Nogais. Nogais: nationality, history, traditions and customs What territory did the Nogais have?

By the time the first relationship began, the two counterparty states were completely different political organisms. The Nogai Horde, being a nomadic state, at first had little interest in establishing diplomatic ties with Muscovy. She was much more worried about the Great Horde, with which Yurt’s relations had deteriorated completely by the end of the 15th century. It was in connection with the victorious campaign of the Nogais against Khan Ahmed in 1481. Moscow first turned its attention to Yurt. The end of the 15th century was characterized for Mangyt Yurt by a gradual exit from the protectorate of the Siberian Shibanids. Moreover, it was precisely during the period of weakening of the influence of the Shibanids on Nogai politics that the Mangyts got the opportunity to change the khans of the Great Horde as they saw fit. With Musa coming to power, he also sown the first seeds of the apogee and power of Yurt, for under Musa Murza the Horde received unprecedented foreign policy authority. Not only the states - fragments of the former Golden Horde - the Kazan, Astrakhan and Crimean khanates - are forced to reckon with the Nogai, but also the Moscow Principality, which has entered a new stage of its development. Lithuanian King Casimir IV also repeatedly sent embassies to Mangytsky Yurt, with a proposal to attack Rus' from two sides, from which the Horde, by the way, quite diplomatically refrained, because it understood the need for further relations with Moscow, in which the White Stone capital of the Russian state, undoubtedly , was also interested in view of the gradual resolution of cases in the Volga region. In addition, under Musa, the beginning of the horse trade with Muscovy was laid. Any of these states dreamed of having Nogai cavalry at their disposal. So, by the end of the 15th century, that is, by the time of direct diplomatic relations with Russia, Mangyt Yurt was a fairly strong nomadic state, built on patriarchal Jochid traditions with a developed state apparatus and social hierarchy.

As for the Moscow principality, at the end of the 15th century, at the final stage of the reign of Ivan III, the process of gathering Russian lands around the single political center of the state - Moscow - was actually completed. There was a gradual strengthening of the country's political unity thanks to the consistent and fairly successful policies of Ivan III, especially thanks to the introduction of the Code of Law of 1497. With independence from the Great Horde in 1480, Muscovy's bolder foreign policy began. In particular, the Russian Principality begins to actively interfere in the internal affairs of the Kazan Khanate and conducts diplomatic and military intrigues against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Relations with the Crimean Khanate, which by the end of the 15th century was already a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, were friendly. The alliance with the Crimeans remained throughout the entire period of the reign of Ivan III, when both sides waged wars against common enemies - the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Great Horde and the “children of Akhmatov.” Only with the death of the Moscow prince did the constant raids of individual Crimean detachments on Russian lands begin. Thus, by the beginning of diplomatic relations with the Nogai Horde, the Moscow state was a fairly strong state that had passed the stage of its formation and became a full-fledged participant in international relations both in the Volga region and in Eastern Europe.

In terms of their socio-economic structure, both states were two completely different political organisms. This difference was that the Mangyt Yurt was a nomadic state formation, both the Supreme Biy and the Murzas under his control constantly changed the places of their summer and winter migrations. Agriculture and crafts had no place in the economic life of the Nogais, who were limited only to hunting and fishing. As we mentioned earlier, nomadic cattle breeding and the subsequent trade in horses with Moscow played a central role in the economy of Yurt. In this respect, the Nogai Horde was inferior to Muscovy, which, of course, was a sedentary state, where agriculture and crafts had been cultivated since the distant times of its existence. Both powers were interested in the relationship because each had something that its neighbor did not have. The need for diplomatic and trade cooperation was obvious, which, of course, was one of the reasons for establishing relations with each other.

In the entire history of Nogai studies, one of the main ones is still to clarify the degree of dependence of the Mangyt Yurt in relation to Moscow: did there exist a vassalage, a protectorate, or were the Nogais subjects of the Russian state? Today, the dominant hypothesis is about the mutual perception of Mangyt and Russian leaders of each other's ranks. The first Nogai backlerbek, the ancestor of the biys and murzas, Edigei, being the head of the nobility of the Golden Horde, was higher in position than all Tatar and vassal dignitaries and rulers. For this reason, he turned to the ruler of the Russian ulus, the Grand Duke of Moscow, Vasily Dmitrievich, putting his name without a title and in front. Beklerbek of the Great Horde and the Crimean Khanate, Timur biy Mansur called Ivan III his son, and he also called him his father. Dzhankuvvat biy Din - Sufi saw Ivan Vasilyevich as a brother, while Tavvakul biy Timur considered the Moscow prince as an uncle. Musa felt his special position, and at first he behaved rather modestly, allowing the prince to call him whatever Ivan III himself wished. However, after the death of the current head of the Nogai Horde, Abbas biy Vakks, and the ascension to the throne of Musa himself, the letters showed signs of a higher nomenklatura terminology, which manifested itself in March 1497, when he invited Ivan III, Prince of Moscow to be with each other in the future in fraternal relations. Despite this, the rank of the Nogai rulers had not yet taken shape completely. Having gotten rid of their superior khans, they most likely did not have a clear idea of ​​how to position themselves before local rulers. For example, Musa's successor, his brother Yamgurchi, in the same letter of 1504 declares himself the son, nephew, brother, and friend of Ivan III. Thus, one can clearly see the fact that the Mangyt Yurt, which had not previously played any important role, gradually, starting from Edigei himself, and especially under Musa, acquired a certain weight and influence at the Moscow court, which was clearly manifested in the title nomenclature of the Mangyt aristocrats . It becomes clear that Moscow, in its foreign policy dialogue, saw the Nogai Horde as an interlocutor with whom it had to be taken into account. In that initial period of relations between the two states, there was a nature of equal partnership, although already in a later period, starting from the mid-16th century. under Biy Ismail, they outgrew, according to B.-A.B. Kochekaev, into a Russian protectorate with elements of vassalage.

The Nogais are scattered across different parts of the country and represent a minority in each federal subject. Keeping in small enclaves distant from each other, the Nogais ceased to form a single ethnocultural massif. And since each enclave had its own history over the past two hundred years, mental differences between the Nogais became noticeable.

Fate decreed that the Astrakhan Nogais were recorded and almost became Tatars, the Kuban Nogais living in the mountains absorbed mountain culture, and the Dagestan Nogais, on the contrary, retained their originality to a greater extent. Most of the Chechen Nogais were forced to leave their homeland due to two destructive wars, and the Stavropol Nogais found themselves part of a region that did not provide them with either territorial or cultural autonomy, or even the opportunity to study their native language in schools. Of course, there are also unifying factors: Nogai identity, language, past - but is this enough to maintain unity? What turned out to be stronger: the history that divided the Nogais, or human efforts in the fight against injustice? Are the Nogais a living people or fragments of an already dead people dissolving into other cultures?

There are many scattered and divided peoples in the world: history favors some peoples, while others, on the contrary, are crushed. The history of the Nogais over the past two centuries is the story of the almost complete destruction of the people.

In the second half of the 18th century, most of the Nogais lived in the Crimean Khanate, which included, in addition to the peninsula itself, also the territories of modern southern Ukraine, parts of the Rostov region, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. The Nogais were the main ethnic group of the country, led a nomadic lifestyle and formed the basis of the Crimean cavalry. Another, significantly smaller part of the Nogais lived in the Russian Empire on the territory of the modern Astrakhan region and Dagestan.

The tragedy that occurred affected only the Crimean Nogais and did not affect the rest. It all started with the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, as a result of which the Crimean Khanate ceased to be a vassal of the Ottoman Empire and became a vassal of Russia. Although the latter won, the Nogais retained vast steppe nomadic territories, which means that Russia received a disloyal, freedom-loving and warlike population on its southern borders. Something had to be done about this, and the empire decided to settle a less problematic population on the new lands - Christians, mainly Cossacks, and, accordingly, expel the Nogais. They were offered to move across the Ural River (modern western Kazakhstan), but the Nogais refused and decided to fight - this led to catastrophic consequences.

There were several reasons for the huge losses of the Nogais. Firstly, they were inferior to the Russians in military terms - bows and sabers versus cannons and rifles. Secondly, the Nogais had nowhere to retreat, which means they faced a simple choice: victory or death. Thirdly, they were deceived by Suvorov. He offered peace and arranged a feast at which the Nogais got drunk, and he himself ordered the horses' hooves to be wrapped in felt, and at night his soldiers silently attacked the Nogais. Some believe that this is where the expression came from: a bullet is a fool, a bayonet is a good fellow. Fourthly, the Nogais rarely surrendered, therefore, when surrounded by Russians or Kalmyks, they themselves killed their women and children, and then entered into the last battle. In total, as a result of the war, post-war unrest and uprising, 300 thousand Nogais died, and the population of the steppe was halved. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land. Therefore, the last day of the uprising (October 1, 1783) is considered the day of genocide of the Nogai people, and Suvorov is considered a national enemy. The survivors were divided: some went to the Ottoman Empire (modern Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey), others went beyond the Kuban River, along which the Russian border then passed, others accepted Russian citizenship and began to roam within the modern Stavropol Territory. But the suffering of the Nogais did not end there.

The territory of Stavropol is predominantly fertile black soil, and the Russian authorities did not want nomadic cattle breeding to take place on these lands. Therefore, they were given to the Cossacks, and most of the Nogais were resettled to the territory of southern Ukraine, but soon they were forbidden to roam there either. This time they didn’t kick me out, but simply transferred me to a sedentary lifestyle. Before the Crimean War of 1853-1856 (that is, for about 50 years), the Nogais lived more or less quietly on these lands, there was even a city of Nogaisk (modern Primorsk not far from Berdyansk). But after the war, the Nogais were accused of aiding the enemy and were eventually expelled to the Ottoman Empire. The reasons for the eviction of the Nogais are unclear. Some kind of collaboration on their part did take place, but, firstly, then many were dissatisfied with the war - for example, Russian peasants revolted en masse against the increased oppression. Secondly, the Nogais fought with dignity on the side of Russia, because breaking the oath was considered inappropriate in their military culture. Perhaps the empire that lost the war decided to assert itself at the expense of the Nogais. Be that as it may, southern Ukraine was completely cleared of the indigenous population.

