The North Caucasus Within the Russian Empire

Abstract

This chapter traces the trajectories in the North Caucasus from the end of the Caucasus wars of conquest in the mid-19th century until the outbreak of revolution in 1917. A detailed treatment of this epoch is necessary due to the fact that historical investigation of the post-war period, as opposed to the Caucasus wars themselves, has been rudimentary to date. While Russian historical research has begun to study this period systematically based on new sources, albeit without reaching any kind of consensus in assessing Russian policy, the Western literature has only dealt with this epoch in cursory overviews. This chapter remedies some of these deficiencies by looking more closely at the nature of Russian rule in the Caucasus after the end of formal military conquest. It also takes into account the societal responses and changes that took place during this period.