In the article it is considered the social and political history of the country Great Orda that is the successor of the Gold Orda (ulus of Dzhuchy). Earlier in the Kazakh historiography this problem was not considered enough that is why this theme is actual today. The policy of Great Orda’s khans had a big role in the world policy. Many European governors were trembling at the power of vagrant tribes of Great Orda. For example, Russian princes continued paying contributions to Orda’s khans. Among all the governors of Orda we should mark Akhmet-khan, a politician whose policy was directed to strengthening the country in the second part of XV century and union of all Turkic-Mongolic khanates of the western part of Dzhuchi’s ulus as: Crimean khanate, Syberian khanate, Nogay Orda.
In the middle of XV century on the territory of disintegrated Golden Orda was formed the new state which is known in history as Great Orda which political history have something in common with Kazakh Khanate. Its tribes settled the territory from the Volga (the Yedil) in the east to lower of the Dnepr (Uzeu) in the west. In the ethnic social unity there were Turkic Mongolian and Turkic tribes among which were konyrates, argynes, kypchaks, kereits, mangyts, alshyns, as well as the nations of the Volga region and Northern Caucasus: udmurts, mariyts, Chuvash, mordva, osetins, cherkes, kabardins, adygis. The Turkic tribes named above made the basis of those states as Nogay Orda, Siberian Khanate and especially Kazakh khanate. Civil wars among numerous dzhuchids in the Golden Orda contributed to formation of Great Orda. In 1432 the last khan of Golden Orda Ulug-Mukhamed was defeated by the dxhuchid Kishi-Mukhamed and left to the north, at first to the territory of Russian principalities and then to Bulgary where he founded Kazan khanate in 1438 and Kish-Mukhamed founded the new nomadic state as Great Orda which had the second name as Ulug Ulus [1; 98]. Its short political history is full of wars with the neighbor relative Turkic settled and nomadic states and civil wars.
In the territory of previous Golden Orda (Ulus of Dzhuchy) from the lower of the Dnestr in the west to the Ob in the east and in the north from the rivers Vyatka and Kama to the foothills of the Northern Caucasus in the south there formed numerous khanates and uluses of independent governors — previous darugs and baskaks — deputies of Golden Orda khan, murzas, biys, sultans from the clan of Dzhuchids who claimed themselves as khans. We can name among them also Kazan Khanate, Crimea khanate (1443–1783), Nogay Orda, The Khanate of Abulkhair (1428–1468), Kazakh Khanate (1465–1715), Siberian Khanate (1468–1598) [2; 228].
The Great Orda is a deputy state of Ulus of Batu which existed only 73 years (despite the opinion of many modern Russian historians that Russia was the deputy of Golden Orda which of course causes the smile of European and Asian scientists noticing the chauvinism theory made in 90s by the historians of Russian Federation) but it contributed to the development of Turkic later Middle Age states and made its step in the history of Russia and Kazakhstan. In the pre-revolution period and Soviet period the researchers paid a little attention to the social and political history of this state. Today this topic is actual. In our opinion this article is the attempt to research some aspects of political and social history of the Great Orda that took its second name (after the Golden Orda) and it is impossible to research everything in one article.
After death of khan Kishi-Mukhamed there was the war for the throne among his sons. The throne got the energetic and powerful khan Akhmet in 1465 (in Russian sources Akhmat) who had won his brother Makhmud who left from Saray and founded his own khanate in Astrakhan. Akhmet-khan at first established his power in the Ulus of Batu by subjugating and punish rebelled beks, murzas and sultans who had supported previous khan Makhmud. In the 60s of XV century Akhmet and numerous leaders of nomadic Turkic Mongolian tribes marched to Russian princedoms making them pay contribution which was not paid for about 20 years because of distempers and disorders in Orda. We should notice that most Russian princedoms paid contributions for different khanates and uluses of ex-Golden Orda [3]. However, Russian princedoms grew stronger by joining around Moscow into one state which was promoted by arrived Tatar leaders with its armies for serving to Moscow princes while Turkic Mongolian khanates and uluses had civil wars destroying and killing each other.