Trans-Kuban Nogais were less fortunate. After the liquidation of the Crimean Khanate and before the Treaty of Adrianople in 1829, Transkuban region (the southern part of the modern Krasnodar region) was formally part of the Ottoman Empire, but in fact it was independent: the Turks controlled only the fortresses of the Black Sea coast (Anapa, Sudzhuk-Kale, Poti and others). Most of the Trans-Kuban region (from the coast to the Laba River) was inhabited by Circassian tribes, and the Nogais lived between the Kuban and Laba rivers. This was the last fragment of the Crimean Khanate, outliving the Khanate itself by almost half a century. Also, some of the Nogais who survived the Russian defeat settled on the Circassian lands: Nogai villages were all over the left bank of the Kuban and near Anapa - to protect the fortress. Thus, the life of the Nogais became closely connected with the life of the Circassians: their villages were located next to each other, both peoples suffered equally from Cossack raids and together carried out raids on Cossack lands. The result of the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829 was that the Trans-Kuban region went to Russia, but the local residents did not consider themselves subjects of the Ottoman Empire, did not pay tribute to it, and were very surprised that their territories were transferred to another state. The Congress of Circassian Tribes decided not to accept Russian citizenship. Thus began (continued) the war in the Western Caucasus. Since Circassia was not an integral state, but a union of tribes and therefore did not have a single army, but many different armies and detachments, the war in the Western Caucasus became partisan. Russia, in turn, carried out punitive expeditions into enemy territory: it destroyed villages, burned crops and took away livestock. No one then separated the Circassian auls from the Nogais: both were called predators and were mercilessly destroyed - the Nogais shared the suffering of the Circassians. Due to massive resistance and guerrilla tactics, this war lasted for decades (until 1864) and became a disaster for the Circassians, Abazas and Nogais. According to the Russian historian Potto, 400 thousand highlanders died in the war, and another 500 thousand were expelled to the Ottoman Empire (of which 50 thousand were Nogais). For the Circassians, the date of the end of the Caucasian War (May 21, 1864) is the day of genocide. The survivors were not allowed to remain on their land, but were given the choice of moving to the Kuban plains or sailing to the Ottoman Empire. Most chose the latter, but not all made it to the Turkish coast: the ships were small and overcrowded, so they sank in the event of the slightest storm. As a result, the Western Caucasus was practically cleared of the indigenous population: the Circassians survived only in a few villages near Sochi and in the Republic of Adygea, and the Nogais in the Nogai region of Karachay-Cherkessia.

This whole long story is told for a reason. Both peoples - Nogai and Circassian - experienced a national tragedy. Both peoples have a specific commemoration date (October 1 and May 21). Yes, historically the Nogai tragedy stretched over a longer period of time, and October 1, 1783 does not formally include the subsequent events of the Crimean and Caucasian wars. But this is formal. In fact, both nations have dates on which it is imperative to remember the past. They remember, but they do it in different ways. On May 21, Circassians with national flags in national clothes take to the streets and hold mourning events and processions. You shouldn’t think that this day is politicized, it’s just that for the Circassians in their modern history, the most significant, turning point event was a tragedy, and a real national day is possible only on the basis of a significant event. Circassians use the day of the tragedy not just to remember the past, but to consolidate society - therefore, funeral processions take place all over the world, and the fragmented Circassian society gains unity.

On October 1, Nogais do not organize any events - usually the victims of the tragedy are commemorated at home. Someone will make a post on the Internet, someone will gather in a small campaign, someone will go to the mosque (they read prayers there and can give out alms), but to go out into the street in national clothes with national flags for a funeral procession, this does not happen . Of course, the question is not about going out into the street and shouting about something, but about the fact that a divided people does not have a national day - the one that would unite all Nogais.

I asked the Nogais why there is no such day, and whether they want it to appear.

"What for? Judge for yourself. Unity occurs, for example, at conferences, at round tables, when some international festivals take place. Why do we need to go outside? There are so many peoples, and if everyone sticks out themselves like that, it won’t lead to good,” says Rosa, a history teacher from Astrakhan.

“In Astrakhan they don’t pay much attention to this, but they know that this date exists and can read prayers. It’s not customary for the Nogais to wash dirty linen in public,” says Linara.

“On October 1st, young people look at something on the Internet, discuss it, but I myself do nothing,” says singer Magorbi Seitov from Karachay-Cherkessia.

It may seem that Nogais generally avoid mass events, but this is not so. For example, on May 9, Nogais go out into the streets and celebrate the holiday together with the whole country. There is also no need to talk about fear of the authorities - in the Caucasian republics, no one bothers the Circassians to organize funeral processions. Although people still have some concerns. “It turns out nationalistically: a great commander - and suddenly he did such things,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

Some Nogais did not think about the importance of the national day. Others believe that it is needed, but there are no initiatives among the Nogais aimed at its implementation.

“For the Circassians, this developed within the framework of a movement, but we don’t have a movement,” says Eldar Idrisov, leader of the Astrakhan Nogai Birlik society.

“The day of mourning will not be a unifying factor for the Nogais, because we do not have such a unifying force - the Circassians have three republics and the top officials of the republics participate in congresses,” says writer Murat Avezov.

You can hide behind the fact that Nogais do not like to remember bad things; or fear that someone may not like the people’s right to historical memory; or talk about the inappropriateness of street events. But the whole point is the lack of a unifying force - the initiative of ordinary people and the will of political leaders.

The introduction of a national day was discussed in the 90s - then there was a whole galaxy of cult personalities led by Srazhdin Batyrov, an artist and choreographer who revived Nogai dances and created the national ensemble “Ailanai”, which became one of the mouthpieces of the Nogai revival. Narbike Mutallapova, former head of the cultural department of the Nogai region of Dagestan, says: “Srazhdin wanted to declare October 1 a day of Nogai mourning, but did not have time. But no more attempts were made: some died, others fell ill, and others went into power. Now young people are organizing events, but I don’t see any fire to burn for the people. The next generation must give birth to such people, because we are getting old and many have already left. I really hope that a change will come.”

For Circassians, the memory of tragic events is not limited to funeral processions. The Circassian society calls those events genocide and seeks its recognition at the international level - this is how the Georgian parliament in 2011 recognized the Caucasian War as an act of genocide of the Circassians.

According to ethnologist Akhmet Yarlykapov, the Nogais have no desire to recognize the genocide. Akhmet himself does not really agree with the term “genocide” in relation to those events, he thought about what it would be better to call it, and said: “Recognize it with anything.” Also, according to him, it is important not only to acknowledge the fact, but also to truthfully describe the events. This is also the problem: the Nogai world is too small, it simply does not have so many historians to study this issue. And the Nogai mentality seems to be against this - the reluctance to remember the difficult past cannot be avoided. The world is not interested in the Nogais.

Attitudes towards the Suvorov events vary depending on the region of residence of the Nogais. Thus, among the Astrakhan Nogais, who were not affected by ethnic cleansing and deportation, the attitude towards Suvorov is relatively neutral. Some did not accuse him of anything, because it was a “sovereign decision”, and he was a “bonded man” and simply “followed orders.” Accordingly, “history” and “some circumstances” were to blame. In Astrakhan, I did not hear the term “genocide” from anyone, and I had the feeling that the local Nogais chose to forget the past of their people. The historian Victorin generally stated that the Nogais themselves were to blame for everything: they first accepted Russian citizenship, and then refused to move beyond the Urals; instead they attacked Suvorov, and then got it from him. Nothing new: Russians, of course, are noble, and their enemies, of course, are treacherous. But the Russian historian Victorin is one thing, and the Nogais themselves are another matter.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, on the contrary, I was surprised that people so easily use the term “genocide” - as if it were something generally accepted. This was done by administration workers, rural residents, a waitress in a cafe, and creative people. Thus, designer Asiyat Eslemesova, at the very beginning of the meeting, spoke about “unrecognized genocide,” and the grandmother, with whom we spent the night, reproached Suvorov: “And if they order you to shoot your own mother, will they do the same?”

“Genocide, I think, because the war was conducted incorrectly. This is no longer a war, this is the destruction of the population,” says Magomed Naimanov.

The newspaper “Nogai Davysy” in Cherkessk said that no one prohibits holding mass events, but they must be held if the genocide is recognized, and Russia does not recognize the genocide of the Nogais. Other peoples of the republic are holding mass events, because the Circassian genocide is recognized at the regional level (the republics of Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia), and the Karachay (deportation of 1943) is recognized at the country level.

The Dagestani Nogais are more likely to be in solidarity with the Kuban, although the Suvorov events did not affect them either. But, firstly, in Dagestan there are many descendants of the Kuban Nogais who fled there during the Caucasian War. Secondly, Dagestan is the center of modern Nogai culture and social life, and it simply cannot distance itself from Nogai history.

When asked what unites the Nogais besides language, the answer was often “history.” Therefore, modern Nogais often look to the Nogai Horde and their great rulers Edige and Nogai as symbols of pride and identity. They are like Lincoln for Americans or Garibaldi for Italians. True, the Nogai khans were around too long ago. What relation they have to modern history and culture is a big question. At the same time, more recent history, albeit tragic, is in no way aimed at consolidating Nogai society.

Despite the fact that the Nogai tragedy is associated with the Russian Empire, the Nogais do not hold a grudge against the Russians. Perhaps this is a rare coincidence, but I have not met a single person who felt even irritation towards the Russians, not to mention hatred. Many were sincerely surprised by my question about negative feelings towards Russians and did not understand why they should exist.

“We have no hatred for Russia. We have the same attitude towards what is happening in the country as the Tambov man,” says Isa Kapaev.

The Soviet era did not affect the attitude of the Nogais towards Russians, although then the Nogais suffered quite a bit (as did other peoples). The Nogais were not spared Stalin's repressions, when the Nogai intelligentsia was expelled and the flower of the nation was destroyed. Then, in 1957, the division of the Nogai steppe took place, as a result of which the people were torn into three parts - Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya. As a result, the Nogais not only did not receive their own republic or autonomy, unlike most other peoples of the country, but found themselves a minority everywhere.

“In the entire history of Soviet power in Karachay-Cherkessia, only one historian, Ramazan Kereytov, received reservations for graduate school; all the rest were applicants. After the Soviet Union collapsed, if you want, go to graduate school, if you want, go to doctoral studies, if you want, write 15 papers,” recalls Aminat Kurmanseitova.

“In Soviet times, the Nogais were treated with disdain due to the fact that people came from villages and knew Russian very poorly. Now everyone is fine with the Russian language. Aggression in society was common in the 90s, but now it is less common. There have been many interethnic marriages, spanning several generations, so everyone is accustomed to eating kainara and Easter with Easter cakes,” says Linara from Astrakhan.

The events of recent years also do not lead to embitterment of the Nogais, despite the growing Islamophobia in the country and the frequent attitude towards Asians as second-class citizens. Nogais note Russian chauvinism in Moscow or the Cossack regions of the country, but treat it with restraint, like old people treating troubled teenagers.

