Little-known wars of the Russian state: the struggle with Kazan and the Crimea in 1530-1540.
The reason for the new aggravation of Russian-Kazan relations was “unreason and shame”, perpetrated by Khan Safa-Girey (reigned in 1524–1531, 1536–1549) to the Russian ambassador Andrei Pilyemov in the spring of 1530. The chronicler did not specify what the insult was. This incident filled Moscow’s patience, and the Russian government decided to make another attempt to return Kazan to its control. Covering the southern borders from a possible strike of the Crimean troops, Vasily III in May 1530 moved two rati against the Kazan Khanate - the ship and horse. River flotilla commanders commanded Ivan Belsky and Mikhail Gorbaty. The horse army was led by Mikhail Glinsky and Vasily Sheremetev.
Kazan was prepared for war. Nogai troops came to the aid of the Khanate under the command of Mamai-Murza and the Astrakhan detachments led by Prince Yaglychem (Aglysh). A fortress was built near Kazan on the Bulak River, which was supposed to impede the actions of the Moscow troops.
Ship's army made its way to Kazan without much difficulty. Horse regiments, having broken Tatars trying to prevent them in several skirmishes, successfully crossed the Volga and on July 10 united with the ship's army. On the night of July 14, the regiment of Ivan Ovchina Obolensky stormed the enemy fortress by storm, most of the garrison was interrupted. The successes of the Russian troops and the beginning of the bombing of Kazan alarmed the citizens. Many began to demand the start of negotiations with Moscow and the cessation of the struggle. In this situation, Khan Safa-Girey chose to flee the city.
However, the Russian governors were in no hurry to launch a decisive assault, although there were almost no defenders left in the city, and a significant part of the townspeople were ready for negotiations. The commanders entered into a local dispute, figuring out among themselves who should be the first to enter Kazan. A storm suddenly broke out and confused all the plans of the Russian command. The Tatars used this moment for an unexpected raid. It was successful: Russian troops suffered significant losses, 5 of Russian commanders were killed, including Fyodor Obolensky Shovel, the Tatars captured part of the Russian artillery - 70 cannons. Having recovered from the enemy attack, the Russians resumed shelling the city, but without much success. The Tatars, after a successful raid, were encouraged and changed their mind to surrender. 30 July 1530 city siege was lifted. The Russian army went beyond the Volga. 15 August, the Russians reached their borders. Guilty of this failure recognized Ivan Belsky. He was sentenced to death, but then the governor was pardoned and imprisoned, where he was until the death of Vasily.
True, even before Safa-Giray, who had fled to Astrakhan, was returned, the Kazan nobility began negotiations with Moscow about taking the oath to the sovereign Vasily Ivanovich. In the autumn of 1530, the Kazan embassy arrived in Moscow. Kazan, on behalf of Khan, asked that the great prince of Moscow approve Safa-Girei, “perpetrate the king and his son, and the king wants to be in the sovereign will, and the princes and the whole land of Kazan, the people ... serve the whole land of Kazan before their stomachs and their children. " The Tatar ambassadors gave the Emperor Vasily a Shertnaya record (Shert - oath, contractual relationship), promising that it would be approved by Safa-Giray and all Kazan princes and Murzians.
Russian Ambassador Ivan Polev was sent to Kazan. He should have sworn the khanate and demanded the return of the prisoners and guns. However, Safa-Girey refused to approve the oath. Negotiations resumed. Safa-Girey delayed the time and put forward new requirements. At the same time, he persistently sought help from the Crimean Khan Saadet-Girey. The Crimean Khanate could not provide direct assistance weakened by the invasion of the legs and internal strife. True, the Crimean Tatars raided Odoev and Tula lands. During the ongoing negotiations, the Moscow government was able to attract the Kazan ambassadors of the princes Tabay and Tevekel to their side. With their help, the Russian authorities established contacts with the most influential princes Kichi-Ali and Bulat in Kazan. They believed that it was impossible to continue the ruinous war with Moscow. In addition, they were offended by the fact that Safa-Girey surrounded himself with Nogai and Crimean advisers, pushing aside the Kazan nobility. The patience of the pro-Russian party was overwhelmed with the idea of Khan to arrest and execute the entire Russian embassy. This decision led to a new war of extermination with the Russian state. There was a palace coup, almost all Kazan nobles spoke out against Safa-Giray. Khan fled, the Crimean Tatars and legs were expelled, some were executed. A temporary government was created in Kazan.
