The Many Lives of Mirzas

This collection contains biographical sketches of the 39 members of the Crimean Tatar elite who were registered as members of the nobility of Tavrida Province and whose noble status was recognized by the imperial government in St. Petersburg. 

Official recognition of noble status came via approval of the Heraldry Office and subsequent inscription in the noble register (rodoslovnaia kniga / родословная книга) of any given province of the empire. The Tavrida noble register was compiled on an annual basis starting in 1804 by the provincial noble assembly. Between 1804 and 1853 there were 660 entries, only 39 of which described Crimean Tatars. The 39 entries, all of which are presented here, dealt with a total of 51 Crimean Tatar nobles (brothers and cousins often petitioned together for inclusion in the noble register), along with their families.

Though they do little more than scratch the surface of Crimean Tatar (elite) life under Russian rule, they provide compelling evidence of the ways in which kinship and service could be converted into enhanced social status.

A few notes before you dig in:
All names are transliterated from Russian, which was the language of the noble registers. This accounts for the odd spellings of Tatar and Turkic names.

Each entry is a highly structured text, its format standardized across all the provinces of the Russian Empire.

That structure is reflected in the way the information within each entry is presented here. As you move through this collection, pay attention to clan names, variations in title (murza, bey, aga), family structure (particularly the importance of lateral kinship), and the dramatic variation in service records and landownership.

In order to get a full sense of the connections among individuals, 1) use the "Item Relations" (at the end of each entry), which mark kinship relations and connections to key archival sources that might remain opaque when going the material Item-by-Item; and 2), surf the tags!

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service). Approved on the basis of father's service.

Petitioned on the basis of his "ancient origins" but was inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher). The brothers were included in the noble register along with their father, Smail Bey Balatukov, in 1815. In 1820, the Commission on Muslim and G...

Despite providing evidence of descent from a princely clan, Balatukov was inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

In 1845 inscribed in part 1 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for recipients of imperial seals, stamps, and coats-of-arms).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

The Tavrida noble assembly recommended that the Dzhanbatov clan be inscribed in the 6th part of the noble register (ancient clans) in 1843. In 1850 they were instead inscribed in part 1 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for recipients of imperial s...

In 1850 inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

In 1848 inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

In 1847 the sons of Ali Aga were inscribed in the 6th part of the noble register. In the wake of the Senate opinion of January 13, 1847, in 1850 they were inscribed in part 1 instead (reserved for recipients of imperial seals, stamps, and coats-of-ar...

Confirmed by the Heraldry in 1846; inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher) despite presenting evidence of descent from a princely clan.

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

In 1851 inscribed in part 1 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for recipients of imperial seals, stamps, and coats-of-arms). Abduraman submitted 5 Ottoman firmans along with his petition.

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service). Krymgireev was also to be presented with a patent testifying to his descent from an ancient foreign noble clan.

Originally approved for inscription in the 4th part of the noble register in 1804. In 1815 Batyr Aga was instead inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 1 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for recipients of imperial seals, stamps, and coats-of-arms).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 2 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those whose noble status was defined by military service).

Inscribed in part 3 of the rodoslovnaia kniga (reserved for those who attained civil rank of 8 or higher).