“At school, when some kind of conflict starts, Russian children call Nogai children korsaks - this is an offensive nickname for the Kazakhs. But on the part of the Nogai children there is some kind of confusion, and they do not say any nicknames of an offensive nature towards the Russians - it simply does not exist. Apparently, this comes from colonial times, and great-power chauvinism is still in the blood. Plus, now the TV amplifies everything,” Amir from the Astrakhan region shares his observations.

Some Nogais noted the positive contribution of modern Russia to the development of the Nogai world. “Today’s Russia is not to blame for what was done to the Nogais. Today's Russia has allowed us to get acquainted with all archival and museum materials - everything turned out to be accessible. Before this, people lived in darkness for many years. Some people trumpeted about it, some even laid down their heads. And to this day there is a war, if not with Russia, then with its rulers. Personally, I have no resentment towards Russians, there is bitterness, but there is no resentment – ​​how many years ago was that,” says Narbike.

“Those who remained in Russia retained the language, territory, and the name “Nogais.” Those who went to Turkey are written as Turks. In Kazakhstan, Nogais are not called Nogais, there they are Kazakhs. Only in Russia we have survived precisely as Nogais, and this must also be recognized,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

Over the past two hundred years, the life of the Nogais has become closely connected with the life of Russians. And we are not just talking about mixed marriages, economic interaction and neighborly living. “Despite the fact that the Nogai statehood was broken precisely by Russia and the Nogais suffered a lot of evil from it, we remained patriots at all times. We are in fact patriots, because before us so many generations of Nogais fought in Russian wars. Why were Nogais attracted to Lithuania or Poland? Because we were the support of the throne, we constantly served the authorities. This is our way of life,” continues Ismail.

“The Russians and I fought at weddings, but we also acted together and defended our interests. I was a Soviet man, they didn’t call me Nogai, they called me Russian. Where are you going? I don’t have another homeland, they don’t choose it, whether she’s a mother or a stepmother. There are simply more beloved and less beloved children,” says Murat Avezov.

History has firmly tied the Nogais to Russia, so much so that they began to feel like an integral part of it. Once upon a time, the Nogais were forced to accept Russian citizenship. Today they cannot imagine themselves outside of Russian identity. That's why they don't go to Turkey or Kazakhstan. Therefore, they remain patriots of Russia, no matter how foreign it may be to them. And in this, Edige’s descendants are surprisingly united. Are we observing that the Nogai world has ceased to separate “us” from “strangers” and has entered a dying state? Or is this a way of survival for a small people, when the remaining forces are aimed at creation, and wasting time on the negative is an unaffordable luxury? Only time knows the truth.

Nogai writer Murat Avezov

In Karachay-Cherkessia, in the village of Erken-Khalk, there is the “Museum of History and Culture of the Nogai People”. This is an old two-story building with four sections, each of which is dedicated to a specific period in the history of the Nogais, from the Middle Ages to Soviet times. The head of the museum, Svetlana Ramazanova, gave us a personal tour and shared interesting thoughts and her experiences about the Nogai people.

“I don’t sleep well because my tongue is missing. After all, if there is no language, then there will be no culture, and if there is no culture, then the people will disappear. Any nation disappears - this is inevitable, and nothing can be done about it: the big swallows the small.

Why are the Nogais dying out? A few reasons:
1) Interethnic marriages;
2) Nogais speak Russian (especially in the North) or Papa’s language, although they continue to consider themselves Nogais;
3) This is a natural process of development of society, it is inevitable;
4) What kind of development can there be when you are small and stewing in your own juice.”

I agree with two of Svetlana’s theses, and I will try to refute two. Although even these refutations are unlikely to change the general conclusion.

Svetlana Ramazanova in the museum

Refutation No. 1.
The danger of interethnic marriages applies to a greater extent to Astrakhan, the North and large cities, in general, to places where Nogais do not live compactly. Due to the more secular and urbanized lifestyle, marriages between Russians and Nogais are more common there. Children in these marriages usually choose their own religion, unless of course there was a clear agreement between the parents, and the choice more often falls on Christianity - the religion of the majority. The Nogai language is also forgotten faster in a big city than in the Caucasus. As a result, children in such families find themselves under greater influence of Russian culture and lose touch with the Nogai world.

If children from Russian-Nogai marriages grow up in a Nogai village, then everything is not so simple. “Our people live together, there are no conflicts, even on a personal basis, because everyone got married. I have two students in my class, a boy and a girl, their fathers are Russian and their mothers are Nogais. The girl considers herself Russian, but at Nogai holidays she reads poetry in Nogai better than anyone else, and her pronunciation is very good. But the boy doesn’t show himself in any way at these holidays; he’s probably more Russian. And so, the mentality is normal, like everyone else,” says Gulnisa, a teacher in the village of Dzhanai, Astrakhan region.

In the Caucasus everything is different. Aminat Kurmanseitova says: “After all, this is the East, in the East nationality is determined by the father. Nationality based on the mother can only exist if the mother divorced her husband and lived with her child. In this case, she can not only change her nationality, but also change her last name. In the East, even a non-Muslim's ancestry goes through the paternal line. Therefore, 99% of the population born from a Circassian is recorded as a Circassian, from a Karachai - as a Karachai, from a Nogai - as a Nogai, from a Russian - as a Russian. If a Nogai woman marries a Russian, she has a Russian child; if she marries a Circassian, she has a Circassian child. Conversations about the mother giving her last name and rewriting it as her nationality are not considered at all. This is not even discussed, and the surname is always the father’s.”

This rule is observed among all eastern peoples, with rare exceptions. Therefore, in the same Astrakhan region, if the father is Nogai and the mother is Kazakh, then the child will be Nogai, and vice versa. The loss of national identity in such marriages is not terrible, unlike marriages with Russians.

“The Circassians say that we are beautiful because we mixed with them. There is some truth in this: the Nogais have Circassian clans, and the Circassians have Nogais. My great-grandmothers are Karachays, and this is not bad, it improves the blood. The Chechens and Karachais had a surge: they accepted everyone into their ranks and greatly renewed their blood in the 19th century. Among the Karachais, 70-80% of the population are newcomers: Abazas, Georgians, Nogais, Circassians. Therefore, they have strong potential, many cultural figures, educators, and writers. But we don’t mix en masse: 10-15% of families are acceptable, even necessary, which is why we have good development. There is nothing wrong with this, mixing is the path to the best. The blood always needs to be renewed, otherwise degradation will occur,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

Interethnic marriages in themselves do not threaten the Nogais, but they become a problem for the diaspora. It turns out that to get rid of the problem, you just need to stop mass migration. Stop! Migration! Hmm... is Svetlana so wrong in her thesis?

Agreement No. 1.
The disappearance of small languages ​​is truly an inevitability that unites all Nogais of the country. It’s just that this process goes faster in cities, slower in villages, but in the end everyone will come to a common denominator. It’s like with the Internet: yesterday it was only in the city, but today it is everywhere. Much has been said about the reasons for the disappearance of the language. The measures taken to preserve it will be described in a separate story. The philosophical question I asked the Nogais was: “If the language disappears, what will happen to the people: will it survive or will it also disappear?”

People's opinions were divided, and they were divided approximately equally.

“Colombians are one people. They are Spanish-speaking, but if you look inside ethnically, most of them are local Indians, some are descendants of the Spaniards. There are also many Arabs - the traders in the ports were Arabs. And so they all together became the Colombian people. This is clearly expressed in Marquez; he showed a new community, a new state. This situation will probably happen to us too. Although, because of religion, it will be more difficult to become a united people,” says writer Isa Kapaev.

Magomed Naimanov has a different opinion: “The Nogai people as a people will survive. In statistics. But he will not know his language. Without language, a people can easily be a people. For example, Belarus, where 95% do not know the Belarusian language, nevertheless, the Belarusian people exist.” Moreover, Belarus is not alone in this: the Irish also did not become English, although they all speak English.

At first glance, convincing evidence of resistance to assimilation is that children who do not know Nogai still consider themselves Nogai. But it's not that simple. “If a person does not know his language, does not speak his native language, then he is already an inferior Nogai, it is difficult to call him a 100% Nogai,” Ismail Cherkesov is convinced.

I think Ismail hit the nail on the head. What makes the Nogais more Nogais: their self-name or the opportunity to read Edige’s epic in their native language?

“We don’t speak our native language well, but when you read poems in Nogai, listen to old songs, hear wishes - you just feel melancholy! But we don't live by it. There is a lot of information coming out, but my family is somewhere deep inside. Children have even less of this - that’s why nations are leaving,” notes Svetlana Ramazanova.

Refutation No. 2.

Many Nogais take a philosophical look at the loss of language and assimilation that is happening before their eyes, because they are confident in the inevitability of the disappearance of the ethnic group. Their confidence is based on the theory of ethnogenesis and passionarity of Lev Gumilyov - during the expedition I heard this surname so many times that I got the impression that it had become a mantra for the Nogais. According to Gumilyov, each ethnic group goes through a life cycle from birth to death, and the Nogais today are precisely at the stage of dying. You can write a lot about the fact that this theory, despite its simplicity and seemingly logical nature, has not found support either among domestic or foreign scientists, causes a lot of controversy and is far-fetched at many points, but this is how a person works, that he must -to believe. Svetlana Ramazanova did not say anything new about Gumilyov, she was simply another (5 or 6 in a row) interlocutor in a short period of time, talking about the inevitability of the disappearance of the Nogais.

I allow myself to disagree with both Gumilyov and the Nogais. After all, the “natural process of social development” is equally suitable both for explaining any patterns and for justifying mistakes and inaction. There are peoples older than the Nogais who are currently experiencing a stage of development. For example, the Mongols, who in 1990 got rid of ideology and set a course for building democratic institutions of society and developing modern Buddhist culture. Of course, one can argue that Mongolia is a separate state, and the Nogais are part of a large country, but this only confirms the role of the historical path and the unity of the people in the development of society and refutes the abstract stage of the dying of the ethnic group.

One of the keys to preserving culture is the presence of autonomy, which contributes to the consolidation of society. This does not guarantee the development of the ethnic group (the same Finno-Ugric peoples of Russia, who have their own republics, are rapidly assimilating and choosing Russian identity), but it gives a chance for development. Whether people will use it or not is another question. There are still signs of life in Nogai society: in addition to their own culture, which is manifested even among young people (all these dances, weddings, tamgas) and historical memory, among the Nogais there are many enterprising people who are trying to do something for the people. But only in conditions of autonomy can an initiative bear major fruit, otherwise it will not be heard or will be crushed.

Consent No. 2.

