"Nıgıtkılar üstüne çıgıp Uruslarını kördü Süyün Bike özü dahi suguş içine kirdi Tatar topcularıga özü de kumanda birdi." (Suyun bike climbed the ramparts and saw the Russians, and even she entered the war. She commanded the Tatar artillerymen herself.)
450 years ago, February. A Russian army of 60.000 people were attacking on Kazan castle. It was 13 February 1550. Kazaners were defending their cities like heroes. The ramparts had six doors. The doors, which were referred to as Han, Atalık, Tümen, Kabak, Muralı and Crimea gates, witnessed violent conflicts.
Each of the doors were defended by commanders such as Mamay Bek, Nurali Mirza, Kuzıcak Oğlan (meaning from the generation of Oğlan Khan) Çora Batır, Ak Muhammed Oğlan, Kul Muhammed Seyyid, Barbolsın Atalık Biybars Bek. Siyun Bike was also fighting without remaining behind the other heroes. Suyun Bike, about whom Russian histories also mentioned at length, and plays written about whom continued playing for years in Moscow, was the daughter of Yusuf Mirza, one o Nogay Mirzas. She was known for both her beauty and knowledge among Nogays, Kazaners and Russians.
In Summer 1532, Kazaners dismissed Safa Giray Khan from the position of Kazan Khan and replaced him with Can Ali Khan. However, the affairs of the country was being conducted according to Vasili's order indeed. In 1533, Can Ali Khan married Suyun Bike. This event resulted in closeness between two countries. Since Can Ali Khan always kept Russian Knezi's word, Kazaners were not pleased. They rose in 1535. The rebellion ended in Can Ali Khan's being killed. Kazaners made Safa Giray their Khan again. Can Ali's widow, Suyun Bike, was both a influential and a beautiful woman. Their marriage would be politically useful for the country.
Russian armies intending to occupy Kazan for a few times in Safa Giray Khan's period, were routed for 3 or 4 times. Safa Giray, being aware that he was the Khan of Sublime Land, did not obey Rus Knez's orders but acted together with other khans. Suyun Bike and Safa Giray named their son who was born in 1547 as Giray. In 1549, Safa Giray Khan died. His little son, who was two years old, was proclaimed Khan. Safa Giray had another son named Bölek Giray from his first wife. However, since he was in Crimea province, his younger son was elected as the khan.
Kazaners, knowing that Moscow Knez Ivan was going to get prepared thinking that it was time to conquer Kazan since Odemiş Giray Khan is very young and his guardian is a woman, thought it necessary to find a leader man. They sent an envoy to the elder son of Safa Giray, to deal with the affairs of the country. When Russians attacked the envoys, they got the letter.
Since Odemiş Giray was merely a baby, all affairs of the country were pursued by Suyun Bike. Kazans did not get on well with Russians in the meantime. In March 1549, Kazaners raided on Morum. The emirates who escaped from Safa Giray Khan and took refuge in Nogay counntry, wrote letters to Ivan to encourage him to attack on Kazan. What Ivan wanted was exactly the same. Both sides prepared and met to arrive before Kazan on 13 February 1550. They had violent wars. Ivan had to give up the siege and turn back to Moscow on 25 February because of hero defense of Kazan people.
In 1551, Russians besieged Kazan again. At that time, competition between Kazan people had increased, exterior ways were guarded, and the number of soldiers inside had decreased. Ödemiş Giray Khan was sleeping at his cradle without being aware of anything. Suyun Bike was fearing destruction and elimination of both his son and Kazan people, and applied all kinds of remedies. Although Kazan Mirzas thought of surrendering, Crimea Mirzas were in favor of war. They promised that Crimea, Nogay and Asterhan would provide assistance. When Crimea Mirzas gave up hope of Kazan people totally, they agreed that maybe they could provide help from Ottomans and left Kazan. But they were not vouchsafed liberation. Although they fought like lions, they were killed by Russians laying an ambush on the road.
Kazaners, who gave way to despair after Crimeans went, sent an envoy to Ivan and wanted peace. The most important peace conditions declared by Ivan to Kazan envoys was that "Suyun Bike, Odemiş Giray Khan and Crimeans and their children supporting them should be sent to Moscow as captives".
When Russians came to take Suyun Bike according to the agreement, Suyun Bike told nothing to Kazan Beys. Now that there was no other possibility for comfort of Kazan people, then she was going to go to Moscow. Her sadness affected everybody. All people of the city cried. Suyun Bike wanted visit Safa Giray Khan's grave and ask for forgiveness before leaving Kazan. When she arrived at the tomb, she put the golden cap she wore on the ground. She said that she lived very nice and prosperous days with him, and that now she was going to Moscow as a captive and cried.
Suyun Bike went as far as the shore of the river on the carrier prepared for herself. At the shore was the ship to take her. There was a decorated part of the ship for her being seated. Both Suyun Bike and others who came there with her as far as the ship asked for forgiveness to each other. When the ships taking the captives away moved, people began to advance along both of the sides of the river. It was very touching for Kazan people to see her go. They were longing for him even then. Suyun Bike bid farewell to Kazan with her following words: "Kazan... O bloody, anxious city, you dropped your crown from your head, now you are a slave, you are not big any more. Who can take a country if it is managed well with a good sultan and protected with soldiers. Your strong Khan died. Your beys weakened and did not help you. And so you withdrew. Where are your cheerful days? Where are your sons, beys, mirzas, those loyal to you, notables? Where are your good women, beautiful girls? Where are their songs? All are gone. The only thing left is their cries and orphanhood. You had had honey trees and cold springs. Now all are replaced with blood and tears."
The convoy which departed from Kazan on 11 August 1551, arrived in Moscow on 5 September. Ivan welcomed her with great respect. Sheik Ali Khan was re-appointed as the ruler of Kazaners, who were defeated. Kazan was being ruled according to Ivan's wills now. Kazaners did not like Sheik Ali. They sent envoys to Ivan and wanted him to send a kalgay (deputy khan) instead of him.
Kazan, which never remained silent, did not do so after Sheik Ali was gone too. Ivan, getting angry, decided to march on Kazan with the idea of revenge. He occupied Kazan on 15 October 1552. Sheik Ali helped a lot to Ivan in invasion of Kazan. Ivan wanted to please him. Therefore, he married him to Suyun Bike. Since Sheik Ali was both a Russian supporter and a unlovable person, Suyun Bike did not like him. Sheik Ali was very angry with that. Therefore, he behaved very badly to Suyun Bike. Some rumor spread in summer 1553 that Sheik Ali killed Suyun Bike under torture. Her family worried a lot. They went to Kasim city to investigate.
Although it is true that Sheik Ali mistreated Suyun Bike, it is not correct that he killer her. The envoys saw her alive. No other news was heard from Suyun Bike after that date. Her exact date and place of death is not known. It is estimated that she died in Kasim city after 1554. Some say that "Suyun Bike maybe did not marry Sheik Ali and died because she could not stand longing of her husband Safa Giray and her son Ödemiş Giray".
There is another opinion that she passed away in 1558 when she was 58.
From (Prof. Dr. Gülçin Çandarlıoğlu's article on Türk Dünyası Tarih Dergisi magazine)