Kuchum and Kuchumoviches in Russian history
Isker is now a cozy and quiet place
The immediate reason for this article was a micro-scandal in Tobolsk, connected with the never-installed monument to Khan Kuchum's wife, Suzga, on the territory of the Isker memorial complex, that is, the capital of the Siberian Khanate. The opening of the monument was planned for August 2025, but in mid-July active movements began, which both the monument is illegal and incites, and the Tatar clergy condemned it. In short, the monument, never installed, was confiscated. Then Nikita Mikhalkov intervened with his criticism, then it turned out that the attempt to install the monument was not without the help of the Tyumen communists...
In all this stories the old opposition is clearly visible: Yermak is good, Kuchum is bad. Therefore, crosses and monuments should be erected to Yermak, but not to Kuchum or his wife. In the heat of passion, the vilification or demonization of Kuchum begins. And here it is worth saying that patriotic frenzy sometimes leads to completely unsavory consequences. The fact is that the Kuchumovichs, that is, the tsareviches and princes of Siberia, were Russian nobles and did a lot for Russia. So it turns out that in a patriotic frenzy, demonizing Kuchum, these fighters for the "historical truth" are de facto engaged in a gross distortion of their own history, since they are forced to throw out Kuchum's descendants along with him.
The split of the Kuchum family
If we consider Kuchum with his large family (which included 17 sons) and his descendants, then a far from ambiguous picture emerges. On the one hand, Kuchum was indeed an opponent of the Muscovite state. But on the other hand, during his lifetime, part of his family went over to the Muscovite state and occupied a very high and privileged position there. And his descendants too. Some of them, such as Ali, Ablai Giray and Devlet Giray, continued the struggle for the Siberian Khanate in the 1653th century and bore the title of Siberian Khans. Others, such as Altanai and his son Ish-Muhammad, swore an oath to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in XNUMX and eventually became Russian nobles.
When this story is presented for propaganda purposes, individual facts are pulled out of the complex mosaic of relationships in this large family, with all its interests in power and politics, and they are used here and there. This does not allow us to see and understand an extremely interesting phenomenon - the split in Kuchum's family. What else can we call it? For example, Kuchum had a son from his eighth wife Chepshan - Abdul-Khair. In 1591, he was captured, and in 1597 he wrote a letter to his father, in which he called on him to submit to Tsar Feodor Ivanovich; and at that time Kuchum was promised that Siberia would be returned to his control. Kuchum's nephew Mametkul, captured in 1583, wrote the same thing to his uncle. Mametkul was granted estates, honors, and also participated in wars with Sweden and the Crimean Tatars.
This was a common practice. The Kuchumovichs, both those taken prisoner and those who came of their own free will, were received with great honors, presented with expensive and prestigious gifts, estates, and also acquired a high position at the royal court. The Kuchumovichs, for example, stood higher in nobility than all the Russian boyars. For about 70 years, they lived in the Moscow state as guests, without taking any oaths or vows, and were mainly engaged in participating in various palace ceremonies.
But Kuchum refused. Hence the question: who was Kuchum and why did he take such a position? He certainly knew that his captured relatives were met with great honor. One word was enough for him to be given an honorary passage to the court of Tsar Feodor Ivanovich. And here we begin to understand how much we do not know about history.
Because both Kuchum’s position and the position of his relatives, sons and descendants who chose the Moscow state had very compelling reasons for such decisions.
Although the events of such ancient days are reflected in the sources very sparingly, nevertheless, by the power of thought one can penetrate into events that have not been preserved, and even into plans that were never entrusted to paper. Because thought leads to action, and actions leave traces, and by these traces one can, with a certain probability, unwind the chain back.
It seems that Kuchum had far-reaching plans for the revival of the Golden Horde, and it was for this purpose that he needed the Siberian Khanate.
An attempt to revive the Golden Horde
Contrary to the opinion of many modern "experts", Kuchum had the right, since he was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan through his eldest son Jochi. In the ladder law, the lineage of the eldest son has an advantage in nobility. Jochi had a fifth son from his eldest wife - Shiban, who founded the Shibanid dynasty. In 1241, Shiban received the title of commander-in-chief of the Mongol Empire from Batu.
But then, during the "Great Confusion" in the Golden Horde, the lineages of the elder sons and many younger sons of Jochi died out. The descendants of Shiban, the fifth son of Jochi, and the Tukatimurids, the descendants of the thirteenth son of Jochi by the concubine Tukai Timur, remained in the foreground. The latter turned out to be more numerous and stronger, and captured almost all the khanates that formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde.
The Shibanids were the oldest of all the existing families of the descendants of Genghis Khan. That is why Kuchum had the right. This was the basis for the high position of the Kuchumovichs at the courts of the last Rurikovichs and the first Romanovs. In general, the Rurikovichs, not to mention the Romanovs, like all the other Russian boyars, were in the past tributaries of the Genghis Khans.
