The Kasimov Tatars differ from other groups of Tatars in their interesting historical fate and the peculiar culture that has developed under the influence of several peoples. An active part of the Khanate population took an active part in the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian state. This ethnic group exists to this day, and its representatives are proud of their rich past.
Origin
The Kasimov Tatars are the westernmost group of Tatars living in Russia. Their unique feature is that they existed at a considerable distance from the Kazan and Siberian Khanates, in the very center of the Moscow state - in the Ryazan region, in the ethnic environment of Russians. This left a peculiar imprint on both the culture and the appearance of the Kasimov Tatars.
The time of the appearance of this small nation dates back to the XV century. Among historians, there are 2 main hypotheses about its origin. According to one of them, the Kasimov Tatars are ranked among the Mishars, that is, they have Finno-Ugric roots.
According to another theory, their ancestors were immigrants from Asia, who actively settled in Russia in the XIII century. Some of these tribes, led by Tsarevich Kasim, settled on the Oka River in Gorodets Meshchersky (now the city of Kasimov). There are also two hypotheses regarding the legality of his possession of this land: a ruler from the Genghisids clan could get it from Vasily the Dark for political purposes, for further struggle with the Kazan Khanate. There is also a legend according to which Kasim captured the Moscow prince and these possessions were granted to him as a ransom for the freedom of the Russian tsar.
A brief history of the Kasimov Tatars
In the XV century., Simultaneously with the formation of the Khanate, the power of the Golden Horde and the states formed from its disintegration on the territory of Russia began to weaken. As a result, Tsar Kasimov became an obedient instrument in the hands of Moscow princes. The Tatar rulers, together with their equestrian army, created a cordon from the eastern raids and participated in campaigns in Kazan, Lithuania, Sweden and Livonia, and the Kasimov khan Shah Ali was appointed the ruler of the Kazan Khanate three times.
This state as an autonomy lasted a long time - more than 200 years. After the accession of the Kazan Khanate to Kasimov, significant groups of Kazan emigrated, and then immigrants from the Crimea and the Kyrgyz-Kaisat hordes.
Way of life
According to Marat Safarov, candidate of historical sciences, the daily life of the Kasimov Tatars was urbanized, in contrast to the residents of the Kazan Khanate. The local population paid tribute to the rulers of the kingdom (copper, fur, fish rent and others).
In connection with close contacts with the Russians, a peculiar dialect of the Tatar language was formed in Kasimov, in which there were many borrowings. Almost all of the Kasimov Tatars were fluent in the Russian language.
The religion of this people was Islam. Several mausoleums have survived to this day, in which their rulers were buried. According to decrees of 1713 and 1715, Muslims were ordered to convert to Orthodoxy. Otherwise, their estates went into the possession of the Russian Tsar or baptized relatives. Therefore, part of the Tatars adopted Christianity.
Crafts, agriculture and trade
Among the Kasimov Tatars, the most developed were the processing of leather and wool, metal and stone. Some of the items of royal clothing made by them are now stored in the Armory. Favorable natural conditions also contributed to the breeding of waterfowl, beekeeping, and fishing. Rice, wheat, oats, buckwheat, millet and barley were grown from grain crops, and potatoes and other vegetables were planted in the gardens.
Due to the convenient geographical position of the Khanate, trade was actively developing in Kasimov. Her subjects were bread, honey, pets, fur and leather products. A small part of the population was engaged in shoe craft. In the villages there were also 6 brick factories, and in the village of Bolottsy they made silver jewelry.
Tatars highly valued horses. 80% of the rural population also had cows, since dairy products played a large role in the nutrition of the family. Almost every yard contained sheep and goats.
There were many factories in the city engaged in the manufacture of lamb skins, and Tatar merchants selling furs were very wealthy. Trade was conducted not only in Kasimov, but also outside of Russia - with the countries of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. Tatar merchants received a significant part of their profits from Makaryevskaya, Orenburg and other fairs. In the XIX century. In Kasimov, several successful business families (Baranaevs, Musyaevs and others) were singled out, whose cash turnover reached 1 million rubles. in year.
