Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction.

Order ready-to-submit essays. No Plagiarism Guarantee!

Note:  All our papers are written from scratch by human writers to ensure authenticity and originality.

Teacher Instructions 

1. Answer every part of the prompt(s)/question(s) with a complete paragraph. Complete paragraphs should include a topic sentence at least four supporting sentences.
2. Write in complete, grammatically correct paragraphs and sentences.
   • DO NOT post simple lists or bullet points.
3. Support your ideas with direct references to the text analyzed using parenthetical notation. For example – “Odysseus      earned his reputation as a god after he blinded the Cyclops (Homer, 67).  Every response paragraph should include at least two (2) direct references to the text
   • I urge you to include multiple references in a single sentence when applicable. For example – “In the Odyssey, Homer       repeatedly presented Odysseus as courageous (24, 29, 156, 173, and 241).”

The following questions are essential to the successful understanding and analysis of written primary sources. Think about them before you read a source and make a note when you encounter potential answers. (Tip: Answers to these questions are often found in an introduction or the first few paragraphs of a document.)

• Who wrote the document, when and where?
• What type of document is it?
• Who is the intended audience(s)?
• What are the main points of this document?
• Why was the document written?
• What does the document tell reveal about the society and period in question?

Including responses to two or more of these questions is an excellent way to introduce the sources you will be analyzing. (Think about a short paragraph including points 1,2 and 5.) As you can see (below) several of the questions are integrated into this week’s assignment.

The Questions

analyze Klaproth’s Travels addressing the following points:

• What were the purposes and goals of Klaproth’s mission?
• How did Klaproth assess the state of “civilization”, or lack thereof, among the peoples of the Caucasus? Consider:
  • The positive and negative qualities Klaproth assigned to the peoples of the Caucasus.
  • Klaproth’s assessment of the position of women among the peoples of the Caucasus.
  • The place of religion in Caucasian societies
  • Any other points you think address the question
• What recommendations did Klaproth make in terms of Russian relations with the peoples of the Caucasus?
• What did you find to be the most significant aspects of Klaproth’s report?

NOTICE WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT

RESTRICTIONS

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17. United States Code) governs the II,laking ofphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific “fair use” conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses. a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Electronic reserves are for non-commerciaVeducational uses and are limited to faculty. staff. and students at OW-Green Bay.

~l

J \.I l- -~~ d -S. \.,.’ .., , ~~- ‘_, ,c\’, ~- (_ , .

~ ~~!~;; ~ .~ i~i -, ” ” .:~; ,,~: ~ :”‘:~ :;~;\~:#~<

‘P~ll) JA’V:!,~E~L ~~.~ \ ••~~*…,y…&”\-M> .Ji..cl. …. 411 ~…” …. ~ “- ” .,. JiI’ … .,._IiJ1;..,-”

IN

THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA,

PERFORMED IN THE YEARS 1807 AND 1808~

BY COMMAND OF

THE RUSSIAN G017ERN~IENT,

BY

JULIUS VON KLAPROTH, ‘ ­

A1;jLIC COUNSELt0!j;~;TO HIS MAJESll,Y THE EMPEltoR OF R USSIAj}

~BER OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF ST; PETERSBURGH, ETC.

TR~NSL.ATED FROM THE GERM4.N

BY

F. SHOBERL.

·l

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR HENRY COLBURN,

BlrlSH Al”fD FOREIGN PUBLIC LIBRARY, CONDUIT STREET, HANOVER SQUA~E,

“ltD S01J) :BY G. GOLDIE, EDINBURGHj AN:/) J. CVl’rI1’4Jlf<t, DlJ:13LUI’.

1814.

~

..

TRAVELS IN

“‘<‘-.-­

THE CA UCASUS AND GEORGIA.

INTRODUCTION.

/ Al\’IONG the most remarkable but least known regions of the ancient world is t1}e Caucasus,which with its long, snow-clad ridges separating Asia from Europe; forms, as it were, the partition between those two quarters of the globe, and whose first iluiges -occupy the isthmus between the ,Caspian and the. Black Sea. History ,affords very few examples of the pass~ge of this chain by wandering nations,who attempted to penetrate on this side into Upper Asia. In our times it was reserved fOl-,the Russian arms, during the glorious reign of the great. Catherine, to open a way (lver the snowy mountains into Georgia through the Caucasian gate, DarjeJ, so celebrated in antiquity, which since Timur’s invasion of the Caucasus had not been trodden by any military force.

At first it was only auxiliaries that Russia sent to King Irak’li (Heraclius) ~ assist him against the Turks and Lesgi, by whom he was hard pressed. He how­ -ever soon perceived the impossibility of opposing his enemies as an independent prince for any length of time~ and therefore submitted in 1783 to the crown of Russia. His imbecile son Georgi succeeded him in the government, !Uld on his

,death in. 1800 several Georgian princes assembled and sent depu~es to St. Peters­ -burg, to implor.e the emperor to make their country a Russian province, ,and thus to secure it from all the hostile attacks of its neighbours. Their wish was immedi:­

,ately ~omplied with, and Georgia ceased from that time to be goveme<,l by n~tive “overclgns.

1l

I

~ TRAVEl.S IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA.

In consequence of this submission, it was resolved at St. Petersburg to reduce ~

by degrees the whole of the Caucasus, and to extend the boundaries of the empire ,I to the river Arass (Araxes). The first step was the occupation of Daghestan and Imereti, by which the yet unsubdued mountaineers became completely surrounded by the Russian territory, and will thus probably soon be compelled to acknowledge themselves vassals of the political Colossus of the north.

No sooner was there any hope of effer;ting the augmentations which are actually taking place, than the court of St. Petersburg began to think of procuring accurate information relative to the Caucasus. It was not with the physical properties only of these mountains that it was desirous of becoming acquainted, but also with the manners of their inhabitants and their mutual relations. ‘Vith this view it was that in 1767 the great empress issued commands that the whole empire should be visited by wembers of the Academy of Sciences, as well ttl describe the topography of its provinces as to examine their productions and inhabitants. In this important en­ terprise the Caucasus and Georgia fell to the share of Professor ‘*’ Giildenstadt ; and a fitter person could not have been chosen, for he surpassed in erudition and zeal all his colleagues sent outon similar expeditions. For three years he resided among these celebrated mountains, or in their vicinity; but a premature death un­ fortunately prevented him from publishing his observations himself. Much that

_~asdeficientin his manuscripts, -and in particular all the observations which he had made on the manners. and cUstoms of the Caucasians during his long residence among them, he intended tb supply from memory. His papers were committed to an,ecFtor whoneither knew any thing of the countries which Giildenstadt had visited, rior entered upon the task with sufficient spirit to adopt as his own the work of -another, or to be anxious to set it off’ to the best advantage. Hence it is that the part of Glildenstiidt’s travels which relates to the Caucasus, thought’indeed syste­ maiicand excellent in its plan, is not sufficiently digested, and tbat the names are

.disfigured by an incredible multitude of errors of the press, which are the more unpardonable as Giildenstiidt wrote a very legible hand, and was particularly solici­ tous to give foreign words with accuracy,

After him Reineggs, the adventurer, visited the Caucasus in company with~he Hungarian Count Kohary, who supported him, and whose heir he became in Titlis: put his extremely superficial description of these mountains, in which half of his

,;­.~

• In the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg there were formerlyProfeS5ors; but ~ince it received a different form, that title hilS very properly been disused.

statements are is in some degrc and are capable

Several travel a view to the na few historical 01 medium of the of the Caucasm accompany in ti sel;vice to the se tries, for the pu: arid; he had form that he pitched ­ theLthell Preside ! ‘

fo the’. Academy Bbdy/which like

, t’tl1~Count hi iog tHe attention !”!’, ~ T-;; ,~.__ _ ‘.. ”

&;’ h~wever,on Vlin’t3ehrbel;g, 1

, Ukeifihat he she Ke:·was :’likewise \”hith Iw~s to a

As I was nott it in ~Titing, the

…. … . .. . at I ts expense ‘111 At ~he n:commer w:ho had: some kJ

MydlspositiOl been obliged tOE was previously n tbis interval I hal delivered to me; here introduce in

II I ”

;/’

;tGIA.

:tersburg to reduce .aries of the empire of Daghestan fu’ld

l1pletely surrounded :lled to acknowledge

lS which are actually ~ procuring accurate sica! properties only ed, but also with the . this view it was that pire should be visited the topography of its In this important en­ ‘essor’* Giildenstadt ; sed in erudition and hree years he resided a premature death un­ himself. Much that

~rvations which he had ng his long residence ,eI’S were committed to iildenstadt had visited, as his own the work of

Hence it· is that the , though,li indeed syste­ nd that the names are :ss, which are the more 1was particularly solici­

us in company with !:be leir he became in Tiflis: s, in which half of his

~e formerly Professors; b~t

J1ed.

INTRODUCT ION. V <!’

statements are either erroneous or false, was oam’bled bv• an ignDrant editor, and is in some degree useful only to such as are intimately acquainted with the Caucasus, and are capable of detecting its misrepresentations.