In 1466 khan of the Crimea khanate Khadzhy-Girey crushed the army of khan Makhmud at the Azov that assigned the territory of Pridonye to him. In 1460–70s there were wars of the tribes and uluses leaders of Great Orda with khans of Kazan khanate and Great Orda. After the foundation of the Siberian khanate in Chimga-Tour (Tyumen) the new governor shaibanid Ibak united to nogays attacked the capital of Great Orda many times and robbed it destroying its beautiful buildings and captivated merchants and citizens of Saray. Other cities of Great Orda were subjected to destruction and robbery. Some time ago Saray — ex-capital of Golden Orda, political, trade and cultural center of Eurasia was ruined to the end of XV century. Having destroyed Saray in 1481 and moved its citizens and merchants to Chimga-Tura, Ibak-khan tried to show the deputy of the Siberian khanate as the capital of Golden Orda is the Siberian city Tyumen and all Turkic murzas had to coma and show respect to the new great khan of Ulus of Dzhuchy paying him contribution. At the government of khan Akhmet (1465–1481) the population of Saray was more than 100 thousand people. Frequent wars and civil wars led to injury of economics, devastation, frequent epidemics in the step, high level of death and migration of tribes which led to decrease of population. Many nomadic Turkic tribes left to the Northern Caucasus, the territory of Russia, Kazan, Crimea under the government of more powerful governors.
Some prosperity and centralization of power in 60–70s of XV century were under the khan Akhmet named above who intensified his power and put the trade in order with the neighbor countries of Europe, Central Asia, there were caravans to and from Saray, Sygnak, Khorezm, Bukhara, the visitors and ambassadors from the Western Asia started to travel to the capital of Great Orda again. However Akhmet-khan had a purpose to join all the uluses and khanates into one state — Ulus of Dzhuchy (Golden Orda) by military ways [4; 286]. At first to save the boarders of khanate in the north he marched to Russian princedoms where fighting at Olexina in 1472 he won and Moscow prince Ivan III paid contribution. As he had seen inactivity of khans in Kazan khanate and governors of Nogay Orda from the north and east khan Akhmet marched in 1476 to Crimea whose governor Mengly-Girey left to Istanbul under the government of Turkish sultan (since 1475 Crimea khanate had the vassal dependence on Osman Empire), the army of Osman governor were defeated and the city Bakhchisaray was taken. Akhmet-khan made Zhanibek-khan as the vassal governor and since that time the Crimea was temporary joined to Great Orda. At the same time the governor of Great Orda managed to get power under nogays which lived between two rivers the Yedil (Volga) and Yaik, Turkic tribes and alans in Cuban and Terek, had a military union with Lithuania and Poland with the king Kazimir. However, the dreams of Akhmet-khan about the united state did not come true, the unity was not long and in 1479 ex-khan Mengly-Girey came with the Turkish army which was equipped with the fire guns to Crimea and drove out the territory his brother Zhanibek, so he forced his power and reestablished Crimea khanate [5]. In 1480 Moscow prince Ivan III refused to pay contributions and Akhmet-khan decided to march to Moscow to punish rebelled ulus vassal (since the period of Batu khan governors of Golden Orda considered Russian princedoms as their territories). In September 1480 armies of both leaders stopped at the river Ugra. Meanwhile the power of Moscow prince got force and Russian army which included Lithuanians, Belorus, Kasim Tatar served to his father Kish-Mukhammed princes of other princedoms of NorthernEastern Russia were equipped by the modern fire guns and cannons of that time and the army of Great Orda khan was not equipped in this way. The attempts of khan Akhmet army to cross the river Ugra were not successful as they were met with the cannons. The period of Golden Orda governors left when they were able to fight the enemy flanks with the first class cavalry equipped with the fire guns and defeat it (for example, biy and commander Yedigye in 1399 in the war at the river Vorscle defeated the army of Lithuanian prince Vitovt equipped with fire guns and cannons). On the 26 October 1480 the army of khan Akhmet held for 2 month stepped back for the reason of early winter and freeze (army had to prepare to wintering) [6; 94]. This date was considered at the Soviet time as a final overthrow of Golden Orda yoke named so (in the opinion of Moscow state university named after Lomonosov scientists because of the Moscow prince’s refuse to pay contributions) which did not exist. To be frank we should notice that the contributions were paid for different Tatar khans with some breaks further by not only Ivan III but also his son Vassiliy, the grandson Ivan IV, all the tsars of Moscow kingdom until the first Russian emperor Peter I.