Home
The Tatar population in Kasimov was concentrated mainly in the Tatar settlement, formed from the Old and New Posad. The first was a large Khan's square, paved with white stone. A khan's palace and the houses of his entourage stood near the square.
Opposite the governor’s home was a mosque with a minaret, which, according to legend, was ordered by Khan Kasim to build. At present, you can also see this ancient structure, more reminiscent of the fortress tower. Next to the minaret is the mausoleum of King Shah Ali, above the entrance to which there is a stone slab with Arabic script.
According to contemporaries, at home in the XIX century. were almost completely wooden. At a later time, some of them were built two-story, in the style of Russian neoclassicism.
Rural settlements were located along rivers or in valleys. The most common form of planning the territory was a two-way street (it was formed by two rows of houses with facades to each other). In the early days of the Khanate, the houses were in the back of the estate, which was also characteristic of Kazan Tatars and corresponded to Islamic traditions. Huts were built with a large underground for storing vegetables and wintering livestock, which were driven from the yard.
Families of the same family settled nearby to each other. So, the Shirinsky clan totaled 19 yards.
clothing
A large selection of fabrics for sewing clothes was associated with the active trade of the Kasimov Tatars. The photo below helps you get an idea of how they looked. Since the middle of the XIX century. residents widely use factory-made textiles.
Underwear was made of chintz and satin, and the upper - mainly from woolen fabrics. Wealthy Kasimovites had outfits made of silk, brocade and velvet. Central Asian fabrics were used for bathrobes. Winter clothes were sewn from sheepskin, fox fur, wolf, hare.
In women's clothing, traditional bright colors prevailed: yellow, green, burgundy and red. Older Tatars often wore dresses from plain fabrics. By the beginning of the 20th century among the townspeople there was a tendency to a decrease in the brightness of clothes. Of hats, embroidered tastars, velvet slippers and scarves were in use. Young women wore aprons over dresses.
Customs
On the day of sowing at the Tatars, it was customary to put on the table a symbol of fertility - a bowl with water and two eggs. Some families slaughtered a rooster. Before the start of sowing, the landlord sat on a small, unplowed plot of land and recited a prayer. If drought occurred, then the villagers slaughtered a sheep or a cow and ate it, then watered each other with water and prayed together at the place where the unfrozen ears were stored.
The health of livestock, according to ancient beliefs, depended on the brownie (zengi babai). To appease him, an odd number of cakes were placed in the barn under the roof beam, and a ram bone or a horse skull was hung as amulets.
The wedding at the Kasimov Tatars, as well as at the Kazan, was carried out by matchmaking. The bridegroom had to pay the bridegroom's parents kalym in the form of a certain amount of money, products (flour, butter, honey, cereals), fabric cuts for wedding attire, shoes, and jewelry. From the side of the girl they also gave gifts - a caftan, a hat, an embroidered towel, a shirt. The newlyweds received bedding, pillows, and carpets as a dowry. On the eve of the celebration, a bachelorette party was arranged and steamed in the bathhouse. The marriage was concluded according to Muslim canons (nikah, similar to a wedding). After him, the celebration continued for several more days, their young spouses were visited by their relatives and friends.
The fall of the Khanate
In the second half of the XVI century. the influx of the Turkic-speaking population decreased, and the rulers of the kingdom began to be limited in power. The last of them was Fatima Sultan, the wife of Khan Arslan. There is a legend that she was strangled by her courtiers in 1681 for wanting to convert to Christianity. After her death, the khanate of the Kasimov Tatars was abolished. 14 kings visited the throne of Kasimov, all of them were direct descendants of Genghis Khan.
After the abolition of the kingdom, the favorable conditions under which the Tatar merchants developed were liquidated. As a result, migration of Kasimovites in the Urals and other regions of the country intensified.
After the repressions in the era of Stalin, many families left the city of Kasimov and moved to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Currently, in their homeland there are about 1000 residents who identify with this group of Tatars.