The Gireys are one of the branches of the Genghisid dynasty, which ruled the Crimean Khanate from its foundation in 1441 until its fall in 1783. In addition, they occasionally occupied the throne in other states that emerged after the collapse of the Golden Horde and were considered the “reserve” ruling house in the Ottoman Empire, if the Ottomans cease to exist.
How did they come to power and what became of them?
The history of the Gireys begins in the 1260s, when the Great Khan of the Golden Horde Mengu-Timur (grandson of Batyi) allocated lands in the Crimea to his uncle Uran-Timur. The latter was the son of Tuka-Timur, the youngest of Djuchi’s offspring. For a hundred years his sons, grandsons and great-grandsons were considered vassals of the rulers of Sarai. But in the course of repressions, which fell on the Tatar aristocracy by Uzbek when Islam was introduced as a universal religion, the descendants of Batu and the elder sons of the founder of the state lost power or died out. And then the younger branches of the Dzhuchids — the Tukatimurids and the Shibanids — became the most influential. Possessions of the first were to the west of Volga, lands of the second — to the east.
Exactly these clans were responsible for the turmoil, which Russian chronicles called “the great confusion”. And it is they, having failed to divide the supreme power, began in the end to divide the state. Thus, the Lithuanian-born tsarevich Haji Girei returned from exile to Crimea in 1420s and founded an independent khanate in the following decades.
As in all post-Dynastic countries, he had to rule with reliance on the nobility. In Crimea, the leading aristocratic families were Shirin, Argyn, Kypchak and Baryn — clans, respectively, of Iranian, Mongolian, Kipchak and Old Turkic origin. They elected a khan from a representative of the Girey clan and occupied the highest court and military posts. Later, the Ottoman sultan was able to appoint and dismiss khans at will.
After the death of the first khan, a struggle for power broke out between his relatives. His son Mengli Girei, born and raised in Genoese Cafe, after an unsuccessful attempt to take the throne was forced to take refuge in this city. And remained there when the Ottoman army landed on the southern coast of Crimea in 1475.
The colonies of Genoa and the last Byzantine principality of Theodoro were captured by the Turks. But the commander Gedik Ahmed Pasha released and supported the tsarevitch on condition of accepting vassal dependence. In this regard, Mengli Girei received a reliable rear, and together with Moscow defeated the Great Horde. Henceforth he and his descendants were considered the great khans of the ulus Dzhuchi, although their power extended only to the Crimean lands.
From a certain point young Gireys were brought up in one of the allied Circassian tribes, where they were trained in the art of war. Later this led to the emergence of a branch of the family that adopted the Circassian language and identity. One of its representatives was the tsarist colonel Klych Sultan-Giray, later a general of the White movement and supporter of the independence of the North Caucasus.
Klych Sultan-Giray on the left. Later shot by the Soviets for collaborating with the Germans
Despite their subordinate position, the Gireys enjoyed special honor in Istanbul. It was assumed that if the Ottomans ever disappeared, these Genghisids would succeed them. Thus, during the dynastic crisis of the 1630s, consideration was given to coronating the Crimean ruler Bahadir I as sultan.
In terms of their status in Ottoman court protocol, Crimean khans were second after sultans. But Murad III in 1584 after the rebellion and deposition of Mehmed II Girey changed the position of his successors, who became lower than grand viziers. Nevertheless, the Gireys remained the sole rulers of their own state, being able to mint coins. According to Islamic political ideas, this was a symbol of independence.
When the Crimean khan visited Istanbul, solemn ceremonies were held in his honor. The Sultan personally greeted him and took a few steps forward, as he did not do with his own nobles. He even called him not “son” but “brother”, i.e., not as a vassal but as a ruler of equal status. When the Crimean horde joined the Ottoman army, it was met with cannon firing.
Svorets in Bakhchisaray, the capital of the Khanate
After the annexation of Crimea to Russia, most of the representatives of the main line of the Gireys moved to Turkey. But some remained in their homeland or even went to European countries. Therefore, at present the dynasty is quite alive, and some of its most extravagant representatives even call themselves pretenders to the khan’s “throne”.