Şahbaz Geray

Shahbaz Giray (died 1699) was a Crimean Tatar prince and son of Selim I Giray. He served as a commander in several late 17th-century campaigns, including wars against the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Kalmyks, and Don Cossacks. During his brother Devlet II Giray’s reign, he became kalga but was killed in Kabardia around 1699 after a failed campaign.

Biography Shahbaz Giray was the son of Selim I Giray. After the beginning of his father's reign in 1684, he participated in several wars. The first mention of him is during the Crimean campaigns (1687–1689), when he, with his army of Nogais, Kumyks, and Circassians, helped stop the Russian invasion.

War with Poles Monument to Stanisław Jabłonowski in LvivShahbaz Giray's first recorded campaign in sources took place in 1694, during which his father, Selim I Giray, also participated. The joint Crimean–Ottoman army besieged Petrovaradin, but after a 22-day siege, they failed to capture it and lifted the siege. Following this failure, the army retreated to Belgrad, where Selim I dispatched 4,000 troops under Shahbaz Giray to defend Kamianets-Podilskyi Castle, which was under siege by John III Sobieski. Upon learning of the relief force, Sobieski marched with 30,000 Poles and Cossacks, alongside four Cossack hetmans. Although Shahbaz Giray resisted fiercely, he was ultimately defeated just three hours from the castle.

After two months, in February 1695, Shahbaz Giray launched another campaign against the Poles. Advancing deep into Polish territory, he encountered a Polish army of 8,000 troops. With equal numbers this time, Shahbaz Giray defeated the Poles and besieged Lviv. Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski, upon learning of the Tatars’ approach, issued mobilization orders and concentrated about 4,000 soldiers near the city. Fierce fighting occurred on February 11–12, with the Polish cavalry engaging the Tatars in narrow streets, while dismounted cavalry behind monastery walls fired on the attackers.

The Tatars were eventually driven out thanks to a well-organized counterattack, in which armed peasants wielding flails played a key role. Several Tatars were struck down and later captured. Unaccustomed to urban combat, the Tatars were repelled from the city, and further attempts to breach it from other sides failed. ), destroying parts of it and returning with considerable spoils. However, on his way back, his forces were ambushed by Russian troops near a lake called Pojrak. Despite the surprise attack, Shahbaz managed to escape with minimal losses and returned to Crimea after a 43-day campaign. Around this time, the Ottomans began peace negotiations with the Holy League, culminating in the signing of the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699.

Campaign against the Kalmyks That same year, a letter from Selim I Giray mentions Shahbaz Giray’s successful raid into Kalmyk territory and his safe return. Although the exact date of the letter is unknown, it is believed to have been written shortly before Selim Giray’s abdication.

Campaign against the Circassians and death

After the abdication of Selim I Giray, his son and Shahbaz’s brother, Devlet II Giray, ascended to the throne and appointed Shahbaz as Kalga. Later, Devlet Giray ordered him to lead a campaign against Circassia. During the expedition, the Crimean forces engaged in widespread devastation, taking prisoners and seizing livestock. However, the campaign ultimately failed, and Shahbaz Giray was killed.

The exact reason of his death remain disputed. Some sources claim he was killed in lands of Besleney, at the home of prince Temir-Bulat Qanaqo. According to Crimean historian Abdülgaffar Kırımî, Shahbaz was slain in his sleep by the Circassian lord Timur Poladoğlu Zaver Bey. Other accounts by Müstecip Ülküsal and Halim Giray suggest that he was captured by the Circassians and later executed.

Meanwhile, Defterdar Sarı Mehmed Pasha and Johann Wilhelm Zinkeisen state that he was poisoned. According to Mehmed Giray, Shahbaz Giray was assassinated by Circassians while resting in his tent. Late at night, several Circassian soldiers attempted to enter, but his guards prevented them, leading to a skirmish that woke Shahbaz. Curious, he ordered his men to let them in, only for the Circassians to attack immediately. Shahbaz was killed by gunfire and daggers. The assailants escaped and were never found despite an extensive search.