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Genesis: Historical research
Reference:

On the issue of cataloging the orders of Chechen mudirs, naibs and murtazeks from the times of the Imamat (1840–1859)

Tesaev Zelimkhan Adamovich

Researcher, Archive Department of the Government of the Chechen Republic

95 Lermontov str., Grozny, 364013, Russia

amin.tesaev@gmail.com
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.25136/2409-868X.2024.4.70548

EDN:

SEFDTV

Received:

23-04-2024


Published:

05-05-2024


Abstract: The article examines a number of awards and official badges (orders) from the times of the Imamat (1840–1859), awarded both by Shamil himself and his subordinates to the Chechen mudirs, naibs and murtazeks. Not only the surviving medals themselves are described, but also sources, illustrations, as well as material monuments that preserve information on the subject of research. In particular, for the first time, the awards of the naibs Baysangur Benoevsky, Gazi-Hadzhi Zandaksky, Tyurshi Tsikaroysky, the supposed medals of the naibs Eski and Uma, as well as epigraphic monuments (grave steles), which depict the lifetime awards of the buried, are being introduced into scientific circulation. An attempt is being made to catalog newly identified and previously known signs associated with the Chechen vilayat (region) of the Imamate. An analysis of graphic images of signs recorded on epigraphic monuments is also carried out. There is a shortage of works on the topic of the article, which determines the relevance of the issue and indicates the long-term nature of the task set by the author (compiling a catalog of Imamate awards given to Chechens). Previously, no attempts were made to catalog the Imamate's awards in the context of the Chechen region. An important result of the work carried out is the introduction into scientific circulation of five Imamate award signs, two of which have the names of the owners written on them, and another sign is dated; attribution of at least five signs depicted on funeral steles; attribution of medals shown in illustrations, as well as photographs from 1885. In addition, it has now been established that for the 19 individuals discussed in the article, there are 28 awards and 4 official categories, with the record holders being Atabi Ataev (4 awards) and Eski Khulkhulinsky (3 awards).


Keywords:

Imamate, insignia of the Imamate, medals of the Imamate, Chechens, Chechnya, Caucasian War, naibs, awards of the Imamate, funeral steles, churts

This article is automatically translated. You can find original text of the article here.

In the light of the great attention paid in recent years to the issues of the history of Russia in general and its regions in particular, as well as the announcement of 2024 in the Chechen Republic as the "Year of History, Historical Monuments, Architecture and Cultural Heritage of the Chechen People", the topic of material monuments of the Imamate period in the history of the republic is being updated. Among the latter, in addition to various firearms and bladed weapons, the award badges of the Imamate should be highlighted.

            The imamate as a state entity arose on March 7, 1840 as a result of the proclamation in Urus-Martan (a city in the Czech Republic) by the imam of Chechnya, who left the Accident after the fall of Akhulgo Shamil Gimrinsky [1, pp. 245, 247; 2, pp. 191; 3, pp. 86-87]. Soon, the scale of the newly elected imam's activities spread far beyond Chechnya proper; as a result, Shamil became known to his contemporaries as the "Imam of Chechnya and Dagestan" [4, p. 102; 5, p. 53; 6; 7, p. 101; 8, p. 530; 9, p. 101], although his The influence penetrated into the Circassian possessions [10; 11]. At an early stage of his activity in Chechnya, Shamil was surrounded by such outstanding Chechen leaders as Shuaib Tsontaroevsky, known as the "marshal of the forest war"; Talhig Batsiev-Shalinsky, developer of artillery tactics of "nomadic batteries"; Baisangur Barshkiev-Benoevsky, nicknamed by contemporaries and Shamil himself "Birgez" and "Tash-adam" (Man-stone); Yusuf-Haji Safarov, who received an academic military education in Ottoman Turkey, and many others. As for Yusuf Safarov, it is to him that the merit of introducing normalized legislation ("Nizam") in the Imamate, the "murtazekov" system (a military structure introduced in Chechnya as an alternative to the regular army; at the same time, the rest of the highlanders marched as militias) belongs [1, pp. 358-359, 381-385; 12, p. 178; 13, pp. 6-7; 14, pp. 214-215; 15, p. 1424, 1447, 1454, 1456, 1459-1462; 16, 17; 17, pp. 21-22; 18, p. 68], the construction of a number of fortifications and the development of a reward system, which arose no later than 1841 and faded with the fall of the capital of the Imamate – Vedeno (a village and the administrative center of the district of the same name in the Czech Republic) – in 1859 [1, p. 358; 13, p. 5; 16, p. 17; 19, p. 404].

