In the period of the Crimean Khanate, Cenghiz Khan and the identity of Tatars were continuously advocated against the Ottomans. The Crimean Khans that are the ancestry of Cenghiz Khan naturally underlined the identity of Tatars insistently. Among these people, Murad Giray Khan dwelled mostly upon the Mongolian traditions and particularly Cenghiz Khan Rule titled as Türe-i Cengiziye. He attached much more importance to these rules than the Muslim canonical law, and he tried to exclude the scholars of Muslim theology that defended the authority of the Ottoman emperor in the khanate. The Crimean aristocracy, in other words the Mirzas (Prince) shared the same attitudes together with the khans oriented towards this stance. They opposed to the initiatives of the Ottoman State towards strengthening its authority over the khanate. Similarly, they elected their khans in an independent manner from Istanbul and they supported their khans against the Ottoman ruler. Girays who are rebellious against the Ottoman Rulers can only dare to act like these under their support. It is known that Sahin Giray Khan who was the supporter of independency dared such an action with their support. The Crimean tribal aristocracy was composed of four powerful tribes called as Karachu. The first of these tribes played a definite and important role in the election of khan and the relations with the Ottoman State as the bey of Shirin tribe, the chief of beys. The bey of Shirin tribe, Eminek Mirza played also a significant role in the dependence of the Crimean Khanate to the Ottomans.

As it is known, the Crimean Khanate got separated from the Ulug Khanate in 1449 and appeared to be an independent khanate in the Crimean and northern steppes. In this year, Hacı Giray minted a coin in his name and declared independency. Hadji Giray claimed for domination in the city of Kefe and on Yalıboyu that were located on the south of the peninsula, a part of the Altin Ordu Khanate. He struggled with the Genovese people that dominated this region under their own control. Fatih Sultan Mehmet had sent a fleet to the Black Sea in order to dominate over all the states in the Black Sea and in the mean time the Genovese colonies in 1454. It seems that Hadji Giray were in close relations with Fatih Mehmet in this perod. Nevertheless, he was opposed to the settlement of Ottomans in this region. When Hadji Giray died, the Genovese people played a great role in the struggle of power in the Khanate that burst among his sons.

Fatih Mehmet knew that he could not directly establish dominion over the Genovese colonies without the collaboration with the Crimean Khanate. However, Nur Devlet seized the dynasty of the Crimea as a result of the Genovese intrigues towards the year of 1475 and Mengli Giray Khan had to take shelter in the side of the Genovese people in Kefe. The Genovese inhabitants put him into prison in order to establish good relations with Nur Devlet. The Bey of Şirin people, Eminek Mirza who wanted to enthrone Mengli Giray again as a ruler decided to cooperate with Fatih Mehmed. The Ottoman Ruler who perceived that this situation was an unobtainable opportunity immediately sent a powerful fleet under the command of the grand vizier, Gedik Ahmed Pasha to Kefe. In a short period, Gedik Ahmed Pasha established dominion in Azak, Kefe and the region of Yalı Boyu that was under the control of Genovese and he enthroned Mengli Giray to the throne of the Crimea instead of Nur Devlet. It has been observed that Mengli Giray lost again the throne after a while.

One of his letters sent to Fatih stating that he was at Fatih's back as a servant and supposing that he was a scion (tikme) of the ruler proved that the khanate was under the domination of Ottomans. Meanwhile, it was rumoured that there was an agreement that stipulated the conditions of this predomination. The four Karacu tribes and particularly the Bey of Shirins played an important role in the election of the khans. The ruler would frequently come to an agreement with the Bey of Şirin and appoint the khan. However, until the appointment of Sahip Giray as khan, the Crimean tribal beys tried to maintain the right to elect their khans in their own hands. In some cases, Istanbul could not reach an agreement with the requests of the tribes and there were some conflicts thereof. In order to reinforce their control on the Crimean Khanate, the Ottoman Government followed a special policy within the first 40-50 years.

The first Khan that was elected a Khan subject to the strict domination of the Ottoman ruler was Sahip Giray Khan. The Ruler has sent him from Istanbul to Crimea with a troop of rifled Janissaries and artillerymen composed of 1000 people in his command in 1532. But the tribes that rebelled against Sahip Giray had supported İslam Giray, elected by them and there was a violent and severe struggle between these two khans for two years. When Sahip Giray Han achieved a very powerful state when he enthroned Khans from Giray people to Astrahan and Kazan, Istanbul government was against him. Istanbul Government appointed Devlet Giray instead of him and got rid of him. From this date, the domination and the cultural influence of Ottomans got more powerful and effective over the Crimean Khanate.

In the period of Mengli Giray, the Crimean Khanate was badly in need of the protection of Ottomans. This situation was another factor in the enforcement of the control of the Ottoman ruler on the Crimean Khanate. Mengli Giray was surrounded with both the threats of Altin-Ordu Ulug Khans and the great Dukedom of Lithuania. Altin Ordu ulug Khans frequently invaded the Crimea but then, they evacuated the Crimean lands when they abstained from the Ottoman Ruler. Against the alliance of Altinordu (Golden Army)-Lithuania, Mengli Giray was obliged to ally with Moscow Great Prince that was under the threat of the same states. The Ottoman forces always supported this alliance. Both the independency of the Crimean Khanate against the Altin Ordu Khans and the resistance of the Moscow Prince against the same state achieved their ends thanks to the Ottoman protection. Mengli Giray invaded the city of Saray in 1532 and put an end to Altin Ordu Khanate. It was interesting that the last Altin Ordu Khan had appealed for the support of the Ottoman Ruler.

Mengli Giray wanted to invigorate the Altin Ordu Khanate under his own dominion in the basis of Idyll-Volga. This desire was succeeded by his successor, Mehmed Giray Khan but his relations got worse with Istanbul. In the following periods, Girays made great efforts to achieve the Ulug Khanate. Due to this situation, they came face to face with Moscow. Ivan the IV got the advantage of the murder of Sahip Giray and invaded Kazan in 1552 and then Astrahan to years later. He replaced the Ulug Khans in the basis of Idyll. Therefore, the Moscow Empire was established in the Eastern Europe. Opposing to the expansionist policy of Sahip Giray, the Ottomans did not support him towards this end. However, it was the Ottoman forces that prevented the Crimean Khanate from getting under the dominion of Moscow like the Kazan Khanate. The Crimean Khanate survived and stayed alive for a period of 300 years under the protection of Ottomans.

to be continued