History of Kabardino-Balkaria - Early History

Early History

As with other parts of the Caucasus, the area that is now known as Kabardino-Balkaria has been inhabited for thousands of years. The origins of its inhabitants are somewhat obscure.

The proto-Balkars as inhabitants of the Elbrus area are mentioned by the Armenian writer Moses of Chorene in his History of Armenia, written in the 480s AD. In it he speaks about two groups of proto-Balkars who came from Elbrus to settle parts of Armenia dated to the second half of the 4thC.AD at about the same time the Huns began their expansion in the East-European steppes. The first of these references is in connection with the campaign of the Armenian ruler Vaharshak to the lands, named Basen (Basian) by the ancients... and which were afterwards populated by immigrants of the vh' ndur Balkar Vund, after whose name they (the lands) were named Vanand. The Vanand- chaj (Vanand tributary to the Arax near the town of Kars) still bares testimony to this migration even today. The second wave mentioned took place during the time of the Armenian King Arsaces II (Arshak II), when great disturbances occurred in the range of the great Caucasus mountain, in the land of the Balkars, many of whom migrated and came to our lands and settled south of Kokh. Even today a river flowing though the Mungan steppe in South Azerbaijan and emptying in the lake Mahmud-chala, is still called Bolgaru-chaj (Balkar river).

The Kabards, a branch of the Adyghers, are known to have settled there by the 15th century. The region came under the control of the Mongols between 1242-1295. It passed into the hands of the Georgians from 1295 to 1505 before falling, briefly, into the orbit of the Persian Empire between 1502-1516. It was then ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1516-1557. From 1557, it became a protectorate of the expanding Russian state – first Muscovy, then the Russian Empire. The lowland-dwelling Kabards allied themselves with the Russians, but the mountain-dwelling Balkars resisted the Russians for many years.

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