Table of contents:
- Dreams of a rich Muslim kingdom and a daring response to Ivan the Terrible
- The inculcation of Islam and the revolts of rebellious pagans
- Terrible Ermak and the first flight of Kuchum
- Death of Ermak and the finale of the history of the Siberian Khanate
Video: Why Khan Kuchum defied Ivan the Terrible and ruined his possessions: The short history of the Siberian Khanate
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In the 16th century, Siberia was ruled by the Muslim "Tsar" Kuchum, as he was called in Russian documents of that period. He established his power over the vast territories between the Irtysh and Tobol after a bloody and brutal war with the "taybugin" Ediger. Kuchum not only refused to pay any tribute to Ivan the Terrible, but also went to seize new Russian territories. Moscow had to pacify the daring khan more than once, but the history of the Siberian Khanate was still put to an end.
Dreams of a rich Muslim kingdom and a daring response to Ivan the Terrible
In 1555, Khan Kuchum went to war against the owner of the lands adjacent to the Irtysh, Ediger. The young ambitious warrior set out to create his own state in the Siberian Territory, leading the local tribes under his control. He was helped by a Bukhara relative, who saw economic and political interest in the conquest of Siberia.
By 1563, the victory finally remained with Kuchum, who became the tribal ruler of the Irtysh banks. Khan Ediger and his brother were killed on the very first day of the capture of the capital - Kashlyk. The population of the newly formed Siberian Khanate, mainly the Tatars and the Khanty and Mansi subordinate to them, saw a usurper in Kuchum. He was supported by an alien army from Kazakh, Uzbek and Nogai detachments. Having become an influential khan, Kuchum abandoned the traditional yasak under Yediger in favor of Moscow, aiming at new Russian territories as well.
The inculcation of Islam and the revolts of rebellious pagans
In addition to expanding the subordinate borders, Kuchum Khan was faced with the task of spreading Islam in the khanate. This process was very difficult, encountering resistance from the locals, who did not consider Kuchum their rightful ruler. Even the co-religion Tatars living in the khanate did not show him unconditional support.
Kuchum built a mosque next to his Siberian palace, ordering his entourage to convert to Islam as soon as possible. But the very first preachers who arrived in Kuchum's domain were mercilessly killed. The khan cruelly dealt with the murderers of his associates, and buried the bodies of those who died for their faith in the princely cemetery. From that moment on, bringing the population to submission was carried out with fire and sword.
The taiga natives had their own beliefs, and the shaman was originally closer to them than the mullah. But Kuchum did not care: he chopped off the heads of those who were particularly resistant, and the rest were forcibly circumcised. Despite the punitive practice, this approach now and then caused rebellions and uprisings among the local. The Khan even had to turn to Bukhara relatives for help, who sent reinforcements.
Terrible Ermak and the first flight of Kuchum
In 1573, the insatiable khan sent an army to the Kama region led by his nephew Magmetkul, attempting to expand his kingdom at the expense of the new Russian lands. This time, the insolence of the Siberian sovereign did not pass without leaving a trace. Ivan the Terrible sent Cossacks headed by the legendary Yermak to pacify the daring Kuchum.
A Cossack squad of several hundred soldiers was stationed in a fortification on the banks of the Kama. The ataman did not plan to sit out, realizing that the only way to defeat the khan was by attacks. The appearance of Ermak in Kuchum's domain was a surprise. At the first clash, the Tatars were on their guard. Despite the fact that Kuchum's army outnumbered the Cossack army, the Moscow guests were distinguished by their great experience and ability to conduct "fiery battles". Squealing and cannons instantly scattered hundreds of Tatars, whose equipment was more suitable for wars with fellow tribesmen.
After a series of skirmishes that ended in victory for the Cossacks, Khan Kuchum sent the best governor Magmetkul to Ermak, but he also had to retreat. Now the khan understood that an intelligent, strong and experienced enemy was operating on his lands. In early November 1582, Ermak's Cossacks approached the capital of the Kuchum Khanate. Magmetkul, who remembered his defeat, decided to take over the main battle. But the course of the battle went differently, and the governor was wounded. Panic broke out in the khan's army, and Kuchum had to flee.
Death of Ermak and the finale of the history of the Siberian Khanate
Already a couple of days after the capture of the capital, the first ambassadors with gifts came to Yermak. The ataman accepted the whole offering, assuring the locals that henceforth their settlement was under Cossack protection. Representatives of the tribal nobility took the oath of allegiance to the sovereign of Moscow, subject to the payment of an annual tax. Kuchum, who tirelessly watched the events, hatched a revenge plan. Khan in exile inflicted pinpoint strikes on small groups of Cossacks, regularly attacked Magmetkul personally. Yermak continued to repel attacks, suppressing the initiatives of the Tatar detachments.
However, Kuchum's tactics gradually bore fruit - destroying the Cossacks in small parties, he inevitably reduced the opponent's capabilities to a minimum. And operational reinforcements from Moscow were excluded due to their extreme remoteness. In the summer of 1585, Kuchum's detachment attacked the Russians' night camp. This battle was the last for Ermak, either drowned in the Irtysh under the weight of armor, or killed in a fight with the enemy.
After the death of the glorious ataman, experienced governors Sukin, Myasnoy, Chulkov, Eletsky arrived in Siberia. Before the last campaign of the Russians against the rebellious Kuchum, Moscow sent him letters with proposals for peace and tsarist citizenship. But the khan assessed his freedom higher and refused all compromise questions. Then the Russians launched a decisive offensive.
In August 1598, the detachment of Andrei Voeikov defeated a multi-hundred detachment of the Kuchumites. The brother and grandsons of the khan were killed, and five of his sons were taken prisoner. Kuchum himself again managed to escape with a group of 50 soldiers. He was made another offer to enter the service of the king. The answer was the same. The former ruler of the Siberian Khanate, who invariably escapes Moscow persecution, ended his life with a violent death somewhere in the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Some sources claim that his own relatives dealt with him. And with his death, the history of the Siberian Khanate ended.
Later, it was the turn of another, very formidable and strong khanate, which posed a serious threat to Moscow until the end of the 16th century - the Crimean one.
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