. Officially, there was no military fleet in the Crimean Khanate, but

Shipbuilding was carried out on the southern coast of Crimea. In the large village of Ak-Yar, Gurzuf, Partenite, Kuchuk-Uzeni built galleons, schooners, fishing longboats on which they made regular transport to the ports of the Ottoman empire. But in the village of Buyuk Lambat in a small bay there were shipyards, where they built ships exclusively for the khan, his family and dignitaries.

Major trade, craft, cultural and political centers were the cities of Eski Kyrym, Kyrk-Er, Karasubazar, Eski-Yurt, Bakhchisarai, Kefe, Kezlev, Ak-Mesjit and others, the population of these cities in different times ranged from 20 to 100 thousand people. This cities were divided in the maale neighborhoods and were multinational, except for the capital Bakhchisaray. Many palaces that belonged to the khan family and nobility, cathedral and quarter mosques, with elementary schools - mektebs, inns - khans, bazaars, baths - hamams, libraries, higher educational institutions - madrasahs, administrative institutions.

Diplomatic relations with European powers have been established even in the first decades of the formation of the Crimean Khanate. However, they were reduced to rare and short-term missions. At the beginning of the 16th century, they were already permanent, and a century later at the Crimean court there was a school teaching the art of diplomacy. Crimean Khanate exchanged ambassadors with Rzecz pospolita, Ottoman and Persian empire, Sweden, Denmark, Prussia and France, etc.

Education and science played an important role in the Crimean Khanate. Initial schools - mektebs were usually at the mosques. Training in mekteb was necessarily for every boys and girls. People's education became one of the main priorities of the Crimean Khanate.

Therefore, we can safely say that already in the medieval period literacy among the Crimean Tatars was almost universal. Cities where higher educational institutions appeared - madrasahs, immediately raised their status in the country, and scientists and at the same time teachers, enjoyed unquestioned authority and respect. They were invited to work in the madrasah of the Ottoman Empire. Most prestigious were considered madrasas in the capital Bakhchisaray, these were the Khan madrasah, Orta Madrasah and Zyndzhirli Madrasah. At the head of the ruling elite was another man who possessed indisputable authority and influence on the khan himself and on Council of State - Divan. It was the Supreme Mufti, sometimes in sources call him "Sheikh-ul-Islam of the Crimean Khanate." He was the supreme cleric, the keeper of the law, and only he had the right issue a fatwa. Formally, he did not obey anyone except the Caliph of Muslim world, which since 1517 was the Ottoman Sultan.

The mufti enjoyed not only the respect and support of the Giray’s, he had special privilege at its discretion in one or another prevailing situation to put pressure on the khans or, on the contrary, to support them. There are many examples in history of the khanate when the word of the mufti was decisive in the matter of electing one or another pretender to the throne. Therefore, this a high post was elected by a deeply decent and wise person. One of important duties of the highest clergyman was care for the development national science, about the conditions of life and work of Crimean scientists, about medical practice in all forms and much more. He contributed opening of new educational institutions (from mektebs to madrassas) and provided support for existing primary and higher schools.

The Supreme Mufti had free access to the head of the Crimean Tatar state, independently conducted correspondence with foreign courts. In his subordination were his closest assistants - Seites, scientists - theorists and practitioners - ulema, the highest military judge - qadi-asker, judges - qadis, whom the Supreme Mufti could appoint or remove, which gave him an exceptional influence on the entire social and economic life of the population. Also, khatibs, imams, sheikhs tekie and rectors of madrasah - muderris.

Judges (qadis) had great weight in the Crimean Tatar society. They are were subordinate to the chief mufti and monitored the execution of all provisions of Sharia, their sphere of competence included maintaining the existing order and tranquility throughout the territory of the khanate.

All the qadis were subordinate to the qadi-asker, the chief military judge of the khanate. Last resided permanently in the capital, and his department was instructed to monitor compliance with applicable laws. Judicial practice based on the principle of the choice of kadi by murzas, functioned quite successfully in the conditions of the Crimea, where Crimean Tatar courts were famous for their impartiality and incorruptibility, which speaks of professional and moral as Crimean lawyers.

The Crimean Khanate was divided into 48 judicial districts - Kadylyks. Each Kadylyk had it’s own judge - kadiy. To such large centers as Bakhchisaray, Akmesjit, Kezlev and Or-Kapy, the qadi was appointed personally khan. In other places, the judge was appointed by the kadi-asker - a military judge. The powers of qadi was first instance included consideration of all criminal and civil cases.

XVI-XVII centuries were a time of political, economic and cultural flourishing of the Crimean Khanate. However, already in the middle of the 18th century there is a weakening of the state. Dissensions within the khan's family, the political intrigues of the Bey elite wishing to control the head states and other cataclysms led the khanate to a catastrophe which happened in April 1783, when the Crimean Khanate ceased it’s existence.