Several travellers have since that time visited the Caucasus and its vicinity with a view to the natural history of those regions; but we have been favoured with very few historical observations on its inhabitants, or none at all, at least through the medium of the press.· The worthy. Count John Potocki, who resided at the foot of the Caucasus during the winter of 1797-1798, and whom I had the honour tQ accompany in the Russian embassy to China, conceived that he .should render a service to the sciences in causing a new expedition to be undertaken to these conn..;­ tries, for the purpose of elucidating their topography, history, and language alone :5 and he had formed so favourable an opinion of my abilities for such an enterprise,: that he pitched upon me for the execution of the plan. This he communicated to: the then President of the Imperial Ac~demy of Sciences, who himself submitted it. to the Academy: it was adopted, as might naturally have been expected, b:y that body, which likewise approved the Count’s choice of me to travel in the Caucasus.

The Count himself had promised to draw up instructions for the purpose of direct­ ing the attention of the traveller to the most important points tha.,t wer~ to be decided ~. as, however, one of the most learned members of the academical committee, Mr. Von Lehrberg, had more particularly directed· his studies to the Caucasus, it was likely that he should be·st know what subjects yet remained to be explored there; and he was likewise commissioned, as well as Mr. Von Krug, to propose questions which I was to answer during my journey. .

As I was not sufficiently conversant in the Russian language to express myselfin it in ‘\-Titing, the Academy gave me permission to select one of the students educated at its expense in the Gymnasium of St. Petersburg, to accompany me as interpreter. At the recommendation of the director of that institution I chose Feodor BobrinzowJ

·,,,.110 had some knowledge of French and German. . My dispositions for the journey would soon have been completed, had I not·

been obliged to await the return of His Imperial Majesty, to whose approbation it was previously necessary to submit the plan of the whole undertaking. During this interval I had time to prepare myselffor it, and thoroughly study the Instructions deliverecl to me; which, as they constitute the ground-work of these Travels, I shall here introduce in the language of their authors.’ .

nO..

4 TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA.

INS T Rue T ION S.

1.

SUBJECTS OF INVESTIGATION PROPOSBD BY HIS EXCBLLBNCY

COUNT POTOCKI *.

IT is with great pleasure that I undertake the task of contributing to draw up in­ structions for our traveller. I must however request the indulgence of the Academy: my present occupations would not allow me to produce a finished work, and these lubjects are so familiar to me that I hope to be able to write on them without pre­ paration.

The personal knowledge, which I have of Mr. de Klaproth is of great advantage to me in pointing out to him what should be the drift of his observations. He is a man of letters; his mind is accustomed to reflection; we have therefore a right to expect fr9m him’such results as would not be required of a traveller who had studied on~y one single branch of human knowledge, for instance botany or mineralogy. . What is particularly expected of Mr. de Klaproth is this, to make us acquainted

with the country. Whatever can furnish useful information ought to engage his at­ tention. Thus, each principality of the Caucasus should occupy a place in his pages. The inhabitants of those regions have one general character, but its different shades ought not to escape him. Some are susceptible of c~vilization, and others not. Some are capable of being governed by Russia, and others not. , I shall soon proceed to the scientific views, which I designedly postpone because

objects of utility should .always have the preference. It is exp,ected that the Caucasus shall be better known after Mr. ~e Klaproth’s

journey than it was before. Such is its aim. As to the m~ans, they must be left to the sagacity of the traveller. The principal persons in each district, for example~ should be mentioned in his narrative; he will see them, he will converse with them, and he ought to state the opinion which he forms of them.

Concerning officers of the Russian government we request him to say as little as possible.

As I have already observed, the object is to make the Caucasus better known.

.. ~n the original this article is in French.-T.,

~… ,-~——,-~–_._——.-.

,On this head the utmo: ney may be proposed 1 he will.approach them. in consequence of the l\

,. who fUrnishes correct n,

. state. Inow proceed t i . .J suppose that thE

non to Mozdok; and .Biberstein, who’ has Sl Georgia: the examinat of credit due to each· instance, found in the ( ~ame period at which H cidation of such a tradit

“& monument. : ‘,2. ,In like manner M extant relative to the AI ‘theJ\Ierinadalis, on tf \~tiinony ofStrabo, sti .~~iingtiish the ancient ‘While all these ancient 1 It’:;~ould.likewise be we dattHrom about the yea ..,;3” The pagan Tartar:

ingthe country behind’ . ‘~~ple’\re the, purest ( d~&~i\v:e:particular atten1 ‘giOrl;’andi ,th..~ir~art of di . ‘:’4&;:AL~fozdok also ~ and’sorrie of those peop

….

..

..,;¥M;~ilIl’ origin. , .They ~ ‘DQr!,·,;s~ttled:in. the cou~

‘tiJ::e;ttQ~ the .distrlct whie ,¢~ off’G.uilan, who ‘. ~litllemBelves Tali

RGIA.

~XCELLENCY

buting to draw up in­ ;ence of the Academy: shed work, and these on them without pre-

is of great advantage )bservations. He is a .ve therefore a right to weller who had studied any or mineralogy. to make us acquainted ought to engage~is at­ py a place in his pages. ” but its different shades ~ation, and otbers not.

not. ;nedly postpone because

after Mr. ~e KIaproth’s leans, they must be left .eh district, for example,­ will converse with them,

est him to say as little as

Caucasus better known.

-T._

INSTRUCTIONS. 5 On this head the utmost latitude should be given to the traveller. Olivier or Vol­ ney may be proposed to him as a model. Perhaps he will not equal, but at least he will approach them. It is certain that many calamities have happened in Russia in consequence of the want of information respecting distant provinces; so that· he who furnishes correct notions concerning them renders an essential service to the state. I now proceed to the scientific part.

1. I suppose that the traveller will direct his course through the countries of the Don to Mozdok; and I. suppose also that he will there seek and find Marshal de Biberstein, who has successfully devoted hi~ attention to the ancient history of Georgia: the examination of the Georgian manusclipts, their age, and the degree of credit due to each tradition,is an important point. Mr. Biberstein has, for instance, found in the Georgian chronicles an invasion of Magogs, precisely at the same period at which Herodotus places the invasion of the Cimmerians. The elu­ cidation of such a tradition is of greater importance to history than the discovery of a monument.

2. In like manner Mr. de Klaproth will take pains to investigate the tradition yet­ extant relative to the Amazons. It is among the Circassians that it must be sought.. The :\Ierinadalis, .on the banks of which the Amazons’ resided, according to the

,testiinony of So’abo, still retains the same name. The Circassian fabulists clearly’ distinguish the ancient Scythians, to whom they give the appellation of N ogays. While all these ancient traditions yet exist, they ought to be collected and preserved. It would likewise be well to collect the genealogies of the Circassian princes, which’ date from about the year 1500, and are both curious and historical. “. ~. The pagan Tartars, subject to the Circassians and the Abassas, and inhabit­

ing the country behind them, ought to attract the notice of the traveller. These’ people are the purest descendants of the Scythians described by Herodotus; they deserve particular attention on account of their manners, their language, their relio.­ gion, and their art of divination.

4.. At :Mozdok also Mr. de Klaprothwill find information respecting the Ossetesr and some of those people themselves. This tribe, which calls itself· Ironi, is of. Median origin. They are Sarmato-Medes, who, having quitted the banks of the Don, settled in the count.ry of the Misimianians.. The latter, in consequence, re­ tired to the district which they now occupy, and whence they probably expelled the­ Gueles or Guilan, who were there in Strabo’s time, and who now inhabit Guilan.. ­ fuld call t.hemselves Taliacha. The_~avelJer wilL collect as many Ossetian words-as.’

6 TRA V£LS IN THE CAUCASUS AN D GEORGIA. possible, to compare them with the Talischan, for the latter is likewise a l\lcdian dialec’t.

5. In general the traveller will have at hand the fourth volume of Slrittcr, and t5tudy it continually.

6. Of all the tribes in the Caucasus the Ossetes ai’e perhaps most susceptible of civilization, and the traveller will consider them in this point of view; he will ob­ ~erv-e what may have hitherto retarded, and what is likely to promote its progress. I was acquainted with an archbishop in that country called Cajus, who had printed a catechism and’ several other things in the language of the Ossetes. The b’aveller will inquire what success attended the archbishop’s exertions: for, I repeat it, the curious should always give way to the useful, and to make the Caucasus better known ought to be the grand object.

7. A geographical difficulty, which has. not been sufficiently elucidated, is that \vhich relates to the Caspiail gates and the Sanllatian gates. The traveller, by ex­. . tracting and, canying with him all those passages of the ~ncients which refer to tllem; .and making minute inquiries respecting all the passes of the mountains, will probably come at a satisfactory solution.

-8. WThen the traveller is at TifUs, he will avail himself of this position to en­ deavour to make hiniself acquainted with ilie people bn his right and Jeft, that is to saY’, those who inhabit ilie country towards the Caspian Sea and the Euxine. He cannot fail to find in that town persons who have travelled in these disu’icts, and who have penetrated their remotest and least accessible valleys. From seeking such persons, and questioning them with address, he may derive nearly as much benefit as from a sight of the places themselves; and perhaps he may be induced to con­ trive to visit them on his return in the summer of 1808.

9 .. The inhabitants of the coast of the Caspian Sea are well known, excepting the subjects of the .Ouzmey, iliat is, the Ka’itaks. A passage of George Interiano proves iliat they are the ancient Caspians, and perhaps the Legi or Lesghi are ad­ ‘ocnCl’.. To decide ilie question we ought to have a Kaitak vocabulary, and one of Kara-Kaitak or Faytak, as the Arabs say.

