The history of the Imams of the Caucasus and the Gunoy community in the collected works of the late 19th century

Tesaev Zelimkhan Adamovich Researcher, Institute of Humanitarian Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Chechen Republic; Postgraduate, Integrated Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences 364001, Russia, Chechenskaya Respublika, g. Groznyi, bul. M. A. Esambaeva, 13 amin.tesaev@gmail.com Other publications by this author

This article examines the content of two narratives that are part of a collection of works dating from the end of the XIX century. The collection, kept in the family of Shirvani Arsaliev (copies were handed over to us in 2020), consists of 58 pages (one page is damaged) of Arabic text with elements of ajam (a photocopy of the original). The entire document – with the exception of one and a half pages (in Turki) – is written in Arabic, the handwriting is mixed (naskh and ruka). There is a later numbering, the order is broken: the text is read from the last page in descending order.

We publish two of the four narratives of the collection, conventionally called by us "The History of the Imams" and "The History of the Guna". Judging by the fact that the entire document is written in one handwriting, its compiler is a certain Muhammad, possibly Ganukaev. The latter, according to the text, compiled a manuscript for Mazhir Ganukayev ^{[5, p. 54]} in Shaaban 1316 AH (14.XII.1898-12.I.1899). In the colophon we read: "This edition was recorded by Muhammad for his younger brother, Majir son Ganuk, may God be lenient to them and may He forgive them. Amen. Completed [the compilation of this] text ... [on one of the days of the month] Sha'ban." The date is assigned to the side on the left: 1316 Hijri.

"The History of the Imams" (" ") is a brief account of the deeds of three imams - Gazi Muhammad, Gamzat bey and Shamil - placed on 57-56 pages (introductory part; between it and the main text - another essay), as well as on 44-40 pages of the original. The introduction (57 pages) is the first sentences to the sections devoted to Gazi-Muhammad and Shamil. On the 56th page there is a conclusion to the section about Shamil. The arrangement of sentences in the translation is made in accordance with the context.

The Hijra dates given in the text may in some cases cause confusion due to discrepancies with the ideas about the known chronology of events. In particular, it is claimed that Imam Shamil "appeared" in 1252 (17.IV.1836-6.IV.1837), whereas by this time the imam had been active in Dagestan for two years ^{[1, pp. 589-592, 595]}. However, if we understand by this date the assistance that the Chechen detachments led by Tashu-Hadji Sayasansky began to provide him ^{[1, p. 585, 596, 597, 600, 602, 603, 606, 607]}, previously assisted Gazi-Muhammad in attracting Chechens to gazavat ^{[1, pp. 388, 541]}, then this may serve as an explanation of this contradiction. By the way, the "Note on measures to pacify the Caucasian mountaineers" also states that Shamil "appeared" since 1836 ^{[1, p. 358]}. In the "Review of the military actions of the mountain peoples ..." it is reported that the imam "began to spread the teachings of the former fanatics that were seductive to Dagestanis" in the same 1836 ^{[1, p. 389]}. At the same time, Baron Rosen wrote in June 1835 about the beginning of the imam's active activity: Shamil gained "universal respect" in the mountains, and the "champions of Islamism" recognized him as "their head" ^{[1, p. 595]}.

The attack of Ghazi-Muhammad on Tarki mentioned in the text took place on May 27-29, 1831. On the 29th, the battle of Gazi-Muhammad's Gazis and the detachment of Major General Kohanov took place. The latter set fire to Tarki, and on the night of the 30th Gazi-Muhammad left the burned village ^{[1, p. 530]}. The attack on the city of Kizlyar, also mentioned in the text, took place on November 1 of the same year ^{[1, pp. 669-672]}. The statement about the clash of Gazi-Muhammad's troops and the Russians in the area of the village of "Kumsi" (apparently, Gudermes), "when he was returning from the fortress of Gizlar", is erroneous (Gazi-Muhammad returned from Kizlyar through Chir-Yurt, and not Kachkalyk ^{[1, p. 676]}). This follows from the mention of two captured guns and the village of Benoy. In fact, these events unfolded the following year: on August 19, 1832, Colonel Volzhinsky "made a reconnaissance to Gudermes", where Gazi-Muhammad was located, and was attacked by Chechens on rough terrain. The colonel himself, as well as more than a hundred Cossacks, died in battle, and Gazi-Muhammad, according to Baron Rosen's report to Count Chernyshev, took three prisoners and two guns. Later, Rosen received information that Gazi-Muhammad left both guns "for preservation in the Ichkerinskaya village. Benoy." By September 9th, Major-General Volkhovsky had reached Benoy with battles and the next day, finding both guns thrown into a ravine, picked them up and began the return journey ^{[1, pp. 684-687, 689-691]}.

