Siege of Kazan (1487)
| Siege of Kazan (1487) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Kazan Wars and the Kazan succession crises | |||||||||
The capture of Kazan on 9 July 1487. Depiction from the Illustrated Chronicle (1567). | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Grand Principality of Moscow | Khanate of Kazan | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Daniil Kholmsky Ivan III of Russia Möxämmädämin of Kazan | Ilham Ghali | ||||||||
The siege of Kazan took place between 18 May and 9 July 1487, during a succession dispute for the Khanate of Kazan's throne. Troops from the Grand Principality of Moscow, which were commanded by Daniil Kholmsky, intended to capture its capital Kazan in order to restore the reign of Möxämmädämin.
The Khanate of Kazan was one of the strongest fragments of the Golden Horde, and was located in close proximity to the Russian principalities. The first wars began during the civil war in Moscow, where the Tatars were able to reach the capital, but then retreated. In the war of 1469–1478, the Russians moved the war to the territory of the khanate, and even reached the outskirts of the capital, but could not take it, while the Tatars made concessions. In 1487, the main goal of the campaign was the direct capture of Kazan. After a quick march and several victorious skirmishes, they successfully besieged the city and forced its garrison to surrender. After the war, Kazan became completely dependent for a while, but as a result of new conflicts it regained sovereignty, conflicts continued regularly until the last siege by Ivan the Terrible.