Khan Girey: biography. The dynasty of the Gireys

The dynasty of the Gireys almost 350 years of rule the Crimean Khanate. She showed the world many famous personalities, some of whom were outstanding statesmen, and others found their calling in the service of science and culture. The latter type included the famous art historian and ethnographer Sultan Khan-Girey. The biography of this person, as well as the history of the dynasty of the Gireyas in general, will be the subject of our discussion.

Biography of Khan-Giray

Sultan Khan-Giray was born in 1808 on the territory of modern Adygea. He was the third son of a Crimean Tatar aristocrat, descended from a khanate family - Mehmed Khan-Giray. In addition, the Circassian blood flowed in the veins of the Sultan. The best qualities of these two peoples intertwined in it.

After reaching the age of 29, he took part in a number of wars of the Russian Empire, having at the same time an officer rank and commanding a separate subdivision. But in the Caucasian war, at that time tearing up his homeland, he did not take part, although, of course, this tragic conflict responded to his heart.

Khan-Girey wrote a number of works on ethnography, folklore and art criticism of the Circassian people, which gained world fame. Among them are "Notes on Circassia" and "Circassian Traditions". He is also the author of a number of works of art. But most of his creations were published only after death. Khan-Girey is also known as the compiler of the Adyghe alphabet.

Since 1841, he conducted active agitation among the highlanders (on behalf of the Russian government) in order to reconcile them. However, his attempts ended in vain. Khan-Girey died at the age of 34, in 1842, in his small homeland.

This outstanding man left behind a son - Sultan Murat-Giray, born in the year of his father's death. But Sultan Khan-Giray's contribution to the development of Adyghe culture and literature is priceless.

According to one version, it is in honor of him that the Crimean Tatars want to rename Khan-Girey Kherson.

Let's find out who the ancestors of such an outstanding personality were.

Foundation of the dynasty

The founder of the dynasty of the Crimean rulers was Khadzhi-Girey. He came from the Tukatimurid family - one of the offshoots of the descendants of Genghis Khan. According to another version, the roots of the dynasty of the Gireys were descended from the Mongolian clan of Kireyev, and they were attributed to Chingizid already later in order to justify their right to power.

Haji-Giray was born around 1397 on the territory of modern Belarus, which at that time belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL).

At that time, the Golden Horde did not endure the best of times, in fact disintegrating into several independent states. The authorities in the Crimea, with the support of the Lithuanian prince, managed to capture Khadzhi-Girey in 1441. Thus, he became the ancestor of the dynasty, which ruled the Crimea for almost 350 years.

At the origin of power

Mengli-Giray - Khan, who laid the foundation of the power of the Crimean Khanate. He was the son of Hadji-Giray, after his death (in 1466), a struggle for power between the children broke out.

Initially Khan became the eldest son of Haji-Giray - Nur-Devlet. But Mengli-Giray decided to challenge this right. Several times during this internecine struggle the Crimean Khanate changed the ruler. At the same time, if Nur-Devlet in his claims relied on the forces of the Golden Horde and the Ottoman Empire, Mengli bet on the local Crimean nobility. Later, another brother joined the struggle - the Aider. In 1477, the throne managed to capture Janibek, who did not belong to the dynasty of the Gireyas at all.

Finally, in 1478 Mengli-Girey was able to finally defeat his rivals and establish himself in power. It was he who laid the foundations of the might of the Crimean Khanate. However, in the course of the struggle with other contenders he had to recognize the vassalage of his state from the Ottoman Empire and give the south of the Crimea, which his allies, the Genoese, colonized, to the direct management of the Turks.

The Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey concluded an alliance with the Moscow State against the Great Horde (heiress of the Golden Horde) and Lithuania. In 1482, his troops ravaged Kiev, which at that time belonged to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Under him, Crimean Tatars made massive predatory raids on the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the framework of the treaty with Moscow. In 1502, Mengli-Girey finally destroyed the Great Horde.

Mengli-Giray died in 1515.

Further strengthening of the khan's power

Even more strengthened state Mehmed-Girey - Khan, who ruled after the death of Mengli-Girey and was his son. Unlike his father, he was preparing to become a ruler from his youth, having received the title - kalga, which corresponded to the title of Crown Prince. Mehmed-Giray led many campaigns and raids organized by Mengli-Girey.

By the time of his accession to the throne, he already held in his hands all the threads of government, so his brothers' attempts to stir up the mutiny were doomed to failure.