10. In the same vicinity are still to be seen villages of lews,who are so only by religion and not, by origin; for it appeal’s that they are Carnanians who have em­ braced the Jewish faith. The traveller will endeavour to vis~t iliese tribes, and to !ltudy them as· much as possible, to ascertain whether they have any religious books, and what.. This subject is absolutely new. Count Czacki has made some useful

researches on tllis head extract from them.

11. If we pass from investigation; and the cure authentic intelligen

12. We know scarCE Mingrelia; yet we are F totally different from t1 la,ncis, and towards the. ·some accounts, the Alar hats.’ I have no need

;! ”

cOl1cerning these people, gr!!-phers.

·13. As to the other j ~sgi, I doubt their exi

. ,low up every notion ilia! <lEilcided how much ough W~l)ot iptended to be ! th~ IflQr.ewith errors, a.s ;If.lo.ltwould be extIT

of;Jiis predecessor: by! <.J4••When the travel

direct his researches to “, e~platn myself.

J;;}Pr The present Schi Ppmpey: they were likt

·’P9;gI19~ tl:\C lett~r I, who 4,ghoUl1I!L .These ancil

J<, T ~- . _

Turks~ by whoin it is nl tb~: Mgans or· Aghouans {!tl~ugh ;the languages a: ·s~l,lbjestI. think I have tJ. t;,jl’Zi~JVhat the travell(

·f?r~ati0rirespecting an Jews and th(-~::p:pgithe

.~”:”””’;~’:’1fori~~e:r.ed .people.:

1

a l\ledian

ritter, and

3ccptible of he will ob­ lts progress. had printed ‘he traveller ~peat it, the casuS better

lted, is that ‘eller, by ex­ lich refer to mntains, will

osition to en­ eft, that is to Euxine. He districts, and

I seeking such much benefit

duced to con­

wn, excepting orge Interiano Lesghi are ad­ ry, and OIle of

are so only by who have em­ tribes, and to

‘eligious books, :Ie some useful

INSTRUCTIONSr 7 researches on this head: as they are in Polish, I will furnish the traveller with an

extract from them. 11. If we pass from the Caspian Sea to the Euxine, we find abunda)1t matter for

investigation;- and the traveller ought to redouble his application and zeal to pro­ cure authentic intelligence concerning districts to which it is difficult to penetrate..

12. We know scarcely any thing of the banks of the Abassa, from Anapa to Mingrelia; yet we are pretty sure that at the toot of the mountains there arc tribes totally different fiOm the other Caucasians. Among others, there are on the high lands, and towards the sources of the Ubbuch, the Azge, also called, according to some acrounts, the Alans. They are said to speak a peculiar language, and to wear hats. I have no need to observe how interesting it would be to learn something concerning these people, who are the Asians and Aseipourgians of the ancient geo­

graphers. 13. As to the other Alans, who, according to Reineggs, dwell to the north of the

Lesgi, I doubt their existence. In general, the traveller should make it a rule to fo1:.. low up every notion that has been furnished us by Reineggs, and to sift it till he has decided how much ought to be retained and how much rejected. His work, which was not intended to be accurate, since the author was a kind of adventurer, swarms the more with errors, a,s it was published since the death of Reineggs.

14. It would be extremely useful if every traveller would verify the observation~ of his predecessor: by this method the sciences would be great gainers. … 15. ‘When the traveller quits Tiflis, and advances towards Bacou, he should

direct his researches to what relates to the ancient inhabitants of Schirvan. I’ will. explain myself.

16. The present Schirvan is the country of the ancient Albanians conquered by Pompey: they were likewise called Alanians; and the Armenians, who never pro­ nounce the letter I, who say Glwuka for Luka, and Ighia for Ilia, have called them; Aghouani.. These ancient Albanians or Alanians have given up their country to the Turks, by whoni it is now occupied, and have very probably formed’ the nation of the Afgans or Aghouans, whom the Armenians acknowledge to be their brethren (though the languages are now different, which may easily happen, and. on which subject I think I have treated in my primitive history).

17. What the traveller has to· do here, is, in the first place, to obtain accurate in-· formati0n respecting an ancient Median dialect. which yet exists in the country. among the Jews and the Armenians, and which is called Tat, the language of the; .conquered people.

8 TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA. ii 18. The traveller will not fail to visit the Patriarch of Albania, who resides among .~f:the mountains, I know not where, and who is equal in rank to the Patriarch of

1li

Ararat. From him the traveller will certainly receive information. ~ 19. He ‘willlikewise ,take particular’pains to make himself acquainted with the j1 QUESTIOl

Talischa dialect. It is pure Median; the language of the Cadusians or :Median !1,t HABIT mountaineers. ROTH

.,>eo. At length I suppose the traveller arrived at Bacou, where he will pass the

.. ,ITmaywinter. Here he will doubtless direct his attention to Persian literature; and the ande;withAcademy will probably commission him to procure manuscripts in order to complete ~’ake it hits collection in that interesting department. what is er

‘.~- ‘.< •21. But the principal object of the b’aveller ought to be utilil:y. It is his busi­ j,ects;,iu, Iness to make us better acquainted with Persia, to treat of its different provinces,

.~ ·’lUldthehitheir political constitution, their productions, the princes who govern them, the fac­ ~]

infl’resulhtions \vhich exist there. In exercising himself to adapt his questions properly, he i o “, 1.• Reirmay derive considerable advantage from all the Persians whom he will meet with at tioris and Bacou and elsewhere. ~ destroyed’-22.’ I come now to a point which I consider of consequence on account of its I be aCc,ur.athistorical importance. It is this:-Either on the b’aveller’s return, or in the course stadt andof his journey, if he should have occasion to approach the Turkish frontiers, let i

him seek individuals belonging to the nation of, Laz, and compile a vocabulary of j th~tit;Ilev .Reis~ii.2their language, which he “”ill then compare with that of the lower classes in Min­ !;:, ,2····Maycgrelia. The language of the Laz will give us that of ancient Colchis, as is demon­

”

t

! Ulu:lntscl

-<‘ •.••••~” .’. ~strated by various passages of Procopius and others. morepreci~3. It will be advisable that, according to the practice in former cases, a student i ‘S’. I~ ttl1\hould be given to the traveller as an assistant, who, in case of accident, might ml1chmorpreserve the information which he may have collected.

24. I ‘here conclude my sketch of Instructions. It contains sufficient to furnish Arifbiari ‘w ilf;Sel:n~nd,the traveller with abundant employment; and if I have not given the present paper ar~}etbora more finished fonn, the Academy will have the goodness to excuse me: ‘ I sp~ctip.gth£5. N. B.The plague, insurrection, and \var may possibly enough occasion ~(,~~ . ‘tradittion,~delay, and the traveller ought to be left at perfect liberty to anange his route as he Gesch. iv.pleases. I am very intimate with Count Gudowitch, and will with pleasure give a tb~i~am’e; Iletter, Ilot merely of recommenClation, but a .detailed statement of what may be done

by him fm’ ,the benefit of a traveller. .~tt:1’~’}s” th

II t\

ides among )atriarch of

ed. with the or Median

,ill pass the re; and the to complete

is his busi­ .1t provinces, hem, the fac­ properly, he meet with at

Lccount of its . in the course

frontiers, let vocabulary of lasses in Min­

” as is demon­

tses, a student .ccident, might

dent to furnish e present pa~er me.

nough occasion his route as he pleasure give a

bat m~y be done

INSl’R U 01′ IONS. 9

II. QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS RELATIVE TO THE CAUCASUS AND ITS IN­

HABITANTS, ON OCCASION OF THE INTENDED TRAVELS OF MR. VON KLAP~

ROTH TO GEORGIA.

I l’ may reasonably be presumed that Mr. von Klaproth, with his intimate acquaint­ ance with all the materials which we yet possess relative to the Caucasus, will make it his business to confirm accurate data, to supply deficiencies, and to correct what is erroneous. I have nevertheless taken the liberty to point out certain sub­ jects in particular, from the elucidation of which the geography of that country and the history not of the Caucasus only but of eastern Europe, has to expect interest­ ing results.

1. Reineggs says concerning the celebrated 11,fddshar, that the Arabic inscrip­ tions and dates on sepulchral stones at that place, prove that the town has been destroyed upwards of 180 years. If such monuments yet exist, they deserve to be accui~ately copied (without any reduction of the Arabic computation). Giilden­ stadt and Pallas consider all the relics there as ruins of graves, and are of opinion that it never was an inhabited place.-Reineggs Kaukasus i. 78. note. Guldenst. Reise ii. 26 et seq. Pallas sudl. Statth. i. 306 et seq.

2. -May not the situation of Madshar Juna, on the Great Dshinslzik (probably Ulu-Intschik, also Selentschuk a branch of the Cuban) mentioned by Pallas, be more precisely determined ?~Pallas, as above and p. 308.

3. Is the name of Endery, as Miiller supposed, actually Tartar, or has it not much more probably been formed from Andreewa? As early as the time of the Arabian writer Ibn Haukal, there was in this neighbourhood the well known town of Semender, properly Swendrew, that is St. Andrew. These three names at least are yet borne bya city and sangiackship in the Turkish pachalik of Servia.-Re­ specting the situ~tion of Endery there is in Giildenstadt’s Travels a gro!,s con­ tradiction, but probably not chargeable to his account. Miltler’s Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. 39 and note; for the sake of comparison with a remarkable tradition see the same, p. 1.6. Gilldenst. Reise i. 493. 498. 206.