            Upon familiarization with the works entirely or partially devoted to the topic of the orders of the Imamate [13, pp. 5-23; 18, pp. 59-63; 20; 21, pp. 187-197, Tables XLI, XLII; 22-24], it became obvious that there is a need to create a catalog of currently known awards awarded to Chechens. At the same time, it should be noted that not only Shamil had the right to award, but also some individuals endowed with appropriate powers by him. For example, Chechens Shuaib-mullah, Ullubi-mullah, Talhig enjoyed such rights [12, p. 178; 13, p. 9; 24, p. 146] and others. Valuable, but often contradictory data on the specifics of the award system are found in officer reports of the tsarist period, memoirs, notes, etc. [1, pp. 358-359, 383-384; 12, pp. 178; 13, pp. 8, 21; 14, pp. 214-215; 19, pp. 404; 25, pp. 200; 26, pp. 30-31; 27, pp. 52; 28, pp. 293-294] The testimony of Shamil himself, recorded by M. Kazem-Bek in his essay [29, pp. 57-58], especially attracts attention. However, the differing data given in the sources indicate a weak understanding of the award system under consideration by contemporaries [13, p. 9; 20, p. 13; 29, p. 57-58].

            In compiling the list of awards below, comparative and typological methods of researching the data available in sources and literature were used; in addition, in addition to the already known exhibits, we are introducing for the first time copies found in private collections or recorded by us on epigraphic monuments. Unfortunately, not all exhibits are illustrated; some of them are included in this catalog based on textual descriptions in documents and essays. The task is also complicated by the fact that some of the exhibits stored in the regional museum during the Soviet period were lost due to well-known events in the Czech Republic. For example, in 1991, there were five exhibits in the collections of the Chechen-Ingush State United Museum, about which nothing is known now [30, p. 15]. It should be noted that the work represents only the first stage of the study, which implies further replenishment of the list below.

Next is the catalog of awards and their description.

Haji Muhammad. The medal was awarded to Haji Muhammad, the first Naib of Circassia, who came from the village of Hermenchuk in 1842-1844. Hadji Muhammad died in May 1844 [11, p. 21; 31, p. 405, 409-410]. Among the exhibits of the State Historical Museum (GIM, No. 105072) there is a nominal silver order (stamping, blackening) Hadji Muhammad with a diameter of 50 mm (Fig. 1) with the following inscription: "This is a young man whose superiority was exercised when meeting in war and who is undaunted in battle. This is a high-level order. Hajja Mahomed..." or "This is a difference from the differences of Hajji Muhammad. (This is) a hero, his onslaught is perfect in war, but in battle he rushes forward" [13, p. 15; 20, p. 36]. In the list of A. Z. Mutsaev, the medal is given in the list of awards bestowed by the Naibs [13, p. 15; 24, p. 145-146].

Talhig. Naib Talhig, aka Talgik Batsiev, comes from the city of Shali. He held the positions of Naib of the village and region of Shali, as well as Naib of Greater Chechnya. Developer of horse-mounted artillery and tactics of "nomadic batteries" [18, p. 53; 27, p. 75; 32, l. 2-2 vol.].

The 1885 photograph shows three gunners from among the former subordinates of Naib Talhig, as well as his descendants and other personalities. In particular, on the chest of the declared initiator of the picture – Borscht Khambulatov – the orders (Fig. 2) of Talhig Batsiev from the time of the Imamate are found [13, p. 23; 30, p. 15].

The medal on the right shoulder corresponds in external parameters to the medal for bravery, probably with a text like "Whoever thinks about the consequences is not a hero" [13, p. 19; 20, p. 36, 41]. The second medal with numerous semicircles around the circumference and a hemisphere in the center also has full or partial external analogues [13, p. 14; 20, p. 42].

