CRIMEAN TATARS AMONG THE OTTOMAN COSSACKS (1853–1877)

Abstract

The Eastern War (1853–1856) was an important watershed in the history of the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar peoples, creating new realities for their cooperation in the fight against Russian imperialism. One of the most striking examples of such cooperation was the participation of the Crimean Tatars at the 1st Regiment of the Ottoman Cossacks actions. The Ottoman Cossacks were a military unit led by Mykhailo Chaikovskyi (Mehmed Sadyk Pasha), who united representatives of many enslaved peoples in the struggle for liberation in alliance with European powers and as part of the liberal-reformed Ottoman army. The Ottoman Cossacks had an intellectual influence on nation-building in the European part of the Ottoman Empire. The unit's leadership believed that liberation was possible with the participation of the Ottoman Empire. For the first time, the enslaved peoples received patronage from the top leadership of the Ottoman Empire, which was reflected primarily in the creation of the Cossack Brigade and the formulation of the idea of Cossack autonomy in South East Europe.