History of Chechnya

Early history

Chechen society has traditionally been organized around many autonomous local clans, called teips. Even today, many Chechens consider themselves loyal to their teip above all, this is one reason why it has been difficult to forge a united political front against Russia.

Related Topics:
Teip - Russia

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From the 7th century through the 16th century Chechens and Ingushes were Christians, but then the influence of Islam spread until Sunnites became the majority.

Related Topics:
7th century - 16th century - Ingush - Christian - Islam - Sunnites

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Russian influence started as early as the 16th century when Ivan the Terrible founded Tarki in 1559 where the first Cossack army was stationed 1587. Until the late 18th century the area was protected from Russian occupation by the khanate of Crimea. Only after it was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783 the Russian colonization of the Caucasus began, met with fierce resistance by the mountain tribes. In 1785 they started waging a holy war against the Russians under Sheikh Mansur who was captured in 1791 and died a few years later.

Related Topics:
Ivan the Terrible - Tarki - 1559 - Cossack - 1587 - 18th century - Khanate - Crimea - Russian Empire - 1783 - Caucasus - 1785 - Sheikh Mansur - 1791

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Imperial Russian forces began moving into Chechnya in 1830 to secure Russia's borders with the Ottoman Empire. The Chechens, along with many peoples of the Eastern Caucasus, resisted fiercely, led by the Dagestani hero Imam Shamil, but Chechnya was finally incorporated into the Russian Empire in 1859 after Shamil's capture.

Related Topics:
Imperial Russian - 1830 - Ottoman Empire - Caucasus - Dagestani - Imam Shamil - 1859

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Russian occupation caused a prolonged wave of emigration until the end of the 19th century. Thousands of Caucasians moved to Turkey and other countries of the Middle East, while Cossacks and Armenians settled in Chechnya.

Related Topics:
19th century - Turkey - Middle East - Cossacks - Armenians

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During the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78 the Caucasians rose against Russia once more, but were defeated again.

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The Chechnya-Ingushetia region received status of an autonomous republic within the Soviet Union in 1936. During World War II, despite the fact that about 40 thousand Chechens and Ingushes fought in the Red Army (fifty of them received the highest recognition of the Hero of the Soviet Union), the Soviet government accused them of cooperating with the Nazi invaders, who had controlled the western parts of Chechnya-Ingushetia for several months of the 1942/1943 winter. On orders from Stalin the entire population of the republic was exiled to Kazakhstan. Over a quarter died. The Chechens were allowed to return only in 1957, four years after Stalin's death in 1953. In 1949 Soviet authorities erected a statue of 19th century Russian general Aleksey Yermolov in Grozny. The inscription read, "There is no people under the sun more vile and deceitful than this one." Yermolov had also persecuted the Chechens.

Related Topics:
Autonomous republic - Soviet Union - 1936 - World War II - Red Army - Hero of the Soviet Union - Nazi - 1942 - 1943 - Stalin - Kazakhstan - 1957 - 1953 - 1949 - Aleksey Yermolov - Grozny

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