Judging by the well-known copies of this design, the copy in question is an award, not an official badge of distinction. The exhibits (Fig. 3, 4) are given as examples of analogues (the 12th and 23rd exhibits presented by A. Z. Mutsaev) [13, pp. 14, 19].

Baisangur. Baysangur Barshkiev (Benoevsky) is the naib of the Imamate [31, pp. 101-114]. In 1860, having led the resistance to the tsarist authorities, he temporarily assumed the title of imam, until he transferred it to the honorary elder, the theologian Ghazi-Haji Zandaksky [33, p. 49]. Captain Runovsky, according to Shamil, recorded the following information about Baysangur: "As a reward for his extraordinary bravery and dedication to the cause of Gazavat, Baysungur received two medals from Shamil. When Gunib fell, Baisungur swore publicly not to take off his medals and not to stop the war with the Russians until his head fell off" [15, p. 1447]. This exhibit (Fig. 5) from a private collection has an expert opinion of the GIM, is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The text of the examination contains a description: "... an octagonal silver order of the Shamil award system with black, measuring 74x74 mm, weighing 24.0 g." [34, p. 1]. Further, an expert conclusion is made: "Visual inspection of the order by comparison with authentic samples stored in the GIM allows us to conclude that the presented for examination, the honorary award badge of Imamat Shamil is authentic, made in the Caucasus in 1841-1859." [34, p. 2].

There is a rich blackening on the exhibit. In the center of the medal there is an arabographic inscription: "Baishur" ("Bai'shur"). It is noteworthy that among the epistolary originals compiled by Baysangur's contemporaries, a letter from the former mudir and naib Imamate Atabi Atayev stands out, in which the latter repeatedly mentions Baysangur [35, l. 41]. The spelling of the name in the text of the letter corresponds to what is observed on the medal. This fact is noteworthy on the grounds that a modern researcher or layman is as likely as possible to convey the sound -c- in the name of Baysangur in Arabic graphics through the letter sin, whereas in the originals we observe the letter sod [35, l. 41]. It should be noted that the Baisangur medal is not the only one of its kind. In particular, a nominal sign with the laconic inscription "Baybolat, 1269" (14.X.1852-2.X.1853), referred to as the Naib awards, is mentioned [24, p. 146]. In addition, according to external signs (blackening), the Baisangur medal reveals an affinity with the above-mentioned exhibit of Haji Muhammad. Thus, we are talking (together with the data of Captain Runovsky) about two awards of Baisangur (according to D. Khozhaev, the "medal for bravery" was awarded to Baisangur after the Battle of Ichkerinsky in 1842 [36, p. 183].

Bersan. When working with funeral steles from the time of the Caucasian War, it is also possible to find epigraphic evidence of medals that once belonged to the buried. In particular, during an expedition in 2023 in the Vedensky district of the Czech Republic, at the rural cemetery of the village of Dargo – the first capital of the Imamate – we identified a stele on which two triangular medals with a scan along the edges of the faces, cut corners and a hemisphere in the center, corresponding to the specimens presented by the researchers [13, p. 13; 20, p. 47; 24, p. 146]. On the stele itself (Fig. 6) there is an inscription that allows us to establish that the owner of the awards was Bersan Zharkaev, who was buried in 1277 (19.VII.1860-7.VII.1861).

As an example, we can cite the 11th exhibit (silver, black, scan; height 55 mm) with a lost hemisphere in the list of A. Z. Mutsaev (Fig. 7), from a private collection; there are examples from other catalogs [20, p. 47]. In three corners of the medal, the inscription is broken in parts: "The owner of bravery and generosity" [13, pp. 13-14].