4. Is the knightly family of the Badiletter, which pretends to be of Madshar origin and governs part of the Ossetian Dugores, yet su1dect to Russia ?-It sub­ mitted, as we know for certain, in ]781, and a free and before unknown commu­

c

10 TRAVELs IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA. nication was in consequence opened between Mosdok and Imirete.-Paltas siid/. Stat/h. i. 143.

5. The names of Tigur and Uitigur, by which Reineggs designates the Dugores, are probably distortions; or are those tribes actually so called by any of their neigh­

bours ?-Reineggs Kauk. i. Q34. 6. Among the most remarkable ofthe mountaineers are the Karatschei (Kalja-utzj),

the Balkarians, and the Tschegem (in Georgian: Dschig, likewise D hssiki)-Tartar tribes, it is said, who, surrounded to a very great distance by nations with totally

different languages, speak the N ogay-Tartar dialect and exhibit traces of Christianity. May they perhaps belong to the most ancient branches of l\fongolized Tartars; or

were they the remains of Hunnish tribes, the ancient inhabitants of the country

which Constantine Porphyrogenneta denominates Zichia, or relics of the Polowzians,

as Giildenstadt; who is here decidedly wrong, considers the Ossetes? Vocabularies and in particular a collection of the names cun’ent among them would doubtless

throw some light on the subject.-Giildenst. Reise i. 460 et seq. Compare with the· same p.470. Pallas siMl. Statth. i. 407. Stritt. Memor. iv. 249.

7. Has Reineggs given a correct explanation of the name Sotschuk-Kala? ,,yhat has become of the Nekrassow Cossacks since the destruction of Anapa in April of the present year ?-Rein. Kauk. i. 277. Pallas siidl. Statth. i. 371.

8. Are the other appellations ascribed by Reineggs to Sokum-kala correct, and have those names any signification ?-Rein. Kauk. ii. 7.

9. On the southern frontier of the Georgian province of Somcheti, between the rivers Debete and Indscha lies Kasachi, a district of Terekmen-Tartars. Reineggs says that the inhabitants of this district attributed their origin to the Don Cossacks. The accuracy of this statement is extremely dubious. Is it not much more likely

that the name of Kasach, which the Ossetes apply also to the Tscherkessians, should here be taken in that signification according to which it means in Tartar a

hired soldier? It is well known that the Czar Heraclius procured great numbers of

mercenariesfi’om this district. The Tartar name might have been borrowed by

the Ossetes from their neighbours, and it might have been given without impropriety

to the Tscherkessians, as in remote times they certainly engaged themselves in the

Turkish and perhaps also In the Russian service. The Kasachia of Constantine Porphyrogenneta would thus be susceptible of an unforced interpretation.-Podrob­ naja Katrta.-Giltdenst. Reise i. 259. 363. 466. Rein. Kauk. ii. 94. StTitt. lV/em. ii. 1043. :iv.249. Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. 384.

10. In tbe PodrolJ:lulja Karla Georgia is represented as extending much

further e:

country, ]

cancies tc Unso, An ,The Lf

appellatio there shol

perhaps a: nations in

they com oi·igin. j 189: Gil ‘.,12.Ur

irig the Ll .rest of ;tlJ, represent2 morecorr

to. be ‘mac l1tilIHef( t( villages ~( of the dis, way, or

. probably like:the fa cessiblenei knowledg~

thfs,”Ffart ( Dsh~··ta

generalha

difficulties T;13~’ Th

loweF:Koi

is’COIIUri<lj J~;liowev~”,'”

clU&!ial!eIl 1

.~t~sgilir

‘i

Pallas sud!.

le Dugores, their neigh­

Karja-utzi), ki)-Tartar with totally Christianity. Tartars; or the country

.Polowzians, vocabularies lid doubtless pare with the

Kala? What a in April of

: correct, and

, between th~ rs. Reineggs Don Cossacks. :h more likely ‘scherkessians, ns in Tartar a eat numbers of n borrowed oy mt impropriety :mselves in the of Constantine tion.-Podrob­ . Stritt. NIem.

xtending much

INSTR {j CT IONS. 1 I furtber eastward than all preceding accounts would lead us to expect. The country, however, is destitute of names of places or tribes. How are the va­ cancies to be filled up? Might we not look here for the Lesgian districts of Dido, Unso, An-:;ug, Kabutsch, &c. ?-GiiLdenst. Reis. i. 490. 491. 488.

The Lesgians, Legi or Leksi are reported by Reineggs to give themselves these appellations; Giildenstadt does not say so. Indeed it is scarcely credible that there should be but one general indigenous name for all these different tribes. They perhaps assume it for the purpose of accommodating their neighbours, as the Tartar nations in Russia give themselves the name of Tartars,. which in their own countries they consider as ‘<:l.ishonouraole. Perhaps the name of Leg) may be of Ossetiail . origin. Among the Ossetes and Dugores, Leg signifies man.-Rein. K,auk. i. 63. 189. Giildenst. Reis. i. 483. ii. 538.

12. Upon the whole, all the geographical information which we yet possess respect­ ing the Lesgian tribes is very defective, and, in comparison with our accounts of the

. rest of the Caucasus, not only extremely imperfect but also full of errors. In the

representation of the rivers Koisu and Samur the Podrobnqja Karta is doubtless more correct than all its predecessors; but though for this very reason it deserves to be made the ground-work for further inquiries, yet ‘it is evident that much is still left to be completed and corrected. Not only the numerous names of Lesgian villages collected by Giildenstadt with exemplary industry, but even those of most of the districts,’ are here omitted. Reineggs writes the same names in a different way, or assigns totally different ones. Coordinate and subordinate parts have

. probably been frequently confounded, and thus our knowledge of this district is, like the face of nature itself there, a crude and almost chaotic whole. The inac­ cessibleness of the country has hitherto proved a great obstacle to our acquiring a knowledge of it; but no period perhaps was so favourable to the improvement of this part of geography as the present, since last year only the Lesgian district of Dshar came under the dominion of Russia, and the boundaries of Georgia in general have been so considerably extended towards the east. Some of the principal difficulties are noticed in the succeeding articles.

IS. The country situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea between the lower Koisu and the river Urussai-Bulaki, and subject to the Shamchal of Tarku,

is commonly called the provinc~ of Kumiik, and its inhabitants the Kumiik Tartars. I,t” however appears, that since the time of the Arab dominion the name of Kumiik has been used in a much more extensive signification. Thus it has been applied to Lesgian tribes also; and those Lesgians who, inhabiting the highest mountains

C2

1~ TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA. ofeastern Caucasus, were inaccessible to the Mohammedan faith, were termed J{irifer­ (unbelieving) Kumiilcs; whereas those tribes which occupied the lower ranges and were converted to Islamism were called Kasi- (believing) Kwniik.s.-This idea, ho’wever, disagrees with the statements of all the writers who treat of the in­

and

included by t it appears, d Persians lik.”

‘name; for ac habitants of these districts, the representation of the country in all maps, in­ asmuch as the Kasi-Kumiiks invariably appear to be a particular tribe qf the Lesgi, residing south-westward 0tTarIm on the east side of the river Koisu, in the la ti­ tude of 41° 30′. In Giildenstadt’s map they are placed somewhat more northerly, and in the Podrohnqja Karta rather southward. They are nevertheless said to be under the dominion of the Chanbut~i- (Chamutai) Surchai-Chan, to wl’fom also is subject the distHct of Kura situated much further south on the river Gurgeni, and who is therefore considered as a neighbour to Schirwan (taken in the limited sense). The Kasi-Kumiiks, we are told, reside near the district of Zudakara. In the Podrob­ nqja Karta there is a place of that name on the Koisu; but the word” near” is provokingly vague, and leads to nothing- The same author (p. 493) enumerates thirteen villages of the Kasi-Kumiiks, and on the following page the same names again occur, “1’ith upwards of ninety others. But from this we derive no informa­ tion, and in vain we look in the maps for all these names.-1ifarshal von Biberstein’s Bescltreibung del’ Lander z'[vlschen dem Terek und Kur, p. 11. 30. 31. Rein. Kauk. i. 81. 96. Guldenst. i. 493 et seq.

14. Similar difficulties occur in regard to the country of the Awares. Giilden­ stadt calls the residence of their Uma-Chan Kabuda, and the chief village of the, district more peculiarly subject to him he denominates Chunsag. He adds that the Tartar name of this village is Auar, and that in the Andisch-Lesgian dialect it is called Haibul. Now we find in the Podrobnqja Karta a place named Auar on the Atala, a western branch of the Koisu, in, the latitude of 42° 30′; but lower down the same river is a quite different place, Cbunsak; and at the sO,urces of the Koisu the same map has the name of the Awares in the middle of the territory of the Chanbutai of the Kasi-Kumiiks. In the map to Marshal Biberstein’s work also the name of the Awares appears twice, and that at, the distance of two whole degrees of latitude; and the Uma-Chan must reside here very far southward, but whether,

according to the text, hehiud Old Schamachi, is a question. The younger Gmelin divides the Awaresinto three tribes, whose names he gives without assigning their places.-How are all these statements to be reconciled ? We might almost suppose, and an expression of Colonel Garber strengthens the conjecture, that the name of Awares is also used as.a general appellation of the Lesgian tribes. As they were

. ‘sagir-Batoni. ‘spe~ial, and

,;.consistent wi ,ertot accmlll ‘!’p:S1. Gctr

·;L15., Reine ‘;’N?rlgol’;whc

“~~~~tdr al~d ‘~hd?illen:we ~~U\”;~’f.J:’ f.~’:- -‘””:.” peopl~,to ~he

)c;lJt$~,illit4~ “, G”iilde1l8t. 1. .

