Deprivation of the Nokhchi of political agency and the imposition of alien governance (1614–1616)
The occupation administration of the metropole liquidated the autonomy of the Nokhchi communities (the Okochans) in the Terek town, establishing alien governance over them and beginning to exploit their resources. Historian E. N. Kusheva states that in 1614 Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich ordered the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky "to be prince over all the Okochans..., to judge them and to have charge of them in military organization and in all matters"[1]. The appointed ruler proceeded to the physical and economic exploitation of the indigenous population. Kusheva points out that he forced those under his rule "to perform all manner of labor for him, to plow the fields and to mow the hay"[1]. Facts of administrative extortion and slave trading are documented: in a petition to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, the service Okochans of the Terek town reported that the ruler "having taken from us by force 8 good horses from the herd, sent them off to his kabaks in Kabarda"[2][3], "wrongfully sold four of our Okochan comrades"[2][3] and "took a wife into bondage and sent her off to his kabaks in Kabarda"[2][3]. The document adds that he subjected the Nokhchi to corporal punishment: "he orders us to be thrown into prison and beaten with the knout without thy sovereign knowledge and without guilt"[2][3]. The administration of the metropole itself for years compelled the Nokhchi to serve without pay: a report from the Terek voivode Pyotr Petrovich Golovin to the Astrakhan voivode Ivan Nikitich Odoevsky records that they "serve the sovereign tsar... in all manner of the sovereign's Terek... services... yet for the tenth year have not been granted the sovereign's monetary and grain salary"[2]. The indigenous population was also forced to fight against their own compatriots: E. N. Kusheva, compiler of an academic collection, indicates in the heading of a primary document that there took place "a campaign of the Terek fighting men and the Terek Okochans... against the Endirey ruler Saltan-Magmut and the people of the Okotsk and Michkiz kabaks who had joined him"[3]. In parallel, the metropole imposed tribute on the mountain communities of the Nokhchi: an extract from the book of the Terek town's Prikaz office records that the administration sent men "to the Michkiz lands for the sovereign's yasak"[3]. The compilers of the academic collections dryly state the outcome of the Nokhchi protests: "The petition of the 'Okochans' was not granted"[2].
Actors
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0008 | Tsardom of Muscovy |
The metropole's occupation administration abolished Nokhchi self-governance, forcibly subordinating them to an alien elite: historian E. N. Kusheva states that in 1614 Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich ordered the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «to be prince over all the Okochans... to judge them and to have charge of them in military organization and in all matters»[1]. |
Techniques Used
| ID | Name | Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0008 | Deprivation of Agency |
The metropole deliberately ignored official complaints by the Indigenous population about the arbitrary conduct of the appointed rulers, depriving them of the right to protection: the compilers of academic document collections state that, as regards the petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, «the petition of the «Okochans» was not granted»[2]. |
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| T0052 | Expropriation of Resources |
Representatives of the metropole's authorities openly seized property from the Nokhchi population, abusing their official position: in their petition to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich, the service Okochans of the Terek town reported that the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «having taken from us by force 8 good horses from the herd, sent them off to his kabaks (villages) in Kabarda»[2][3]. |
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| T0049 | Forced Mobilization |
The occupation administration forcibly sent subordinated Nokhchi to fight against their own compatriots: historian E. N. Kusheva indicates in the heading of a primary document that there took place a «campaign of Terek men-at-arms and Terek Okochans... against the Endirey ruler Saltan-Magmut and the people of the Okotsk and Michkiz kabaks who had joined him»[3]. |
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| T0036 | Installation of a New System of Governance |
The metropole's occupation administration abolished Nokhchi self-governance, forcibly subordinating them to an alien elite: historian E. N. Kusheva states that in 1614 Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich ordered the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «to be prince over all the Okochans... to judge them and to have charge of them in military organization and in all matters»[1]. |
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| T0057 | Labor Exploitation |
The appointed administration forced the Indigenous population into unpaid labor: historian E. N. Kusheva points out that the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky compelled the service Okochans of the Terek town subordinate to him «to make all manner of wares for him, to plow the fields and to mow the hay»[1]. The metropole itself went years without paying for the military service of the Indigenous population: a report from the Terek voivode Pyotr Petrovich Golovin to the Astrakhan voivode Ivan Nikitich Odoyevsky records that they «serve the sovereign tsar... in all manner of the sovereign's Terek... services... yet have not been granted the sovereign's monetary and grain salary for the tenth year now»[2]. |
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| T0021 | Neutralization of the Opposition |
The appointed occupation administration used unlawful arrests to suppress the resisting Indigenous population: a petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich by the service Okochans of the Terek town stated that the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «orders us to be thrown into prison and beaten with the knout without your sovereign knowledge and without guilt»[2][3]. |
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| T0149 | Slave Trade |
The appointed occupation administration enslaved the Indigenous population: a petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich by the service Okochans of the Terek town stated that the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «wrongfully sold 4 of our fellow Okochans»[2][3] and «took a wife into bondage and sent her off to his kabaks in Kabarda»[2][3]. |
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| T0056 | Taxation |
The occupation administration imposed tribute on the highland Nokhchi societies: an extract from the book of the Terek town's Prikaz office records that the administration sent people «to the Michkizes for the sovereign's yasak»[3]. |
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| T0110 | Torture and Abuse |
The appointed occupation administration used corporal punishment and unlawful arrests: a petition submitted to Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich by the service Okochans of the Terek town stated that the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «orders us to be thrown into prison and beaten with the knout without your sovereign knowledge and without guilt»[2][3]. |
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Instruments
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0012 | Occupation and Controlled Administrations |
The metropole's occupation administration abolished Nokhchi self-governance, forcibly subordinating them to an alien elite: historian E. N. Kusheva states that in 1614 Tsar Mikhail Fyodorovich ordered the Kabardian prince Sunchaley Yanglychevich Cherkassky «to be prince over all the Okochans... to judge them and to have charge of them in military organization and in all matters»[1]. |