Unsuccessful march made some murzas and sultans of the khan Akhmet army mad, for example, the powerful dxhuchid and sultan Kasym separated with his army from the khan army and left to the south, to the Dnepr, to nomad. Akhmet khan dismissed his army left just khan Guards. Outer enemies of khan used this case. While khan Akhmet was absent in the Orda khan of Siberian khanate Ibak joined nogays marched to Great Orda, destroyed Saray and at the benches of the Don unexpectedly attacked and defeated the rest of khan Akhmet army and killed khan. Ibak-khan immediately informed the Russian prince Ivan III about that. We should notice here that the first independent to that time Moscow governor used the conflicts among the khans-dzhuchids. For example, he temporary arranged with the Crimea khan Mengly-Girey who was the deputy of Tokay-Timur and with the Siberian khan-shaibanid Ibak as well as nogays murzas and biys set them on to fight. Ivan III managed to destroy a huge on the territory and nomadic culture state Great Orda by the khan Ibak. Later Ibak threatened to attack ex-partner Moscow prince when he understood his idea to conquer new territories. The part of the river Don territory and the river Dnepr (south polovets steps) Moscow prince managed to join them to his territory during XV – the beginning of XVI century.
Two more sons of Akhmet-khan tried to renovate the power under such a vast territory between the Volga and Dnepr. The younger son Shig-Akhmed marched some times to Crimea but every time was defeated. Meanwhile the territory of Northern Caucasus (Cuban and Terek) became the part of Osman Porta. ShigAkhmed managed to reestablish the city Saray temporary. Nogays governors in the east got the best pastures from khans, murzas and beks of Great Orda between two rivers the Volga and the Yaik. In 1499–1500 Mengly-Girey destroyed uluses of Shig-Akhmed and devastated uluses of the last one in the lower of the Dnepr and Don made people in slavery and took the cattle, even the family of khan was captivated by the Crimea khan. Also new misery happened this time as the jute of winter 1500–1501.
Social economic, political and demographic crisis made the Great Orda weaker. In 1502 the Crimea khan’s ordas destroyed the city Saray insisted by Moscow prince and destroyed Great Orda. Shig-Akhmed was killed and the city Saray was never reestablished [7; 211]. The territory of this state was separated by Russian state, Crimea khanate and nogays governors. In the empty territory Russian governor in contrast to his ex-partners build cities, for example, Saratov, Samara, Tsaritsin built by governors Vassiliy III, Ivan IV and Boris Godunov. Attempts of Tatar khans to renovate the territory of the powerful Golden Orda were not successful because of started colonialist policy of Russian princes for the territory of free now Lower and Middle Povolzhiye, Pridonye, middle course of Dnepr, which was previously named as Wild field and the territory of Northern Caucasus. The next reason of misfortune of Tatar khan and nogay murzas we can name the absence of political military unity against the Moscow state. When the threat of infringement to independence of the rest khans from Russia was understood in the middle of XVI century there was formed military union among Crimea, Kazan and Siberian khanates half a century later. We should notice that Moscow prince Ivan III did not dare to get the title of tsar despite the advice of clergy as tsars were considered since 1243 according to Gumilyev L. the khans of Dzhuchy ulus rather following traditions and showing respect to khans of Golden Orda (somewhen Ulug-Mukhammed and his sons helped Moscow in the fight against other Russian princes for the prince throne). Only in 1547 young governor of Russia Ivan IV got the title of tsar in the background of rebellion in Moscow and because of the lack of pressure from Tatar khans.
Totally, tribes of Great Orda had an important role in ethnogeny of Kazakh population, most of them went under the power of nogay biys and murzas in the territory of West Kazakhstan, to the territory of Saraychik and those went under the power of Kazakh khan Kasym and their uluses finally became the part of Kazakh khanate under Khakk-Nazar forming tribes and clans of Small dzhuz Kazakh.
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