Javadkhan. Javadkhan Dargoevsky is a Chechen naib who headed various areas of the Imamate at different times. Already at the end of 1839, he was appointed Shamil naib Dargo [31, p. 178; 37, p. 116]. He was among the first Chechens to support Shamil after the defeat in Akhulgo, as reported in the documents [1, pp. 243, 247, 257]. Together with Shuaib Tsontaroevsky, he controlled the process of the food embargo declared by Shamil at the first stage of his activities in Chechnya [3, p. 88]. He died from a wound received during the battles against the forces of P. H. Grabbe (the Battle of Ichkerin), who intended to take the capital of the Imamate of Dargo in May–June 1842 [3, pp. 88, 103, 109; 38, p. 117]. Among the exhibits of the National Museum of the Taho-Godi RD, the nominal order of Javadkhan of a complex symmetrical shape in the form of a flower is known. A sample with a diameter of 90 mm (silver, black, scan, grain, fabric), on the four "petals" of the order there is an inscription: "Naib victorious with the help of a supportive patron, renewing Islam, establishing Nizam, revitalizing the Sunnah and suppressing innovations Javad Khan. May the Almighty prolong his power. Only He, the Almighty, has strength and power" [13, p. 10]. Apparently, this exhibit is an example of the highest awards of the Imamate.

Ozdamir. Ozdamir (also appears in the sources as Astemir) is a Chechen naib, who acted among the detachments of Tashu-Hadji and Udi-mullah even before Shamil appeared in Chechnya. The documents mention him as one of the "chiefs" in the battle near the village of Avtury on February 9, 1837 and later. By the end of his life, he held the position of the five hundredth naib. Ozdamir was killed by Chagai Akayev, who had gained his trust, in late April – early May 1842. The latter tore off the insignia from the clothes of the murdered Ozdamir, which he handed over to the tsarist authorities [1, p. 155-156, 256, 341, 342; 31, pp. 326-328]. These medals were described in documents, and later they were kept as museum exhibits. In particular, we are talking about a brush for a saber in the form of a lanyard (the inscription: "There is no Ozdamir braver, there is no saber sharper"), as well as two medals. The first (Fig. 10), according to H.-M. Donogo [20, p. 34], is a military insignia with the inscription: "There is no power without the help of God. The head of five hundred people. The newly organized army" [1, p. 342; 13, p. 8; 20, p. 11; 39, p. 78].

It is noteworthy that, unlike the round signs of the five hundredths, sketched and illustrated in the Klyuki von Klugenau Foundation (Fig. 11) [40, l. 1; 41, l. 1], the Ozdamir medal (silver, black, engraving), denoting the title of the five hundredth naib, according to H.-M. Donogo, has a triangular shape (fig. 10) [20, p. 34]. At the same time, we have the impression that an error was made here when interpreting or reading the text, since, in our opinion, this (triangular) sample fully corresponds to the sample (Fig. 7) illustrated in the description of the Bersan Zharkaev medal (with the same inscription). If our assumption is correct, then Ozdamir's triangular medal was just the same an award for bravery with the text we are viewing: "The owner of bravery and courage." It follows from this that the second sign of Ozdamir is an official medal with the above text ("Chief of five hundred ..."). At the same time, the next medal (Fig. 9), declared as the official Order of Ozdamir, has a complex (eight-pointed) symmetrical shape with slightly concave faces inwards. Like the first one, the medal is made of silver, with blackening and engraving [20, p. 34].

According to A. Z. Mutsaev, Ozdamir's medal with an indication of his official position and the corresponding text ("The five-hundredth chief of the new charter. There is no fortress, there is no power as from God") has exactly a round shape and a brush suspended from the eye of a hemisphere located in the center [13, pp. 7-8]. An illustration close to this description is given in the work of V. A. Potto (Fig. 12) [42, p. 134]. This description is more close to the copy (fig. 11) illustrated in the Kluka von Klugenau foundation (inscription: "No one has strength and power except God, the High and Powerful") [40, L. 1; 41, L. 1]. If we are right, then the question arises about the origin of the octagonal symmetrical shape sample (Fig. 9) described above. Apparently, the badges (Fig. 9, 10) belong to the award category, and the official was the third one, mentioned by A. Z. Mutsaev.

