I continue to research the book of Nikolaas Witsen "Northern and Eastern Tartaria", in particular, what he writes about the Cossacks. The beginning of my research is here: The conquest of Siberia by Yermak and here: Cossacks and the Cossack Horde.
According to Wikipedia, “the Cossacks are representatives of the Cossacks, a complex ethnosocial culture that has formed in the Ukrainians of the Moscow State and the Commonwealth.
The term "Cossacks" was adopted in Russia to designate an independent armed population in various uninhabited territories, the so-called. Ukraine. Until the end of the 17th century, special categories of service people also existed in the Russian kingdom - White Cossacks and city Cossacks, and in Rzecz Pospolita - court Cossacks, registered Cossacks, hunting Cossacks and ground Cossacks."
Those. Cossack is not a nationality, but a social status: a warrior, a border guard. But the Cossacks did not always settle in uninhabited territories. So, for example, Ermak with his army conquered Siberia, which, at the time of his invasion there, was quite densely populated.
Something really was destroyed before them:
“The Kingdom of Big Nagaya is completely flat and wild, stretching 1,200 miles in length from Astrakan to Samara and 500 miles in width from Astrakan to the Yeikhe or Yaik River.
It does not have cities or permanent places of residence, although in former times there were several of them: among them were very prominent ones, like Tsarev's city, otherwise Tsarev's Polats, which in Low German means the imperial city, which was probably the main city, as it shows name. I often looked at it with surprise, and could not believe that it was less than 20 miles in circumference.
I counted 80 beautiful large buildings in it: they must have been mosques, palaces, caravanserais, some of which are six miles apart.
Promotional video:
Muscovites have different opinions as to the cause of its destruction. Some believe that it was destroyed by the Cossacks, but those, although they like to boast of their military affairs, say they do not know it."
The name Tsarév has survived to this day. At present, this is the name of a village located in the Leninsky district of the Volgograd region of Russia, the center of the Tsarevsky rural settlement.
The village of Tsarev.
The village is located near the ruins of the former capital of the Golden Horde, the city of Saray-Berke (Tsarevskoe settlement).
Tsarevskoe settlement - a settlement of the Golden Horde time is located on the Akhtuba river, near the village of Tsarev, Leninsky district, Volgograd region. It is one of the largest medieval archaeological sites in Eastern Europe. The area where the settlement is located was formerly called "Tsarevy Pady", that is, Tsarev's ruins.
The total area is estimated by researchers at the end of the 20th century. is more than 400 hectares, and according to travelers of the 18th-19th centuries, the area was even much larger (for example, according to I. P. Falk, the ruins extended 9 versts in length and 5 versts in width).
Travelers of the 18th-19th centuries repeatedly emphasized the importance of the settlement, calling it "the remains of the ancient capital of the Scythian king", "the main city of Tartar", the capital of "Great Tartary", "the capital of the kingdom of Mamai", etc. Since the 18th century. Tsarevskoe settlement was often identified with the city of Saray, the capital of the Golden Horde. (Wikipedia)
This is how the Tsarevskoe settlement looks now:
Archaeological excavations at the Tsarevskoye settlement.
Tsarevskoe settlement.
Ancient brick factory, Volgograd region.
Volgograd used to be called Tsaritsyn. And there is also a settlement there:
“On the site of modern Volgograd, between Sukha and Mokra Mechetka, there was a Horde settlement with an unknown name, called the Mechet settlement by the Russian settlers, in which coins of the Jochi ulus from 1274 to 1377 were found. Modern archaeologists did not have time to examine it, since its buildings were taken apart on building bricks from the moment Tsaritsyn was founded, the professional expedition of the archaeologist Ballad of 1920 was interrupted by the Civil War, and the settlement was finally destroyed by the development of Spartanovka, which was ongoing from the 1930s to the present (the site of the ancient man, the Dry Mosque, also perished here). The hydronym "Mechetka" is probably given for this settlement, it is found in central Russia and comes from the Old Russian "mechk" - bear,but there are none in the steppe, and most likely the river was named after the existing ruins - a mosque. Volgograd is not the successor of this settlement, it is located 18 kilometers north of the historical core of Tsaritsyn and ceased to exist 200-250 years before its foundation. The Golden Horde settlement also existed at the mouth of the Tsaritsa River. " (Wikipedia)
The mosque settlement was part of the Tsaritsyn guard line (Anna Ioannovna Val) This is how it looks now:
Tsaritsyn guard line (Anna Ioannovna Val).
