INGUSH
(Own name: Ghalghai)

An indigenous Caucasian people of some 230,000. Today most live in the Ingush Republic which was established in 1992. The Ingush became Christians in the eleventh century. After 1700 many converted to Islam but only by the end of the nineteenth century, did Islam spread universally through Ingushia, brought in by Qadiri missionaries. Ingush territory in the plains of the rivers Terek and Sunzha was relatively easy to conquer. The northernmost part came under Russian rule in 1750, the rest in 1810.

Thus the Ingush did not participate in Shamil's uprising. It was during this period that Ingush were finally divided from Chechen and gradually resettled from the mountains into the lower lands. After the conquest Terek Cossacks settled in the Sunzha region, and many Ingush had to leave. Since 1860 Ingush-Cossack land disputes have repeatedly been raised. After the Bolshevik came to power thousands of Cossacks were forced to leave for Siberia. From 1921-4 Ingush territory was part of the Caucasian Mountaineers Republic.
From 1924-34 Ingush had their own autonomous territory, and from 1934-44 Ingushia and Chechnia shared on a decision from Moscow one autonomy. In February 1944 all Ingush were deported to Kazakstan and Kirgizia. Their houses and their land were given away. From 1957 onwards the Ingush were permitted to return but resettlement was slow due to tensions with the new settlers. The part of their former territory which had been given to North Ossetia, was not returned and they were repeatedly forbidden to settle there. Mass demonstrations and major clashes on the issue of land claims have taken place in the 1970s, 1980s and violently in the 1990s. When the Chechen in 1991 unilaterally declared their Republic an independent state, the Ingush voted for an Ingush Republic within the Russian Federation in order to develop their economy and culture and to regain lost territory. After severe clashes in late 1992 by and large all Ingush were driven out of North Ossetia and into refugee camps in the new Ingush Republic. The great majority of Ingush live in roral dwellings, as urbanization is very low. The urban dwellers and intellectuals still live in Grozny, the capital of the formerly shared Chechen-Ingush Republic, while others have not yet returned from their places of deportation.

Editor note: This information is taken from "The North Caucasus: Minorities at a Crossroads" written by Helen Krag and Larsh Funch.