Orstkhoy

Fragment of the map of the Caucasian region in 1842 showing the societies like the Orstkhoy as a part of the Ingush

Fargievs (Orstkhoy) in the family lists of the village of Sagopshi in 1862. Signed as Ghalghaï (Галгаевцы).

The first descriptions of the Orstkhoys by European authors in the second half of the 18th century identified them predominantly with the Ingush. The first author was J. A. Güldenstädt, who mentions the majority of Orstkhoy villages among other Ingush proper and opposes all of them together to the Chechens.[8] Ten years later, L. L. Shteder, making notes about Karabulaks, gives an almost textbook description of the unique details of typical Ingush vestments, cited by travelers and authors of the late 18th-19th centuries, often replicated on the images of that era and no longer characteristic of any other of the peoples Caucasus.[lower-alpha 4][9] The German scientist Professor Johann Gottlieb Georgi, in his fundamental encyclopedic Description of all the peoples living in the Russian state wrote about Karabulaks stating that, "Before anything they were called Yugush (Ingush), but they call themselves Arshtas",[10] while another German scientist, P. S. Pallas, also states that the Karabulaks specifically come from the Ingush (Ghalghaï).[11]

The German geographer and statistician Georg Hassel, in his geographical description of the Russian Empire and Dshagatai mentioned Orstkhoy as an Ingush tribe and also some of Orstkhoy ancestral villages as Ingush when enlisting the territorial division of the Ingush.[12] Subsequently, S.M. Bronevsky confirmed the identity of the Orstkhoy with the Ingush.[13] Just like Güldenstädt, S. M. Bronevsky also mentioned many Orstkhoy ancestral villages as Ingush in 1823.[14] General Staff I.I. Nordenstamm in his "Brief Military statistical description" compiled from information collected during the expedition in 1832 stated that "the Kara-Bulakh language is similar to the Galash dialect, and the latter is similar to the Galgai and Kist dialects."[15] Platon Zubov[16] and Nikolay Danilevsky[17] stated that the Kists, Ingush and Karabulaks all speak the same language. Nikolay Danilevsky also noted that the Chechen dialect differed from the root language.[17]

In 1842, Nazranians and part of Karabulaks made an appeal to the Russian administration where they called themselves "Ingush people".[18]

In the Russian Empire, on the basis of scientific, statistical and ethnographic data, the Orstkhoy were officially classified as Ingush alongside Galashians, Nazranians and other Ingush societies.[lower-alpha 5] In "Overview of the political state of the Caucasus" in 1840[19] as well as in the "Military Statistical Review of the Russian Empire" in 1851, the Orstkhoy are indicated as Ingush.[20] The Orstkhoy were perceived as Ingush by Imperial Russia, as well as in the Imamate of Imam Shamil.[lower-alpha 6]

I. Ivanov, in his article "Chechnya" published in the Moskvityanin magazine, wrote that Chechnya borders on the west with the Ingush tribes Tsori, Galgai, Galash and Karabulak.[22] The Czech-German biologist and botanist Friedrich Kolenati in his work about the Caucasians, wrote about the Orstkhoy as an Ingush tribe alongside Galashians, Kists and others.[23] Adolf Berge in his work "Chechnya and Chechens" gave the following nomenclature of the Ingush: Nazranians, Karabulaks, Galashians, Dzherakh, Kists[lower-alpha 7] Galgai, Tsorins and Akkins.[24][25][26][27] V. A. Volkonsky stated that the Ingush people consist of societies to which he added Orstkhoy and one of the subgroups of Orstkhoy – Merzhoy.[28] A. Rzhevusky in his work "Tertsy" wrote about Karabulaks and Galashians as the restless and militant Ingush societies.[29] According to V. Chudinov, the Karabulaks, Galashians and Alkhons are Ingush who belong to the Arshtkhoy tribe.[30] According to Vasily Potto, Nazranians and Orstkhoy are Ingush societies who once formed one rather a significant and powerful tribe.[31] Russian Count and Minister of War Dmitry Milyutin wrote in his memorials that the Orstkhoy are Ingush who made up part of the Ingush population of the Vladikavkazsky okrug.[32]