‘;”. kt/’~’.: :J~-‘ .’.U” , .. ‘,16.0n w.

INSTRUCTIONS. 13

led Kiqfer4 … ~ lncluded by the Arab geographers among the Kumiiks, so they were altogether, as .yer ranges .it appears, denominated Legi or Lesgi by the Ossetes, but by the Tartars and the

iik8.-This Persians likewise Awar; lastly by the Georgians Chun, Chunsag, or some such

Lt of the in4 name; for according to Giildenstadt the Uma-Chan is in Georgian called Chun­

.1 maps, ill­ sagir-Batoni. Hence it happened that general names came to be considered as

tribr, eif the – ” special, and vice >oersa, and were applied either arbitrarily or as appeared most I, in the lati­ consistent with probability to this or that part of the unknown district, ,and thus

lrtherly, and error accumulated upon error.-Giildenst. i. 485, 486. Marshal von Biberstein,

1to be w1der p. 31. Garber, in the Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. 84. ,

so is subject 15. Reineggs explains the Georgian term Chullsagir Batoni by means of the

and who is Mongol; whether with reason is a question. ‘Ve might perhaps more justly reter it to

ense). The the rIal’ and Chun or Uar-Chonites, likewise Pseudo-Awares of the Byzantines,

the Podrob­ and then we should have no occasion to run with Deguignes in quest of these

d “near” is people to the Geou-gen on the frontiers of China.-Reht. Kauk. i. 205. Stritt.

) enumerates N/em. i. 643. 667.’ ‘­

: same names Are the Tuschi :still tributary to the Urna-Chan, as in Giildenstadt’s time?-‘:'”

~ no informa­ Giildenst. i. 377.

n Biberstein’s 16. On what particular part of the Koisu is situated the Lesgian district or tribe

Rein. Kauk. i. of Burtuma, ‘which Reineggs perhaps more correctly calls Burtunn’dh? It is this probably that is mentioned in our Nestor and by Plan Carpin.-Guldenst. i. 487.

‘es. Giilden­ Rein. Kauk. i. ’98. . village of the . 17. In. anY’of the Lesgian dialects does Ell, All or Ill, in the plural Allan,

adds that the ~ignify race, tribe, horde ‘f.-Rein. Kau,k. i. 96. .

n dialect it is 18. Are the Lesgiall ‘Women distinguished by that extraordinary beauty for which

d Auar on the ihey are so highly extolled by Reineggs?-Reiu.. Kaulc. i. 202′. 621.

ut lower down 19. A manuscript account of the eastern Caucasus, written in 1800 by an officer

s of the Koisu in the fortress of N aur, mentions the ,Chan of the 3dimutei Ali Sultan as the

.erritory of the western neighbour of the Schamehal ofTarku. Should it not perhaps be Dsclzengutai,

~in’s work also as the Podrobnaja Karta would lead us to imagine? According to Giildenstadt

) whole degrees (i. 499) Dschungutai, and Reineggs (i. 98) Zschingutei.

1, but whether, 20. Is the dialect rif the KWTluk Tartars essentially different from that of the

ounger Gmelin Nogay and Terekmen Tartars?

. assigning their 2L Are the Kaidaks or Chailaks in the territory of the Usmei Chan Terekmen

11most suppose, Tartars, as the younger Gmelin expressly says?-Do they not profess the Jewish

at the name of .as well asnhe Mohammedan religion ?-Or are these disciples of Moses only dege­

As they were nerate Jeu~ whG have forgotten their mother tongue ?-Gm.elin’s Reise v. 95. 10 L Rein. Kauk. i. 107. Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. 145.

14 TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEORGI A. 22. Do the Berekozes belong also to the Kaidaks ?-2JIm’sh. ‘Von Bibcrsteillr

p. 16. .23. The Karakaidaks, the western neighbours of the Kaidaks, must ‘without

doubt be Lesgians?-Gmelins Reise iv.95. Gilldenst. i. 494.495. 24. Are the Tabasseranes also Lesgians ‘! Reineggs writes Taeb”iss-Sara, as if

he knew the signification of the name, but he no where explains it.-Gilldenst. i. 495. Reineggs i. 67. 82.84. 112.

25. Are there ruins of a town called Kaidek, and is there still a place named Kara-Kaidek?-Reineggs i. 106.

26. Does the word Terekemme in the Tartar language signify Nomades, wan­ derers; and have the Terekmen Tartars thence derived their name?-Reineggs i. 105. ii.97.

27. Reineggs mentions a fragment’ qf the History qf Derbend which ends with the caliph Harun il Reschid. Are copies of this work yet to be procured?-Rein. i. 35.119.’

28.. The Lesgian districts of Rutul and Achti, briefly mentioned by Giildenstiidt, appear in the Podrobnqja Karta as lordships ;-since what time have they been so? have they native rulers?

29. Giildenstadt produced an accession of considerable importance to history ill describing the Terekmen Tartars, who speak a dialect very nearly allied to the Turkish, as inhabitants of the whole country from Boinak to Baku, and thence westward stretching away towards Armenia. Every confirmation of his statements must therefore be acceptable, and we cannot but wish to obtain an accurate know­ ledge of their geography. The Terekmen districts of Alti-Para, Doku~-Para, Chinakug (properly Chinalug), Krisch, Budach (not Krisch-budach), mentioned by him are not in the Podrobnqja Km’ta. What he denominates Aliskindschal is probably the Miskenrl on the Samur, in the Achtian territory.-Giild. i. 501. Reineggs i. 140. Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. 47. 5!l.

30. Garber gives to a district the now probably obsolete name of Rustau ,’-but in many places he Galls it Rustan:-which of these is right? Samml. Russ. Gesch. iv. Ill. 54. 61. 90 et seq.

31. What proportion is there between the number qf the Armenians in Schirwan (taken in a limited sense) and that of the Terekmen Tartars?-The former have their own Catholicos there.

32. Are the Kadschares (Chatschares, Chaadschares) in the vicinity of Astrabad on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea, a Georgian tribe, removed thither hy Schach Abbas, as Giildenstadt asserts? The younger Gmelin says nothing con­

;;:i’~~~nO’ their 0 ,,’ 0

.. <GMdehstadt i1

‘Spe~cimens not ‘~’erived) would

“tei’~1:mrg; A if ;’$.’ ReiSt

Biberstein,

Jst without

-Sara, as if lenst. i. 49$·

place named

mades, wan­ ?-Reineggs

ch ends with. lred?-Rein.

Glildenstadt, ave they been

e to history in allied to the u, and thence his statements lccurate know­ Dokus-Para,

, mentioned by l1iskindschal is -Giild. i. 501.

. Rustau ,·-but l. Russ. Gesch.

zns in Schirwan ,rmer have their

lity of Astrabad oved thither by lYS nothing con~

INSTRUCTION’S”. 15 ~erning their origin. Gatterer however, seems to have followed the statement of

ii Giiidenstadt in describing the celebrated Chasares of the middle ages as Georgians. Specimens not ‘Only of the language in common use, but also of that from which it is :derived, would be requisite to decide this point.-Gi1lden.~t. in the Journal of St. Petersburg, April 1777, iii. 965. Compare with Giitdenst. Reise i. 243. 327. Gmelin’s Reise iii. 467.

3:3. In what language does Kyr (the Lower Kur) signify two-armed ?-Rein. J(ault. i. 145).

34. Is there actually a Caucasian race called Albon ?-Reill. i.63. 35. A very desirable contribution towards correcting our information relative to

the Caucasus, would be as complete a geogralJhical and ethnop’aphical syno1lymy as possible. We shall avoid many errors when we know how each tribe calls itself and its neighbours, and how it is called by them; when we are acquainted with all the different names that are given to one and the same district, place, or river. Several branches of the Sundscha already apPear in the Podrobnqja Karta with Russian names, and the more ancient native appellations have disappeared.

36. In like manner the translation if the names, where they are susceptible of it, is very useful. Garber, because he paid no attention to the signification of names, has probably described one and the same district three tiriles, and each time with some difference. Lower Dagestan, he says, is composed of five districts and six villages. The first of those districts he calls Alti-Para. He afterwards speaks ()f the district of Sches-Para. Now Alti in Tartar signifies, like Schesch in Persian, ;the number six; and there is every reason to suppose that not only his Alti~ Para and Sches-Para, but likewise the Si.r Villages of Lower Dagestan separately mentioned, must be one and the same district, especially as the boundaries assigned to each are the same. The correction of this oversight is of importance f\>r the determination ifthe frontiers if Russia on that side.-Samml. Russ. Gesh. iv. ] 1″3. $2.

37. Materials for a History qf the Persian Campaign under Peter the Great, and in particular for a History if the last War betuJeen Ru.ssia and Persia, will ,probably be met with at Mosdok and Tiflis.

