Safa Giray ( tt-Latn, Safagäräy, صفا گرای; ) was three times khan of

Kazan Kazan ( ; rus, Казань, p=kɐˈzanʲ; tt-Cyrl, Казан, ''Qazan'', IPA: ɑzan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Tatarstan in Russia. The city lies at the confluence of the Volga and the Kazanka rivers, covering a ...

(1524–31, 1535–46, 1546–49). He was the nephew of the previous Kazan Khan

Sahib Giray Sahib I Giray (1501–1551) was Khan of Kazan for three years and Khan of Crimea for nineteen years. His father was the Crimean Khan Meñli I Giray. Sahib was placed on the throne of Kazan by his ambitious brother Mehmed of Crimea and driven out ...

and brother of Moxammat Giray. First reign 1524–31: In 1524 a large Russian army approached Kazan and Sahib Giray fled. His 13-year-old nephew Safa Giray took his place. The Russian siege of Kazan failed and they withdrew. In 1530 another Russian army burned part of Kazan and Safa Giray fled to

Arsk Arsk ( rus, Арск, p=ˈarsk; tt-Cyrl, Арча, ''Arça'') is a town and the administrative center of Arsky District in the Tatarstan, Russia, located on the Kazanka River, from the republic's capital of Kazan. As of the 2010 Census, its p ...

. The matter was settled when a faction deposed Safa Giray and enthroned the pro-Russian Jan Ali. Second reign 1535–46: Four years later, in 1535 the Kazan nobility expelled or killed the pro-Russian Jan Ali and Safa Giray returned to the throne. He married Jan Ali's wife or widow

Söyembikä of Kazan Söyembikä (also spelled ''Söyenbikä, Sujumbike,'' pronounced ; Cyrillic: ''Сөембикә'') (1516 – after 1554) was a Tatar ruler, '' xanbikä''. She served as regent of Kazan during the minority of her son from 1549 until 1551. Lif ...

. The pro-Russian faction wanted to enthrone Jan Ali's brother Shah Ali, but they were unsuccessful. The choice of an anti-Russian khan led to border fighting around Nizhny Novgorod. In 1537 or 1538 Safa Giray burned the outskirts of Murom and withdrew on the approach of a Russian army. In 1546 two Russian armies raided near Kazan and withdrew. In 1546 a Kazan faction revolted and Safa Giray fled to his father-in-law Yusuf of the Nogai horde. He was replaced by the pro-Russian

Shahghali Shahghali, also Shah Ali or Shah Ghaly, (Tatar: ''Şahğäli'', pronounced , or ''Şäyex Ğäli'', ) (1505–1567) was khan of the Qasim Khanate and the Khanate of Kazan. He ruled the Qasim Khanate for much of his life and three times tried to r ...

(Shah Ali). Third reign 1546–49: Shah Ali soon found his position impossible and after a few months slipped out of town. Safa Giray returned with a Nogai army but Shah Ali's flight made the army unnecessary. Leaders of the pro-Russian faction fled. In late 1547 Ivan the Terrible in person led a winter campaign against Kazan, but an early thaw made the roads and rivers impassible, so he returned to Moscow. Part of the army continued, won a few battles and withdrew. Safa Giray died in 1549. Reason of his death is unclear, but it is said that he was poisoned by his enemies.М.Г. Худяков. Очерки по истории Казанского ханства. М., 1991 After his death his infant son Utamesh ascended the throne. His wife, Söyembikä became Regent.

References

* Henry Hoyle Howorth, History of the Mongols, 1880, Part 2, pp 388–392, 400-403, 404-405 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kazan, Safa Giray Of 1510 births 1549 deaths Khanate of Kazan 16th-century monarchs in Europe

See also

References