princely “yurts” of kazan khanate »

The article considers the contents of the letter addressed by Nogai biy Urus (1576) to the Tsar Ivan IV. The letter refers to the lands that paid to the Nogais some “compensation” before they ended under the power of Moscow. According to the author of the present article, this text refers to a division of the Kazan Khanate in the number of administrative units with unequal status: the core of the Khanate – the “yurt of Bulgar tsar” (that is, apparently, actual Kazan, the khan’s domain), and two princely yurts – the Arsk principality and lands of the principality, which belonged to princes Ali-Bey and Altyn-Bey before the arrival of Ulugh-Muhammad. Most likely, these lands were situated south of Bolghar at the left bank of the Volga, on the territory of modern Ulyanovsk region and, possibly, partly at the right bank, near Tetyushi. The Arsk land enjoyed a special independent (or semi-independent) position during the Bulgar time (Arsaniya land). This division of the Kazan Khanate into three parts is reflected not only in the analyzed text, but also elsewhere, particularly, in the Russian chronicles.