Abstract: The subject of this article is the policy and ruling techniques of the Ottoman Empire in Western Caucasus as a whole, and Abkhazia in particular, implemented due to expansion of military and economic presence of the Russian Empire in Caucasus in the early XIX century. Such methods include bringing local population (mostly representative of aristocracy – princes and noblemen) to the side of the Ottoman Empire for returning their dominance in the countries and cities (fortresses), considered by the Sublime Porte as the territories of their authority, and unlawfully annexed by the Russian Empire (namely the Principality of Abkhazia). This resulted in clash of interest of both superpowers that unfolded in Abkhazia and neighboring Circassia in the early XIX century. The scientific novelty consists in introduction into the scientific discourse of previously unpublished sources from the Ottoman State Archive of the President of the Republic of Turkey, as well as the Russian State Military-Historical Archive, which shed light on the methods of Ottoman control over the territories of Western Caucasus (Principality of Abkhazia, Circassia), as well as on the complicated questions regarding the clash of interests of the Russian and Ottoman empires in the region. The relevance of this work is substantiated by usage of both, Russian and Ottoman unpublished archival materials for describing the Ottoman ruling techniques in the region.

Abstract: The research subject of this article is a fragment from Katib Chelebi's "Cihannuma" ("Description of the World"), which contains valuable information on the peoples and parts of the region of the Western Caucasus. Katib Chelebi was a prominent cartographer, geographer, and historian of the Ottoman Empire of the 17th century. His work "Cihannuma" ("Description of the world") contains within itself valuable information about the peoples and countries of different parts of the world. The Western Caucasus is presented in a brief but informative narration, in which we find descriptions of the parts and peoples of this region. Upon writing this article, the author conducted an analysis and generalization of the main information indicated in the above-named work. In translating the relevant passage of the "Cihannuma", the author used the main theoretical and practical methods of historical research. The scientific novelty of this research is defined by its introduction into scientific circulation of the previously not studied, as well as unpublished in Russian, valuable passage from the work of Katib Chelebi. In connection with this, the indicated passage will supplement the already available information on the peoples and various regions of the Western Caucasus.

Abstract: The research subject of this article is the policy methods of the Ottoman Empire (in particular, the gift of Pishkesh) in the Western Caucasus in the first third of the 19th century. In the context of the existing fears associated with the loss of the region, the Ottoman Empire introduced various new methods to its policy. The gift of Piskesha (gift, bribe) was used in earlier periods, but in the first third of the 19th century it was applied in full scale. The Ottomans through all means tried to retain under their influence the numerous ethnic groups of the Western Caucasus, using the gift-giving practice on both the representatives of the upper class (Princes, nobles), as well as on prisoners and peasants. Upon writing this article, the author analyzed and generalized the policy methods of the Ottoman Empire in the Western Caucasus. Upon translating the archive document, the author used the main theoretical and practical methods of historical research. The novelty of this research lies in its study of the Ottoman Empire's policy method of the gift of Pishkesh, which in both Russian and foreign historiographies has practically not been examined. The previously unpublished archival document from the Ottoman archive of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey is introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, in which the author found valuable information about the named gift-giving practice.