Atabi. Atabi Ataev, aka Atabai Chengerov, Atabi Ataev-Chunguroevsky – an outstanding Chechen theologian, military and administrative figure, naib and mudir of the Imamate, poet [15, pp. 1270-1271; 27, pp. 83; 43, l. 1-1 vol.; 44, l. 4; 45, pp. 177, 185; 46, pp. 165, 166, 168]. In August 1848, Atabai moved to the tsar's camp, which made it possible to describe the awards he was awarded by Shamil [45, pp. 177-178]. In November 1849, he returned to the ranks of the Murids as a result of correspondence with Shamil [45, pp. 180-181; 47, L. 239; 48, l. 1-1 vol.In November 1861, he was arrested. After a long exile, he returned to his homeland in 1883 [45, pp. 183, 185; 49, l. 21-21 vol., 42, 53-53 vol., 69-69 vol.; 50, l. 1-2, 3-4]. Already in 1848, judging by the description in an article of the same year (written by a witness to the appearance of Atabai in the Russian camp during a temporary break with Shamil), Atabai had two silver awards (medals) of triangular shape with inscriptions: "A hero experienced in battles and, like a lion, rushing at the enemy" and "Only that he can be called brave who does not think about the consequences" [20, p. 26; 51, p. 316]. Unfortunately, we have not found sketches of these awards, although we can draw parallels with the samples considered in the section by Bersan Zharkaev and Ozdamir (Fig. 7, 10).

Interestingly, it is mentioned (also without illustration) another medal, discovered in 1938 by Atabai's grandson, Muhammad, with the inscription: "Glory is looking for a brave man" [20, p. 26].

Finally, another badge of distinction, kept in the National Museum of the Republic of Tajikistan named after A. Tahoe-Godi, is an award badge (Fig. 13) of complex symmetrical shape and skillful jewelry (silver, scan, black, partial gilding, false grain, diameter 100 mm). In the six "petals" of the order there is an inscription: "One of the outstanding naibs of Shamil – the great Sultan, the illustrious patron, the emir of the faithful. May Allah Almighty prolong his reign." The hexagonal overlay in the center is topped with an eye for an unbroken brush; six hemispheres around the circumference and six more on the edges of the "petals". The order was awarded by Shamil. It seems to be an example of higher insignia [13, p. 12; 20, p. 43; 52, p. 502].

Thus, we are talking about four Atabi Atayev badges of the award category, which, apparently, is the only or the rarest recorded case.

Alkhot. Alkhot Dzhambulatov is the naib of the Imamate, who entered the military path at a young age. The descendants of Alkhot, in the custody of X. Ismailova, A. I. Dukhaev revealed the medal given by Shamil Naib for military merit (Fig. 14). The medal is triangular in shape with three ears at the corners for attachment and a hole in the center, apparently from the lost hemisphere. It is very noteworthy that the text on the sign is written in Arabic letters, but in the Chechen language (ajam). The inscription: "Mayralliyna yella midal yu. Shemalas yella x I ara borz-Alhotana" ("The medal is given for bravery. Presented by Shamil to the Alkhot wolf") [53, p. 3].

In addition to the fact that the medal is the only example of the Chechen-language award badge of the Imamate that has been identified so far, Shamil's name in the text is reflected in three letters (""; Shamil) instead of the traditional five (""; Shamuil) on other samples and written sources. Perhaps this fact is explained, firstly, by M. Kazem-Bek's statement that among the ordinary population of the Imamate, the imam was called "Shamil" instead of the official and clerical "Shamuil" [20, p. 24; 29, p. 24]. Secondly, the presence of a Chechen-language text implies that the work on making the sign was entrusted to an unknown Chechen master [53, p. 3].

Ayshan. When examining the monuments at the old cemetery in the Marza-Mokhk area of the Nozhai-Yurtovsky district of the Czech Republic, we identified the funeral stele of Ayshan Kurbanov "killed in the right battle" in 1272 (12.IX.1855-30.VIII.1856) [54, pp. 64, 66]. On the stele above the image of gazyrs there are circles with inscriptions inside (Fig. 15), which, apparently, are attributed by external signs as official signs of the four or five hundred chief of the troops of the old-style Imamate. The signs show parallels with sketches from the von Klugenau foundation (Fig. 16, 17) and other samples [13, p. 7; 20, p. 38; 26, p. 30-31; 28, p. 294; 40, l. 1; 41, l. 1].

Hamil. At the cemetery of the village of Sredniye Kurchali in the Vedensky district of the Czech Republic, when working with the epitaphs of tombstones, we identified the stele of Gamil Gaziev, "killed in battle with the infidels" in the month of Rabiu-l-Avval 1273 (29.X.-27.XI.1856) [54, pp. 63, 66]. On the right side of the stele (Fig. 17), a triangle is depicted above the gazyrs (on the left – a natruska), which is attributed as the official badge of the centurion (yuzbashi) of the Imamate's troops [26, pp. 30-31; 40, L. 1; 41, L. 1]. The sign also resembles an illustration from the von Klugenau Foundation (Fig. 18).