Visible remains of the fortress have survived only in the village of Grachi - the shaft and the moat form a five-pointed star - the Grachevskaya fortress. Several redans have survived.
Tsaritsyn guard line: Grachevskaya fortress, modern look.
Tsaritsyn guard line: Grachevskaya fortress, reconstruction.
In this area there are still many different settlements, many of which have already been razed to the ground. Local residents say:
“We will only talk to the land,” our guide Ivan begins his excursion in the steppe. - You have to understand that 600 years have passed. Everything is broken, taken out. You see, a large round pit - here stood a fortress tower at least ten meters high. Maybe all twenty.
Around, wherever you look, the grass of the endless steppe sways. A medieval fortress with bastions and moats is more in the imagination. Although back in the 1920s, the remains of courtyards, brick buildings and reservoirs were visible here. Now in their place are only hills and hollows. The land is completely covered with predatory excavations. These are small pits, the so-called "burrows" left after metal detectors. The monument also suffered from economic activities - the land was plowed up, a highway and forest belts were laid.
The clay soil in these places often pushes to the surface mysterious shards, fragments of porous bricks and turquoise tiles, and sometimes strange irregularly shaped coins with inscriptions in an incomprehensible language.
For years whole Golden Horde bricks were collected and taken away by local residents. They used them as material for their buildings, because stone is scarce in the steppe."
Traces of ancient cities.
And the Cossacks did not come to Astrakhan to an empty place. Here is what N. Witsen writes about this place:
“The Astrakan kingdom has long been called Tsitrakan. They eat mainly rice, which is brought from Persia. A few miles from Astrakan, on the Volga, salt is mined from the mountains. This place was formerly under Perekop, others say - under the Nagai Tartars, or under princes of their kind, and at one time they had their own kings. It was annexed to the Russian crown in 1554 by Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, who, after conquering Kazan, captured it and took possession of it, although the Tartar horsemen attacked heavily and made sorties. All who were armed were defeated there. The soldiers who then took possession of this city by cunning were mostly Cossacks. They sent down the Volga many empty ships, strangely cleaned. This attracted the Astrakan army and they went out. At that time they [Cossacks] attacked the city from land and captured a large booty,so that the sails were wrapped in silk, and the oars in sables. This Astrakan state stretches in breadth and distance. In ancient times, there were many cities in it."
According to the academic dictionary: ASTRAKHAN KINGDOM arose after the fall of the Golden Horde in 1480 with its capital in Astrakhan. It fell in 1556 when Astrakhan, weakened by the constant raids of the Don Cossacks, was occupied by Moscow without a fight.
From Wikipedia: “The Astrakhan Khanate is a Tatar state that arose as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde and existed in the 16th century in the Lower Volga region. The capital - the city of Khadzhi-Tarkhan (Azhdarkhan), was located on the right bank of the Volga, 12 km from modern Astrakhan ("the great Tatar marketplace", the Sharenyi Bugor settlement). The main population was made up of Astrakhan Tatars and Nogai."
The khanate here means the kingdom, and the Tatars - the Tartars. Which, as it turned out from Witsen's descriptions, were not people of a certain nationality, but all the inhabitants of Tartary. Those. all peoples living on the territory of Tartaria were called tartars by the Europeans of the 17th century.
And the territory of the Golden Horde was possibly named Tartary after its fall. Nowadays, nothing remains of the city of Hadji Tarkhan. Just a mention:
“12 km above modern Astrakhan, on the right bank of the Volga, between the villages of Streletskoye and Novolesnoye, there is the Shareny Bugor tract. It has long attracted the attention of local residents and scientists with an abundance of finds of ancient objects, bricks, remains of buildings on the surface of the earth and in outcrops of cliffs.
Traditionally, scientists have placed the old Astrakhan, or otherwise Hadji-Tarkhan, in this place. Legends, chronicles and other historical evidences substantiate this tradition."
This Fried Hillock:
Fried bump.
During the years of the construction of the Astrakhan Kremlin (1582-1620), the ruins of Hadji-Tarkhan were almost completely dismantled into bricks. The city was abandoned and turned into a settlement. For a long time, only local residents were interested in the site, mining saltpeter there. (wikipedia)
Only the coins minted there remained:
Golden Horde, Hadji Tarkhan.
