Giray dynasty

House of Giray
Parent house	Borjigin Dynasty
Country	Crimean Khanate
Founded	1431 (by Hacı I Giray)
Titles	Khan of Crimea Khan of Qasim Khan of Kazan Khan of Astrakhan Khan of Ulugh Ulus (after 1502)
Dissolution	Qasim: 1512 Astrakhan: 1523, 1531, 1549 Kazan: 1551 Crimea: 1783 Budjak Horde: 1792

The House of Giray (Crimean Tatar: Geraylar, كرايلر; Ottoman Turkish: آل جنكيز, romanized: Âl-i Cengiz, lit. 'Genghisids'), also Girays, were the Genghisid/Turkic dynasty that reigned in the Khanate of Crimea from its formation in 1431 until its downfall in 1783. The dynasty also supplied several khans of Kazan and Astrakhan between 1521 and 1550. Apart from the royal Girays, there was also a lateral branch, the Choban Girays (Çoban Geraylar).

Before reaching the age of majority, young Girays were brought up in one of the Circassian tribes, where they were instructed in the arts of war. The Giray Khans were elected by other Crimean Tatar dynasts, called myrzas (mırzalar). They also elected an heir apparent, called the qalgha sultan (qalğa sultan). In later centuries, the Ottoman Sultan obtained the right of installing and deposing the khans at his will.

Their early ancestor was Togay Timur (Tuqa Timur), a younger son of Jochi. The story of the Girays begin with Öreng Timur, son of Togay Timur, receiving Crimea from Mengu-Timur.

During Ottoman suzerainty

According to some scholars, the Girays were regarded as the second family of the Ottoman Empire after the House of Ottoman: "If Rome and Byzantium represented two of the three international traditions of imperial legitimacy, the blood of Genghis Khan was the third... If ever the Ottomans became extinct, it was understood that the Genghisid Girays would succeed them"

During the 15th and early 16th centuries, the Giray Khan was second to the Ottoman Emperor - and thus superior to the Grand Vizier - in the Ottoman protocol. After the disobedience and 1584 removal of Mehmed II Giray, the Sultan demoted the Crimean Khan to the level of Grand Vizier. The Giray Khans were also sovereigns of their own realm. They could mint coins, make law by decree, and had their own tughras.

Alliances

The Crimean Khanate made alliances with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and with the Zaporizhian Sich. The assistance of İslâm III Giray during the Khmelnytsky Uprising in 1648 contributed greatly to the initial momentum of military successes for the Cossacks. The relationship with the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was also strong - the dynasty of Girays would seek sanctuary in Lithuania in the 15th century before establishing themselves on the Crimean peninsula.

Downfall

After the khanate's annexation by Imperial Russia in 1783, the last khan Şahin Giray remained nominally in power until 1787, when he took refuge in the Ottoman Empire, and was executed in Rhodes.

Other dynasts were permitted by the Russian authorities to reside in their Bakhchisaray palace. Selim III's young son, Qattı Giray, was converted by missionaries to Protestantism and married a Scottish heiress, Anne Neilson.

After downfall

After the execution of Şahin Giray by Abdul Hamid I, his family lived in Burgazada, Istanbul.

Genetics

According to genetic studies, the Giray dynasty is most likely associated with the R1a-Z93 haplogroup, which is prevalent among the Turkic peoples of Eurasia. However, further research is necessary to refine and confirm the genetic data pertaining to the Girays. The Girays are descendants of Jochi, the eldest son of Genghis Khan. Nevertheless, the absence of reliable genetic data on the descendants of Chagatai, Tolui, or Ögedei leaves unresolved the question of whether Jochi was indeed the biological son of Genghis Khan. The hypothesized haplogroup of Genghis Khan spans a range of possibilities, including C3c-M48 and R1b-M343, based on current genetic analyses. However, conclusive determination remains uncertain due to the limitations of available data and the need for further research.

Family tree

House of Giray

Golden Horde/White Horde/Great Horde (After Islamization)   Kazan Khanate   Crimean Khanate   Qasim Khanate Hacı I Giray r. 1428–1429,  1431 – 1434 r. 1441–1456,  1456 – 1466 Nur Devlet r. 1466–1469,  1475 – 1476 r. 1477–1477 r. 1486–1491 Hayder r. 1456–1456,  1475 – 1475 Meñli I Giray r. 1467–1467,  1469 – 1475 r. 1478–1515 Satylghan r. 1491–1506 Janai r. 1506–1512 Mehmed I Giray r. 1493–1495 r. 1515–1523 Saadet I Giray r. 1524–1532 Sahib I Giray r. 1521–1524 r. 1532–1551 Mubarak Giray Fetih Giray Ğazı I Giray r. 1523–1524 İslâm I Giray r. 1524–1524,  1525 – 1525 r. 1528–1528,  1532 – 1532 Devlet I Giray r. 1549–1551 r. 1551–1577 Safa Giray r. 1524–1531,  1535 – 1546 r. 1546–1549 Mehmed II Giray r. 1577–1584 İslâm II Giray r. 1584–1588 Ğazı II Giray r. 1588–1596,  1596 – 1607 Fetih I Giray r. 1596–1596 Selâmet I Giray r. 1607–1610 Mubarak Giray Utamesh Giray r. 1549–1551 Saadet II Giray r. 1584–1584 İnayet Giray r. 1635–1637 Toqtamış Giray r. 1607–1607 Choban Giray Bahadır I Giray r. 1637–1641 İslâm III Giray r. 1644–1654 Mehmed IV Giray r. 1641–1644,  1654 – 1666 Qırım Giray Mubarak Giray Canibek Giray r. 1610–1623,  1628 – 1635 Mehmed III Giray r. 1623–1628 Safa Giray Adil Giray r. 1666–1671 Selim I Giray r. 1671–1678,  1684 – 1691 r. 1692–1699,  1702 – 1704 Haci II Giray r. 1683–1684 Saadet III Giray r. 1691–1691 Murad Giray r. 1678–1683 Safa Giray r. 1691–1692 Devlet III Giray r. 1715–1717 Devlet II Giray r. 1699–1702,  1709 – 1713 Saadet IV Giray r. 1717–1724 Ğazı III Giray r. 1704–1707 Qaplan I Giray r. 1707–1709,  1713 – 1715 r. 1730–1736 Meñli II Giray r. 1724–1730,  1737 – 1739 Selamet II Giray r. 1739–1743 Arslan Giray r. 1748–1756,  1767 – 1767 Ahmad Giray Fetih II Giray r. 1736–1737 Qırım Giray r. 1758–1764,  1768 – 1769 Halim Giray r. 1756–1758 Selim II Giray r. 1743–1748 Maqsud Giray r. 1767–1768 Devlet IV Giray r. 1769–1770,  1775 – 1777 Bahadır II Giray r. 1782–1782 Sahib II Giray r. 1771–1775 Şahin Giray r. 1777–1782,  1782 – 1783 Selim III Giray r. 1764–1767,  1770 – 1771 Qaplan II Giray r. 1770–1770

See also

• History of the Turks
• List of Crimean khans
• List of Kazan khans