The Nogais find themselves small and scattered, and their society is heavily influenced by four more powerful cultures, each of which weakens the Nogai world.

Russian. The Nogais consider themselves part of Russia, live in a Russian-speaking environment and are strongly influenced by Russian culture. Despite the gradual loss of their native language, the Nogais do not believe that they are in danger of assimilation in Russia; on the contrary, barriers to it are Nogai appearance and religion, and the majority of Nogais live in conditions of a certain cultural autonomy. The threat from the Russian world is more pronounced in the Stavropol Territory and in the North - there the loss of the native language and the loss of culture are stronger. In addition, Russian chauvinism is growing in some regions: in the Stavropol region, for example, the Nogais are considered a diaspora, not an indigenous people, and are perceived unfriendly, which is, in principle, typical for the Cossack regions of the country in relation to the Muslim population (Nogais, Circassians, Meskhetian Turks).

“When they say that the Nogais will become Russian, I have a hard time believing it. One day I went to Orenburg to the archives. What turns of phrase are there: “dear sir” and so on! How beautifully everything is written - I’m telling you, I was brought up in Russian culture and for myself I don’t consider this a grief. I read it and it’s a balm for the soul. My wife scolds me and says that I am turning into a scoop. I have several identities: local – Karagash-Nogai, Astrakhan Nogai; the other is from Astrakhan; the next identity is Nogai, a representative of the Nogai people; and the next one is Russian, there is this identity, I don’t throw it away,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov.

Kazakh. The long-awaited independence from the Russian and Soviet empires led to the national rise of the Kazakhs and the development of their culture, but an independent cultural policy inevitably gives rise to disputes with neighboring peoples. The confrontation with the Nogais occurred due to the proximity of languages, similar culture, the overwhelming numerical superiority of the Kazakhs and the fact that the Nogai Horde was almost entirely located on the territory of modern Kazakhstan. Therefore, who should be considered the nomadic poets of the 15-16 centuries - Nogais or Kazakhs? (the poets themselves in their works addressed the Nogais, and not the Kazakhs, but history knows examples when peoples changed their self-name). Are the Nogais a separate people or a subethnic group of Kazakhs? (most Nogais consider themselves to be a separate, albeit related, people - after all, there is a difference in language and in wedding and funeral rites). For the Kazakhs, victory in these disputes means receiving the Nogai inheritance. For the Nogais - that they are an equal people, albeit small in number. It is important to note that disputes take place exclusively on the Internet, so for some it is almost a matter of life, for others it is an abstract, inflated thing that has no relation to reality.

“There is no disdain on the part of the Kazakhs towards the Nogais, although there are disputes on the Internet. I adore Kazakhstan, we are too close, but I would not want to become part of the Kazakh nation. In 1992, we came to Kazakhstan for a symposium, and the singer Kumratova performed epic works in which the Nogais were mentioned. There were many scientists and various figures there, and they say about Kumratova: “She’s ours, she’s Kazakh.” Then they ask who we are. We answer that we are Nogais, and they say: “You are also Kazakhs, we are one tree.” I tell them: “Yes, but don’t forget that we are the roots, and you are the branches and leaves,” recalls Narbike.

“Many young Nogais sing Kazakh songs. When something familiar changes to something related but foreign, I don’t like it,” says Murat Avezov.

“Some say that bringing Kazakh songs to Nogai weddings is wrong, but then give Nogai songs. Because Kazakh songs are suitable in terms of mentality and melody. We have few good composers, so we have to remake Kazakh and Kyrgyz songs. On the one hand, there are no songs because there are no performers. On the other hand, the performers do not appear because there is no broadcast system, no rotation, and this comes down to the fact that there is no autonomy,” says Ismail Cherkesov.

The problem is that the Nogai world is too small to reproduce its own culture, while Kazakhstan offers modern songs and films, literature and science, lullabies and national clothing. If a Nogai does not want to become completely Russified, but tries to preserve elements of the steppe mentality and nomadic culture, then he is simply forced to look towards Kazakhstan.

Tatar. The influence of the Tatars on the Nogais is felt only in the Astrakhan region, where the transitional Tatar-Nogai group (Yurts) lives and where the Nogais were previously recorded as Tatars. The Tatars are the second ethnic group in Russia after the Russians and, like the Kazakhs, are experiencing a national and cultural rise. Tatar organizations are numerous and have money to organize educational and cultural events. Therefore, it is not surprising that, seeing a powerful Tatar movement and a weak Nogai movement, many choose the Tatar identity.

“Our old people sing Tatar songs. My uncle calls himself a Tatar, knowing that he is not a Tatar. I love the Tatar language, it is my second language after Nogai. I can sing something in Tatar, my grandmother is Tatar. But by self-determination I am a Nogai. The Tatars and Kazakhs are most dangerous for us precisely because of their excessive rapprochement. If the feeling of “friend or foe” is lost, then we will disappear,” says historian Ramil Ishmukhambetov (pictured).

North Caucasian (mountain). Historically, the nomadic Nogai world and the mountain world belonged to different cultures, although they overlapped. This was especially typical for the Western Caucasus: the Crimean Khanate and Circassia depended on each other. Therefore, the Circassian coat and papakha are elements of clothing for both the Nogais and many mountain peoples. Therefore, in both cultures there was a practice of atalychestvo (when mountain children grew up in Nogai families, and vice versa) and kunakstvo (such close friendship between people that they actually became relatives). But after the Suvorov events and the mass expulsion, the Nogais survived only in a few villages adjacent to the mountain peoples, so the Nogai culture was partially subordinated to the mountain culture and began to develop along with it. Living alongside the highlanders gradually erased cultural differences, but at the same time contributed to resistance to Soviet culture: as a result, the Kuban Nogais retained horses and dog fighting, like other peoples of Karachay-Cherkessia. However, identity, Nogai tea, women's national costume - all this is not a thing of the past; and the Nogai language has not gone away, despite its proximity to the larger and very similar Karachay language. Therefore, at present, the Kuban Nogais are both Nogais and highlanders, no matter how strange it may sound.

Another thing is the Nogai steppe. She lived authentically for a long time and preserved her nomadic culture until the advent of Soviet power. The communists first led the Nogais to a sedentary lifestyle, and then divided the steppe, giving its two parts to Chechnya and Dagestan - so the local Nogais gradually came under the influence of mountain culture. Therefore, Sufism spread among them. Therefore, some people make the Dagestan accent “le”. That’s why all Nogais dance Lezginka.

At the same time, many Dagestani Nogais emphasize that they are not mountaineers. At a meeting of a youth organization in Terekli-Mekteb, the following phrase was heard: “We imitate the mountaineers a little, but we are not the mountaineers.” And this was what Murat Avezov said: “Look at me, what a Dagestani I am. They just took me and sent me to Dagestan - forcibly the groom, forcibly the bride.”

Regarding the Lezginka, opinions are divided: some have a bad attitude towards it and even believe that it needs to be fought, while others consider it as part of modern Nogai culture. “Some people say that this is not our dance and should not be danced. Well, then replace it with other dances, traditional Nogai ones. Now we have Lezginka as a given. In many ways, this is even a Nogai dance, because some elements are purely Nogai. But the mountaineers dance it with jumping, raising their hands - this is not ours,” says Murza, a member of the Revival youth organization.

“I lived in Moscow for 12 years, I had all sorts of friends: Russians, Armenians, Georgians. But for some reason there were no Dagestanis. Here’s a paradox: it’s not because I have a bad attitude towards them, it’s just that our mentality is different. And we get along with the Russians very easily, right away.”

Also, the Dagestan Nogais were influenced by Caucasian Sufism - a mixture of Islam and mountain customs. Sufism became especially popular in Dagestan, Chechnya and Ingushetia, so “East Caucasian Islam” differs from “ordinary” Islam characteristic of the Volga region and Western Caucasus. Historically, the Nogais abandoned Sufism back in the 18th century, but in modern Dagestan Sufism has become so widespread that if you are against Sufism, then you are almost a Wahhabi. As a result, some “ordinary” Nogai imams were forced to leave the republic, Sufi imams appeared in Nogai mosques, and Sufism began to gain popularity among the Dagestani Nogais. This led to contradictions between Nogai believers. In general, Sufis are more conservative, and this is striking: in Astrakhan, Nogai women dress in a European style, in Karachay-Cherkessia they wear headscarves (and not all of them), in Dagestan a woman without a headscarf is rare, moreover, many leave Only the face and hands are exposed.

Is it necessary to counteract more powerful cultures or is it already useless? Everyone decides for themselves. Some Nogais say that the main thing is to be a Muslim, and nationality does not matter. This choice is reasonable in conditions of close interaction between the Caucasian peoples. Others believe that Kazakhs and Nogais are one people. In the context of globalization, this is also a good formula for conservation. Still others leave for large cities and marry Russians, which means a separation from the Nogai world, if not for those who left, then certainly for their children. But this is also an inevitability of modern society. However, there is a fourth option - Narbike voiced it best:

“Today, give me the opportunity to choose another nation, even the greatest, I would not be able to. For me, the Nogais are my great people. I always tell aspiring singers: forget the past, live in the present, make your own history. And you praise Edige, the words in the songs are pathetic. The Nogai was speechless, scattered, living in the dark, under pressure. But if we survived then, we cannot disappear now. Although this struggle should be every day. Everyone must remember the components of a people: language, history, culture. If this disappears, then the people will disappear.”

The fragmentation of the Nogais led to the fact that in Soviet times there was minimal communication between regions, and communication with the foreign diaspora did not occur at all. For example, many in Astrakhan did not even know that the Nogais lived somewhere else. In the late 80s, it became possible to create national organizations and free movement around the country - and Nogais from different regions began to gradually interact with each other.

First of all, cultural events and all-Nogai congresses began to be held on a variety of topics: thus, it turned out to be possible not only for the appearance of the Nogai ensemble “Ailanay” in Dagestan, but also for its tours to other regions of the country. Then educational and sporting events were added to them. Despite the limited access to administrative resources, the interaction of the Nogais turned out to be possible thanks to the “initiative from below.” And although all these conferences and congresses meant little to the common man, the Nogai intelligentsia began to represent the interests of the entire people, and not its individual parts.

“When Nogais from other regions came to us for the first time, they went to the cultural center and were amazed that Nogais still live somewhere in Russia and speak their language. They showed a performance, performed dances, told proverbs and sayings. As I remember now, they begin to tell the proverb, and our audience continues - it was so pleasant,” Gulnisa, a teacher from the Astrakhan region, shares her memories.

“But all this is on a voluntary basis. That is, our guys come together, cooperate, and collect money. Often they send us on a shift, hire some kind of car and we go out,” says Aminat Kurmanseitova.

