Russo-Kazan War (1505–1507)

Russo–Kazan War (1505–1507)
Date	6 September 1505 – 23 December 1507
Location	Principality of Moscow and Khanate of Kazan
Result	Indecisive Peace treaty (signed 8 September 1507 in Moscow and 23 December 1507 in Kazan); Return of Muscovite prisoners;
Territorial; changes	Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
Khanate of Kazan	Principality of Moscow
Commanders and leaders
Möxämmädämin of Kazan	Ivan III (1505); Vasily III (1505–1507)

The Russo-Kazan War of 1505-07 was one of the Russo-Kazan Wars. It began when the Kazan khan robbed merchants from the Principality of Moscow at the annual fair ^[1]in Kazan.^{[citation needed]} The Tatars invaded and besieged Nizhny Novgorod, but unsuccessfully.^{[citation needed]} Moscow sent an army, which was defeated. The matter was settled by treaty in 1507 and peace lasted until 1521.^{[citation needed]}^[2]

Background

The Russo-Kazan War of 1505–1507 was a significant conflict between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Khanate of Kazan. It began when Mohammad Amin, who had been installed on the Kazan throne by Moscow, broke his allegiance and launched attacks on Russian merchants. In June 1505, after a massacre of Russian traders at the annual Kazan fair, he mobilized large Tatar and Nogai forces to besiege Russian cities like Nizhny Novgorod. Although initially successful, Kazan's forces were thwarted by a small group of Lithuanian archers, and the siege was lifted.

The war intensified in 1506, with a series of skirmishes. Russian forces led by Prince Fyodor Belsky and Prince Vasily Kholmsky launched a series of campaigns against Kazan. Despite early Russian defeats, a later battle at Arsk Field in June 1506 saw a victory for the Russians, though they were then decisively defeated in a subsequent counterattack. Eventually, a peace treaty was signed in 1507, marking the cessation of hostilities and the return of Russian prisoners. The peace remained in place until 1521.

This conflict was one of the final chapters of the Russo-Kazan wars, which were part of a broader struggle for control over the Volga region. The Russo-Kazan War of 1505-1507 also highlighted the growing tensions within the region, leading to a prolonged period of instability in Kazan and influencing Moscow's future strategies in the area.

War

In June 1505, Mohammad Amin arrested the Muscovite ambassador in Kazan, and robbed some Muscovite merchants who had gathered there for the annual trade fair.^[3] Those merchants who were not killed were held either for ransom or for sale as slaves.^{[citation needed]} Expecting vengeance, Mohammad sent 40000 Tatars and 20000 Nogais against Nizhny Novgorod and Murom.^{[citation needed]} The Murom force seems to have been driven away.^{[citation needed]} Nizhny Novgorod was short of troops, so the commander freed and armed 300 prisoners from the Lithuanian war; this was enough to save the fort.^{[citation needed]} The Nogai chief, who was Mohammad’s brother-in-law, was killed. The two groups quarreled and the Nogais withdrew. The Tatars withdrew with their booty and the Muscovites chose not to pursue them.^{[citation needed]}

In 1506, Vasily III, who had just come to the throne, sent two armies against Kazan.^[3] One army went down the Volga. On 22 May they attacked, not waiting for the second army.^{[citation needed]} The Tatars cut off them off from their ships and defeated them.^{[citation needed]} On 22 June, the second army unexpectedly appeared and made a great slaughter.^{[citation needed]} The Russians fell to looting, the Tatars counterattacked and most of the Russians were killed.^[a]

Peace negotiations

In March 1507 Mohammad sent an ambassador to Moscow offering to give up the prisoners and make peace. Vasili, being more concerned with Lithuania, accepted.^{[citation needed]} The treaty was signed on 8 September in Moscow and 23 December in Kazan.^{[citation needed]} Early in the following year, the captives were released except for those who had already been sold to Crimea or central Asia.^{[citation needed]}

Notes

^ Howorth, who seems to be following Karamzin, has the June attack occur during the Kazan fair with the Russians looting its goods.^{[page needed]} It is difficult to see why merchants would come to a fair when the previous year’s fair had been looted. He also reports a story from Herberstein, who has the Tatars deliberately abandon their camp and counter attack when the Russians began looting.

References

^ "Kazan | History, Geography and Points of Interest".
^ "History of Kazan | Rusmania".
^ ^a ^b Martin 2007, p. 355.

Bibliography

Henry Hoyle Howorth, History of the Mongols: Part 2, 1880, pp. 378–385.
Martin, Janet (2007). Medieval Russia: 980–1584. Second Edition. E-book. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-511-36800-4.

[4] Howorth, who seems to be following Karamzin, has the June attack occur during the Kazan fair with the Russians looting its goods.^{[page needed]} It is difficult to see why merchants would come to a fair when the previous year’s fair had been looted. He also reports a story from Herberstein, who has the Tatars deliberately abandon their camp and counter attack when the Russians began looting.

[1] "Kazan | History, Geography and Points of Interest".

[2] "History of Kazan | Rusmania".

[FOOTNOTEMartin2007355-3] Martin 2007, p. 355.

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