Captain is a rank in the Cossack army

The captain – a rank in the Cossack army. First it was called the assistant to the commander, later captain can be equated with the captain or the captain. What does this word mean?

Etymology

According to one version, Esaul – it is a word of Turkic origin. In some of the Chronicles the son of Genghis Khan called “eke Asaul”, which means “second Asaul”.

According to another version, the word has Iranian roots. It happened two rennaisance words “ACE” - “free” and “street” - “son”. Meant the phrase “son of the free”.

Over time, the Iranian word entered Turkish language, and later in the ancient. In Ukrainian and Russian languages, the word has several forms: "Esaul", "osavul" and other.

The Cossack rank

For the First time the position of captain among the Cossacks appeared in 1578. It is mentioned in the registered Army, which was in the Commonwealth during the reign of Stefan Batory.

The Cossack Esaul was subdivided into the following ranks:

• Captain General – it was the highest position after the Hetman, he commanded a regiment, and sometimes the whole army. In time of peace, engaged in inspection issues. Chin were characteristic of Cossacks.
• Military – was in charge of administrative Affairs in the nineteenth century was the aide-de-camp, carrying orders of ataman.
• The Regiment – was the principal assistant to the commander of the regiment, performing the duties of staff-officer. The don Cossacks existed Stanichno captains, they were considered helpers of the stanitsa ataman.
• Hiking – were appointed before the beginning of the campaign, he served as assistant marching chieftain. If he was absent, the captain could command an army. Such was allowed in the sixteenth-seventeenth century.
• Artillery captain – performing the instructions of the chief of artillery.

In the sequence military rank captain stood above captain, but below an army Sergeant.

The Position of captain, which kept the Hetman's Mace, lasted until 1764. She disappeared as a result of the liquidation of Hetman of the Ukrainian lands.

The Most famous captain

Ivan Mazepa began his career under Hetman Doroshenko in right-Bank Ukraine. He was first a captain and later became a General clerk. In 1674 by order of Hetman Mazepa went to the Crimean khanate as a messenger. When his delegation went to Constantinople, he was captured by ataman Ivan Sirko.

The Zaporozhye Cossacks decided to execute Mazepa, but the result is sent to the left-Bank Ukraine to Samoilovich. The Hetman made his military friend, and a few years later given the rank of captain General. Mazepa approached the Cossack. After the fall of Mazepa Samoilovych took his place, becoming one of the most controversial figures of his time.

Chin after 1775

By order of Prince Potemkin to the rank of captain (regimental) was equal to the officer's rank. In the late eighteenth century, this position provided her the owner of a hereditary nobility.

In the late nineteenth century to the rank of captain meet captain. In the modern time is equal to the rank of major. The position disappeared after the 1917 arrival of the Bolsheviks.