Kuchum, according to Abul-Ghazi, was the grand-nephew of Abak Khan, who already ruled the Siberian Khanate. Neither his father nor he himself, apparently, had anything other than nobility at first. With the help of his distant relative, the Bukhara Khan Abdullah Khan II, he managed to conquer the Siberian Khanate, which passed into the hands of the descendants of a certain Taibugi, whose grandson, a certain Umar, was the husband of Abak Khan's sister; and Umar's grandson killed Abak Khan.
If all this is considered only from the standpoint of family conflicts, the desire to take the throne and collect yasak, then all of Kuchum's activities remain completely incomprehensible. Having nothing, Kuchum could have gone to the Moscow state, which had already accepted all kinds of Tatar nobility, including the Genghisids, already in the 40s of the 1563th century or, at least, after the fall of the Kazan Khanate. Instead, he went to Siberia and conquered it in XNUMX.
It was an interesting era, when the Muscovite state under the rule of Ivan the Terrible gradually got into serious difficulties: internal conflicts and boyar conspiracies, oprichnina, a difficult war with the Crimean Tatars - the burning of Moscow and the battle of Molodi, a difficult war in Livonia. In such conditions, it was possible to count on the revival of the Golden Horde under its rule. But for such plans, the Muscovite state was enemy number one.
Why Siberia? In my opinion, to stop the influx of sables and other furs into the Muscovite state, which were exchanged for silver needed for money circulation. Without money, it was impossible to organize and supply any army, let alone large armies. The next target was the Stroganov estates with their salt, a strategic product at that time. Ermak's campaign was a successful counterattack during one of the campaigns to these estates.
Kuchum's plan failed, but that doesn't mean it didn't exist. Firstly, Kuchum didn't abandon it even when he was left without power and virtually alone. Secondly, this plan was clearly shared by the peoples subject to him, for example, the Voguls and Ostyaks. They actively participated in the campaigns against the Stroganov estates. Finally, especially for those who like to talk about Kuchum as a "usurper" - the West Siberian Uprising of 1661-1665. Then the Ostyaks suggested to Kuchum's grandson, Tsarevich Devlet-Girey, to attack Tobolsk so that the Tsarevich would sit in Tobolsk, and the Ostyaks would get Berezov. More than 60 years have passed since Kuchum's death, but the Ostyaks, once subject to him, remember who should be on the throne, and even plot.
Thirdly, the beginning of the wars with the Stroganovs somehow successfully continued the work of the Crimean Chaks, defeated at Molodi. The previous pretenders failed - why not try Kuchum? Especially since he had more rights to this than any of the Crimean khans.
An extravagant hypothesis? Now yes, but later it has a chance to become a well-founded theory if you put together the entire political mosaic of events of that time without gaps. There are almost no other possible interpretations left.
It may be said that this glorifies Kuchum. However, those who belittle and demonize Kuchum must understand that if Kuchum is "who knows who," a "usurper," etc., then there is no reason to glorify Yermak. What kind of achievement is it to go and defeat a crowd of wild aborigines who were at the level of a primitive communal system, as some Soviet historians wrote about the Siberian Khanate? But a face-to-face fight with the senior Genghisid, a pretender to the revival of the Golden Horde, under the walls of Isker, a victory in which was achieved by pure valor, at the point of a sabre, is a completely different matter.
But the real victors of Kuchum were the Tara voivode, Prince Ivan Koltsov-Masalsky, and the boyar Andrei Voeikov.
During the turmoil on the side of the Moscow state
The split of the Kuchumovichs was caused, in my opinion, by this very thing - the opinion that Kuchum's plans after his defeat by Yermak were no longer feasible and that it was necessary to seek the patronage of the Moscow Tsar. This was a carefully thought-out decision, as indicated by an interesting circumstance, to which entire generations of historians paid no attention - during the Time of Troubles, the Kuchumovichs sided with the Moscow state.
Although in 1604, when this whole epic began and Kuchum's eldest son Ali took the title of Siberian Khan, the Muscovite state was suffering unheard of disasters, weakness and instability, an impostor had ascended to the throne, and so on. A good time to step aside, isn't it?
But neither the Kuchumovichs who were in the Moscow state, nor those who got there during the events of the Time of Troubles, took advantage of the moment and did not defect. Little is known about their adventures, but there is something.
Ali Arslan's son, that is, Kuchum's grandson in the senior line, supported the militia of Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky in May 1612 and after the end of the Time of Troubles was granted the title of Kasimov Khan by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. He came to the Tsar for an audience in 1616, 1617 and 1623.