Telbish. Telbish from Benoy is the commander of the Imamate's detachment. We have not yet revealed any additional information about Telbish's identity. In September 1991, the Chechen-Ingush State United Museum purchased a medal with an Arabic inscription from a descendant of Telbish, Pasha Ibriev: "To those who showed bravery and courage in the army of Talhiq, 1206 hijri" (judging by the transcript, an error was made in the article – we are talking about 1266 Hijri – 16.XI.1849-4.XI.1850). It is claimed that Telbish had two awards for courage in battle [30, p. 15]. Unfortunately, we were unable to identify the photo of the medal. The description of the sign is also unknown. However, this sample indicates that the order belongs to the category of dated award badges issued by the naibs of Shamil. In this case, by Talhig Batsiev. The execution of the order was also apparently carried out by Chechen jewelers.

Esky. Eski is the naib of Michik, Greater Chechnya since 1851. Previously, he fought in the ranks of Beybulat Taymiev's troops. It is mentioned in Shamil's letters, as well as in the description of various battles [2, p. 403; 31, pp. 475-476, 478, 480; 55, pp. 164, 166, 176-181].

In the illustrations from the time of tsarist Russia, Naib Eski was depicted with two medals on his chest – these are two round signs with hemispheres in the center. At least two works are known to belong to the Italian artist G. Corradini, who worked and served in the Caucasus during the Caucasian War [56, p. 18]. The latter circumstance indicates that the artist's work cannot be considered a narrative.

In the illustration "Types of non-peaceful highlanders" in the crowd of Murids stands naib Eski with two medals on both sides of his chest (Fig. 20) [42, p. 125]. The image on the right shoulder of the murid standing to the right and behind the Esky (as well as the murid depicted by the artist on the left edge of the painting), a sign already known to us from a number of examples of orders for bravery with the brand of Shamil [20, p. 41], allows us to speak about the non-random outlines of the awards of the naib. In another illustration – "Naib Shamil" (Fig. 21) – also made by G. Corradini [57, p. 35], when depicting Naib Eski, not only the same facial outlines as in the previous illustration are easily detected, but two medals are depicted again. This constancy of the artist indicates a high probability of G. Corradini's acquaintance with the real appearance of the Esky, as well as with the outlines of his awards.

In the first illustration, the sign on the left shoulder of the Esky shows at least four hemispheres – on four sides at the outer edge and in the center. Judging by the description of the signs of the Kluck von Klugenau Foundation [41, l. 1], we are talking about awards, not official signs. A partial external parallel of this sample can be drawn with the copy No. 22 of the catalog of H.-M. Donogo with three hemispheres around the circumference of the sign [20, p. 42]. Regarding the second sign, on the right side of the chest of the Esky, we can only assume that it is also an award, not an official sign.

Another medal (Fig. 22) from a private collection, which, according to legend, belonged to the Naib Eski, is an award badge in the form of a crescent with a saber image and the text: "This is the sign of the brave" (silver, blackening; weight – 9.6 g, length – 6.5 cm). On the back side there are two lugs for mounting. The sign is completely identical to the model No. 7 of I. G. Spassky (collection of V. A. Gorshkov) [21, Table XLII] and No. 47 of H.-M. Donogo [20, p. 48]. It is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Thus, based on the data presented, Eski, in all probability, was the owner of at least three Imamate awards.

The oak tree. Duba Dzhukaev was the naib of the Imamate no later than July 1843 [31, pp. 570, 573, 585]. Subsequently, he held other positions, was mentioned in Shamil's letters, participated in the most important battles [46, pp. 208-220; 58, p. 381]. He continued to be the Naib of the Imamate until 1858 [15, p. 1122].

            Among the awards of the Imamate is a nominal square sign given to the Oak by Shamil, with the inscription: "Imam Shamil granted this high sign to the brave naib of the Oak, whose steps it pleases God himself to direct" [13, pp. 10-11; 39, p. 78]. In addition, in 1847, another order was discovered in the house of the Oak Tree with the inscription: "This hero is skilled in war and rushes at the enemy like a lion" [20, p. 26].