A certain difficulty in translating the text caused the understanding of the expression about the seizure of the "guarantors": " ". Based on the further context indicating the abandonment of these "guarantors" in Benoy, we translated this as "[from their] wagon train two guns from large guns." Also in the text there are two forms of the name of the village of Benoy: "" (Ban) and "" (Baban). It is obvious that in the second variant one diacritic point is omitted (""): in this case we will get the word Bain, which is close to the Chechen name of the village (Bena). In the text, we correct this inaccuracy, while leaving both options (Ban and Bain).

Another ambiguity in the text is the statement that Gazi–Muhammad was the "son of a Yank" (" ").

The name of Nahu ("?""), the parent of the Avar rulers Nuzalkhan and Umakhan, should obviously be read as Bahu ("?""), i.e. Pahu-bike (historically known mother of the aforementioned brothers) ^{[1, pp. 544, 567, 568, 571]}. In the text, Pahu-bike is also attributed the rank of general in the royal service – this is apparently incorrect. At the same time, it is known that her son, Nuzalhal, was a colonel and received a salary ^{[1, p. 570]}. She, Pahu-bike, is assigned a leading role in the management of the "nahiya" (district), she is also called the culprit of the murder of her and her sons, which is true to a certain extent ^{[1, pp. 574-576, 578-579]}.

The statement about the appeal of Imam Shamil to the Chechens of the Ichkar region (Ichkeria) also reveals a historical basis: the Ichkerinites supported Shamil even before his settlement in Chechnya, in 1836, being in the ranks of the companions of Tashu-Hadji Sayasansky, as we mentioned above ^{[1, pp. 597, 600, 606]}. The same Ichkerinites received the imam in their mountains after his defeat in Akhulgo ^{[2, p. 87; 3, p. 252; 4, p. 159; 13, p. 59]}.

The second essay, "The History of the Guna" (" "), is a narrative about the ancestor of the Guna people – Gundal (in the text – Kundal) – and his descendants, about their migrations and places of residence. The routes of the patriarchs sometimes differ strikingly from those presented in other legends ^{[5, p. 61, 76-78; 9, p. 12; 12, p. 57]}. Page 1 is followed by another, unnumbered one – apparently, there was a continuation of the text on it; the sheet is damaged. On the page with the number 4, the last four sentences of page 1 are repeated (a detail has been added – the name of the village of Guni in a different form), after which the text ends and a colophon with the date is given. In the text there are two forms of transmission of the name of the village of Guni: Guna ("") and Kun (""), - with and without ajam. Only 16 generations are listed, including Gundal. 15th – Mazhir Ganukayev. Taking about 30 years per generation and assuming that Mazhir was a man for about 40 years (according to the text, he had a son Jamal-ud-Din), counting back from 1899, we get approximately the turn of the XIV–XV centuries. as the probable lifetime of Gundal. Reconciliation with the data of legends and family manuscripts, supplementing the tree with several names, as well as claiming about a certain epidemic (during the years of Gundal's life) that forced the "Kalmyks" to leave the foothills, allows us to shift the dating of Gundal's life to the middle of the XIV century ^{[5, p. 43, 76-78; 12, p. 57]}. The fact is that the first mention of the Kalmyks is found in the records of Sheref-ad-Din Yazdi about the arrival of a delegation of "Kalmyks" from the Ulus of Jochi to Timur's camp in 1397/1398. This is probably the earliest known written record of the Kalmyks. The appearance of this ethnonym is associated with the time of Uzbek rule ^{[8, p. 56; 10, p. 187]}. At the same time, it is known that in 1346-1353 in Europe, in particular, in the Golden Horde, a plague epidemic spread, destroying more than half of its population ^{[14, pp. 680, 683]}.