Later in the 20th-21th centuries, the Orstkhoy as one of the Ingush societies were indicated by I. Pantyukhov,[33] G. K. Martirosian,[34] E. I. Krupnov[35][36] and O. S. Pavlova.[37]

In Soviet times, Orstkhoy were also officially included in the Ingush, as reflected on their passports.[lower-alpha 8] In Great Soviet Encyclopedia, Orstkhoy are indicated as Ingush.[38] In the scientific community in the second half of the 20th to the early 21st century, the ethnicity of the Orstkhoy is defined as one of the Ingush societies.[lower-alpha 9] The Soviet historian and ethnographer E.I Krupnov in 1971 wrote in his book "Medieval Ingushetia" that the remaining Karabulaks (Orstkhoy) who don't consider themselves Chechens live in Ingushetia in villages such as Arshty, Dattykh, Bamut, Sagopshi.[36]

In the censuses conducted before the Deportation, the vast majority of population of the tribal villages Sagopshi, Dattykh, Alkun, Sarali Opiev, Bamut, Gandalbos was Ingush.[lower-alpha 10]

The first descriptions of the Orstkhoys by European authors in the second half of the 18th century also identified them with the Chechens. The first author was the German cartographer and printmaker Jacob von Staehlin who in his work "Geographical menology for 1772" included the Karabulaks (Orstkhoy), Chechens, Atakhizs and also Tavlins in the territory of "Kumytskaya or Sandy land",[47] also referred by him as the "Kumytskaya or Chechen land".[48] J. A. Güldenstädt mentions that Karabulaks speak in a Chechen or Midzheg dialect of the Kistin language and that Chechens are often understood as the whole Kistin nation (in this case Nakh Peoples). In 1781, L.L. Städer, while making notes about the Karabulaks, mentions that out of their neighbors the Chechens are closest to them in language and origin.[9] Johann Gottlieb Georgi also mentions that the Karabulak language consists of Kistin and Chechen dialects."[49]

Many Russian and European authors noted during the early and late 19th century that the Orstkhoy tribe was part of the Chechen nation, among them Baron R. F. Rozen who in 1830 believed that the Chechens are divided … into societies under the name of Chechens themselves or Mechigiz, Kachkalyks, Mechikovites, Aukhites and Karabulaks (Orstkhoy) …" Nordenstam also remarked in 1834 that "Karabulaki (Orstkhoy), Aukhites and Kachkalyk people speak dialects of the Chechen language".[50] Also of note is Nikolay Danilevsky who in 1846 noted that the Karabulaks are a subgroup of the Chechen nation.[51] Ivanov connected a part of Karabulaks with the "Peaceful Chechens"[52] and Kolenati referred to the land Karabulaks inhabit on as Chechnya.[23] Russian colonels such as Baron Stahl mentioned the Orstkhoy by the Chechen self name "Nakhche" in 1852.[53] The Russian-German general A.P. Berger in 1859 also connected the Chechen self name "Nakhche" to the Orstkhoy:

“Here is the calculation of all the tribes into which it is customary to divide the Chechens. In the strict sense, however, this division has no basis. It is completely unknown to the Chechens themselves. They call themselves Nakhche, i.e. "people" and this refers to the entire people who speak the Chechen language and its dialects. The mentioned names were given to them either from auls, like Tsori, Galgay, Shatoi, etc., or from rivers and mountains, like Michikovtsy and Kachkalyks. It is very likely that sooner or later all or most of the names we have given will disappear and the Chechens will retain one common name.[54]