The sovereign of Moscow originally planned to restore on the Kazan throne the famous Shah-Ali loyalty to Moscow. He was sent to Nizhny Novgorod, closer to Kazan. However, the Kazan government, headed by Princess Kovgar-Shad (the sister of the deceased Khan Mohammed-Amin and the only surviving representative of the Ulu-Mohammed clan, the founder of the Kazan Khanate), and the princes Kichi-Ali and Bulat, refused to accept the ruler unpopular among the Tatar people. Kazan asked themselves Khan's younger brother Shah-Ali Jan-Ali (Yanalei). He was at that moment 15 years old and his entire short reign (1532 — 1535) was under the complete control of Moscow, Princess Kovgar-Shad and Prince Bulat. By permission of the Moscow Grand Prince Vasily, he married the Nogai Princess Syuyumbike, who later played a prominent role in stories Kazan state. Thus, between Moscow and Kazan, there was a durable peace and close alliance, which lasted until the death of Vasily Ivanovich.
On the Crimean border
On the border with the Crimean Khanate, during the Russian-Kazan war of 1530 — 1531, relative calm was maintained, which from time to time was broken by the attacks of small Tatar units. Protection of the southern Ukraine continued to pay special attention. The slightest threat caused a quick response. The situation has changed by the year 1533. The feud of two brothers, Saadet-Giray and Islam-Giray, unexpectedly ended with the victory of Sahib-Giray (Sahib I Gerai, reigned in 1532 - 1551), which was supported by the Port. Saadet Giray was forced to relinquish the throne and go to Istanbul. And Islam Giray occupied the throne for the entire five months.
In August, in Moscow, they received lime about the beginning of a campaign against Russia 40-thousand. of the Crimean horde, led by the "princes" of Islam Giray and Safa Giray. The Moscow government did not have accurate data on the direction of movement of the enemy troops, and was forced to take emergency measures to protect the border areas. Grand Prince Vasily Ivanovich rose with reserve troops in the village of Kolomenskoye. The army was sent to Kolomna under the command of Prince Dmitry Belsky and Vasily Shuisky. A little later, the regiments of the princes Fyodor Mstislavsky, Peter Repnin and Peter Okhlyabin also made a speech there. The light regiments of Ivan Shevchina Telepnev, Dmitry Chereda Paletsky and Dmitry Drutsky were sent from Kolomna against the Tatar oblavny detachments.
Crimean princes, having received information about the nomination of Moscow regiments to the border, changed the direction of the attack and attacked the land of Ryazan. Crimean troops burned out the suburbs, tried to storm the fortress, but could not take the city. Ryazan land was subjected to terrible devastation. The first in the area of actions of the Tatar detachments came a light regiment of Dmitry Cheredy Paletsky. At the village of Bezzubovo, 10 versts from Kolomna, his regiment defeated the Tatar detachment. Then other light regiments came into contact with the enemy. Having met with resistance, the Tatar penning detachments retreated to the main forces. The Crimean army struck at the Russian regiments, which were headed by Ivan Ovchina Telepnev. Russian light regiments survived in a hard battle, but were forced to retreat. The commanders of the Tatar army, fearing the approach of the main Russian forces, did not pursue the “Lyokh voevod” and began to retreat, leading away a huge force.
Break with Kazan. War with Safa-Giray
The death of the sovereign Vasily (December 3 1533) significantly complicated the foreign policy position of the Russian state. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania entered the war with Moscow (the Russian-Lithuanian war of 1534 — 1537), anti-Russian sentiments prevailed in Kazan. In the winter of 1533-1534. Kazan troops ravaged the Nizhny Novgorod and Novgorod lands, took away a large full. Then raids began on Vyatka lands. The Moscow authorities tried to sensitize Kazan, but Khan Jan-Ali, who remained loyal to the Russian state, did not enjoy the support of the local nobility. Kazan felt the change in the situation and the weakening of Moscow. The final gap between the Russian state and the Kazan Khanate occurred 25 September 1534. As a result of a palace coup organized by princess Kovgar-Shad, Khan Jan-Ali and his Russian advisers were killed. Many leaders of the pro-Russian party were forced to flee to Muscovy. Safa-Girey, an old and staunch enemy of Russia, returned to the throne of Kazan.
The accession of Safa-Girey led to the beginning of a new big war on the Volga. The first serious collisions occurred in the winter of 1535-1536. In December, the Tatar detachments, due to the careless service of the Meshchersky governor Semyon Gundorov and Vasily Zamytsky, reached Nizhny Novgorod, Berezopol and Gorokhovets. In January, the Tatars burned Balakhna and retreated when troops moved from Murom under the command of the governor Fedor Mstislavsky and Mikhail Kurbsky. However, it was not possible to overtake the main forces of the Kazan Tatars. Another Tatars struck at Koryakovo on the river Unzha. This raid ended in failure. Most of the Tatar detachment was destroyed, the prisoners were executed in Moscow. At the end of July, the Tatars invaded Kostroma's lands, destroying the outpost of Prince Peter the Pied Zasekin on the River Kusi. In the autumn of 1536, the Tatar and Mari detachments invaded the Galician lands.