However, regional boundaries were erased for ordinary people as well. There were several reasons. The first, oddly enough, was the difficult economic situation and the subsequent migration to the North: the communities that emerged included all Nogais, regardless of regional affiliation. Likewise, Astrakhan became a place of learning for Nogai youth from all over the country.

The second reason is the Chechen war, because of which 10 thousand Nogais left their native villages. “Many “Chechens” left for Astrakhan, found work, and are engaged in business. Nogais living among other nationalities are more resilient. We are a mononation here, infantile, calm, only the youth have been doing something lately. In Chechnya, life itself taught the Nogais to survive. Entire families moved here because the village there was bombed - there was a tip that militants were hiding there,” says Narbike from Dagestan.

And the third reason is the Internet, which not only strengthened communication, but united the Nogais. His role is especially important for this people, because in Russia there is no TV channel in the Nogai language and a general Nogai newspaper (although there are still two regional ones). Proof of the power of the Internet was the increased number of marriages between Nogais from different regions of the country, which previously happened extremely rarely.

For a long time, the connection between Russian Nogais and the foreign diaspora was completely lost. The Nogais who found themselves in Turkey, due to the similarity of languages ​​and the policies of the authorities, gradually adopted a Turkish identity, and now they can be spoken of more as Turks of Nogai origin. However, from 100 to 300 thousand people in Turkey and another 100 thousand in Europe still consider themselves Nogais. Now they come to Russia for cultural events, “international” marriages have appeared, and even football took place between Nogais from different countries. Once a Nogai came from Austria - he began to look for his family and ended up in the Astrakhan region. There was also such a case: a “Turkish” family found direct relatives in Dagestan, despite a 150-year gap in communication.

“Our goal is to awaken the population in Crimea, the yurt Nogais. And our task is to conduct educational work in Turkey so that they register as Nogais,” says Kerim from Cherkessk.

However, interstate interaction is complicated by the fact that there is no organization that would unite Nogais from all over the world and represent them in the international arena, such as the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people or the International Circassian Association.

Despite the international level, the Nogai movement often rests on human enthusiasm alone, and therefore suffers from a lack of money. “Now, if you register a public organization, you need a specific postal address, premises, a lease agreement, and video materials must be provided monthly. But we do not have the opportunity for this. We have nowhere to hide, so we seem to be in an unofficial position,” says Magomed Naimanov from Cherkessk.

“There is no center in Astrakhan where you can buy a national costume. Therefore, like some kind of interethnic competition at school, everyone goes around looking for costumes, they don’t know where or from whom to find them,” says Linara. “If any holidays pass, we fold. There is no specific fee, everything is as possible - this is how we hold concerts and all events.”

Recently, young people have begun to show greater initiative. “There is a revival, people are interested in books, music, poetry, this did not exist before. A month ago, KVN was held here for the first time in history, then it was held in Karachaevsk. If not for this, I would be depressed,” says Murza from Terekli-Mekteb. In addition to cultural events, youth organizations contributed to the emergence of mobile applications for learning the Nogai language, and translated some cartoons into Nogai, for example, “The Lion King.”

The Dagestan youth organization “Vozrozhdenie” is developing sports among the Nogais, trying to transfer dombra from traditional culture to modern culture, held a KVN, and wants to launch its own newspaper. It is not known whether everything will work out for them, but the very fact that many young people in the village do not sit still is surprising. There is no alcohol or discos in this environment; instead - sports, sushi bar, Sony PlayStation. “I kick, you kick – we help each other.” By the way, children aged about 16, whom we managed to talk to in a local cafe, also said that alcohol is no longer fashionable (although they drank energy drinks instead). Of course, this way of life is not typical for all Nogais, but this is increasingly becoming the rule rather than the exception.

: 22 006 (2010)

• Neftekumsky district: 12,267 (trans. 2002)
• Mineralovodsky district 2,929 (per. 2002)
• Stepnovsky district 1,567 (trans. 2002)
• Neftekumsk: 648 (trans. 2002)

Ukraine: 385 (2001 census)

Nogais(self-name - kick, plural - nogaylar listen)) are a Turkic-speaking people in the North Caucasus and the Volga region. They speak Nogai, which belongs to the Kipchak group (Kypchak-Nogai subgroup) of Turkic languages. The literary language was created on the basis of the Karanogai dialect and the Nogai dialect. The writing is related to the ancient Turkic, Uighur-Naiman scripts; from the 18th century Until 1928, the Nogai alphabet was based on Arabic script, from 1928-1938. - in Latin script. Since 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet has been used.

The number in the Russian Federation is 103.7 thousand people. ().

Political history

In the middle of the 16th century, Gazi (son of Urak, great-grandson of Musa) took part of the Nogais who wandered in the Volga region to the North Caucasus, where there were traditional old nomadic Mangyts, founding Small Nogai.

The Nogai Horde between the Volga and Emba fell into decline as a result of the expansion of the Moscow state in the Volga region and wars with neighbors, of which the most destructive was the war with the Kalmyks. The descendants of the Nogais who did not move to Malye Nogai disappeared among the Bashkirs, Kazakhs and Tatars.

Anthropology

Anthropologically, the Nogais belong to the South Siberian small race, transitional between the large Mongoloid and Caucasoid races

Settlement

Currently, the Nogais live mainly in the North Caucasus and Southern Russia - in Dagestan (Nogaisky, Tarumovsky, Kizlyarsky and Babayurtsky districts), in the Stavropol Territory (Neftekumsky district), Karachay-Cherkessia (Nogaisky district), Chechnya (northern Shelkovsky district) and Astrakhan region. From the name of the people comes the name Nogai Steppe - an area of ​​compact settlement of Nogais on the territory of Dagestan, the Stavropol Territory and the Chechen Republic.

Over the past decades, large Nogai diasporas have formed in other regions of Russia - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug.

Language

In the cultural heritage of the Nogais, the main place is occupied by musical and poetic art. There is a rich heroic epic (including the poem “Edige”)

Religion

Nogai girls in national costumes. Beginning of the 20th century.

Cloth

Housing

Story

The Nogais are one of the few peoples of modern Russia that have centuries-old traditions of statehood in the past. Tribes from state associations of the Great Steppe of the 7th century took part in the long process of Nogai ethnogenesis. BC e. - XIII century n. e. (Sakas, Sarmatians, Huns, Usuns, Kanglys, Keneges, Ases, Kipchaks, Uighurs, Argyns, Kytai, Naimans, Kereits, Kungrats, Mangyts, etc.).

The final formation of the Nogai community with the supra-tribal name Nogai (Nogaily) occurred in the 14th century as part of the Ulus of Jochi (Golden Horde). In the subsequent period, the Nogais ended up in different states formed after the collapse of the Golden Horde - Astrakhan, Kazan, Kazakh, Crimean, Siberian Khanates and the Nogai Horde.

Nogai ambassadors first arrived in Moscow in 1489. For the Nogai embassy, ​​the Nogai courtyard was allocated beyond the Moscow River not far from the Kremlin in a meadow opposite the Simonov Monastery. A place was also allocated in Kazan for the Nogai embassy, ​​called the “Mangyt place”. The Nogai Horde received tribute from the Kazan Tatars, Bashkirs, and some Siberian tribes, and played a political and trade-intermediary role in the affairs of neighboring states. In the 1st half of the 16th century. The Nogai Horde could field more than 300 thousand warriors. The military organization allowed the Nogai Horde to successfully defend its borders, help the warriors and neighboring khanates, and the Russian state. In turn, the Nogai Horde received military and economic assistance from Moscow. In 1549, an embassy from the Turkish Sultan Suleiman arrived in the Nogai Horde. The main caravan road connecting Eastern Europe with Central Asia passed through its capital, the city of Saraichik. In the first half of the 16th century. Moscow moved towards further rapprochement with the Nogai Horde. Trade exchange has increased. The Nogais supplied horses, sheep, livestock products, and in return received cloth, ready-made clothing, fabrics, iron, lead, copper, tin, walrus ivory, and writing paper. The Nogais, fulfilling the agreement, carried out cordon service in the south of Russia. In the Livonian War, on the side of the Russian troops, Nogai cavalry regiments under the command of the Murzas - Takhtar, Temir, Bukhat, Bebezyak, Urazly and others acted. Looking ahead, we recall that in the Patriotic War of 1812, in the army of General Platov there was a Nogai cavalry regiment that reached Paris, about what A. Pavlov wrote.

Crimean period XVII-XVIII centuries.

After the fall of the Golden Horde, the Nogais wandered in the lower Volga region, but the movement of Kalmyks from the east in the 17th century led to the migration of the Nogais to the North Caucasian borders of the Crimean Khanate).

As part of Russia since the 18th century.

The Nogais scattered in scattered groups throughout the Trans-Kuban region near Anapa and throughout the North Caucasus up to the Caspian steppes and the lower reaches of the Volga. About 700 thousand Nogais went to the Ottoman Empire.

By 1812, the entire Northern Black Sea region finally became part of Russia. The remnants of the Nogai hordes were settled in the north of the Tauride province (modern Kherson region) and in the Kuban, and were forcibly transferred to a sedentary lifestyle.

Nogaevists

Notes

1. Official website of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census. Information materials on the final results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census
2. All-Russian Population Census 2010. National composition of the population of the Russian Federation 2010
3. All-Russian population census 2010. National composition of Russian regions
4. Ethnic composition of the population of Dagestan. 2002
5. Ethnic composition of the population of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic. 2002
6. Ethnic composition of the population of Chechnya. 2002
7. All-Ukrainian Population Census 2001. Russian version. Results. Nationality and native language.
8. Minahan James One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. - Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000. - P. 493–494. - ISBN 978-0313309847
9. Peoples of the world. Historical and ethnographic reference book. Ch. ed. Yu.V. Bromley. Moscow "Soviet Encyclopedia" 1988. Article "Nogais", author N.G. Volkova, p. 335.
10. KavkazWeb: 94% of respondents are in favor of creating the Nogai district in Karachay-Cherkessia - referendum results
11. Nogai district was officially created in Karachay-Cherkessia
12. Nogai district was created in Karachay-Cherkessia
13. The Nogai district was created in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic
14. Esperanto news: Conference on the future of the Nogai people
15. Traditional clothing and uniform of Terek, Kuban Cossacks
16. Nogais
17. Nogais
18. Russian military and diplomats on the status of Crimea during the reign of Shagin-Girey
19. Vadim GEGEL. Exploring the Wild West in Ukrainian
20. V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. NOGAI

see also

Links

• IslamNGY - Blog of the group "Nogais in Islam". Islamic analysis of the history of the Nogais, the call of Nogai preachers, articles, poems, books, videos and audio about Islam and the Nogais.
• Nogaitsy.ru - Information site dedicated to the Nogais. History, Information, Forum, Chat, Video, Music, Radio, E-books, Poems, and much more related to the Nogais.

