The rebellion of Şahin Giray Sultan (1746–1747)

Abstract

Research objectives: This study aims to analyze the reasons, development, and consequences of Şahin Giray Sultan’s Rebellion in the history of the Crimean Khanate, based on data retrieved from Ottoman archival sources. Research materials: The main sources of data for this research are documents held in the Archive of the Topkapı Palace Museum and the Department of Ottoman Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Directorate of State. These documents have been compared with the Ottoman-Tatar chronicles of the period (İzzi Tarihi, Çelebî Akay Tarihi, Tarih-i Said Giray Sultan). Results and novelty of the research: The most detailed evaluation of the rebellion of Şahin Giray Sultan can be found in Smirnov’s book on the Crimean Khanate which echoes the information given in the Ottoman chronicle, İzzi Tarihi. In the present study, Topkapı Palace Museum Archive documents numbered TSMA-E 408-55, TSMA-E 569-58, and TSMA-E 751-49, as well as the Mühimme Defters and Kalebend Defters held by the Department of Ottoman Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Directorate of State Archives, are compared with statements in different sources. In the light of these documents, the rise and progress of the rebellion headed by Şahin Giray Sultan are subjected to a new evaluation. Documents considered important and providing details of the life of Şahin Giray Sultan and the course of the rebellion have been transliterated and presented for the use of researchers. The Noghays residing in the Bucak region constituted the social base of the Şahin Giray rebellion. The rebellion broke out due to the Porte’s desire to deploy Tatar forces on the Iranian front, the increasing centralization efforts of the Ottoman Empire on the Russian-Polish and Ukrainian borders, and the pressure put on Tatar society for the return of Russian captives of 1736-39 War. The rebellion broke out prematurely after the Porte and Selim Giray Khan conspired to neutralize Şahin Giray Sultan. The extreme measures taken by the Ottoman Empire and the Crimean Khanate prevented the revolt from spreading, and the rebels led by the Şahin Giray Sultan were easily defeated, thus causing the suppression of the rebellion.