38. Remarks on the Sources in general whence information has been derived, are, when they can be introduced without indelicacy, ofgreat value to the informant ,and to the friends of science. To the generality of readers they are not so, but such wish not to be informed.

·St. Petersburg:,. AUGUST CHRISTIAN LEHRBERG, August 28, 180/.

16 TRAVELS INTHE CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA~

III.

TO lIIR. VON KLAPROTH ON OCCASION OF HIS INTEKDED

TRAVELS IN GEORGIA.

1. IN the Russian chronicles occur these names: Abaruk, Aluk, Altunop~ Aturgii, Baschkart, Bliusch, Bonjak, Jm’oslanopa, Itlar, Kohkdk, Kobmn, Kotschii, Kunam, Kurja, Kurtok, Osaluk, Sclzarukail, Seluk, Sokal” Staschy Sugr, Surbar, Targ, Tarsuk, Tschenegreb, TZlgorkan, Turandai, Urusoba, Weldius.-Among the Ossetes, according to Giildens6i.dt, the following are still common names of men: Itlar, Urus, Saba, Katschin, Janslanop, Kunem, Kllstok, Tscllenegreh, Surhar, J¥aldusa, &c. (In a letter from Georgiewsk, I am told that this is not the case.) How far is this true?- and may these names be explained by the Ossetian language? Are they not likewise to be found among their Nogay and other Tartar neighbours? Have they not some signification in the Tartar tongue?

2. How do the Ossetes call their neighbours, for instance the Tscherkessians, the Karatschai, the MallCars. the Grusians (Georgians), the Lesginzes, the Russians, the Persians, &c.?

3. Reineggs says that in old graves were found irregular cast pieces of copper with Cufic letters, likewise oblong square pieces with blunted edges and the impression of a sabre; sometimes in addition to the sabre they bear the likeness of the Grusinian Czar Temuras; this coin is not now cUlTent.-I have myself several specimens of the latter. Is there any connexion between them and the Chinese coins with nearly the same impressions that are mentioned by Hager? Are they called Pol or Pul? and what is the signification of that term ?-There are said to be coins of the same name in Bucharia, Persia, &c. The oldest copper coins in Russia are likewise called Pule, whence comes the present naqle Poluschka. Might not a number of these be procured ?-Upon the whole,. it would in my opinion be desirable that Mr. von Klaproth should endeavour to obtain for the cabinet of the Academy as complete a series as possible of the different coins which were or still are current among the nations that he visits, together with all such particulars respecting them as are to be collected on the spot.

4. Are there still coins named Tanga or Tanga? 5. Though some travellers doubt the existence of an ancient town at Maqjar,

others from ocular examination maintain the contrary. The inscriptions and bas

‘teliefs’ which …. &iriS found ~

;~Jriyself· pOSE

tior” that notJ ‘sefVatlbn be

bleclP.i~iF(:

·.R~inegl

‘s6:t’a!f(

,­

_::-iiiiiiiiiiiilii~

😀

:tk, Altullap~ ‘ak, Kobran, ‘akal” Stasch~ ai, Urusaba, wing are still non, Kustak, told that this

Ilained by the ir Nogay and Lrtar tongue? ‘scherkessians, ~esginzesl the

eces of copper :dges and the the likeness of

: myself several ld the Chinese ser? Are they here are said to copper coins in !uschlr.a. Might my opinion be

~ cabinet of the .ch were or still such particulars

own at Maqjar, riptions and bas

INSTR UCTIONS. 17 reliefs which are said to be still extant there, togeU1er with the great quantity of

; , coins found llmong the ruins of the place, seem to confIrm the opinion of the latter, l myself possess a number of them; but unfortunately they are in such bad preserva­ tion that nothing is to be distinguished upon them. Might not some in good pre­ servation be procured? Might not the inscriptions throw further light on the

subject? . 6. Reineggs mentions a people called Tigur or Uitigur, who are said to speak

the most ancient known Tartarian diale£t. Are these the Dugar or Digir, . the Ossetes of Pallas and Giildenstadt?

7. Have the learned among the Jews in Schirwan, Rustan(?) among the Cha’idaks, &c. no knowledge of their origin? Have they no manuscripts? Do they speak only the language of thecountry ? Do they perform military service?

. 8. In and near Derbend are said to be ml\lny Arabic, Persian, and Turkish in­ scriptions : ,would it not be worth while to examine them ? We are told that some­ times, but v.~ry rarely, a copper coin is found with the words Fluss Derbend (copper coin of Derbend) on the obverse, and exhibiting on the reverse a dragon holding in his ~laws the head of a horse which he has torn in pieces. Are there many such coins:?

. 9. What are we to think of the Tmiar treatise mentioned by Garber under the head A’tIJari?

10. It would likewise be desirable to procure more precise accounts of the Frenk,;, as they are called, in Kubeschah, of their language, their arms, their works in gold and’ silver, and their coins. They are said to have coined rubles ,exactly resembling the Russian. .

11. Corrections or confIrmations of some remarks by Garber on Bayer’s treatise from the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenneta would also be desirable.

August 29,1807. PHILIP KRUG.

D

~80 TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASU~-AND GEORGIA. Ch.24.]

!!raphy*, a in the ster: unable to named C1CHAPTER XXIV. or thefoT

TARTAR TRIBES IN THE SLATE AND LIME-STONE MOUNTAINS OF THE CAU­ may be gi CASUS, DENOMINATED BY THE GEORGIANS BASSIANI-THEY ARE SAID TO sist, are t HAVE FORlVIERLY DWELT iN THE STEPPE OF THE KUMA AND AT MADJAR; the camm AND ARE NOW UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE KABARDIANS-THE LAN­ with their ·.GUAGE OF ALL THE TRIBES IS ALIKE, AND CORRESPONDS WITH THE NO­ to the Gr, GAY-TARTAR-THE CKARA;TSCHAI, AT THE SOURCE OF THE CKUBAN­ sians, and THEY ARE NOW MOHAMMEDANS-FRANKISH BURIAL-PLACE AMOJ:fG THEM tians on t -PRINCES, NOBLES, AND VASSALS-SHAPE AND FEATURES OF THE CKARAT­ gemt· ( 15CHAI-THEY ARE NOT INTERMIXED WITH MONGOLS-THEIR FEMALES remove ti AND MARRIAGES-NA.TURAL CHILDREN-EDUCATION, HABITS, AND MAN­ name of NERS-DRESS AND WEA:PONS-·-OATHS AND BORCERY-WOOD-GOBLINS­ till the G DISPOSITION-0CCUPATIONS, PRODUCTIONS, AND TRAFF~C WITH THEIR sian tri.be NEIGHBOURS-ROAD -OVER THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS TO IMERETHI, PRO­ the Chris BABLY THE PORTA CUMANA’OF PLINY-FABLES ,CONCERNING THE ABUN­ mountain DANCE OF METALS IN THESE PARTS-YAMILIES AMONG THE CKARATSCHAI observe ~ ,-DISTRICTS OF BAKSAN-TSCHEGEM AND BALKAR-THE SSUANES TO THE during w] NORTH OF THECAUC.ASUS IN THE VILLAGE OF CHULAM. Mter1

acrain fre oAl\lONG the ‘most :r:emarkableof the inhabitants of the Caucasus are the Tartar they are

tribes in the slate ,.and lime-stone ranges near the sources of the rivers Ckuban, princely

Baksan, Tschegem, N altschik, Ts,cherek, and Argudan, who are called by the tribute fJ

“Tscherkessians Tatar Kusch’ha,but by theGeorgians Bassiani. Giildenstadt er­ the Kab~

roneously .asserts that these people are likewise denominated Dshiki by the latter. sulphur,

‘This was the .appellation of the Tscherkessians t’e~iding on the sea-(;oast, who are tons, lin

,called,in Georgian Dshiki, and their settlements Dshikethi, and who extended from Bitschiunta, thePytius of the andents, and the Pezonda of the Italian maps of the

‘1* Aght’l. .middle ;ages, along the shore of the Black Sea, to the mouth of the Ckuban. They

1l1i.lithIL.-‘ are the Zychiansof the ancients and of the Byzantines; for, as George Interiano the buildiJ expressly says, Zychi is the Greek name of the Tscherkessians. about the

The name of Bassiani, in which the Ckaratscpai are not comprehended, is de­ and the S litse, Tscl ‘lived from the principal family alllong ~hem, who, according to a Georgian geo­

t ACCl

~

Ch.24.] TARTAR TRIBES IN THE CAUCACU8. 28’1 graphy *, are of Ossetian origin. Their elders report that they were long ago settled in the steppe of the Kuma as far as the Don, but at ,”vhat particular time they are unable to state., Their capital, which is said to have been very magnificent, was named Ckirck Madshar, whicq in their language signifies thefort!J stone buildings,

‘~I or thefort!J fou1’-wheeled v.Jaggolls, according to the two-fold interpretation that

rHE CAU- ‘ may be given to Madshar. They assert that the ruins of Madshar, which yet sub­ SAID ‘1;0. sist, are the remains of this city. Here reigned several of their princes, who, at

“‘1 MADJARj

~

the commencement of the second century of the Hedshira, lived at constant enmity t=

rHE LAN- with tbeir neighbours, and were at length expelled by them; on which they retired THE No” to the Great Kabardah, whence they were, in the sequel’, driven by the Tscherkes­

CUBAN -:-:­ sians, and, being divided into detached bodies, were necessitated to fix their habita­ tiG THEM: tions on the highest mountains at the sources of the Ckuban, Baksan, and Tsche­ CKARAT­ gem t. One portion of them however still continued on the MaIka, and did not FEMALES remove till a later period to the source of the Tscherek, whence it yet retains the

.ND MA.N­ name of Malkar or Balkar. In these new settlements they long lived unmolested, ::mLINS–:­ till the Georgian queen Thamar subdued the, neighbouring Ossetes and other Cliuca­ H THEIR sian tribes, and, among the rest, the Bassianes. She introduced among all of them TUI, PRO­ the Christian religion, of which not only some ancient churches yet remain in the lE ABUN­ mountains, but other traces are to be found among these Tartars, who,· in spring, RATSCHAI observe a fast of seven weeks, and at the end of summer another of nine weeks, ;S TO THE during which they abstain from animal food, butter, and milk.