• V. B. Vinogradov. Middle Kuban. Countrymen and neighbors. Nogais
• Vladimir Gutakov. Russian path to the south (myths and reality). Part two
• K. N. Kazalieva. Interethnic relations of the Nogais in southern Russia

Literature

• Yarlykapov, Akhmet A. Islam among the steppe Nogais. M., Inst. ethnology and anthropology, 2008.
• Nogais // Peoples of Russia. Atlas of cultures and religions. - M.: Design. Information. Cartography, 2010. - 320 p. - ISBN 978-5-287-00718-8
• Peoples of Russia: pictorial album, St. Petersburg, printing house of the Public Benefit Partnership, December 3, 1877, art. 374

Currently, about 103 thousand representatives of the Nogai nationality live in Russia. This is an offshoot of the Turkic people, who historically lived in the Lower Volga region, the North Caucasus, Crimea, and the Northern Black Sea region. In total, according to rough estimates, there are about 110 thousand representatives of this people left in the world. In addition to Russia, diasporas have settled in Romania, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Turkey.

Nogai State

The initial state formation of representatives of the Nogai nationality was the Nogai Horde. This is the last of the nomadic powers formed as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde. It is believed that she had a significant influence on all modern Turkic peoples.

This state was actually formed in the 40s of the 15th century in the area between the Urals and Volga. At the beginning of the 17th century it collapsed under external pressure and due to internecine wars.

Founder of the people

Historians associate the appearance of the Nogai people with the Golden Horde temnik Nogai. This was the ruler of the westernmost ulus, who, since the 1270s, actually refused to obey the khans of Sarai. As a result, Serbia and the Second, as well as part of the northeastern and all southern Russian principalities, fell under it. It is from his name that the Nogai people take their name. They consider the Golden Horde beklarbek their founder.

The administrative center of the Nogai Horde became the city of Saraichik on the Ural River. Now this place is a historical monument, and nearby is a village of the same name in the Atyrau region of Kazakhstan.

Crimean period

Under the influence of the Kalmyks, who moved from the east, in the 17th century the Nogais migrated to the border of the Crimean Khanate. In 1728, they settled in the northern Black Sea region, recognizing the jurisdiction of the Ottoman Empire over themselves.

They also had a great influence on the events taking place in our country at that time. Domestic military officers and historians learned the name of the Nogais in 1783, when they launched a major uprising in the Kuban. This was a response to the annexation of Crimea to the Russian Empire and the forced resettlement of the Nogais to the Urals by decision of the tsarist authorities.

The Nogais tried to take Yeysk, but Russian guns turned out to be a serious obstacle for them. On October 1, the combined units of the Kuban Corps under the command of Suvorov crossed the Kuban River, attacking the rebel camp. In the decisive battle, the Russian army won a convincing victory. According to estimates from domestic archival sources, from 5 to 10 thousand Nogai warriors died as a result. Modern Nogai public organizations claim tens of thousands of dead, among whom were many women and children. Some of them claim that it was an act of genocide.

As a result of this uprising, it suffered significant losses. This affected the entire ethnic group, and after that their political independence was completely lost.

According to modern researchers, until the middle of the 19th century, about 700 thousand Nogais crossed into the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

As part of Russia

After a crushing defeat, representatives of the Nogai nationality found themselves part of the Russian Empire. At the same time, they were forced to leave their lands, as they were considered a politically unreliable contingent. As a result, they dispersed to the Trans-Kuban region, throughout the North Caucasus, right down to the lower reaches of the Volga and the Caspian steppes. This was the territory of the Nogais at that time.

Since 1793, the Nogais who settled in the North Caucasus became part of the bailiffs, small administrative-territorial units created to govern the Muslim peoples of the Caucasus. In reality, they existed only formally, since real supervision over them was carried out by the military department.

In 1805, a special provision for the management of the Nogais appeared, which was developed by the Committee of Ministers of the Russian Empire. Since the 1820s, most of the Nogai hordes became part of the Stavropol province. Shortly before this, the entire Black Sea region became part of Russia. The remnants of the Nogai hordes switched to a sedentary lifestyle, settling in the Kuban and in the north of the Tauride province.

It is noteworthy that the Nogais took part in the Patriotic War of 1812 as part of the Cossack cavalry. They reached Paris.

Crimean War

During the Crimean War 1853-1856. The Nogais who lived in the Melitopol district helped the Russian troops. After the defeat of Russia, representatives of this people were again accused of sympathy for Turkey. Their campaign to evict Russia has resumed. Some joined the Crimean Tatars, the bulk assimilated with the Turkish population. By 1862, almost all Nogais living in the Melitopol district emigrated to Turkey.

The Nogais from Kuban followed the same route after the Caucasian War.

Social stratification

Until 1917, the main occupation of the Nogais remained nomadic cattle breeding. They raised sheep, horses, cattle, and camels.

The Nogai steppe remained the main area of ​​their nomadism. This is a plain in the eastern part of the North Caucasus between the Kuma and Terek rivers. This region is located in the territories of modern Dagestan, Stavropol Territory and Chechnya.

From the 18th century, the Kuban Nogais began to lead the way and took up farming. By the second half of the 19th century, the cultivation of agricultural crops was mainly carried out by the Nogais of the Achikulak police station.

It is worth noting that the majority of agriculture was of an applied nature, mainly engaged in cattle breeding. Moreover, almost all the livestock belonged to the sultans and murzas. Making up only 4 percent of the total Nogai population, they owned 99% of camels, 70% of horses, and almost half of the cattle. As a result, many poor people were forced to go to work in nearby villages to harvest bread and grapes.

Nogais were not conscripted for military service; in return, they were subject to a special tax. Over time, they began to move away more and more from their traditional breeding of camels and sheep, switching to farming and fishing.

Modern settlement

Today, Nogais predominantly live on the territory of seven constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Most of them are in Dagestan - about forty and a half thousand. More than 22 thousand live in the Stavropol Territory, another fifteen and a half thousand in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria.

More than a thousand Nogais in Russia were also counted in Chechnya, the Astrakhan region, the Yamalo-Nenets and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

In recent decades, quite large communities have formed in Moscow and St. Petersburg, numbering up to several hundred people.

There have been many migrations in the history of the Nogais. Traditionally, many representatives of this people live today in Turkey and Romania. They mostly ended up there in the 18th and 19th centuries. Many of them at that time adopted the ethnic identity of the Turkic population that surrounded them there. But at the same time, the majority retained the memory of their Nogai origin. At the same time, it is not possible to establish the exact number of Nogais living in Turkey today. Population censuses that have been conducted since 1970 have ceased to collect information on the nationality of citizens.

In 2005, a decision was made to create a national Nogai region on the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia. By that time, a similar education already existed in Dagestan.

Language

The Nogai language belongs to the Turkic group of the Altai family. Due to their wide geographical distribution, four dialects were distinguished in it. In Chechnya and Dagestan they speak the Karanogai dialect, in the Stavropol Territory - in Kum or directly Nogai, in the Astrakhan region - in Karagash, in Karachay-Cherkessia - in Kuban or Aknogai.

According to classification and origin, Nogai is a steppe dialect, which belongs to the dialect of the Crimean Tatar language. Some experts also classify the dialects of the Alabugat and Yurt Tatars as Nogai dialects, although not everyone shares this opinion.

This people also has a Nogai language, created on the basis of the Karanogai dialect.

From the beginning of the 18th century until 1928, writing was based on Arabic script. Then for ten years it was based on the Latin alphabet. Since 1938, the Cyrillic alphabet has been officially used.

Culture

When talking about the traditional culture and traditions of the Nogais, everyone immediately remembers transhumance and nomadic livestock farming. It is noteworthy that, in addition to camels and horses, historically the Nogais were also involved in breeding geese. From them they received not only meat, but also feathers and down, which were extremely highly valued in the production of blankets, pillows, and feather beds.

The indigenous representatives of this people hunted mainly using birds of prey (falcons, golden eagles, hawks) and dogs (hounds).

Plant growing, fishing and beekeeping developed as auxiliary industries.

Religion

The traditional religion of the Nogais is Islam. They belong to one of the right-wing schools in Sunni Islam, the founder of which is considered to be the 8th century theologian Abu Hanifa and his disciples.

This branch of Islam is distinguished by a clear hierarchy when rendering verdicts. If there is a need to choose from several existing regulations, priority is given to the majority opinion or the most convincing argument.

Most modern Muslims are followers of this right wing. The Hanafi madhhab had the status of an official religion in the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal Empire.

Costume

From the photo of the Nogais you can get an idea of ​​their national costume. It is based on elements of clothing of ancient nomads. Its features evolved from the 7th century BC to the times of the Huns and Kipchaks.

Nogai ornamental art is well known. Classical patterns - the “tree of life”, They go back to the patterns first discovered in the mounds of the Sarmatian, Saka, and Golden Horde periods.

For most of their history, the Nogais remained steppe warriors, so they rarely dismounted. Their characteristics are reflected in their clothing. These were boots with high tops, wide-cut trousers in which it was comfortable to ride, and hats necessarily took into account the peculiarities of the season.

The traditional clothing of the Nogais also includes the bashlyk and beshmet (caftan with a stand-up collar), as well as sheepskin sheepskin coats and trousers.

The cut of a women's suit is similar to that of a man's suit. It is based on a shirt dress, hats made of fabric or fur, fur coats, scarves, scarves, woolen shoes, various types of jewelry and belts.

Housing

It was the custom of the Nogais to live in yurts. Their adobe houses, as a rule, consisted of several rooms located in a row.

In particular, such dwellings became widespread among their neighbors in the regions of the North Caucasus. Research has confirmed that the Nogais independently created this type of housing.

Kitchen

The Nogai food system is built on a balance of meat and dairy products. They were used in various forms of processing and cooking methods. It was supplemented by products of hunting, agriculture, gathering and fishing.

The national character of dishes originated in the depths of various empires of Eurasia, and is determined by the historically established cultural and economic structure, traditions, and way of life.

Boiled meat is common in their diet; talkan porridge was often prepared from fried millet, ground into flour. It was consumed in food along with milk. Soup was made from ground corn and wheat, and porridge was prepared from corn flour.