At the beginning of 1537, the army of Kazan Khan launched a new offensive. In the middle of January, the Tatars unexpectedly came out from Murom and tried to take it on the run. Kazan troops burned down the suburbs, but could not take the fortress. Three days later, after an unsuccessful siege, they hurriedly withdrew, receiving a message about a Russian regiment commanded by Vladimir Odoyevsky, Vasily Sheremetev and Mikhail Kubensky, speaking about Vladimir and Meshcher. From the Murom land Kazan army moved to Nizhny Novgorod. The Tatars burned the upper Posad, but were repulsed and went down the Volga to their borders. In addition, the sources noted the emergence of the Tatar and Mari troops in the vicinity of Balakhna, Gorodets, Galician and Kostroma lands.
The Moscow government, alarmed by the increased activity of the Kazan Tatars and the weak cover of the eastern borders, begins to strengthen the border along the Volga. In 1535, the new fortress stands in Perm. In 1536-1537 build fortresses on the river Korega (Bui-city), in Balakhna, Meshchera, at the mouth of the river Uchi (Love). Update fortifications in Ustyug and Vologda. Temnikov is transferred to a new place, defenses in Vladimir and Yaroslavl are restored after fires. In 1539, the city of Zhilansky was built on the border of the Galitsky district (in the same year it was captured and burned). The 1537 bit entries for the first time contain painting to voivods from Kazan “Ukraine”. The main army under the authority of Shah-Ali and Yuri Shein stood in Vladimir. In Murom, the troops were commanded by Fedor Mstislavsky, in Nizhny Novgorod - Dmitry Vorontsov, in Kostroma - Andrey Kholmsky, in Galich - Ivan Prozorovsky. Approximately the same alignment of troops at this line continued in subsequent years.
In the spring of 1538, a campaign was planned for Kazan. However, in March, under pressure from the Crimean Khan, the Moscow government began peace talks with Kazan. They stretched until the fall of 1539, when Safa-Girey resumed hostilities and attacked Moore. The Kazan army, reinforced by the Nogai and Crimean detachments, ravaged Murom and Nizhny Novgorod lands. At the same time, the Tatar detachment of Prince Chura Narykov devastated the surroundings of Galich and, having destroyed the Zhilinsky town, moved into the lands of Kostroma. Russian regiments were sent to Kostroma. A stubborn battle took place on Plesse. At the cost of large losses (among the 4 Russian commanders were killed), the Russian troops were able to turn the Tatars to flight and to release the whole is full. In 1540, 8-th. detachment Chury Narykov again devastated the Kostroma lands. The Tatar army was again overtaken by the troops of the governor of Kholmsky and Humpback, but was able to fight off and leave.
18 December 1540 of the year 30, the thousandth Kazan army, reinforced by the Nogai and Crimean detachments led by Safa-Giray, reappeared under the walls of Murom. The siege lasted two days, the Russian garrison defended the city, but the Tatars captured a large one in the vicinity of the city. Upon learning of the approaching from Vladimir of the grand-ducal regiments, Safa-Girey retreated, ravaging the surrounding villages and partially, the Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod places.
Military operations alternated with peace negotiations, during which Safa-Girei tried to avoid retaliatory strikes from the Russian army, and then again raided the Muscovite state. The Moscow government, disillusioned with the ineffective struggle against the sudden raids of the Kazan Tatars, the prosecution of which was hindered by the massif of forests, relied on the internal Kazan opposition. Moscow tried to eliminate the influence of the Crimea, by the hands of Kazanians themselves. The search begins for those dissatisfied with the policy of the khan, the dominance of the Crimean Tatars. The situation was eased by Safa-Girey, who accused part of the Kazan nobility of betrayal and began the execution. One of the first to execute the princess was Kovgar-Shad, then other prominent princes and murzas were killed. Fear for his life forced the Kazan nobility to speak out against Khan and his Crimean advisers. In January, the 1546 began an uprising in Kazan. Safa-Girey fled to the Nogai Horde, to his father-in-law, Beyu Yusuf. The provisional Kazan government, headed by Chora Narykov, Beyurgan Seit and Kadysh, invited Shakh-Ali, a protege of Moscow, to the throne. However, they refused to let him into the city along with the 4-thousand who arrived with him. Russian squad. Only Shah-Ali himself and a hundred Kasimov Tatars were allowed into Kazan. The position of Shah-Ali was very fragile, due to the unpopularity of the new Khan. The new Kazan ruler lasted only a month on the throne. Yusuf gave Safa-Girey a Nogai army and he beat off Kazan. Shah-Ali fled to Moscow. The war immediately began, which continued until the sudden death of Safa-Giray in March 1549.
To be continued ...
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