Crimean independence (1774–1776) During the
Russo-Turkish War of 1768–1774, Russia invaded Crimea. In July 1771, the Russian army marched into Kaffa, and the Ottoman governor of Kaffa Eyalet was forced to flee to
Constantinople. Then leader of the Crimean Khanate,
Selim Giray, surrendered to the invaders on 13 July. Selim hoped that Russia would grant Crimea independence and maintain Giray rule. By September, however, he had resigned. Under pressure from the Russians, the Crimean elite elected
Sahib Giray as their new khan. In November 1771, a group of Crimean envoys led by
Kalgay Şahin Giray visited
Saint Petersburg to discuss the creation of an independent Crimean state under Russian protection. In November 1772, representatives of Russia and Khan Sahib concluded the , which proclaimed the establishment of an independent state, including the former Kaffa Eyalet, and Russo-Crimean friendship. This could not come into effect without Ottoman recognition, however, which eventually came in 1774 with their defeat and the resulting
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, wherein Russia and the Ottoman Empire agreed to Crimean independence. Within two months of the signing of the treaty, however, the khanate government sent envoys to the Ottomans, requesting that they "destroy the conditions of independence". The envoys said that as Russian troops remained stationed in Crimea at
Yeni-Kale and
Kerch, the khanate could not be considered independent. Nevertheless, the Ottomans ignored this request, not wishing to violate the agreement with Russia, which had granted it the right to garrison troops in these areas. In the disorder that followed the Turkish defeat, Tatar leader refused to accept the treaty at the time of its signing. Having been fighting Russians in the
Kuban during the war, he crossed the
Kerch Strait to
Crimea and seized Kaffa. Devlet subsequently seized the Crimean throne, usurping Khan Sahib. Despite his actions against the Russians, Russian empress
Catherine the Great recognised Devlet as
Khan. At the same time, however, she was grooming her favourite Şahin Giray, now resident at her court, for the role. As time went on, the rule of Devlet became increasingly untenable. In July 1775, he sent a group of envoys to Constantinople to negotiate a re-entry of the Crimean Khanate into the Ottoman Empire. This action was in direct defiance of the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, which he asked the Ottomans to scrap. Famed diplomat
Ahmed Resmî Efendi, who had helped draft the treaty, refused to provide any assistance to the khanate, not wanting to start another disastrous war with Russia. Catherine gave an order to invade Crimea in November 1776. Her forces quickly gained control of
Perekop, at the entrance to the peninsula. In January 1777, Russian-supported Şahin Giray crossed into Crimea over the
Kerch Strait, much as Devlet had done. Devlet, aware of his impending defeat, abdicated and fled to Constantinople. Şahin was installed as a
puppet Khan, infuriating the Muslim population of the peninsula. When he heard this news, Ottoman Sultan
Abdul Hamid I noted "Şahin Giray is a tool. The aim of the Russians is to take Crimea." Şahin, a member of the ruling
House of Giray, attempted a series of reforms to "modernise" the khanate. These included attempts to centralise power in the hands of the Khan, establishing "autocratic" rule, much as in Russia. Previously, power had been distributed between the leaders of different clans, called
beys. He attempted to institute state taxation, a conscripted and centralised army, and to replace the
traditional religion-based Ottoman legal system with
civil law. These reforms, aimed at disrupting the old Ottoman order, were despised by the Crimean populace.