Shuaib and Ullubi. Shuaib Tsontaroevsky is an outstanding commander, naib and mudir of the Imamate since 1840, one of Shamil's first associates, "marshal of the forest war", an unsurpassed military strategist. Even before Shamil appeared in Chechnya, he was in the inner circle of Tashu-Hadji Sayasansky. From the first days of Shamil's military activity, he plays an important role in them [31, pp. 668, 674-675; 59, p. 248, 272, 275-277, 412, 424, 436, 441]. Ullubi, like Shuaib, was one of the "generals" (mudirs) The Imamate, together with Shuaib, repelled Grabbe's troops during the Battle of Ichkeri. In the materials of the tsarist period, it is claimed that Shamil Shuaib and Ullubi were awarded a certain badge of distinction, established at the end of 1842 and similar to "our order star". According to I. Ivanov, the sign had the following inscription: "There is no power, there is no fortress, except for the one God." In addition, in the same year, as a reward for the victory in the battle of Ichkerin, the imam presented Shuaib and Ullubi with the most highly awarded banners of the Kazikumukh and Kurin khanates, obtained during the campaign on Kumukh [19, p. 404; 25, p. 200].

Prisons. Naib Tyurshi (Chechen TYursh) Tsikaroysky was appointed Naib of the Avturs in 1848 after the Avturin congress held in the same year [36, p. 215]. The descendants of Tursha have a naib medal in storage, identical to the 11th copy of A. Z. Mutsaev (Fig. 11), exhibit No. 2 of I. G. Spassky (also with two ears, but with a defect – one face is broken off) [21, Table XLII], 43rd copy of the catalog X.- M. Donogo [20, p. 47] and the medals depicted on the stele of Bersan Zharkaev. Thus, we are talking about a medal for bravery with the text: "The owner of bravery and generosity." It is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Gazi-Hajji. Another example of the Imamate's nominal award badges is the medal of Gazi–Hadji Zandaksky, a famous theologian, Mukhtasib Imamate, imam of Chechnya during the uprising of 1860-1861 [33, p. 49; 60, p. 49-51, 53, 55]. The medal (silver, black) has a simple round shape with a diameter of 58 mm, weight – 19 g. It is kept in a private collection. The drawing on the sign is placed in a circle, on the four edges of which there are "buds", from which curved lines radiate in two directions, connecting with two neighboring "buds", forming together a diamond-like space in the center, where the text is placed ("Haji Gazi son of Arzu"). Four leaves are directed from the middle of the faces of the central figure to the outer circle. There is an eyelet for mounting on the back side. It is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Mind. Uma Duev is the naib of the Imamate. He was captured and exiled to the Smolensk region in 1861. Later, he was released early by the authorities to his homeland; he became the foreman of Zumsoy. He was one of the leaders of the Alibek-Hadji Aldamov uprising in 1877 [31, pp. 395-396]. In a private collection, an award badge (silver, blackening, engraving; diameter – 74 mm, weight – 32 g) was revealed, which, according to legend, belonged to Uma Duev. The sign has a round shape, in the center there is a hemisphere, from which eight "petals" come –slots bounded by a circle around which text and a drawing (a saber and a pistol) follow. On the back side there are three lugs for mounting. The inscription is made in black: "Whoever thinks about the consequences is not a hero." It is identical to exhibit No. 35 of the catalog of H.M. Donogo. It is noteworthy that, unlike the previous one, this copy is dated – 1272 (12.IX.1855-30.VIII.1856) is indicated. It is being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

Another stele (fig. 26), related to the subject of the study, is located in the village of Khoy Cheberloevsky (Vedensky) district of the Czech Republic. The gravestone, according to local elders Huseyn Dibirov and Abdulla Galbatsov, belongs to a native of the Khoy family Alkhaz-gar and is a memorial stele with a ritual superstructure "kub", made later. At the end of the epitaph of the stele is read: "May God have mercy on him and [make him] an inhabitant of Paradise. [Died] in 1273 (31.VIII.1856-20.VIII.1857)." Medals of the award category are depicted above the gazelles on the right and left (Fig. 27, 28). According to the numerous semicircular figures around the circumference of both signs, a parallel is revealed with a number of awards presented in catalogs [13, pp. 11-12; 20, pp. 42-43; 21, pp. 198; 24, color incl. 8].