A significant place in the diet was occupied by all kinds of soups with different dressings - noodles, rice. Khinkali was considered the Nogai's favorite dish. It was prepared from unleavened dough, cut into the shape of small squares and diamonds, which were boiled in meat broth. When preparing this dish, preference was given to lamb.

For drinks, they had five types of tea; kumys was traditionally prepared from mares’ milk, which was famous for its healing properties. Vodka was prepared from mare's milk; another alcoholic drink was buza, which was brewed from millet flour.

A part of the population of the North Caucasus, Dagestan and Astrakhan region, speaking one of the Turkic languages, is known under the ethnic name “Nogai”. The Nogai language belongs to the Kipchak group of Turkic languages, forming, together with the Kazakh and Karakalpak languages, the Kipchak-Nogai subgroup.

The Nogai people, long before the emergence of the ethnonym “Nogai,” historically consisted of various tribes and peoples. According to the research of T.A. Trofimova, “the population of the steppe zone before the invasion of the Tatars consisted of various Turkic tribes - Oguz, Pecheneg and Polovtsian, known from eastern sources as Kipchaks, and from Western sources - Cumans.” According to A.I. Sikaliev, the Nogais included representatives of the Ugric and Pecheneg tribes, as well as the Khazars, Bulgars, and Kipchaks. At the same time, the process of formation of the Nogais, like many other peoples, took place through migration, settlement, and also the conquest of some ethnic groups by others.

Judging by the ethnonyms, the ethnic basis of the people was made up of ancient Turkic tribes that lived in the vast expanses of the Irtysh region, Northwestern Mongolia, Dasht-i-Kipchak, Central Asia, and the North Caucasus. This is confirmed by the generic and tribal names used by the Nogais to this day. Among the many clans and tribes around which others consolidated, the most common were the Uyghurs, Uysuns, Naimans, Kereyts, Kipchaks, Durmens, Katagans, Kungurats, Mangyts, Keneges, Kanglys, Ases, Bulgars and others, whose history goes back to ancient times.

One of the most ancient are the Uysuns, dating back to the ancient Caucasoid Usuns, who in the 5th-4th centuries BC were part of a confederation of proto-Hunnic tribes. As a separate clan with its own sign - tamga, they were preserved among the Nogais and many Nogais bear the surname Usunov.

The component that took part in the ethnogenesis of the Nogais is the ancient Kangli tribe, identified with the Kanguy tribe. The Kanglys spoke a Turkic language. Their possessions covered a vast territory in Central Asia, centered on the lower and middle Syr Darya or Khorezm. Subsequently, the Kanglys, like the Usuns, were conquered by the Huns and, together with them, reached the eastern borders of Europe, and then took part in the formation of various peoples, including the Nogais, among whom they are still known as “Kanglys”.

The Kipchaks played a particularly important role in ethnogenesis. All the other tribes that were part of the Nogais consolidated around them. There is reason to believe that the Kipchaks were “the organizing political basis of the new community,” in this case the Nogais, who have the surname Kupchakov. In the 8th – 9th centuries, the Kipchaks moved from the Irtysh to the west and occupied a vast territory, which became known as Desht-i-Kipchak.

The Mongol invasion influenced the settlement of the Kipchaks in the southern Russian steppes and the North Caucasus. Many tribes migrated from previously occupied territories, and “the steppes from the Urals to the Danube served for the migrations of the remnants of the Cumans and the Turkic tribes that preceded them, uniting with part of the Kipchaks under the general name of Nogais. The Naimans occupied a prominent place among the Nogais. According to Rashid ad Din, they had their own state in the upper reaches of the Irtysh next to the Kereyts and Kyrgyz. From the 6th to the 11th centuries, the Naimans, together with the Uighurs, formed the state of the Toguz-Oguz. The strengthening of the Mongols and their attacks on neighboring states did not escape the Naimans. As a result of many years of wars, their state weakened, and in 1218 it was finally defeated by the united forces of the Mongols. After this, the Naiman ethnic groups, involved in the orbit of the Mongol conquests, settled in different areas of the vast territory of the Golden Horde and took part in the formation of many nations.

Already in the pre-Mongol era, the Kereits numbered many tribes and created their own state, which also occupied part of modern Mongolia. At the time of his rise, Genghis Khan found an ally in the person of Kereit Vanhan. But subsequently he attacked the Kereit state and subjugated it to himself. The formation and collapse of the Golden Horde contributed to the migration of the Kereits, who became part of the Nogais.

A significant role in the ethnogenesis of the Nogais was played by the ancient Kongirats, who split into several clans. They lived in the area of ​​modern Ulaanbaatar, became part of the Golden Horde, during the period of its collapse they participated in the formation of the Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Karakalpaks, Nogais, and left behind many place names

The Nogais included representatives of the population of the ancient Bulgar state - the Ases and Bulgars. The descendants of the Ases are divided into “shimmishli - as”, “dort - ullu - as”, “kara - as”, “akb - as”, “kult - as”, have ancestral tamgas and, unlike many exogamous surnames, are endogamous.

As we see, a variety of tribes took part in the formation of the Nogais. Some of them are known before our era, many had states. At different times they were part of the Hunnic League, Turkic Khaganates, and Bulgar-Khazar associations.

Large migrations of various tribes caused political events associated with the formation and collapse of the Golden Horde. On the ruins of the Golden Horde, along with the Uzbek, Astrakhan, Kazan, Siberian, and Crimean khanates, the Nogai Horde arose, which included various tribes and clans that became its basis. Among these groups, in terms of numbers and influence, the Kipchaks probably occupied first place.

The Kipchaks, as part of the Turkic-speaking tribes, came under the rule of the Golden Horde khans already in the 13th century, as G.A. writes. Fedorov-Tarasov: “The process of mixing the nomads of Desht-i-Kipchak and the formation of new nomadic formations, which began in the 13th century, was completed in the 15th century. And, indeed, in the 15th century there are no Polovtsians - Kipchaks in the old sense. “Tatars” roam in the large horde, in the Astrakhan steppes the population is also called “Tatars”, in the eastern part of the Golden Horde there are Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Mangyts - Nogais.”

In the VIII – IX centuries. Between the Volga and Yaik lived the Pechenegs. In the 9th century. Torques began to crowd them. At the end of the 9th century, the Khazar Khaganate collapsed under the blows of the Pecheneg tribal union. However, the Pechenegs did not hold out for long in the steppe regions of southern Russia. Under the onslaught of the Slavs, Torci and Cumans, the Pechenegs migrated to the lower reaches of the Danube. In the 12th – 13th centuries, the remnants of the Pechenegs merged with the Cumans, and then with the Mongol-Tatars.

The first detailed information about the Polovtsians - Kipchaks of the North Caucasus was reported by Z.V. Anchabadze, having studied the Georgian chronicles of that time. As a result of analyzing these chronicles, he came to the conclusion that in the second half of the 11th century, the Kipchaks already lived in the North Caucasus, and this changed its previous ethnic map. “Central Ciscaucasia,” notes Z.V. Anchabadze, was not the only place of settlement of the Kipchaks in the North Caucasus in the 11th – 12th centuries. A certain part of them also lived in Primorsky Dagestan. The author of the Georgian anonymous history of the 12th century, who described in detail the reign of his contemporary David the Builder (1089 - 1125), calls this part of the Kipchaks “Derbent Kipchaks”. Subsequently, through the Daryal Passage, part of the Polovtsians from the Central Ciscaucasia moved to Georgia. At the end of the first quarter of the 12th century. In the military service of the Georgian king there were 40 thousand Kipchak warriors, and 5 thousand selected soldiers made up the personal guard of David the Builder. The resettlement of Kipchaks to Georgia continued in the 13th century.

The sources allow us to get some idea of ​​the socio-economic structure of the Kipchaks of the southern Russian steppes and the North Caucasus at that time. Society was clearly divided into rich and poor. According to S.A. Pletneva, “the tribal system was dying out, in its depths, covered by ancient customs, feudalism was born.”

The first to unite the Kipchak lands into one state was Khan Konchak. However, already under Yuri Konchakovich, this state again returned to an amorphous state, which facilitated its conquest by the Tatar-Mongols.

About the external appearance of the Kipchaks, Z.V. Anchabadze writes: “There are no direct indications on this matter in the Georgian chronicles, but some indirect data allow us to assume that the Kipchaks (or a certain part of them) were distinguished by Caucasian rather than Mongoloid features. The fact is that not a single Georgian author, including the historian David the Builder, who describes the Kipchaks in detail based on personal acquaintance with them, says anything about their Mongolism.”

As mentioned above, under Konchak’s son Yuri, the Polovtsian state collapsed. Scattered ephemeral nomadic alliances of the Cumans could not resist the Tatar-Mongol invasion in the 13th century. “The Mongols,” writes researcher G.A. Fedorov-Davydov, “turned out to be stronger than the Polovtsians with their discipline, unity of power, and the absence of discord among the nomadic aristocracy at the time of the conquest.”

The Tatar-Mongol invasion of the Caucasus and Rus' redrawn the previous ethnic map. In 1220–1223, the army of Jebey and Subedei invaded Georgia and then ended up in the North Caucasus and Dagestan. The Russian chronicle reports: “And we have heard that many lands of captivity, jases, obezes, kasogs and godless Polovtsians, are a multitude of destruction, and others have been driven away and thus killed by the wrath of God and His most pure mother.” The first Mongol invasion of the North Caucasus ended with the defeat of the Alans and Cumans, but the Mongols did not assert their dominance over the region. The further conquest of the North Caucasus occurred simultaneously with the conquest of the southern Russian lands.

The Mongol invasion of the North Caucasus led to the complete conquest of the Polovtsian lands. Only a small part of the Polovtsy with Khan Kotyan managed to escape to Hungary. The Hungarian Kipchaks disappeared without a trace in the country only during the time of Turkish rule (1541 - 1699).

During the period of Mongol rule in the steppes, large associations of Polovtsy disappeared. Starting from the second half of the 13th century, the Russian chronicle does not mention a single name of the Polovtsian khan. At the very beginning of the struggle of the Polovtsians against the Mongols in Desht-i-Kipchak, mixing of tribal associations began. The winners went so far as to begin calling the Polovtsians “Tatars.” By this name, the Mongols meant not only the Kipchak-Polovtsians, but also the Bulgars, Madjars, Burtases and other large ethnic divisions who spoke Turkic languages.

The Caucasian Cumans acted as a link between the population of the Golden Horde and the North Caucasus. This connection did not stop even after the collapse of the Golden Horde. The Polovtsian traditions were later continued by the Nogais, who began to form as an independent people already in the depths of the Mongolian state during the period of Nogai’s activity. Under him, his ulus lands also included the fertile regions of the Black Sea region and the Cis-Caucasian steppes. In all likelihood, from that time on, the ethnonym “Nogai” began to spread among the Polovtsians who roamed the North Caucasus.

