‘Nowadays Kalmyks Maintain Firm Peace with the Crimea ...’: Kalmyk-Crimean Relations in the Late Seventeenth Century

Abstract

Introduction. The article deals with a little-known — though noticeable — episode in the history of late seventeenth-century Kalmyk-Crimean relations. The period remains somewhat understudied, and there are still unpublished sources on the topic. Goals. The paper aims to introduce some newly discovered archival materials discussing a most interesting period in the history of relations between the Crimean and Kalmyk Khanates characterized by a short-lived close political interaction. Materials. The work examines materials stored at the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts, the former largely contained in collections nos. 111 (‘Don Affairs’), 119 (‘Kalmyk Affairs’), and 123 (‘Crimean Affairs’). Results. The conducted insights into archival sources have yielded some new data pertaining to mutual ambassadorial contacts between the two khanates that essentially clarify and extend the existing historical knowledge of the then Kalmyk-Crimean relations. Conclusions. The mutual political approach between Kalmyks and the Crimean Khanate in the 1680s–1690s proved short-lived, and had primarily been ignited by a dramatic deterioration in Russian-Kalmyk relations. That was a significant success of the Crimean diplomacy that took every advantage of the then dissentions between Kalmyks and the Tsardom of Russia. The mentioned political consent was paralleled by mutually beneficial horse and cattle trading activities. However, the frequent power shifts in the Crimea never facilitated any long-term interaction, the latter having been aggravated by another worsening in the ‘Nogai question’ when in 1696 Nogai subjects of Kalmyks fled to Kuban requesting the Crimean Khan’s protection. It was then that the confrontation between Kalmyk chieftains and Crimean officials — that finally led to an armed clash — arouse.