Legal proceedings of the Kumyks in the 18th – early 19th century

Based on the analysis of the documents of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Dagestan and special historical literature, the article examines the procedure of the court under customary law among the Kumyks in the 18th – early 19th century. According to the authors, there were organisations like merchant courts in large Kumyk villages, which is confirmed in the documents of Kizlyar commandant's archive. At the same time, court proceedings related to trade and debts were conducted with the participation of merchants, but according to the established norms of customary law among the Kumyks. It is stated that in the course of the social system evolution, the Kumyks had developed surprisingly stable system of consideration of disputed cases based on the norms of adat law. It is emphasised that during the period under study, the main type of evidence of a crime was an oath with accomplices. The authors come to the conclusion that the sentences of the adat courts were of a strict nature for everyone, regardless of the social position occupied by the defendant.