The military historian A. L. Zisserman, who served 25 years in the Caucasus, also mentions the Karabulaks in his book, stating "All this valley up to the right bank of the Terek River is inhabited…. Karabulaks and Chechens, etc., belonging by language and customs, with insignificant differences and shades, to one Chechen tribe (Nachkhe)."[55] In the Bulletin of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society for 1859, Karabulaki-Orstkhois are noted as Chechens.[56] 19th Century Caucasian military historian V. A. Potto also attributed the Karabulaks to the Chechen people. [57] Historian N. F. Dubrovin in 1871 in his historical work History of war and dominion of Russians in the Caucasus states the following: in addition to these societies, the Chechen tribe is divided into many generations, which are named by Russians by the names of auls, or mountains, or rivers, in the direction of which their auls were located. For example, Karabulaki (Orstkhoevtsy), on a plain irrigated by the rivers Assa, Sunzha, and Fortanga, etc.[58] Several encyclopedias of the late 19th and early 20th centuries attribute the Karabulaks (Orstkhoys) to the Chechen people[59][60][61][62]

In 1862 after the Caucasus war several Orstkhoy villages (Meredzhi, Yalkharoy, Galai and the villages surrounding them) were put into the Ingushskiy Okrug until 1866 when they were ceded to the Argunskiy Okrug due to them belonging to the same nation as the locals (Chechen) and geographically closer to the central governance of the Okrug.[63]

The Soviet historian and ethnographer E.I Krupnov in 1971 noted in his book "Medieval Ingushetia" that at present time, the Karabulaks (Orstkhoy) are classified more as Chechens than Ingush in the scientific circles, without denying their proximity to the Ingush.[36] Soviet ethnographers like the famous N.G Volkova who interviewed Vainakh people noted in 1973 that Chechen highlanders identify Orstkhoy as "Nokhchi" (self-name of Chechens) but that Chechens living on the Martan river brought them closer to Ingush people. The Ingush however identified Orstkhoy as a separate nation whose language was closer to Chechen. The Orstkhoy themselves according to Volkova identified closer to "Nokhchi" (self-name of Chechens) and saw themselves as one nation with Chechens. The Orstkhoy also said that no one considers them Ingush but that they were written down as Ingush on their passports.[64]

The inhabitants of over 20 native highland villages of Orstkhoy: Tsecha-Akhke, Meredzhi, Gerite, Muzhgan, Yalkharoy, Galai etc. were all ethnic Chechens according to 5 censuses conducted before the deportation (1874-1926). [65][66][67] [68][69]

• 1807 — "Pacification" of the Orstkhoys by Russian troops led by Major General P. G. Likhachev. Military historian V. A. Potto called this act "the last feat of Likhachev's fifteen years of service in the Caucasus".[70]
• 1822 — Ingush and Karabulaks participate in the Uprising of Chechnya together with Chechens against Russian Empire.[71]
• 1822 — Ingush and Karabulaks participate in the new Uprising of Chechnya together with Chechens against Russian Empire.[72]
• 1825 — Russian troops made a military expedition to the Orstkhoy settlements along the rivers of Assa and Fortanga.[73]
• 1827 — Another recognition of Russian citizenship by the Orstkhoys. Along with some other North Caucasian peoples, the Orstkhoys swore allegiance to Russia thanks to the actions of the commander of the troops on the Caucasian line, in the Black Sea and Astrakhan (as well as the head of the Caucasus Governorate) - General G. A. Emmanuel, who was rewarded for this accession, made not by force of arms, but smart orders, was granted the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.[74]
• 1858 — the Orstkhoys, together with the Nazranians, the Galashians and the inhabitants of the Tarskaya Valley, took part in one of the episodes of the Great Caucasian War - the Nazran uprising, which ended unsuccessfully.[73]
• 1865 — (after the end of the war) — several thousand Orstkhoys were evicted/resettled in Turkey , in particular 1366 families,[lower-alpha 11] in fact, the main part of them - in the ESBE it was even reported that the Orstkhoys/Karabulaks are a tribe that “completely moved to Turkey”.[76]