Judging by the geography of the "History of the Guna", the brothers Gundal and Nizhal, mentioned in the text, lived in the upper reaches of the Argun basin. It is known from the legends that they – before the exodus of Gundal – lived in the modern Galanchozhsky district of the Czech Republic, in the Nashkha region ^{[5, p. 14, 76; 9, p. 12]}. Gendargno (or Chebarlo) often appears in family records instead of the name of Nizhala. This correlates with another legend about the kinship of the Kur-Chilli, Gouno, Gendargno and Nizhalo (brothers and their sister). The issue is debatable, especially against the background of the results of DNA studies ^{[5, p. 56, 62, 68, 76; 6; 7; 11, pp. 284, 339]}. However, it is likely that the legends about the brotherhood reflect not genetic, but socially conditioned (union, adoption, dairy or sworn brotherhood, etc.) kinship of the ancestors of the mentioned communities.

All the Hijri dates given in the text are converted and indicated in parentheses. The original numbering of the document is shown in square brackets, as well as our text inserts to maintain context during translation. After some words, more often proper names, in quotation marks placed in parentheses, their original Arabic spelling is given for clarity.

Next – "The History of the Imams": [p. 57] This is the story of the great Imam Ghazi–Muhammad al-Kimraviyah (""; Gimrinsky. - Z. T.), may God have mercy on him, in the 1244 (13.VII.1828-2.VII.1829. – Z. T.) year of the Hijra. Imam Ghazi-Muhammad became a martyr (God grant) in the battle with the infidels after noon, on Monday, the 12th of the month of Rabi-al-Ahir in 1248 (7.09.1832. - Z. T.). May God have mercy on him, me and all those who were with him. Oh, my God! Oh, the Opener! Amen.

[p. 44] In the name of God, the Merciful and Merciful. In 1244, God manifested a man in the village of Kimri (""; Gimry. – Z. T.) – this is a village from mountain villages – a learned man, a complete ascetic, the owner of excellent courage and obvious virtues, his name is Gazi-Muhammad. A just imam of his flock, [he] followed the Prophet, may God bless him and greet him, and took the path of Sharia, fighting with the infidels. And he cut off the heads of hypocrites and fierce people. He conquered the fortresses of Targu (""; Tarki. – Z. T.) and Gizlar (""; Kizlyar. – Z. T.), and his troops took the spoils, captured women and children and killed the soldiers [of the enemy]. And when he was returning from the fortress of Gizlar and reached the village of Kumsi (""; apparently, the Chechen. Gumsi, or Gudermes. – Z. T.), he met there [p. 43] an army of infidels. And two groups came together and started a war: he defeated the troops of the infidels with the help of the Almighty Lord God. They killed them. And the Muslims took two cannons from large guns [from their] baggage train. And Imam Gazi-Muhammad the son of Yanka (?) came [with these] guns to the village of Ban. Then he returned to his house, leaving the guns in the village of Bain, and after a while the troops of the infidels came for the guns: they took them and left. And men from Ichkeria villages fought against them, and many of them became martyrs.

Then this army went to the mountains after Gazi-Muhammad, and he, along with a small army, was firmly sitting in the trenches, and when the army of the infidels reached them, [p. 42] Ghazi-Muhammad addressed his army, saying: "Whoever will not be patient for the sake of the face of God, let him come out of the trenches." And Gazi-Muhammad stood firmly in the ditch with those who bought Paradise with their souls, and they fought until they were killed.

Then Khamzat Khan became the imam instead of Ghazi-Muhammad, and he was a learned ascetic, God-fearing. He came to wilayat Honsak (" ") and killed the Groin [of bike] and her sons. And they are Nuzalkhan ("Nuzalkhan") and Umakhan ("Nuzalkhan"). And this [happened] because of the machinations of the lady who ruled this area, who took from her kharaj (tax -Z. T.), and [was] in the rank of general under the Russian padishah. And Hamzat Khan stayed in the position of imam for only one year and was killed by his relatives [p. 41] by the conspirators in the cathedral mosque, [when] he led (was imam. – Z. T.) Friday prayer. End.

[p. 57] This is the story of the announcement of the great Imam Shamuil (""; further – Shamil. – Z. T.) al–Kimravi (""; i.e. Gimrinsky. - Z. T.) in 1256 AH (4.III.1840-21.II.1841. – Z. T.). [Yes God's mercy will be with him.

