Yermak Timofeyevich - Legacy

Legacy

Upon receiving news of Ermac’s death, the Cossacks became immediately demoralized. The original band of men had dwindled to 150 fighters, and command now fell to Glukhoff, the leader of the initial group of reinforcements that the tsar had delivered to Ermac. The Cossacks soon decided to abandon Qashliq and to retreat to Russia. Before travelling a great distance, they ran into a group of one hundred reinforcements that had been sent as additional strength from the tsar. With this upturn in fortune, Ermac’s band resolved to return to Qashliq and refortify their position in accordance with the tsar’s will. The fast-acting and perspective Tatars, however, had been informed of the group’s flight and had retaken the city almost immediately, preventing any peaceful reoccupation of their former stronghold. Although the Tatar position appeared strong, they were no longer lead by Kuchum, who had lost his power, and were thus not as stable as before. Furthermore, another three hundred reinforcements from the tsar soon arrived to join the Russians. Lead by Tchulkoff, this new force provided a significant boost in fighting strength to the party. Despite the tumultuous state of the Tatar leadership and their newly received recruits, however, the Russians did not pursue another attempt on Qashliq. Instead, in a culmination of the events immediately following Ermac’s fatal plunge, they founded a new settlement in 1587 on the site of what would become Tobolsk, a comfortable twelve miles from Qashliq. Although the Tatars quickly began raids against their familiar foe, after a short period they ceased, leaving the Russians to their new town.

Ermac’s heroic endeavors in the Russian East laid the groundwork for future Russian expansion and settlement. Soon after Ermac and his initial band set out for Siberia, merchants and peasants followed in their wake, hoping to harness some of the fur riches that abounded in the land. This trend grew exponentially after Ermac’s death, as his legend spread through the domain rapidly and, with it, the news of a land rich and furs and vulnerable to Russian influence. Colonization attempts soon followed, as Tyumen, the first known town after Ermac’s death, was founded in 1586. The settling of this territory facilitated the establishment and development of Siberian agriculture. Most of these farmers were in fact soldiers, who grew their own sustenance out of necessity.

Ermac had set a precedent of Cossack involvement in Siberian expansion, and the exploration and conquests of these men were responsible for many of the additions to the Russian empire in the east. After the initial return of the Cossacks shortly after Ermac’s death, an ambitious project of fortification began under the direction of Boris Gudonov. Its achievements, including the extension of protection for Russians in the region, would drive even greater numbers of entrepreneurs to Siberia. In 1590, Tobolsk received a significant boost in prominence as it was dubbed the principal city and administrative center of the region. The fur trade also continued to grow, aided by the Cossacks, who in 1593 established the trading center of Berezof on the Ob River at the sixty fourth latitude. The practice of collecting tributes of fur from the natives continued to spread, and in the 17th century such furs made up 25-33 percent of the income to the tsar’s treasury. Thus, as soon as fifteen years after Ermac’s death, the basin of the Ob River had truly become a region of Russian influence. Even so, the Russians did not rest on their laurels, and the attitude and pace of expansion pioneered by Ermac continued well into the 17th century. Indeed, within the first half of the century the ford of Yeniseysk was established in 1619, the city of Yakutsk founded in 1632, and the important feat of reaching the Sea of Okhotsk on the Pacific coast in 1639. Throughout these campaigns, Ermac’s influence was undeniable, as the pace he had established for achievement in his relatively short time in Siberia heralded a new age of Russian pioneering.

Ermac’s life and conquests had a significant impact on Russian policy towards Siberia and the colonization attempts that followed this shift. Prior to Ermac’s agreement with the Strogonovs, Russian attitude towards the Siberian expanse had been one preoccupied primarily with defense, not aggression. The central priority was the repelling of the Tatar hordes, and, as shown by Ivan’s letter to the Strogonovs, the central government rarely involved itself unless the tribes succeeded in entering Russian territory. This, of course, changed with Ermac, whose triumphs displayed that the Tatars could be put on the defensive and that Russia could now establish itself as an aggressive power in the East. Ermac also changed the involvement of the tsar in Siberian affairs. In reaching out to the tsar for assistance, Ermac gained the support of the government; indeed, it was reinforcements from the tsar that solidified the Russian presence in the region immediately after Ermac’s death. This newfound commitment and involvement in the area is best summarized by Ivan’s acceptance of the title bestowed upon him by Ermac: “Tsar of Sibir.” Ermac’s pioneering further enabled this system to exist because it depended on the success he achieved in gaining tribute from conquered peoples. Much like Ermac, future troops were sent with the understanding that it would be necessary to supplement their base payment with treasures and tributes gained from conquest. Without this system in place, it is unlikely such an arrangement would have come to fruition.

Future explorers would also take notice of Ermac’s strategy in approaching the Siberian lands, which, unlike those in many other colonization attempts, already had an established imperial power. However, Ermac wisely recognized that Kuchum’s territories were not unified. Ermac noted that many of these peoples were nothing more than vassals and that they were incredibly diverse in terms of race, language, and religion. Unlike Kuchum and his Mohammedan Tatars, many of these groups were pagan. Due to the sum of these differences, many simply paid tribute to avoid trouble, and it mattered little who the tribute was paid to. Ermac’s unique strength was thus in recognizing the bigger picture and playing it to his advantage, first identifying and then executing quick, efficient ways to establish influence in the region.

The actions of Ermac also redefined the meaning of the word Cossack. While it is uncertain whether Ermac’s group was related in any way to the Yaik or Ural Cossacks, it is known that their company was previously outlawed by the Russian government. However, in sending his letter and his trusted lieutenant Ivan Kolzo to Ivan the Terrible, Ermac transformed the image of the Cossack overnight from a bandit to a soldier recognized by the Tsar of Moscow. Now, Ermac’s Cossacks had effectively been incorporated into the military system and were able to receive support from the tsar. This new arrangement also acted as a sort of pressure-relief valve for the Cossacks, who had a history of being troublesome on the Russian frontier. In sending as many of them as possible further east into unconquered lands, the burgeoning and extremely profitable lands on the borders of Russian territory were provided respite. Ermac’s call for aid thus spawned a new type of Cossack which, by virtue of its link to the government, would enjoy significant favor from future Russian rulers. Despite this new shift in orientation, it is worth noting that the Cossack name remained in place in Siberia, and that soldiers sent as reinforcements often adopted this title. Furthermore, this realignment was not without criticism, however, and some saw Ermac as a traitor to the Cossack name. Such detractors saw Ermac’s death as punishment for turning away from the Cossack code and becoming a pawn of the tsar. Fittingly, then, it was his armor, the very symbol of the tsar, that dragged him down to his fate.

Relics of Ermac also continued to command significant power and prestige years after his death. In particular, the search for his armor affected at least one element of Siberian relations. Decades after Ermac’s death, a Mongol leader who had assisted the Russian government approached the voyevoda of Tobolsk and asked for his assistance in obtaining an item in the Tatar’s possession, believed to be Ermac’s armor. The reason he approached the voyevoda was that he had previously been denied a trade by the Tatars after offering them ten slave families and a thousand sheep. The Tatars, despite being convinced that the armor had divine properties, agreed to the sale upon the involvement of the voyevoda. Soon after, the Mongol, convinced of the power of Ermac’s armor, refused to service the Russian government because he no longer feared their might.