At this stage, the work on the study of epigraphic monuments in the old cemeteries of the Czech Republic continues. It is worth noting that P. I. Takhnayeva introduced into scientific circulation some tombstones with distinctive signs of the Imamate, located in the cemetery of the village of Dyshni-Vedeno (Vedensky district of the Czech Republic) [22, pp. 23-27]. However, the available volume of work on the issue under consideration indicates that the topic is poorly studied, requiring further attention from researchers.

Awards previously published
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Signs introduced into scientific circulation for the first time
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Signs illustrated and described in the literature
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Signs on epigraphic monuments
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Starting from the second half of the XVI century, the process of transformation of the mono-ethnic Moscow state into a multi-ethnic Russian state began, in which peoples differing in language, culture, economic structure, and religious affiliation lived in the boundless Eurasian spaces. And today, Russia's wealth and strength are determined primarily by its multinational composition. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin notes: "Our state was created around the values of multinational harmony, this is the most important basis for our consolidation, which is only getting stronger in the face of external aggression and threats." In this regard, it is of interest to study various aspects of the regional history of Russia, especially the North Caucasus region. These circumstances determine the relevance of the article submitted for review, the subject of which is the cataloging of the orders of Chechen mudirs, Naibs and Murtazeks of the time of the Imamate. The author sets out to review the works dedicated to the orders of the Imamate, as well as to show the insignia issued to Chechen mudirs, naibs and Murtazeks. The work is based on the principles of analysis and synthesis, reliability, objectivity, the methodological basis of the research is a systematic approach, which is based on the consideration of the object as an integral complex of interrelated elements. The author also uses a comparative method. The scientific novelty of the article is determined by the very formulation of the topic: the author, based on various sources, seeks to characterize the award marks of the Imamate: "for the first time, copies discovered in private collections or recorded by us on epigraphic monuments are put into circulation." Scientific novelty is also determined by the involvement of archival materials. Considering the bibliographic list of the article, its scale and versatility should be noted as a positive point: in total, the list of references includes 60 different sources and studies, which in itself indicates the amount of preparatory work that its author has done. The source base of the article is represented primarily by documents from the collections of the Russian State Military Archive, the Russian State Military Historical Archive, the Central State Archive of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, etc. Among the studies used by the author, we note the works of A.K. Alikberov, V.M. Mukhanov, D. Khodzhaev and others, which focus on various aspects of studying the history of the orders of Chechen mudirs, Naibs and Murtazeks of the time of the North Caucasian Imamate. Note that the bibliography is important both from a scientific and educational point of view: after reading the text, readers can turn to other materials on its topic. In general, in our opinion, the integrated use of various sources and research contributed to the solution of the tasks facing the author. The style of writing the article can be attributed to a scientific one, at the same time understandable not only to specialists, but also to a wide readership, to anyone interested in both the history of the North Caucasus in general and the period of the Imamate in particular. The appeal to the opponents is presented at the level of the collected information received by the author during the work on the topic of the article. The structure of the work is characterized by a certain logic and consistency, it can be distinguished by an introduction, the main part, and conclusion. At the beginning, the author determines the relevance of the topic, shows that in the Imamate "not only Shamil had the right to award, but also some individuals endowed with appropriate powers by him." The author draws attention to the difficulty that "some of the exhibits stored in the regional museum during the Soviet period were lost due to well-known events in the Czech Republic." Another problem area is the "weak understanding of the award system under consideration by contemporaries." The main part of the article is the catalog of awards compiled by the author. The main conclusion of the article is that "the work on the study of epigraphic monuments in the old cemeteries of the Czech Republic continues," since this topic is extensive and requires the attention of researchers. The article submitted for review is devoted to an urgent topic, is provided with drawings, will arouse readers' interest, and its materials can be used both in training courses and as part of further work on the topic under consideration. In general, in our opinion, the article can be recommended for publication in the journal Genesis: Historical Research.