Kuchum's son Altanai, from whom the tsareviches and then princes of Siberia descended, left for Tobolsk in 1608, was sent to Novgorod, where he was captured by the Swedes in 1611 and remained in Swedish captivity until 1614, when he was exchanged for a captured Swedish military leader. In 1614–1618, Altanai participated in battles with the Poles, and then asked Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich for permission to grant him a landed estate.
An ally of both impostors was Uraz-Muhammad, who fought first for Kuchum, then was captured and in 1600 granted the title of Kasimov Khan by Tsar Boris Godunov. He was the grandson of the Kazakh Khan Shigai (his daughter was Suzge), who traced his lineage back to the Khan of the Left Wing of the Golden Horde, Urus Khan, whose exact origins were difficult even during the Golden Horde times: according to some sources, he was traced back to Tukai Timur, and according to others, to Orda-Ejen, the eldest son of Jochi. Uraz-Muhammad consistently joined the strongest at that time, until he paid the price in 1610 - he was killed by False Dmitry II for suspicion of an assassination attempt. A man of very dubious origins differs sharply in behavior from the real senior Genghisids and tries to seize advantage in the Russian turmoil.
There is still much to explore here, and not all the fragments of the mosaic have been collected and analyzed. But the overall impression is this: the Kuchumovichs were not at all tempted by the situation of the Time of Troubles and used their great authority among the Tatars in support of the Muscovite state. This, it seems, was the fateful and historical contribution of the Kuchumovichs, and at the most difficult moment.
"For Bravery!" with Diamonds
Of the subsequent Kuchumovichs, the most interesting is the descendant of Altanai, who formed the line of Siberian princes and tsareviches, from which several famous representatives emerged.
Altanai's son Ish-Muhammad (Alexei Alekseevich) came to Moscow with his father in 1653, took the oath and was baptized a year or two later. Moreover, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself was his godfather. Then he served and was a regimental commander in Vyazma. During the Streltsy rebellion in April 1682, together with his son Vasily Alekseevich, he signed the charter electing Peter to the throne. They apparently did not participate in the events of the Streltsy rebellion, but they did participate in the coronation of Ivan and Peter on June 24, 1682, and Tsarevich Vasily Sibirsky showered the tsars with gold coins three times.
Tsarevich Vasily Alekseevich Sibirsky was later with Peter I and served in the Admiralty on economic and financial matters.
Tsarevich Sibirsky Vasily Alekseevich - great-grandson of Kuchum
He was close to Tsarevich Alexei and in 1718 was exiled to Arkhangelsk, subsequently deprived of the title of Tsarevich, leaving the title of Prince. Little is known about his state activities, but, apparently, he played a major role in financing the construction fleet.
His grandson, Prince Vasily Fedorovich Sibirsky, served in the Izmailovsky Regiment, took part in the war with Turkey with the rank of lieutenant and, in particular, distinguished himself in the landing at the Battle of Chesma.
Prince of Siberia Vasily Fedorovich
Then he served in the rear supply of the army and was promoted to general of infantry in October 1799, but already in February 1800, by decree of Paul I, he was deprived of his nobility, titles and awards, and sent into exile. He was in exile for a very short time and upon Alexander I's accession to the throne, one of his first decrees, in March 1801, was to pardon him with the return of his nobility, ranks, titles and estates. In April 1801, he was appointed senator.
His son, Prince Alexander Vasilyevich Sibirsky, served in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and in 1805 became the commander of the Narva Musketeer Regiment.
Prince of Siberia Alexander Vasilievich
He took part in the Battle of Austerlitz, was wounded in the leg and was captured. Upon his return from captivity, he took part in the war with Sweden, receiving a gold sword "For Bravery" and the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree. During the Patriotic War of 1812, he took part in a number of battles. He particularly distinguished himself in the Battle of Polotsk in August 1812. He took part in the Foreign Campaign and distinguished himself, receiving diamond badges to the Order of St. Anna, 1st degree, and a gold sword with diamonds "For Bravery" for the battles, and in 1824 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
Sword "For Bravery"
If we follow the example of some narrow-minded individuals who demonize Kuchum, then we should cut these historical figures out of Russian history. And then it turns out that Russian history is all skewed, with holes and crudely sewn-on patches.
"If you can't do it, don't try it" is the only thing that can be said about the history of the Suzga monument in Tobolsk, and about both sides. Both the Tatar activists and Mikhalkov with his "demon-drivers" are essentially the same and differ only in their polarity. And their methods are the same - to tear out some scrap of history and wave it around.
Meanwhile, history should be like a ceremonial waistcoat - elegantly cut and sewn so that every fact has its place. If someone wants to see Yermak as a historical hero, although he became one in many ways by accident, then his opponent, that is, Khan Kuchum, should be corresponding, with all the regalia due to him. Then history will be interesting, exciting and instructive.
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