khanate · Central Asia and the Steppe

Astrakhan Khanate

1466 CE – 1556 CE (approx.) · capital Xacitarxan

A Tatar khanate at the mouth of the Volga, a successor of the Golden Horde whose annexation in 1556 gave Russia the whole Volga route.

Origins

The Astrakhan Khanate formed in the 1460s around the town of Xacitarxan near the Volga delta, under khans descended from Küchük Muhammad of the Great Horde. It became fully independent after the Great Horde's destruction in 1502.

Rule and society

The khanate was small and relatively weak, controlling the fisheries and trade of the lower Volga, including the caravan routes towards the Caspian and Persia. Its population of Tatars and Nogais lived largely by herding and trade. Its khans were frequently dependent on the Nogai Horde or the Crimean Khanate, and several were installed by these neighbours.

Decline and legacy

After taking Kazan, Ivan IV turned south: Russian forces installed a client khan, Dervish Ali, in 1554 and annexed the khanate in 1556. Astrakhan became a Russian fortress city and gateway to the Caspian and the Caucasus.

Lineage

Golden Horde 1242 CE – 1502 CEAstrakhan Khanate

Connections (1)

Astrakhan Khanate was conquered by Tsardom of Russia1556 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Astrakhan Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astrakhan-khanate
MLA: “Astrakhan Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astrakhan-khanate. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Astrakhan Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astrakhan-khanate.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Astrakhan Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astrakhan-khanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