One of the Ukrainian hetmans was a Muslim. He converted to Islam not from tactical reasons, but having learnt the truth of belief of Allah the Supreme.
It is well-known that throughout all its history Ukraine closely contacted with the Islamic world. It is also known that these relations not always were peaceful. However, the history of the spread of Islam in Ukraine practically wasn't investigated, and sometimes and it was even ignored.
Already now was recognized to be classical the book of Dmitry Yavornitsky "History of Zaporozhye Cossacks", which in the Soviet period was forbidden. After all in it truthfully, not one-sided, as in "communistic textbooks", the history of Ukraine is displayed, and it is shown that relations of the Ukrainian Cossacks with the Turks and the Tatars not always were hostile. So, for example, in February, 1648, Bogdan Khmelnitskiy signed the contract with the Crimean Khan about general military operations. The similar contract with the Turkish sultan was signed in February, 1649.
Moreover, the historian came up with idea that the Crimean Khanate and the Zaporozhye Sech' had to unite their efforts in struggle against the Moscow imperialism . Interestingly, that similar ideas existed and among the Crimean Tatars, too. It would be enough just to recollect a nice poem of Dzhanmuhamed "Tugay bey" about participation of the Tatar army in the war of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy.
The letter of the Crimean Khan Islam-girey to the Polish king Yan-Kazimir concerning Zborovsky agreement of 1649 is interesting, too.
All these aspects, of course, demand separate detailed research. We will pay attention to such a little-known fact: one of the Ukrainian hetmans was a Muslim! Moreover, he converted to Islam not from ambitious reasons, but having learnt Islamic doctrine. It was Petro Suhovienko.
Unfortunately, Petro lived during a so-called epoch of "Ruins" and could not become the hetman of the whole Ukraine, but he struggled up to the end, and only when he settled all possibilities, he descended from historical arena. There is no exact data about his last years of life, but it is the most probable that the life of the hetman came to its end among Muslims of Crimea.
The extensive citation from D.Yavornitskiy (1990) proves it: "… In Zaporozhye there was one more hetman, Petro Suhovy. Soon after the murder of Bruhovetsky the Zaporozhye Cossacks, not wishing to join the hetman Doroshenko, returned in the Zaporozhye Sech' and sent to the Crimean Khan several envoys. The Khan was very delighted and hosted them very affably, and, having learnt that they broke up with Doroshenko, he advised them to select the hetman in the Zaporozhye, too.
At first there was no willing to get this position, but the former clerk of the army of Zaporozhye, young twenty years old, but "skilful and learned" man Petro Suhoviy or Suhovienko then stated his consent. Suhoviy thought up for himself the press similar to the press of the Crimean Khan, - onions and two arrows, - and began to call himself the hetman of the army of Zaporozhye and wrote the letter to Doroshenko, naming himself the hetman of the Khan's majesty and ordering Doroshenko not to name himself the Zaporozhye hetman anymore.
In Zaporozhye one part of the army joined Suhovienko – 6 thousand Cossacks; in the meantime the other part recognized as hetman Doroshenko and called him on the left bank of the Dnepr for the Black Council, promising to break arrows of Suhoviy with their muskets.
But Suhoviy did not refuse the idea to become the conventional hetman of the Zaporozhye Sech' and wrote to the Khan the letter from the name of "all Zaporozhye army". Then, together with the embassy from Zaporozhye, he went to Crimea. The Khan hosted Suhoviy in a very gracious and affable way; he approved his plans and wrote to Zaporozhye that the Cossacks never sent such wise ambassadors and asked to send such "skilful" men as Suhoviy henceforth.
[Further are described the details of military campaigns of Suhovienko and his armies, joint with the Tatars. It is said that he was recognized as the hetman by the Ottoman Sultan. Further it is said how he was helped by Ivan Sirko.]
But not for long time the Zaporozhe Cossacks and Sirko stood up for Suhoviy, after being on his side, they soon came to the side of Doroshenko. Then Suhoviy went to the Tatars with whom he was so close that after a while he converted to Islam and took himself a name of Shamay or Ashpat-murza; and with him there were just about three hundred of Zaporozhye Cossacks..."
These events took place in 1668 – 1669.
Let's notice that some scholars also consider possibility of converting to Islam of Bogdan Khmelnitskiy, probably from the political reasons.
By Islam.ru
Related Links:
Numerous Geographical Names in Ukraine Testify to Long Arabian Presence