And there is also a Selitrennoe settlement - Saray-Batu, about which Witsen writes:
“About this Sarai, Arabsiada says the following:
“The city of Saray is located near the desert. Its inhabitants are Mohammedans. It has incomparable buildings, it was founded by Khan Barka, may God be merciful to him, for he adopted the Mohammedan faith. The city was the main city in the state, and therefore the peoples surrounding the wasteland were forced to convert to Islam (Others say that this Barca did not build this city again, but restored it). There was a gathering of learned people of all sciences, and a source of happiness like never before in Egypt. 63 AD, this famous and majestic city flourished. The city was so big that a servant, having escaped from the owner, could keep an open shop for 10 years and not be afraid to meet his master. It is located on a tributary of the Volga, called Sinkela. Tamerlane (Tamerlane lived more than a century after Chinggis) destroyed the city of Saray,Seraychik and Khadzhi Terkhan or Astrakan and the surrounding area after defeating Tuktamis and other peoples living around the city of Saratov in a battle, if he is mistaken for Saray. He is also called Serikhan. This is a Tartar name, meaning, as it were, an imperial city or a main city, since it was formerly the root city of a large empire.
This city of Saratov (meaning Sarai - note mine), now mostly destroyed, was formerly a powerful city built of bricks. There were many magnificent palaces and a great palace for amusement. Some say that it was built or intended to be one of the main cities of Tamerlane. But others say that it was already founded by Alexander earlier, and he [Tamerlane] destroyed it, as it was said above, which is obviously more true (There is no shortage of writers who believe that this city was built by Chinggis Khan. So, the founder of this famous city is not determined. Genghis Khan was born in 1154, according to the Christian chronology, and Alexander waged war in 332 BC). From here, if necessary, the remaining stones are transported to Astrakan, where fortresses, churches and palaces are built from them. They talk about Akhtuba,that it was an even more magnificent city. Be that as it may, it is clear that the builders of these antiquities were exceptional craftsmen, and this is a sure sign that these countries were not previously as wild and desolate as they are now."
What is left of the once big city now:
Museum archaeological complex "Selitrennoe settlement" (Astrakhan region).
Selitrennoe settlement.
Selitrennoe settlement Excavations. Forge for firing bricks.
Location of Selitrenny settlement on the modern map.
According to Witsen, there were many cities in the Golden Horde, already destroyed in the 17th century. But there were also many existing cities:
“It is believed that there are 120 cities on the Don. Of these, the main ones are:
Azov, or, according to the pronunciation of some - Ozof and Azaf, Kazaf, or Kazava - was a Turkish border town on the western bank of the Don, but now it is in the power of His Imperial Majesty.
……… Near Azov there are also towns Pribulansky, Dornoip and Rykov. Up the Don lie at a distance of one day [drive] the following cities: Manych Bersegenef, Razdory, Kochetov, Popovsk, Zolotoy, Esaulov, Kobylkin, Chir Nizhny, Chir Verkhniy, Five Izb, Golubye, Panshin, Kachalin, Ilovlya, Sirochin and Grigorievsk."
Witsen writes that the Cossacks were called "The Troops of Their Royal Majesties", were subordinate to Their Royal Majesties, helped Their Royal Majesties to collect tribute, explore new territories, and protect the country's borders from invaders. And then he writes that:
"But besides these aforementioned merchant ships, Their Royal Majesties also have a good fleet of warships against the Cossacks."
“Near a place called Erik, the Volga's largest fairway by the Caspian Sea, 14 miles from Astrakani. There is always a guard against the Cossacks. There is another exit to the north."
“Kamyshinka lies on the Volga, a little higher than Astrakan, in the direction of the Crimea, near the mountain of the same name. This town was built by Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich * 1665 (whom I had the honor of being accepted in Moscow) to keep the Cossacks and tartars in subjection. Subsequently, one day it was burnt by the rebellious Bashkir Tartars, and the Russians themselves destroyed it at that time."
“Near the town of Tsaritsa on the Volga, above Astrakani, one can see on some maps the Don or Tanais arm, which flows into the Volga. Previously, they doubted whether it was navigable. But now it turned out that no, it is not navigable, because there the Cossacks roll their ships over land when they head for the Volga.
They call him Kamus, and he seems to be going through Ilovlya. Before there was a big battle between the Cossacks and the Russians, the traces of which are still visible."
