Expansion of the Bribery System and Coercion of Highland Societies into Subjecthood (1741–1748)
In the 1740s, the diplomatic and administrative apparatus of the Russian Empire scaled up the application of institutional colonial mechanisms to new territories of the Nokhchi. Historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov states that in 1741–1748 there was an «intensification of Russian-Chechen political and trade ties»[1]. The occupation administration expanded the practice of institutional bribery: the researcher records «the granting of Russian salaries to 4 Chechen princes and their uzdens»[1]. This process was accompanied by the legal subordination of new territories through the issuing of ultimatum demands. The author points out that, in response to the highlanders' requests for access to the plain, the empire gave its consent exclusively «on the condition that the highlanders take an oath of Russian allegiance»[1], which led to the formalization of oaths «by new societies of Chechnya, including mountain ones»[1]. Overall, as Akhmadov summarizes, «The process of formalizing relations with Russia at the official level covers the main districts of Chechnya», while, as rigid guarantees of obedience, «amanats (hostages) are handed over as a pledge of fidelity to the oath to the Russian authorities»[1].
Actors
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0009 | Russian Empire |
The occupation administration of the Russian Empire bought the loyalty of members of the local nobility with state payments: historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov records «the granting of Russian stipends to 4 Chechen princes and their uzdens»[1]. |
Techniques Used
| ID | Name | Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0015 | Bribery of Elites |
The occupation administration of the Russian Empire bought the loyalty of members of the local nobility with state payments: historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov records «the granting of Russian stipends to 4 Chechen princes and their uzdens»[1]. |
|
| T0147 | Forced Registration of Subjecthood |
The occupation administration of the Russian Empire imposed on the Indigenous population the legal codification of subordinate status, exploiting their economic need and presenting the oath as a rigid ultimatum: historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov states that in 1747, in response to the highlanders' requests for resettlement, «official consent of the imperial court was given («to admit and assign») on the condition that the highlanders take an oath of Russian subjecthood»[1], while to those absent «officers were sent «to administer the oath»»[1]; similarly in 1748, when the mountain communities petitioned for subjecthood so that «traveling with merchandise to the town of Kizlyar... under protection would be free»[1], the administration «agreed to this proposal on the condition of the mandatory resettlement of the «Chebutlins» from the mountains to the lower reaches of the Sunzha»[1]. |
|
| T0099 | Hostage-Taking |
The occupation administration of the Russian Empire expanded the system of holding relatives of the nobility: historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov states that, to control the territories, «amanats are handed over as a pledge of fidelity to the oath to the Russian authorities»[1]. |
|
Instruments
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0012 | Occupation and Controlled Administrations |
The occupation administration of the Russian Empire bought the loyalty of members of the local nobility with state payments: historian Ya. Z. Akhmadov records «the granting of Russian stipends to 4 Chechen princes and their uzdens»[1]. |