The Kazan Khanate: Accession to Russia in the Historical Perspective

What was the Kazan Khanate? Its accession to Russia falls on the 15th century, during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. This was the time of Russia's formation, one of the stages of its power. It was achieved both thanks to the economic and military strategy of the king. But in order to make a complete picture of the events of that time, one must look not only at the investigation, but also at the cause of certain events in the political arena.

Accession of the Kazan Khanate, participants in the events and their motives - all this will be considered below.

Relations with Moscow

Initially, during the period that covered the 14th and 16th centuries, within the Kazan Khanate, there were two groups with opposing goals and political views. The adherents of the first group counted on peaceful coexistence with the Moscow kingdom, on profitable partner trade and economic relations. The second group considered neighbors as a source of slaves and an object for easy robbery. Supporters of the political line of the Crimean Khanate, which was in very tense relations with Moscow, gained the upper hand. The Kazan Khanate, joining Russia for which at that time it seemed impossible, defended its interests in the region.

Moscow's protege on the throne

The first attempt to put a person loyal to Russia on the throne of the Khanate was accomplished in 1467 and was unsuccessful. Because of the clash of political interests in the lands of the Upper Volga region, the two states lived in constant tension. Constantly sending troops and trying to influence the events of the Kazan Khanate, Moscow strove to put the right person on the throne.

The struggle, which lasted for many years, ended in the fact that Kazan in 1487 was still taken by the Russians, and Muhammad-Emin, who was loyal to the tsar, was elevated to the throne. During his reign, uprisings, heated and organized by the nobility, which sought to dislodge the khan, continually flared up. Seeing this situation, Ivan III made concessions and did not prevent the overthrow of Emin. Instead, Abdul-Latif, Emin's brother, became khan.

The war of 1521

When Girey was in power, the wars between the Moscow kingdom and the Kazan khanate did not stop. During the war of 1521, when the forces of Sahib-Giray and Mehmed-Giray united against Moscow, about seven hundred thousand people were captured in captivity, according to the testimonies of the chronicles alone. Probably, the real figure was much larger. During the war, Murom, Vladimir and other lands suffered. Despite the period of military campaigns, Moscow was the first to unleash the conflict. Thus, out of 12 military clashes, the Kazan Khanate started the war only 4 times. In other cases, it was forced to conduct a defensive policy with the transition to an offensive. In parallel, the Khanate behaved aggressively, making regular raids and weakening the state. Naturally, such a dangerous enemy should not remain close to the borders of the kingdom. The Kazan Khanate, whose accession to Russia could have been a salvation, persistently continued its raids. A new grandiose war was on the way, capable of solving everything.

Kazan Khanate: Accession to Russia is not far off

Seeing the futility of the two campaigns, by order of the tsar, comprehensive preparation for a new war was deployed. So, a number of reforms were carried out, which were supposed to strengthen both the defensive and the offensive strength of the army. A competent tactical decision was the construction of the fortress Sviyazhsk. It was located near the borders of the Khanate, which allowed to keep there a spare garrison and food. The assembled army was armed not only with iron, but also with faith. Parallel to the political significance of the war was also the religious overtones, being an analogue of the liberation campaign of Christians against Muslims. The army moved to Kazan in the summer of 1552. Ivan the Terrible commanded the campaign. For those times it was an impregnable, well fortified fortress. On both sides it was protected by rivers with a rapid current, and from the third - a deep ditch. The king's troops met with active resistance, but surpassed the enemy by number and technique.

They used siege weapons and explosives, which made it possible to destroy the only source of water for the townspeople. As a result, an epidemic broke out, and the attacks of weakened Tatars became unsuccessful.

Taking Kazan

Considering the annexation of the Kazan Khanate, the year 1552 can be considered fateful. Seeing that the townspeople were dying from the epidemic, the tsar offered to surrender, but was refused during the negotiations. Then the army began to prepare for the siege. The weakened defenders of Kazan, unable to resist, practically surrendered the city. Describing later the annexation of the Kazan Khanate, the participants of those events told that the city was practically cut out.

Historical meaning

The Kazan Khanate, whose accession to Russia meant total liquidation, opened the way for further expansion to the east and establishment of economic ties with the countries of the Caucasus. In addition, the threat of attacks and raids by the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire behind it was eliminated.