The Nogai Horde was formed, as we have already noted, on the ruins of the Golden Horde simultaneously with the Tatar khanates - Kazan, Astrakhan, Crimean and Siberian. The center of the Horde became the city of Saraichik (Saraijuk), located in the lower reaches of the Yaik River.

Until the 14th century, the term “Nogai” was unknown. The term “Nogai” and “Nogai Horde” as a collective name for the entire Turkic-Mongolian population of the Mangyt yurt appeared, apparently, only in the 20s of the 14th century. In Western European literature, this term appeared in 1517 in the “Treatise on Two Sarmatias” by Matvey Mekhovsky, and in Eastern literature - in the Turkish historian Janiabi (died in 1590), who called Edigei “the head of the generation of Nogais.” The Nogais themselves in their charters usually called themselves Mangits, and their state “Mangit Yurt”. The name “Nogai” was obviously given to them by other peoples, or perhaps by those close to Khan Tokhtamysh, who gave this nickname to Edigei himself. Later, the name “Nogai” was assigned to its ulus people.

The “Mangyt yurt” of Edigei, which separated from the Golden Horde in 1391, was already one of the significant patriarchal-feudal associations. Edigei's successor (died in 1420) in the Mangit yurt was his son Gaziy, who was declared biy according to his father's will. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Mangit ulus was located between the Emba and Yaik rivers, and then under Nuraddin (1426 - 1440s) its possessions expanded significantly due to the territory adjacent to the Volga.

The Nogai horde finally took shape as an independent state in the 40s of the 16th century. At this time, it occupied a relatively large territory from the Volga to the Irtysh and from the shores of the Caspian and Aral seas to the forest zone in the north. The Horde was divided into a number of uluses, headed by the Murzas, often only nominally subordinate to the prince.

In the 16th century, the Nogai Horde bordered in the northwest with the Kazan Khanate along the Samara, Kenili and Kenilchik rivers. Sometimes the borders of her possessions reached the city of Kazan. In the Kazan Khanate there were “Mangit places”, from which the Nogai feudal lords received “Mangit income”. Prince Ismail reported in 1556 that they “got from Kazan an annual one hundred batman honey and nine fur coats,” that he “had a hundred rubles of money from Kazan residents.” The Nogai's possessions also reached the Kama. The Bashkirs and Ostyaks who lived near the Ufa River also paid tribute to the Nogai feudal lords.

In the northeast, the Nogai Horde bordered on the Siberian Khanate, wandering “near Tyumen, against Ivak.”

In the second half of the 16th century, the Nogais roamed the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, the shores of the Aral Sea, the Karakum, Barsunkum and the northeastern shores of the Caspian Sea. “The power of the Nogai rulers extended to some Turkhmen uluses.” Prince Tin-Akhmet wrote to Ivan IV in 1564 that “the Turkmen speak the ulus, and they are my people.” Later he reported: “The Turkmen ulus is from my father and from my great-grandfather, my ulus.”

The western border of the Nogai Horde until its collapse remained on the Volga from the mouth of the Samara River to Astrakhan. The Nogai Horde differed from other Tatar khanates not so much in the size of its territory as in the number of ulus people: 300–350 thousand people and could field about 200 thousand military people.

In the 30s of the 17th century, Kalmyks appeared in the Volga region, who had previously roamed Siberia on Tobol and Ishim. The appearance of the Kalmyks in the midst of the Polish-Swedish intervention, the powerlessness of the Nogai ruler to resist the Kalmyks forced the Greater Nogais to migrate to the other side of the Volga in 1606, where they fell under the influence of the Crimean Khan and from a “friend” of the Moscow state turned into its “enemy”, which was the beginning of that great tragedy, the last act of which was the loss of the Nogais’ right to further existence as a state.

Already in 1608, a new direction of the Kalmyk offensive was outlined - to the southwest into the areas of the Nogai nomads. Having initially limited themselves to the Emba River basin, in 1613 the Kalmyks crossed the Yaik River for the first time and headed to the Volga. The need to advance in the direction of Emba - Yaik - Volga was dictated for the Kalmyks by the fact that by that time they had been greatly displaced by the Mongol khan Altan Khan. He forced the Kalmyks to pay heavy tribute not only to themselves, but also to their ally, the Chinese emperor. In 1630, Urlyuk-taisha fought with the Nogais and Russian archers “subject to the sovereign” two days’ journey from Astrakhan. In 1633, the son of Urlyuk Daichin, Taisha, came with a large army to Astrakhan and fought with the Russian troops.

The Kalmyks were attracted by the free wanderings beyond the Volga; moreover, they no longer found enough military booty on the left bank they had devastated, for many Nogai tribes, fleeing the Kalmyk raids, went to the right bank. The Kalmyk taishi behaved extremely aggressively towards the Nogais. Sources indicate that the Kalmyk taishas extended their rule to all “uluses of the Great Horde that they encountered along this path, namely, the generation ... China, Kipchak” Mangit, Yedisan. Then the independence of the Nogai Horde “disappeared and the existence of the supreme princes ceased to exist, and the aimaks were left under the control of their murzas. Of the Nogai aimaks, some remained for some time under the rule of the Kalmyk rulers, others found refuge in Dagestan with the Kumyk (rulers); others found refuge in Kabarda; fourth - Budzhak, otherwise called Belgorod and Akkerman, subjected themselves to the domination of the Crimean khans and wandered in Bessarabia; others constituted the Bujak and Yedisan hordes controlled by one of the Girey sultans.” But when the Kalmyks began to “extend their nomads from the right bank of the Volga to the Kuban,” the Nogais’ stay in this country became impossible and they “sought refuge in the mountainous places on the left side of the Kuban.”

Under pressure from the Kalmyk feudal lords in the winter of 1671, 15,000 Dzhetysan tents, led by their Murzas, left for Astrakhan. However, already on April 12 of the same year, Yamgurchey “with the mountain Chechens and Crimeans came to Astrakhan and attacked those Dzhetysan Tatars,” and then “they took them and took them with them to the mountains and under the Crimean power to Kuban (transferred), and captured several and Astrakhan Yurt Tatars".

The Kalmyks did not leave the Nogais alone, who roamed “near Kabarda near the Terek River.” In 1672, having gathered a large Kalmyk army, Ayuk Khan attacked the Lesser Nagais and forced them to return to Russian citizenship and imposed a tribute of “kumach from each family per year.” At the end of the 17th century, many Nogai tribes of the Great Horde, not wanting to obey the Kalmyk taisha, left the Volga for the Kuban. In 1696, “Big Nogai, under the leadership of the main Murzas, Dzhakshat Murza and Agash Murza, left the Volga for the Kuban, taking with them some of the Dzhetysans and Dzhemoiluks...”.

The political events of the 17th century led to the fact that a significant part of the Nogais were forced to leave the ancestral territory of their nomads - the steppes of the Volga region and Ciscaucasia - and move to the mountains.

Constantly under the threat of the Crimean Khans on the one hand, and the onslaught of the Kalmyk feudal lords, on the other, the Nogais constantly wandered from the Volga to the Kuban, from the Kuban to the Dnieper and Bessarabia and back. It's hard to follow all these movements. In the first half of the 18th century, the Dzhetysans and Dzhemboylukovites migrated from the Volga to the Kuban and back several times. In 1715, the Kuban Bakta Girey Sultan with his army came to the Volga near Astrakhan and “took all the Dzhetysans and Dzhemboyluks to his place in Kuban.” Literally two years later, in 1717, the Dzhetysan and Dzhemboylukovo Nogais were again brought to the Volga.

In 1723, during civil strife among the Kalmyks, the Nogais left the Volga and moved to the Kuban, from where in 1728 the Dzhetysan Nogais were transferred “through the Crimea to Perekop, so that the Kalmyks would not take them in or they themselves would not go to them.”

In 1738, another 700 Nogai tents left Kalmyk tutelage for Kuban, but they were forced to return to their original places. As a result of all the migrations, the North Caucasian Nogais at the end of the 18th century were divided into three large groups: the Caspian (the so-called Karanogais), who roamed mainly in the Kizlyar steppes, the Beshtaugors, who, according to S. Bronevsky, “partly roam, partly live in houses near the Beshtov mountains along the rivers Tansyk, Dzhegate, Barsukly, along the Small and Bolshoi Yankulakg, Kalauza and Karamyk” and the Kuban ones, who roamed from Kabarda to the Kerch Strait.

In addition, about 2,000 Nogai tents lived on the Kumyk plane, who were “subject to the Aksayev princes,” and at least 5,000 tents were “living among the Circassians.” If we include the Nogais wandering in Molochny Vody and Bessarabia, then the total number of Nogais will be more than 30,000 tents.

The Crimean khans have long sought to expand their possessions in the direction of the North Caucasus. They managed to subjugate the Nogais, who wandered between the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kuban.

A special position in the Crimean Khanate was occupied by the Nogais, who roamed north of Perekop over a vast territory from the Danube to the Kuban. Being nomadic pastoralists and inhabiting border areas, the Nogais changed their citizenship many times until they finally became part of the Crimean Khanate.

As already noted, at the beginning of the 18th century, such political formations as the Yedisan Horde, the Budzhak Horde, the Dzhemboylukov Horde and the Kuban Horde, which were under the rule of the Crimean Khan, continued to exist. Each of these hordes retained independent governance and, in turn, was divided into small aul communities.

The territory of the Nogai hordes can be determined purely tentatively by the relative length of time that the bulk of the population subject to one or another seraskir or murza lived there, based on the direction and place of nomadism by season. In the middle of the 18th century, the Nogais occupied the following territory: the Budzhak Nogais were located in the “Budzhak steppe” between the Danube and Dniester rivers, the Black Sea and Moldova; Yedisan Nogais - from the Dniester River to the Dnieper, along the Bug and the borders of Poland; Dzhemboylukovtsy - on the flat part of the land between the Dnieper and Don rivers and the borders of Russia to Azov; Kuban Nogais - between the Sea of ​​Azov and the rivers Kuban, Eyu and the Bosporus Strait.

After the conquest of Crimea by Russia and the settlement of the Cossacks along the Don and the Black Sea coast, the Small Nogais were forced to migrate west from the Don and occupy the Cis-Caucasian steppes.

Thus, as a result of the mixing of different tribes and peoples and migrations, two groups of Nogais are formed: the Karanogais, living today in the territory of Dagestan and Chechnya, and the Aknogais (Kuban Nogais), settled in the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia and the Stavropol Territory.

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