Beginning of the political subjugation of the Nokhchi (1588–1591)
The occupation administration of the Tsardom of Muscovy imposed vassalage on the Nokhchi elite under the guise of a military alliance through the procedure of oath-taking (shert). As historian Murat Yasar notes, to the Nokhchi this looked like a military pact: "many local rulers in Muscovy's southern and eastern borderlands, especially in the North Caucasus, regarded the shert more as a military alliance between themselves and one of their potential allies"[1]. The administration, however, unilaterally interpreted this act as unconditional submission: historian Michael Khodarkovsky points out that "in Moscow's eyes the shert now meant an oath of allegiance by the tsar's new and loyal subjects"[2]. Historian Murat Yasar adds that consent was incentivized through bribery: "the signing of the shert went hand in hand with the monetary allowances and gifts that the tsar gave to the local rulers"[1]. To maintain control, the forcible seizure of relatives of Nokhchi leaders was employed: E. N. Kusheva, compiler of a collection of documents, writes that "his nephew Batai was left as a hostage (amanat) in the Terek town"[3]. The subordinated Nokhchi communities were obligated to take part in the military operations of the occupation administration: E. N. Kusheva, compiler of a collection of documents, points to documents "on the possibility of the participation of Murza Shikh... in a campaign of Russian fighting men"[3].
Actors
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| G0008 | Tsardom of Muscovy | 4 |
Instruments Applied
| ID | Name | Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| S0009 | Diplomacy | 2 |
| S0008 | Government | 1 |
| S0010 | Regular Army | 1 |
Procedures Carried Out
The occupation administration imposed vassalage under the guise of an equal alliance: historian Murat Yasar notes that the rulers «regarded the shert rather as a military alliance»[1], whereas historian Michael Khodarkovsky points out that «in Moscow's eyes, the shert now signified an oath of allegiance by the tsar's new and loyal subjects»[2].
To secure the political subordination of the Nokhchi elite, the administration used financial incentives: historian Murat Yasar points out that «the signing of the shert went hand in hand with monetary allowances and gifts that the tsar gave to local rulers»[1].
As a guarantee of submission, the occupation administration detained representatives of the Nokhchi elite: historian E. N. Kusheva writes that «his nephew Batai was left as an amanat (hostage) in the Terek town»[3].
The occupation administration obliged the subordinated Nokhchi societies to take part in military campaigns: historian E. N. Kusheva points to documents «on the possibility of the participation of Murza Shikh... in a campaign of Russian men-at-arms»[3].