in the campaign “Forcing Chechnya into submission after the fall of Akhulgo and suppression of the general uprising of 1840 (1838-1840)”
The uprising of 1840 swept away the power of imperial appointees over lowland Chechnya - before it, the auls that had submitted lived under superintendents-pristavs appointed by the empire. The "Conditions prescribed to submitting highlanders", issued by general Grabbe, commander of the troops of the Caucasus Line (the chain of imperial fortifications on the land of the Nokhchi), on 15 June 1840, re-established this power as a norm and built it further. Point 3 prescribed: "To fulfil all demands and orders of the Russian pristav who will be appointed by the government" (pristav - a superintendent over the auls appointed by the empire); point 6 obliged every aul: "To elect from among themselves one qadi, who is obliged to fulfil all orders of the pristav" (qadi - a Muslim judge); point 7 - an elder in every aul (elder - the head of an aul community), "who is confirmed by the Russian authorities, watches over public tranquillity and carries out all orders of the authorities". A surrendering aul was accepted under the empire's power only together with this structure[1].