After the conquest of Georgia by the Mongols, the Bassi.an,e~, as it appelU”s, wer:e again free; but in later times fell under the dominion of the Kaba.rdians, to whom

the Tartar they are yet subject. They are chiefly under the aqthorityof the two Kabardian

rs Ckuban, princely houses of Kurgock and Kaituck, who exact a sheep every year by way of

led by the tribute from each family. This tribute is paid by the Bassianes when they repair to enstadt er~ the Kabardah to barter their wool, coarse cloth, rye, felts, foxes’ and martens’ skins, the latter. sulphur, and gunpowder of their own manufacture, for salt, pulse, dried fish, cot­,t, who are tons, linens, Turkey leather, and other necessaries. In winter they drive their=nded from

laps of the ,. Agh/ozera aizindelissa Kharthlissa SsasgkWTitka mtkith Mdi7larith rUz adgilitha da mass sckina sch.,ne­)an. They

l,//’litha.-” Description of the present Kharthli, its boundaries, mountains, rivers, and p~a\:es, and of e Interiano the buildings in them.”-This interesting work, part of which I have had translated, was written

about the middle of the last century.-We are told in it that” many Ossi are of illustrious families, Ided, is de­ and the Ssidamonian are composed of the following: Schtschachilitse, ThagauJ;i, Khurthauli, Bade­

libe, Tscherkesitse,and Bassiani.”orgian geo­ t According to, other accounts, this happened not more than 450 years ago.

~O

Ch. ~4.·9J82 TRA VELS IN Tl-I.E CAUCASUS AND GEORGIA. [Ch.24, cattle into the Kabardah to pasture, and are in consequence dependent on the Tscherkessians also. When, therefore, the harvest is very productive, and the pas­ turage abundant in their own country, they prefer purchasing their salt in Imerethi and Georgia, or boil as much as they require for their consumption from the salt springs in the mountains; in which case they keep their cattle at home in winter, and neither visit the Kabardians, nor suffer the latter to come to them; which fut­ nishes occasion for frequent disputes and wars >10.

The common people have, strictly speaking, no established religion, but worship God, whom they call Tagri and not Allah, as the giver of all good, !lond the prophet Elijah (Nebi Ilia), who, according to them, frequently appears on the summits of the highest mountains, and to whom they offer sacrifices of lambs, milk, butter, cheese, and beer (ssra), accompanied ~vith singing and dancing. They likewise eat For t pork, and have sacred springs, in the neighbourhood of which they must not fell any trees. Respecting their method of predicting the success of any enterprise, or o.ther future events, I could learn nothing more than that they, like severalo.ther Tartar tribes, throw the blade-bones of sheep into the fire, and prophesy from its motions and the cracks which take place in it. Their chiefs have however been compelled by the Tscherkessians to embrace the Mohammedan faith; but, with the exception of the Ckaratschai, they have neither Messdsheds nor Mullas.

The language of thes,e people very nearly resembles the Nogay Tartar, as must ~ appear from the subjoined Lord’s Prayer in Ckaratschai, and the vocabula? which win be introduced in the second volume:

Baba mis olan koklerdii Fathe1′ our being heaven in

TheE Olsun chass aden.

Tartar Be hallowed name thy.

veral tr Kelsun schachlegen. obtainE Come kingdom thy. the AT Olsun aradeten erdii ki oldygi kokdii. particu Be will thy earth on as it is heaven In. cumsta Bugun wir bis ii hergiingi etmekmis. others.

This day give us daily bread our. 1. ‘1 Tscher

“‘. It should be observed, that all that is said above applies to the Bassianes, with the exception of ratschi, the Ckaratschai; for the latter, as we shall presently see, are Ibuch more completelyunder the power

Tscherof the Kabardians, and have already universally embraced Islamism.

Ch.24.] TARTAR TRIBES IN THE CAUCASUS. 283 Wa bisu bageschla afuilu boriidsehlar misu on the And us grant forgiveness ofdebts OU1’he pas~ Nemiiku bis borudschlar-misii afuilires merethi So as we debtors our forg£:Ve.the salt

winter,. Wa bisi ketunnii imtechson Lieh fuJ;- And us not lead temptation £nto

Amma boschat scherirdem worship· But deliver’ evilfrom prophet

Sira ssultanlek ssennunkider, wa assim, wa isteehar, daim 1mitsot:

Thy kingdom thine is andpower and glory for ever, , butter,. wise eat. li’or the sake of comparison I shall here insert the Lord’s Prayer in N ogay : tfell any: /

or other ;-ot’\ l;)~J\ ,y~’p )1′ Tartar . l;).,..JJI V’J.,\,5 d.,)\ , motion& … ~

l;)~ ompelled

~ ~J..\lJl ,ySf,j l;).,..JJ\ b’~. d.,)Yo ~xeeption .

b” .( ….. ~..Ic’;, c…,:.(.b>.r.J ~ l;)-“‘f. “=’.r— u-“”Y’.r ~,rl J ~ ~)hJJ! if.,).l- ~ ~ ~~r.Y. J , as must

4…<,J~ AA…~ ~.l- J1.7 which Jt’J; ~.l- l;)J;-O~ l.,\

~\ ~.I.,) J~ cY5J’N J ‘-=-‘J”” J ~ ~;

These Tartars, who are called by the Tscherkessians Tatar Kusch’ha, that is, Tartar Mountaineers, are denominated by the Ossetes Assi, and comprehend3e­ veral tribes who live detached from one another near their respective rivers. As I obtained my information respecting them from Ssachar Iwanowitsch Tschergilow, the Armenian, of Mosdok, who_ resided several years among the Ckaratschai, the particulars concerning the manners and customs of that tribe are much more cir­ cumstantial; but what is said of them applies with few exceptions to all the others.

I. The Ckaratschai, (that is, Black Rivulet,) not Karautzi, are calred by the Tscherkessians Karsehaga Kusch’ha, but by the Mingrelians and Imerethians Ka..

exception of ratschioli. By the Tartars they are denominated Ckara-Tscherkess, or Black ler the power

Tscherkessians, because they are subject to that people.. Thus also they were ~ 0 2

‘~84 TRAVELS IN THE CAUCASUS AND GEOllGIA. [Cll.24. Clz.24.

named by the Georgians, in the middle ages, Qara Dshiki, and their country Qa­ All t radshachethi, for Dshiki and Zychi are synonymous, and signify Tscherkes­ present sians ,y”. nowab

They assert that they removed from Madshar to the district which they at pre­ since (1

sent inhabit before the Tscherkessians came to the Kabardah, and derive their name “rho \\-a

of Ckaratschai from the chieftain under whose conduct they settled on the Ckuban. that of

Pallast assigns to them a considerable extension to the west; for he represents the tow

them as bordering upon the Beschilbai on the Urup. The truth is, that they dweU To (

dispersed at the north foot of the Elbrus, which is called by them Mingi-taw, on the scribed

rivers Chursuk, Ckuban, and Teberde. To the east they are separated by the which i mountains of Kandshal, Tshalpak, and Urdi; and t6 the north by the mountains of are mal

Auarsetsch, Ketschergan, Bata-mut, and Mara, from the Tscherkessians and Aba~ses. The

To the west they have the Abassian tribes of Tramkt, Lo’u, and Klitsch. Their lies are

. two principal villages’ are CkanHschai, at the influx of the Chursuk into the kind of

right of the Ckuban, which contains’ about 250 houses, and another of about 50 right 0 houses, situated to the west of the Upper Ckuban, on the little river Teberde. The time to latter is of recent date, haying been founded by refugees from Ckaratschai, who Bele, tll quitted the principal village for fear of the incursions of· the l(abardians. The road nobles, to them, which is extremely mcommodi6us, and cannot be travelled with carriages, only Sl

runs along the Ckuban and Bakssan. which 1 From the village of Ckaratschai, at the conflux of the Chursuk and the Ckuban, copper

it is 17 VIlersts to the stone bridge over the latter river, which is called by the Tscher­ Thol

kessians Miwwet’le misch, but by the Tartars taschkopur. The road thither leads rive pri alongthe right bank of the Ckuban, and is not passable for carriages. To go from he mal.

