On the other hand, the dominion of the Crimean Khanate under the control of the Ottoman State resulted with important consequences for Istanbul. It was thanks to the Crimean Khanate that the Ottoman State could resist against the Russian desires and the Black Sea was preserved as an Ottoman lake for a period of 400 years. The Russian Tsar invaded the Azov Castle in 1696 and then approached to the Black Sea. Then, he could only succeed to establish dominion on the Crimea and the northern sections of the Black Sea in 1783. Due to this long resistance, the Ottomans remembered the Crimean Khanate with great favour and gratitude. Evliya Çelebi cited the Crimean Khanate as the Set of Barriers against the Russian invasions in 1670s. The common destiny of the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire did not end at this point. The Crimean forces played a significant role in Ottoman, European and Iran lands and they were on the stage as the Raider and Vanguard Army. The Ottoman Government had to make some sacrifices in order to attract the Crimean forces to these fronts and to send moneys with significant amounts to be distributed among the Crimean army. However, the Crimean tribal aristocracy sometimes resisted against participating in these distant military expeditions. It was due to the fact that the Crimean Homeland was subject to Kazakh and Russian attacks when they went to these far and away countries. The frequent rebellions of the Crimean Mirzas resulted from this reason.
Within this context, we should illuminate the real facts about the II Vienna expedition in 1683 and the events that occurred in the following years. Let us deal with an event that has been reflected in the educational books in our country today causing a faulty and unfair opinion about the Crimean people. According to the allegations, Murad Giray Khan who joined the Ottoman Army in the Vienna Expedition in 1683 had undertaken the duty to waylay the German-Austrian army over the river in front of Vienna. It was alleged that he had withdrawn against this army and this situation caused the defeat in Vienna. The reality is much more different in the lighting of the information about the history of Mehmed Giray in the Armourers' History. Khan had perceived that he could not do anything against the great German army equipped with very powerful firearms. Then, he applied for the emergent aid and support of Kara Mustafa. But the commander-in-chief, Kara Mustafa Pasha rejected this demand with his insulting words in his large sumptuous tent in front of Vienna.
Kara Mustafa had an arrogant character that did not accept any opinions of the other commanders with his insulting words. In brief, there was not any kind of harmony in the board of the competent authorities. Generally, this was one of the principal causes of the defeat. Kara Mustafa executed the old Buda Pasha in order to blame another person with the charge of the defeat and then dismissed Murad Giray. Unfortunately, his allegation has been repeated as a reality so far.
Between the years of 1683-1693 pursuant to the defeat, the Crimean Khanate suffered a common destiny like the faith of the Ottomans particularly under the control of Hadji Selim Giray Khan. The ruler congratulated Selim Giray Khan as the saviour of the Ottoman Balkans and the empire upon his victory in Kachanik in 1688 and the sultan ordered that the grand viziers should act under his command from that time on. Hadji Selim Giray was enthroned with the throne of the Khanate for four times until 1704 and he was the real saviour of the Empire within the environment of anarchy in these dangerous years of war. The imperial letters kept in the Ottoman archives express this reality in an obvious manner. In these wars that lasted for 16 years, the northern front was protected by means of the successful resistance of the Crimean army against Russia and Poland.
These forces repulsed the armies of the Tsar Petro who wanted to invade the Crimea and the Poland forces that tries to invade the Moldavia in each case. However, the Crimean forces could not get the proper support and aid from Istanbul that they insistently wanted. Then, the Azov Castle fell into the power of Russians. Therefore, Russia set foot in the Black Sea for the first time in history and İstanbul was threatened from these events. The Crimean Khanate has probably been a shield of Turkey against the north for centuries. Stalin's terrible order for exile in 1944 was an action in order to eliminate this set totally.
The End
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