and the Khanate of Kazan, although the sums were smaller than those of previous Muscovite princes. Vasily III continued Ivan's pro-Crimean policies, and during their reigns, the Khanate of Kazan, the Principality of Moscow and the Crimea Khanate were allies, the latter being the senior partner of the other two.

The boundary between Muscovy and Kazan was near Nizhny Novgorod, about halfway between the two cities. The land east of Nizhny Novgorod was fairly difficult. Whenever the Tatars attacked,