“One German nobleman who, having visited these parts, writes to me about this river the following:
“Everyone who thinks that the Tsaritsa River * or Kamus on the Volga, near the Tsaritsa town, is the connection of Tanais, or the Don, with the Volga, are in error, and the maps that are drawn up in this way are wrong. They believed that the Cossacks sailed along it to plunder on the Volga, but they choose a different path, namely: when they are going to go to the Volga for prey, they swim in the spring up the Stepnaya River 70 versts, as far as possible, approaching the upper part of the Kamyshinka River, and down it they go down in small canoes, 50 versts, where it flows into the Volga, between Saratov and Tsaritsin, on the right side of Kamyshinka, near its mouth, where it flows into the Volga. The Russians built a small fortress of 8 or 9 bolverki there to prevent the destruction of the Cossacks. " Here the report of the said nobleman ends."
“From Tobol I was sent the following message regarding Russian Christianity in Sina and about Bushukti Khan, the Kalmak prince:
Dear sir, It is reported that the main prince Bushukti-Khan did indeed die after he was suddenly attacked by the Sinets with a large army. And now his nephew Kontaizi, who was still called Araptan, succeeded him. He is now preparing to come to the aid of the Muscovites with 20,000 men to attack the Cossack horde, which causes great damage every year. They come suddenly, as all these peoples usually do, and for the most part when all the peasants are working in the fields; take people prisoner and destroy villages and towns. It is impossible to fight this people, even with a large army, because they live far away and also because they roam and are difficult to find. It is dangerous to attack them with a small army, so they did not find any other means than fortifying all the villages and townships, supplying them with guns, and the peasants with guns,and in addition to the former army, they also deployed a detachment of 1000 brave dragoons (These are Cossacks living in such a city and fortresses with wives, children and descendants. They were given such a piece of land free of charge that they are able to cultivate, for which they are in the service of His Royal Majesty) in the suburbs. In the summer they join another small army and guard the main settlements. They are good riders who are well armed. They have many long guns with copper and lead bullets and small cannons.which are well armed. They have many long guns with copper and lead bullets and small cannons.which are well armed. They have many long guns with copper and lead bullets and small cannons.
Dear Sir, Yours truly, NN
Tobol, April 22, 1689"
Or were the Cossacks not homogeneous in their composition and some Cossacks supported Their Imperial Majesties, but some on the contrary? For example, the famous uprising of Stepan Razin. Here is what N. Witsen writes about him:
“There are small islands in this lake (meaning the Caspian Sea - mine), which are not inhabited by anyone. It is still unknown how the water under the ground leaves it and goes to other places. The well-known rebel Stenka Razin, who several years ago there raged and dominated in the vicinity, was finally captured by the Russians and executed in the city of Moscow, worked hard to thoroughly find out the actual position of this lake, but he could not fully investigate its features. " The letter mentioned ends here."
Another from another post:
“The fortress or town, which the Muscovites have a little higher up the river, to protect the fishing industry, contains a garrison and property on land, was seized by Stenka Razin a little earlier than he occupied Astrakan. He stayed there, so the Muscovites sent troops there to take it [the fortress]. Stenka, not seeing an opportunity to protect this place, since the Russians closed the river with intertwined branches, puts stuffed animals, sticks with old caftans and hats on several ships. To make these ships go deeper and more confidently, he orders to fill them half with water, sends them on a dark night, accompanied by only 2-3 people as navigators, down the river to the wattle fence. These ships passed freely. The Russians opened fire on them and tensed themselves, thinking that it was Stenka's army. At this time, he quietly went down, on the other side of the river, on land,with all their garrison from the fortress, sending their luggage in advance by land, from the east of Yaik, to the sea. He cuts the ropes and escapes. The Russians occupied the fortress with a [detachment] of 500 men. Stenka sent 13 Cossacks up the Yaik, where there was a Cossack town, at the height of Samara, for help. These 13 Cossacks, returning back, fall into the hands of the Russians on Yaik, before the end of the journey. The Russian chief holds them captive in order to sentence them to the gallows in due time in Astrakan. But they managed to revolt the entire garrison and killed their commander, and on small ships left the fortress, headed to the island, opposite the Yaik River, and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilyan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder … The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "He cuts the ropes and escapes. The Russians occupied the fortress with a [detachment] of 500 men. Stenka sent 13 Cossacks up the Yaik, where there was a Cossack town, at the height of Samara, for help. These 13 Cossacks, returning back, fall into the hands of the Russians on Yaik, before the end of the journey. The Russian chief holds them captive in order to sentence them to the gallows in due time in Astrakan. But they managed to revolt the entire garrison and killed their commander, and on small ships left the fortress, headed to the island, opposite the Yaik River, and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilyan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder … The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "He cuts the ropes and escapes. The Russians occupied the fortress with a [detachment] of 500 men. Stenka sent 13 Cossacks up the Yaik, where there was a Cossack town, at the height of Samara, for help. These 13 Cossacks, returning back, fall into the hands of the Russians on Yaik, before the end of the journey. The Russian chief holds them captive in order to sentence them to the gallows in due time in Astrakan. But they managed to revolt the entire garrison and killed their commander, and on small ships left the fortress, headed to the island, opposite the Yaik River, and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilyan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder … The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "for help. These 13 Cossacks, returning back, fall into the hands of the Russians on Yaik, before the end of the journey. The Russian chief holds them captive in order to sentence them to the gallows in due time in Astrakan. But they managed to revolt the entire garrison and killed their commander, and on small ships left the fortress, headed to the island, opposite the Yaik River, and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilyan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder … The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "for help. These 13 Cossacks, returning back, fall into the hands of the Russians on Yaik, before the end of the journey. The Russian chief holds them captive in order to sentence them to the gallows in due time in Astrakan. But they managed to revolt the entire garrison and killed their commander, and on small ships left the fortress, headed to the island, opposite the Yaik River, and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder … The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder. The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment. "and from there with their ships, across the sea, to Gilan, where they joined Stenka and helped him to ravage and plunder. The rebels received a well-deserved reward and punishment."
