The Problem of the Eastern Borders of the Bulgar Vilayet of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Khanate at the end of the 14th–15th centuries

The problem of the eastern borders of the Bulgarian Vilayet of the Golden Horde and the Kazan Principality that arose on its foundations, then the Kazan Khanate, has been considered in the literature several times, but has not found an unambiguous solution, including in the multi-volume “History of the Tatars since ancient times.” In this publication, the historical problem is discussed using new source materials and offering different interpretations of known sources than were offered previously. The objective of the study is to determine with a greater degree of precision the eastern borders of the Bulgar-Kazan Vilayet and the Kazan Khanate in the late 14th–15th centuries. Research materials: The work is based on the analysis of the works of Abu-l-Ghazi Khan, Kadyr Ali-bek, Katib Chelebi, Negri, Defter-i Genghis-name, Utemish-haji, Abdulgaffar Kyrimi, Hafiz-i Tanysh Bukhari, the anonymous Tavarikh-i Guzida-i-Nusrat-name, embassy data, chronicle reports, various genealogies, folklore materials. Their analysis was carried out while taking into account previous publications on this topic. Results and scientific novelty: The study made it possible to clarify previous conclusions regarding the eastern borders of the Bulgarian-Kazan Principality and the Kazan Khanate in the Urals, including establishing their certain mobility both in connection with the Nogai element in the 15th century and with the political role of the Shibanids in the Volga-Ural region since the annexation of the territory of the Bulgarian state by the Mongol Empire in the 13th century.