In 1519, the Crimean Khanate significantly increased, as part of the Nogai Horde moved to its territory. This was due to the fact that the Nogais were defeated by Kazakhs, and so they had to seek refuge from Mehmed-Girey.

Under Mehmed, the foreign policy of the Crimean Khanate changed. After the Great Horde was defeated by his father, the need for an alliance with the Moscow Principality fell away, so Mehmed-Girey Khan made an alliance with Lithuania against Russia. It was with him in 1521 was organized the first major campaign of the Crimean Tatars to the Moscow principality.

Mehmed-Giray managed to put his brother Sahib-Girey on the throne of the Kazan Khanate, thereby extending his influence to the Middle Volga region. In 1522 he captured the Astrakhan Khanate. Thus, Mehmed-Giray actually managed to subjugate a significant part of the former Golden Horde.

But, staying in Astrakhan, the khan was so enamored with his power that he dissolved the army, which was used by ill-wishers who organized a plot against Mehmed-Girey and killed him in 1523.

The peak of power

Between 1523 and 1551, the brothers and sons of Mehmed-Girey alternately ruled. This time was intense intense struggle within the Crimean Khanate. But in 1551 Devlet-Girey came to power - the son of Mubarek, who, in turn, was the offspring of Mengli-Giray. It was during his reign that the Crimean Khanate reached its peak of power.

Devlet-Giray - Crimean Khan, who was especially famous for raids on the Russian state. His campaign of 1571 was crowned even by the burning of Moscow.

Devlet-Girey was in power for 26 years and died in 1577.

The weakening of the Khanate

If the son of Devlet-Giray Mehmed II still managed to keep the prestige of the Crimean Khanate, then with his successors, the importance of the Tatar state in the international arena dropped significantly. Sam Mehmed II in 1584 was overthrown by the Turkish sultan, and instead of him the brother of Islame-Girey was planted. The following Crimean khans were little more than remarkable rulers, and in the very state of turmoil they became quite frequent.

In 1648, Isla-Giray III attempted to withdraw to the arena of big politics, having concluded an alliance with the Zaporozhye Cossacks in the liberation war against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. But this alliance soon disintegrated, and the hetman became a citizen of the Russian Tsar.

The last ruler

The last ruler of the Crimean Khanate was Khan Shagin-Girey. During the reign of his predecessor, Devlet-Giray IV, in 1774, the Crimean Khanate gained independence from the Ottoman Empire and recognized the protectorate of Russia. This was one of the conditions of the Kyuchuk-Kainarji world, which ended the next Russian-Turkish war.

The Crimean Khan Shagin-Giray came to power in 1777 as a protege of Russia. He was elevated to the throne instead of the pro-Turkish Devlet-Giray IV. However, even supported by Russian weapons, he sat on the throne not very well. This is evidenced by the fact that in 1782 he was removed from the throne by his brother Bahadir-Girey, who came to power on the wave of popular uprising. With the help of Russian troops, Shagin-Giray managed to return the throne, but his further rule became a fiction, since he no longer had real power.

In 1783 this fiction was eliminated. Shagin-Girey signed a renunciation of the throne, and the Crimean Khanate was annexed to the Russian Empire. Thus ended the period of Gireyev's rule in the Crimea. Evidence of the rule of Shagin can now serve, perhaps, that coins of Khan Girey, whose image can be seen above.

Shahin-Girey after the abdication first lived in Russia, but then moved to Turkey, where in 1787 he was executed by order of the Sultan.

Girei after the loss of power

Sultan Khan-Giray is not the only member of the family who became widely known after the loss of the dynasty's power over the Crimea. Famous were his brothers - Sultan Adil-Giray and Sultan Sagat-Girey, who became famous in the military field for the benefit of the Russian Empire.

The cousin of Khan-Giray, Sultan Davlet-Girey, became the founder of the Adyghe theater. The brother of the latter, Sutan Krym-Girey, was chairman of the horse division committee. Both were killed in 1918 by the Bolsheviks.

Currently, the title of the Crimean Khan nominally claims Jezzar Pamir-Giray, who lives in London.

The Importance of the Gireys in World History

The Gireyev family left a notable mark in the history of the Crimea, and world history as a whole. The existence of the Crimean Khanate, a state that in its time played one of the leading roles in Eastern Europe, is practically inextricably linked with the name of this dynasty.

Gireev also remembers the present generation of the Crimean Tatars, associating this genus with glorious times in the history of the people. It is not without reason that they initiate the initiative to rename Khan-Girey Kherson.