[p. 56] And Imam Shamil turned out to be a prisoner in the hands of the infidels when [they] captured the fortress of Huni (""; i.e. Gunib. – Z. T.) in 1275 AH (10.VIII.1858-3.VII.1859. - Z. T.). Oh, God! Help us in a crazy [situation]. Amen, oh, God!

[p. 41] In 1252 (17.IV.1836-6.IV.1837. – Z. T.), a man appeared from the aforementioned village of Kimri (""; Gimry. – Z. T.), a scientist, a just, an ascetic (literally "Zahid-kamil". – Z. T.), his name is Shamil. And he was the best of men and the bravest of imams, fought in the way of God and called people to the religion of God (to Islam. – Z. T.). He wielded a sword and a pen (i.e., he was a warrior and a scientist. – Z. T.) and brought people out of the darkness [atrocities] to the light, however, the inhabitants mountain villages did not like him [p. 40] and they did not accept him, because there were infidel fortifications among them, and they were in a truce with them (had an agreement. – Z. T.). Imam Shamil asked for help from the [residents] of the villages of Ichkeria (""), because [there] were settlements that did not come under the rule of the infidels and never engaged in informing on worthy people. End.

Next – "The History of the Guna": [p. 3] This is an explanation [about] the exodus of the ancestors of the Huna people ("") from the village of Najal (""). This is the mountain that was [located] in front of the village of Najal [and] was called Gark-Lam ("Gark-Lam"; the legend mentions Mount Kurku–Lam ^{[5, p. 68]}. - Z. T.), in the possession of the people of the village of Guna ("").

[Their] first ancestor is Kundal (""), and his brother is Nizhal (""). And there was enmity and hostility between them. Nizhal secretly met with an army of infidels from the Batsoi men (""; Batsbians. – Z. T.) and offered [them] to raid and [steal] the sheep of his brother Kundal, and he (Kundal. – Z. T.) did not know about it. Both of them (brothers – Z. T.) had [their] buildings for sheep on the mountain, and there was a high hill between them. Nizhal made a lighthouse in the form of an effigy over this hill, which pointed to the place of the sheep building of Kundal, and he (Kundal. – Z. T.) did not know about it. Nizhal made an agreement with the aforementioned men [batsoev] [p. 2]. The son of Kundal saw this lighthouse, [noticed that it stood] with a slope towards their sheep and told his father about it. The father said to his son: "Turn this lighthouse towards the sheep of Nizhal, [because] it is possible [that] it is from [his] bad machinations. And he did it as his father commanded. And the infidel Batsoi troops raided Nizhal's sheep against his plan. And the enmity and hatred between the brothers intensified even more than it had been before, and Kundal moved from there to the destroyed lands of the Tsavs (""; tsova-tushiny? – Z. T.), in order to master them and strengthen here. And he lived there until [his] death. And lived there his son Cablu ("") and (Cedula. – Z. T.) son Farseli (""; was being parsed. – Z. T.), and his (latest. – Z. T.) the son, Claims (""), went to the land Avtorov ("") to purchase [p. 1] of land and strengthen it. And there Iski died. And left his son Cumulat ("") to the place called "Hashi of havini Ahava" (" "; the literal translation from the Chechen language: [C] the hill, [where] the seated guests. – Z. T.), for the acquisition of lands and settlements there before [the most] of death. Came his son, date (""), to the village of guna ("") in place [located] near it, called "Roti-Duk" (" "). And he lived there until [his] death. His son, Ustar (""), also lived there until [his] death. His (Obsolete – Z. T.) son, Azhmot ("Azhmot"), lived there. And there lived his (Ajmota. – Z. T.) son, Ulbi (""). And there lived the son of [the latter], Ali (""). And there lived his (Ali. – Z. T.) son, Khan-Bahad (" "). And there lived his son, Girim-Hadji (""). There lived his son, Musralif (""; in the original it is not clear. – Z. T.). And his son, Umakhan ("") lived there. And there lived his son, Ganuka (""). [p. 4] And Girim-Hadji lived in the village of Gong (""). And his son, Musralif, lived there. And his son, Umakhan, lived there. And his son, Ganuka, lived there. And his son, Mazhir, lived there (""). And his son, Jamal-ud-Din, lived there (""). End.