Kazan Governorate

Infobox Russian governorate
EnglishName=Kazan Governorate
LocalName1=Казан губернасы
LocalLangName1=Tatar
LocalName2=Хусан кěперниě
LocalLangName2=Chuvash
RussianName=Казанская губерния
RussianOldName=Казанская губернiя
Locator

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LocatorMap



CoatOfArmsLink=Coat of arms of Kazan Governorate
AdmCtrName=Kazan
FoundationDate=1708
AbolishmentDate=1920
PoliticalStatus=Governorate
PoliticalStatusLink=Governorates of Russian Empire
Region=European Russia
Area=55900
Population=2850000
CensusYear=1913
FirstHeadTitle=Governor
LastHeadTitle=Gubkom chairman|

The Kazan Governorate ( _ru. Каза́нская губе́рния ; Tatar: "Qazan gubernası" / Казан губернасы ; Chuvash: Хусан кěперниě) or Government of Kazan was a governorate ("guberniya") of Imperial Russia from 1708–1920, with the city of Kazan as its capital.

History

When created by Peter the Great, it was one of eight original guberniyas of Russia and included the lands of Kazan, Siberian, and Astrakhan Khanates, with addition of some lands from the Nogay Horde. These were the areas historically governed by the "Kazan Palace's Prikaz".

In 1717, Astrakhan Governorate was separated from Kazan Governorate; in 1719—Nizhny Novgorod; in 1744—Orenburg; in 1781—Vyatka, Simbirsk, and Ufa Governorates were separated. Under Catherine the Great (1781–1796) Kazan was the center of a namestnichestvo (viceroyalty), with Kazan, Penza, and Saratov Governorates as its integral parts. At first the governorate was divided into lots ( _ru. доли, "doli"), then into provinces ( _ru. провинции, "provintsii") in 1719, and into uyezds ( _ru. уезды) in 1775. Prior to 1796, there were Kazan, Kozmodemyansk, Laishev, Mamadysh, Sviyazhsk, Spassk, Tetyushi, Tsaryovokokshaysk, Tsivilsk, Cheboksary, Chistopol, and Yadrin uyezds.

In 1913, the area of the governorate comprised 55,900 square versts, its population was estimated at 2.85 million (38.9% Russians, 31.2% Tatars, 22.8% Chuvash, 5.1% Mari, 1.2% Mordva). There were 7,272 settlements, including 13 towns: Kazan, Arsk, Sviyazhsk, Kozmodemyansk, Laishev, Mamadysh, Spassk, Tetyushi, Tsaryovokokshaysk, Tsivilsk, Cheboksary, Chistopol, Yadrin; and two posads—Mariinsky and Troitsky.

The governorate was finally abolished during the Bolshevik administrative reform (see Idel-Ural State). Thereupon its Eastern part was proclaimed the Tatar ASSR, while the Western part was eventually divided between Chuvashia and Mari El.

Main events in the governorate

*1774 - Pugachev rebellion
*1861 - Biznä Unrest
*1880s - Wäisi movement