The elusive empire : Kazan and the creation of Russia, 1552-1671 / Matthew P. Romaniello.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Romaniello, Matthew P.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Religion and politics.

History.

Soviet Union--Foreign relations--Kazanskoe khanstvo.

Soviet Union.

International relations.

Kazanskoe khanstvo--Foreign relations--Soviet Union.

Kazanskoe khanstvo.

Russia--History--Period of Consolidation, 1462-1605.

Russia.

Russia--History--Time of Troubles, 1598-1613.

Orthodox Eastern Church--Russia--History.

Orthodox Eastern Church.

Religion and politics--Russia--History.

Physical Description:

xiii, 297 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Madison, Wis. : University of Wisconsin Press, [2012]

Summary:

In 1552, Muscovite Russia conquered the city of Kazan on the Volga River. It was the first Orthodox Christian victory against Islam since the fall of Constantinople, a turning point that, over the next four years, would complete Moscow's control over the river. This conquest provided a direct trade route with the Middle East and would transform Muscovy into a global power. As Matthew P. Romaniello shows, however, learning to manage the conquered lands and peoples would take decades.

Russia did not succeed in empire-building because of its strength, leadership, or even the weakness of its neighbors, Romaniello contends; it succeeded by managing its failures. Faced with the difficulty of assimilating culturally and religiously alien peoples across thousands of miles, the Russian state was forced to compromise in ways that, for a time, permitted local elites of diverse backgrounds to share in governance and to preserve a measure of autonomy. Conscious manipulation of political and religious language proved more vital than sheer military might. For early modern Russia, empire was still elusive- an aspiration to political, economic, and military control challenged by continuing resistance, mismanagement, and tenuous influence over vast expanses of territory. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Imperial Ideas 19

2 Conflicted Authorities 51

3 Foreign Interests 87

4 Loyal Enemies 117

5 Irregular Subjects 146

6 Subdued Rebels 177.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780299285142

0299285146

9780299285135

0299285138

OCLC:

711777252