Gift exchange as a mean of expression of power: The case of Crimean-Muscovite relations

Abstract

In the titulature, the Crimean Khans have particularly emphasized their Chinggisid origins as a proof of their legitimacy. Yasa [Chinggisid Law] and töre [tradition] also played a crucial role in domestic affairs. The political institutions and customs developed by Chinggis Khan continued to exist in the successor Khanates. The practice of demanding luxury goods as tribute from the subject peoples for the consumption of the ruling elite was one of them. In this article, I will first show that the tiş [tusk] was a developed version of the tribute dedicated for the consumption of ruling elite. Second, I will try to show why tiş should be considered as a tribute contrary to the Russian claim that it was a gift and its significance for the Crimean Tatars. Finally, I will demonstrate how the socio-political developments in the Crimean Tatar society like the growing influence of the karaçis and the service mirzas was reflected in the tiş defters [books].