Ckaratschai to the Great Kabardah, you 11rst proceed up the brook Chursuk to its . of his·

source, and ‘then cross the range of the Tschalpak in such a direction that you leave stlpply

Mount Ka!1dshall on the right. The distance is 60 or 70 wersts, arid the road As t very bad. To the foot of the MiIlgitau or Elbrus it is only 15 wersts, which distance family

may be performed ih half a day; but its summit is inaccessible. protect ture to

“* Reirieggs (i. 271.) says; ” The savage horde of the tribe of Karaghay, composed of 130 fami­ happer lies, is seated on the Little Kuban, next to the tribes of the Kilitsch and Kesch, consisting of 300 friends families.” In this passage he designates the Upper Ckuban by the wholly unkno~n name of the ventur< Little Ckuban. On the Podro7maja Karta they are distinguished by the appellation of Karatschjiigi.

the KE tSudi. Slatthaltersch. i. 407.

terms:j: This mountain has its name from its pointed form, for Chandshar signifies in Tartar a dagger. Oil the -Caucasus it is commonly pronounced Kandshal, and by the Russians Kinshal.

285 ell. 24.J TART AR TRIBES IN THE CAUCASU.5. All the Cka.ratschai were formerly heathen like the BaIkal’ and Tschegem; but at

present no other religion prevails among them than the Mohhammedan, and they now abhor swine’s flesh, of which they used to be very fond. About thirty years

/’

since (17SS)they \yere converted-to Islamism by the Kabardian priest Isaak Effendi, who was in the pay of the Porte. The name of their present Effendi is Isaak also; that of their Mulla is Othman, and the person who summons them to prayer from

the tower of the Messdshed is called Guotschai.

hey dwell’: To Christianity they are utter strangers, and keep no other fasts than those pre­

.w, On the scribed in the Ckuran. ‘Without the village of Ckaratschai, however, at a place

~ by the which is set apart for the interment of strangers, and is called Getmischbasch *, there untains of . are many graves and sepulchral stones, which they attribute to Frengi or Catholics.

I Abas:ses. The princes of the Ckaratschai are styled By, and of these the three cmt£ fami~­

‘:t. Their lies are the Ckrym-Schoehali, Urnsbi, and Mudari. The people-nevertheless pay no’

into the kind of tribute either to them, the usdens, or the gentry; but the princes possess the

about 50′ right of taking for their own use any man’s horses, but return them in a short

rde. The time to the owner. To the Kabardian princes, on the other hand, whom they term

:hai, who Bek, they are obliged to pay certain imposts. All the Ckaratschai, whether princes~,

The road nobles, or peasants, are under the authority of the. Beks, and consider them. as their.

carnages, only superiors. These commonly receive five sheep from each house; besides’

which the wealthy give them a fine horse, an ox, felt-mantles Uamatscheh)” furs,

~ Ckuban, copper kettles, and other articles.

Ie Tschef’­ Though the Ckaratschai are not bound to pay any particular honpurs to their na”,

ther leads rive princes, yet the usdens must attend the By in his eXGursions on horseback. If ‘0 go from he makes a purchase, he commonly gives away part of it in wesents to the persons. isuk to its of his retinue, who, in return, entertain him every where in the- best manner, and: you leave stlpply him with provisions suitable to his rank. the road As the friendship of the Kabardian princes is estimated very highly by them, each,

h distance family strives to obtain the favour of one of the most powerful, that it may secure a protector’ and mediator in unforeseen misfortunes or attacks. Noone will then ven…..

ture to do any member of it an injury either public or private; nay, it frequently ,f 130 farni­ happens that mean families acquire power and consequence solely through their. ;ting of 300

~epresents

friendship with Kabardian princes. Hence neither the Abasses nor the N ogays arne of the venture to commit depredations on the Ckaratschai, lest theyshould be chastised by :aratschjagi.

the Kabardians; on the contrary, they are always solicitous to keep on the best

ar a dagger. terms with them.

.. Getrnischbasch.signifies the mouth of the (brook ) Getmitsch.

~86 TRA VEL~ IN THE CAUCASU~ AND GEORGIA. [Ch.24. Ch.24:The Ckaratschai, in their persons, are some of the handsomest of the inhabitants

of the Caucasus, and bear a much stronger resemblance to the Georgians than to At the the roving Tartars in the steppe. They are well shaped, and have remarkably deli­ circle. cate features, which are embellished by large black eyes and a fair complexion ‘1<. WheI Among them you meet with none of the broad, flat faces, and hollow oblique eyes, his pare which are so common among the Nogays,aQd would prove an intermixture v.rith neral, hI Mongol tribes. . and fort

In general they take only one wife’; but some have two or three, with whom they the man live very happily, and, contrary to the practice of the other mountaineers, treat months, them with humanity and affection; so that here, as among the Europeans, the wife the brid, is the companion, and not the menial servant, of the husband. The wives of the is she al princes have separate habitations, and dare not show themselves to any stranger, be seate and’still less converse with him. The husband is not allowed to visit his wife in the’ their en day-time, but only at night. The same Tscherkessian custom prevails also among is actual the wealthy usdens or nobles; but the common man lives together with his wives, Wher and permits strangers to see and converse with them. The daughters likewise go ‘comes p but little abroad;’ they are occupied in the manufacture of gold and silver thread, seducer and in making clothes for their fathers and brothers. Among them, as among the upon hiJ other Tartars, the parents, on the marriage of a daughter, receive a kalim, which is rigid inj here termed the price if blood. The bridegroom, if he is wealthy, sends a complete for his 1 dress to the bride, who must put it on when she is conducted to him, which is always tress, OJ; done in the night. On the wedding-day the bridegroom assembles at his house all Sometin his friends of the male sex, and gives them an entertainment, at which they eat and graced f

, ,drink heartily. A similar treat is given in the house of the bride, but only her fe­ zens. L male acquaintance are invited to it., Towards evening the young men repair to the vVher bride’s, to cQnduct her with her whole train to the habitation of her future husband. by a sla The festivities last three days; the company dance, feast, and make merry; the vered in youths have an opportunity of forming an acquaintance with the girls of the vil­ care till lage, and thus commences many a passion which terminates in a new marriage. possess],

dren al5­ * Father Arch. Lamberti, who visited Mingrelia about the middle of the seventeenth century, has their bn

these remarks concerning the Ckaratschai: ” The Caratscholi also are seated to the north of the , mony, tl Caucasus: they are called by some Caraquirquez, that is, Black Circassians. Their complexions are

to nobolvery fair; so that this name was probably given them o~ly because the atmosphere of their country is all’l’ays gloomy, and overcast with clouds: they speak Tarkish, but so fast that it is difficult to under­ respect: stand them. I have sometimes been puzzleil to conceive how they could have preserved the Turkish him aS8 language in its purity amidst ED many different nations.” takes hi

titude a~

Ch.24.J TARTAR TRIBES IN THE CAUCA8US. ~87 labi~ts

, than to At the wedding a particlliar dance is performed by lads and lasses intermixed in a

cbly deli. circle.

lexion *. When a young man designs to marry, he does not communicate his intention to·

[ue eyes, his parents, lest they should disapprove his choice and prevent the match. In ge­

ure with neral, however, the parents themselves seek out for him a wife suitable to his rank

and fortune. In this case the ceremony of betrothing very soon takes place; but
om they the marriage is deferred, so that the parties have’ frequently to wait from four to six
:1’s, treat· months, nay sometimes even a whole year. Till the consummation of the nuptials
the wife the bridegroom is not suffered upon any account to see or spel:lk to the bride, neither
~s of the is she allowed to see him. It is also considered indecorous for the bridegroom to,
stranger, be seated in the presence of the bride’s parents; even if he has been sitting before;
ife in the’ – their entrance he rises; neither must he enter into conversation with them until he’
o among is actually man”ied to their daughter.
LIS WIves, When a man has debauched a married or unmarried female, and the affair be­
eWIse go .comes public in the village, all the inhabitants meet in the Messdshed, whither the
r thread, seducer also is conducted. He is tried by the elders, who commonly pronounce
(long the upon him a sentence ‘of banishment fromthe country, accompanied with the most
which is rigid injunction never to return to Ckaratschai or its vicinity if he has any regard;

complete for his life. The father turns his dishonoured daughter, and the husband the adul..,·
is always. tress, out of his house, and never can either be ‘prevailed upon to. receive her again.
louse all Sometimes the business terminates in the death of the offender, and then the dis­
reat and graced family quit the country to conceal their shame from their former fellow-citi-­
ly her fe­ zens. Such cases, however, but rarely occur..
lir to the ‘When a prince or nobleman has no issue by his legitimate wife, but has children,
husband. by a slave, these are called Thuma or T~chankua. If they are males, they are deli-·
my; the vered immediately after their birth to so’me poor person, who brings them up with~
: the vil­ care till the father dies,. and then the Thuma· succeed him in all his prerogatives and,
marriage. possessions, as though they were his legitimate offspring. But when there are chil-·

dren also by the legitimate wife, and these’wil! neither acknowledge the bastard as,.
entury, has their brother, nor suffer him to live with them, nor assign him a share of the patri-·
orth of the mony, they put him to death, as no person will avenge his blood, because he is related,
llexions are

to nobody. It nevertheless frequently happens that the legitimate children, out of,r country is
It to under­ respect for the blood of their fatller, not only spare the bastard, but acknowledge.:
:he Turkish him asa brother, and shar€ with him the paternal possessions. The latter: generally

takes his poor foster-father into his house, and supports. him from a motive of gra,,·
titude as long as he lives.