Crimean revolts (1777–1782) , 1780s At the behest of Catherine, Şahin allowed Russians to settle in the peninsula, further infuriating Crimeans. A group of these settlers had been sent to
Yeni-Kale, which remained under Russian control following the installation of Şahin as Khan. Local residents banded together to prevent the Russian settlement, rebelling against Şahin. He sent the new conscript army he had created to quash the rebellion, only to see his forces defect to the rebels. Revolt spread across the peninsula, and rebel forces advanced on
Şahin's palace in
Bakhchysarai. Amidst this rebellion, exiled Crimeans in Constantinople pressed the
Ottoman government to act. Bowing to pressure, the government sent a fleet to Crimea, ostensibly to preserve the
Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca. Russia, however, was quicker to act. Russian forces arrived at Yeni-Kale in February 1778, crushing the revolt before the Ottoman fleet arrived. When the fleet arrived in March, it found that there were no rebels left to support. It fought a brief skirmish with the Russian navy off Akitar (modern
Sevastopol), but was "forced" to flee. Şahin was reinstated as Khan. Minor skirmishes between the Ottoman and Russian navies continued until October 1778, when the Ottoman fleet returned defeated to Constantinople. Over the following years, Şahin continued to try and reform the khanate. Support for his reform programme remained low, and it was seriously undermined by the decision of Catherine to
resettle the Crimean
Pontic Greeks on the northern shores of the
Azov Sea, outside the khanate. That community, which was Christian, was an essential part of the Crimean merchant class, and had most readily supported Şahin's reforms. This resettlement caused significant damage to the Crimean economy, and further weakened the position of the Khan. Recognising defeat in Crimea, the Ottoman Empire signed the
Convention of Aynali Kavak in early 1779. In the agreement, the Ottomans recognised Şahin as Khan of Crimea, promised no further intervention in Crimea, and conceded that Crimea was under Russian influence. Crimeans could no longer expect support from the Ottomans. Şahin's reforms proceeded, gradually removing Tatars from positions of political influence. For a brief period, Crimea remained peaceful. A new rebellion, sparked by the continuing marginalisation of Tatars within the khanate government, started in 1781. Various clan leaders and their forces came together in the
Taman, across the
Kerch Strait from Crimea. In April 1782, a large portion of Şahin's army defected to the rebels, and joined them in the Taman. Communication between rebel leaders, including two of Şahin's brothers, and the Crimean administrative elite was ongoing. Religious (
ulama) and legal (
kadı) officials, important parts of the old Ottoman order, openly declared their antipathy for Şahin. Rebel forces attacked Kaffa on . Şahin's forces were swiftly defeated, and he was forced to escape to Russian-controlled
Kerch. Rebel leaders elected Şahin's brother
Bahadır Giray as Khan, and sent a message to the Ottoman government seeking recognition. It was not long, however, before Catherine dispatched Prince
Grigory Potemkin to restore Şahin to power. No significant opposition was fielded against the invading Russians, and many rebels fled back across the
Kerch Strait. As such, the Khan was restored to his position in October 1782. By this time, however, he had lost the favour of both Crimeans and Catherine. In a letter to a Russian advisor to Şahin, Catherine wrote "He must stop this shocking and cruel treatment and not give them [Crimeans] just cause for a new revolt". As Russian troops entered the peninsula, work began to establish a
Black Sea warm-water port for the Empire. The city of Akitar (modern day
Sevastopol) was chosen as the site of the port, which would go on to house the newly created
Black Sea Fleet. Uncertainty about the sustainability of the restoration of Şahin Giray, however, led to an increase of support for annexing Crimea, spearheaded by Potemkin.
Formal annexation (1783) In March 1783, Potemkin made a rhetorical push to encourage Catherine to annex Crimea. Having just returned from Crimea, he told her that many Crimeans would "happily" submit to Russian rule. Encouraged by this news, Catherine issued a formal proclamation of annexation on ; Şahin formally relinquished his claim to the khanate. The Tatars did not resist the annexation; after years of turmoil, the Crimeans lacked the resources and the will to continue fighting. Many fled the peninsula, leaving for
Anatolia. Tens of thousands of these emigrants took up residence in Constantinople, where they formed an influential
exile community, lobbying the Ottoman government to reclaim their Crimean homeland. Count
Alexander Bezborodko, then a close advisor to the Empress, wrote in his diary that Russia was forced to annex Crimea by Ottoman machinations in the region: This view was far from reality. Crimean "independence" had been a
puppet regime, and the Ottomans had played little role in the Crimean revolts. The Ottomans went on to recognise the loss of Crimea and other territories that had been held by the khanate in an agreement negotiated by Russian diplomat
Yakov Bulgakov. Known as the
Treaty of Constantinople, it was signed on . Crimea was formally incorporated into the Empire as "
Taurida Oblast" during 1784, with Potemkin serving as its first governor. Catherine visited her newly-claimed territories
in an elaborate tour during 1787. ==Aftermath==