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Founded by Haci Giray in 1441 after a long-lasting struggle for independence from the Golden Horde. The khanate included the Crimean peninsula (except the South and South-West seashore) and the plains of modern Southern Ukraine. Possessed lands in Chirkassia on Northern Caucasus.
During the rule of Mengli Giray, a son of Haci Giray, the Ottoman Empire, under the orders of Mehmed II, invaded Crimea in 1475. The Ottoman forces, under the command of Gedik Ahmet Pasha conquered the Princedom of Gothia and Genoan colonies in Cembalo, Soldaia, and Kaffa. The khanate became a vassal of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1502 Mengli Giray defeated the last khan of the Golden Horde putting the end to the Horde's claims on Crimea. In the 16th century the Crimean khanate pretended to be the successor of authority of the former Golden Horde over the Turkic khanates of Caspian-Volga region. This resulted in rivalry with Muscovy for dominance in the region. Though a successful campaign of Devlet I Giray to Moscow in 1571 finished with burning the Russian capital, the Crimean Khanate finally lost the dispute for Volga.
The main principle of external policy of the Crimean Khanate was keeping balance between two powers of Eastern Europe: the Princedom of Muscovy (later Russia) and the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania. The Ottomans often demanded participation of Crimean Tatar troops in military campaigns led by the sultans in Europe (Poland, Hungary) and Asia (Persia). Attempts of some Crimean khans (e.g., Mehmed III Giray ) to liberate the country from the Turkish authority had no effect.
Since the end of the 17th century, in result of growing imbalance in power distribution in Central Eastern Europe, the Crimean Khanate met with the first Russian attempts to attack it. In 1736-1738 Russian forces managed to perform a devastating raid into Crimea.
The rule of the last Crimean khan Sahin Giray , a Russian-supported ruler, was marked with increasing Russian influence and outbursts of violence from the side of the khan administration towards internal opposition.
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