2019, vol. 7, no. 1. Rustemov O.D.

2019, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 185-192

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22378/2313-6197.2019-7-1.185-192

   BOOK REVIEW: KROLIKOWSKA-JEDLIŃSKA N. LAW AND DIVISION
OF POWER IN THE CRIMEAN KHANATE (1532–1774):
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE REIGN OF MURAD GIRAY (1678–1683)

O.D. Rustemov
National University of Bioresources and Nature Management
Kyiv, Ukraine
biblos@ukr.net

The book under review is dedicated to the peculiarities of Crimean Tatar society, its traditions, class etiquette, rights and obligations of residents of the state, and other social issues, which are reflected in various documents. A large number of such documents exist, comprising historical treatises, travel records, testimonies of ambassadors of foreign countries, etc. The central place among these sources is occupied by the judicial registers of the Shari’a courts, called sijjils or qadiasker books. The sociological aspects of this study fall predominantly on the reign of Murad Giray Khan when many traditions and peculiarities of the way of life crystallized in the Crimea. In addition, the figure of Murad Giray Khan is attractive owing to the attempts at reforms that he undertook, foreseeing the death of his state.
The political external and internal position of many Crimean khans was distinguished by its duality. It was based on their status as vassals of the Ottoman Sultans. However, the Crimean khans were descendants of a more ancient and formerly powerful Chinggisid dynasty, and therefore they were more legitimate in the Turkic world in terms of the power of their rule. With rare exceptions, among the Crimean khans there was always a vivid desire for the return of the former greatness and power of the house of Chinggis, something which was often combined with a desire for independence from the Sublime Porte.
These internal aspirations at times led to acts of disobedience and even open military confrontations. Such was the case of Khan Mehmed II Giray, nicknamed Semin (the Fat), who laid siege to the Caffa’s garrison in 1577, but these manifestations of “self-will” were invariably suppressed both by the superior military power of the Porte and by intrigues, skillfully played by Istanbul grandees among the Crimean clan aristocracy, whose representatives often raised revolts against their own khans.

Keywords: Crimean khanate, Ottoman Empire, Turkey, Murad Giray Khan, Töre, Yasa

For сitation: Rustemov O.D. Book Review: Królikowska-Jedlinska N. Law and Division of Power in the Crimean Khanate (1532–1774): with special reference to the Murad Giray (1678–1683). Zolotoordynskoe obozrenie=Golden Horde Review. 2019, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 185–192. DOI: 10.22378/2313-6197.2019-7-1.185-192

REFERENCES

  1. Rustemov O.D. Kadiaskerskie knigi Krymskogo hanstva: issledovanija, teksty i perevody [Kadiasker books of the Crimean Khanate: studies, texts and translations.]. Simferopol, GAU RK “Mediacentr im. I. Gasprinskogo” Publ., 2017. 280 p. (In Russian)
  2. Rustemov O.D. Obrazcy sudebnyh reshenij (Hukm) iz sudejskih sbornikov krymskogo hanstva: osobennosti struktury i stilja [Samples of court decisions (Hukm) from judicial collections of the Crimean Khanate: features of structure and style]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Vostokovedenie i afrikanistika [Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. Oriental and African studies]. Vol. 1, 2015, pp. 55–62. (In Russian)
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  5. Królikowska-Jedlinska N. Law and Division of Power in the Crimean Khanate (1532–1774): with special reference to the Murad Giray (1678–1683). Series: The Ottoman Empire and its heritage. Vol. 65. Leiden; Boston, Brill, 2019. 320 p. DOI: 10.1163/9789004384323

 

About the author: Oleg D. Rustemov ‒ Candidate of Philological Studies (Ph.D.), employee of the Faculty of Humanities and Pedagogy of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management (15, Geroev Oborony Str., Kyiv 03041, Ukraine). E-mail: biblos@ukr.net

Received  December 13, 2018   Accepted for publication  March 4, 2019
Published online  March 29, 2019