The
article is an analysis of the judicial functions of khans of the Crimea since 15th to 18th c.
Basic levels and directions of the khan’s justice as the supreme court of the
khanate are clarified. Besides that
khans are also characterized as organizers of the court of divan, beys’ courts and courts of qadis
in accordance with Shariat. Author attempts to
answer the question why the justice of Crimean khans was substantially
limited in comparison with monarchs of the Mongol Empire and the Golden
Horde. At that specific feature of political statement of the Crimean Khanate
(as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire and a state with unstable political
situation), religious situation in the Crimean Peninsula are taken into
account. The sources for the study are official documents
of the Crimean Khanate such as khans’ yarliks,
court registers, historical chronicles and notes of foreign travelers who
visited Crimea in 16th — 18th cc. Author finds that
khans of Crimea de-jure saved Chinggisid traditions
(as supreme judges in the khanate), but were substantially limited in their
court power de-facto because of feudal aristocracy and courts of qadis. Nevertheless, several kinds of cases as
before remained in their competence. Also khans had
wide potentialities in the field of organization of the court system of
khanate.
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