“When Stenka Razin captured the city of Astrakan, then the main word of the people was“unexpected”. They flew in a frenzy through the city, shouting this word, and also: “We won! Kill! " - etc. When he [Razin] intended to commit a murder and wanted to confer, he had warned them the day before not to get drunk by morning, and that he wanted to take advice. On the day of the council, he stood among the soldiers, presenting the matter to them, and then they answered "yes" or "no", often not understanding what was said. He behaved very simply with his people, and they called him no other than his father, he drank with the lowest [by birth people] from the same circle, or tub, and called them brothers."
An engraving from ancient Astrakhan.
In short, what our Wikipedia writes about the uprising of Stepan Razin:
“The Uprising led by Stepan Razin, the Peasant War of 1670-1671 or the Uprising of Stepan Razin is a war in Russia between the troops of peasants and Cossacks and the tsarist troops. It ended with the defeat of the rebels."
The uprising occurred during the reign of the second Russian tsar of the Romanov dynasty, due to the impoverishment of the state treasury, as a result of which the Cossacks were no longer paid salaries. And the introduction of serfdom for the peasants. For this reason, the peasants joined the uprising. After the execution of Stepan Razin, the uprising continued for some time until it was completely suppressed. Boyarin Yuri Dolgoruky hanged 11,000 peasants during punitive campaigns.
At the same time, the Solovetsky uprising was still taking place:
“The Solovetsky uprising or the Solovetsky sitting is the armed resistance of the monks of the Transfiguration of the Savior Solovetsky Monastery from 1668 to 1676 to the church reforms of Patriarch Nikon. Due to the refusal of the monastery to accept the innovations, the government in 1667 took strict measures, ordered the confiscation of all estates and property of the monastery. A year later, the tsarist regiments arrived in Solovki and began to siege the monastery. The hostilities of varying intensity continued for the next several years and ended only in 1676 with the fall of the Solovetsky Monastery.
The reason for the uprising was the new service books sent from Moscow in 1657. By the decision of the council of the cathedral elders, these books were sealed in the monastic treasury chamber, and the divine services continued to be conducted according to the old books.
In 1667 the Great Moscow Cathedral took place, which anathematized the Old Believers (Wikipedia)
The Old Believers considered themselves only fully Orthodox Christians, qualifying the ROC of the Moscow Patriarchate as heterodox. Popovtsy (Old Believers) considered the new believers to be heretics (Wikipedia)
This uprising was just as brutally suppressed. The Story of the Fathers and Sufferers of the Solovetskys says:
“Almost all the defenders of the monastery were killed in a short but heated battle. Only 60 people survived. 28 of them were executed immediately, including Sashko Vasiliev and Nikanor, the rest - later. The monks were burned with fire, drowned in an ice-hole, hung by the ribs on hooks, quartered, and frozen alive in ice. Of the 500 defenders, only 14 survived"
It turns out that both of these uprisings are indirectly or directly related to the fact that the Romanovs came to power and began to impose new order, which neither the Cossacks, nor the monks, nor the peasants liked. Those. everyone except the kings themselves and their entourage.
With the destruction of the most powerful, those who resisted, the memories of former times were erased from the memory of the people.
All illustrations, maps, diagrams, photographs were taken by me on the Internet for free access.
Author: i_mar_a