The khanate existed in the 15th and 16th centuries in the area adjacent to the mouth of the Volga river, around the modern city of Astrakhan.

Merchants carried on a transit trade between Muscovy, Kazan, Crimea, Central Asia, and the Transcaucasus region.

[citation needed] The nobility consisted of feudal ranks, which were, from highest to lowest: the khan, sultans, begs, and morzalar.

The rest of the population were known as qara xalıq, ('black people', or more accurately in Old Turkic, "great creation" implying 'the creatures at large" or common folks, when "qara" stood for "big" and "great" not just black, and "aq" (white), stood also for delicate, small, dainty etc.

About all we have is an imperfect khan list with uncertain regnal dates and a few military and diplomatic events and traveler's reports.

The khanate traditionally had military and diplomatic relations with Crimea, the Nogais and sometimes the Circassians.

It also was gaining the power to exert force down the Volga between Kazan and Astrakhan, something that is not explained in the sources.

In 1554 he fled the town and Russia imposed its client Dervish Ali Astrakhani who soon began intriguing with the Crimeans.

Russia sent more troops and occupied Astrakhan in 1556, proceeding to destroy the largest slave market on the Volga.