Kabardino-Balkaria
Kabardino-Balkaria
covers 12.500 square km and has 753.531 inhabitants, 49 percent
Kabard, 32 percent Russian and 11 percent Balkar (1989). Rural
population: Kabard 55 percent, Balkar 41 percent (1989).
Most
likely, the Kabards are descended from a cluster of Caucasian
tribes who called themselves Adygea. They originated in the Kuban
basin, adopted Christianity in the 12th century. They were pressed
eastward by the invasion of the Mongol Golden Horde in the 13th
century. Some of the Adygeis mixed with local Alan peoples (from
whom the Ossetians developed), and eventually became known as
the Kabards. By the 15th century, the region on the left bank
of the Terek river became known as Greater Kabardia, while the
region on the right bank was known as little Kabardia. Those living
in the westernmost parts became known as the Cherkess. Early in
the 16th century, the Kabards came in contact with the Ottomans
through the Crimean Khanate, and by the early 1800s they had converted
to Sunni Islam.
Foundation
of Kabardia
In
1739, the Treaty of Belgrade established Kabardia as a neutral
state, a buffer zone, between the Ottomans and Russia. In 1774,
Kabardia became Russian territory through the Treaty of Kucuk
Kainarca. During the mid-19th century, when the Shamil Revolt
against Russia spread throughout the Caucasus, the Kabards maintained
neutrality. But still, after the Russians had established firm
control over the region in the 1860s, there was a mass exodus
of Kabards to Turkey.
The
early Soviet period brought many changes to the Kabards and the
other Circassian peoples, as the region became heavily industrialised,
and due to Bolshevik campaigns against Islam. Before the Bolshevik
Revolution, the Kabards were generally lumped together with the
Adygea and the Cherkess as a Circassian people, but in the 1920s,
the Circassians were redefined by the Soviets into two ethnic
groups, the Cherkess and the Kabards. Late in the 1930s, Soviet
authorities again redrew the ethnic lines subdividing the Circassians,
now creating three groups - Adygeis in the west, Cherkess in the
middle and Kabards in the east. In 1921, the autonomous territory
of Kabardino-Balkaria was created, and in 1936 it was upgraded
to an autonomous republic. The administrative borders thus separated
the Kabards from the other Circassians, the Cherkess and the Adygea.
Kabardino-Balkaria was occupied by the Germans from 1943 to -44,
and when the Red Army recaptured the area, many Balkars were deported,
accused of collaborating with the Germans. The Kabard population
was never deported.
Kabardino-Balkaria
in new era
Kabards
make up half of the republic's population, but since the titular
peoples have a higher growth rate than the Russians, the number
of Kabards in 1994 might exceed 50 per cent. The Balkars fear
that this will worsen their political opportunities. This, together
with anxieties due to a lack of rehabilitation after their return
from deportation, has been a major incitement for the Balkar national
movements and political parties, who wish to regain their pre-deportation
territorial districts and transform the republic into a federation.
This could lead to territorial conflict. Both have published maps
which lay claim to disputed areas and arouse strong negative sentiments.
The Russian parliament passed a law in March 1994 promising financial
support to cultural, but not territorial, rehabilitation of the
Balkar. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the deportations,
the President of the republic has offered the re-establishment
of former Balkar territorial districts.
The
primary claim of the Kabard national movements and political parties
is an increase of political rights. For many years the Kabard
had to share all political posts and political influence with
the Balkar on a one-to-one basis, although they are more than
four times as many. In addition to this they claim more political
independence from Moscow in order to be able to redress the strong
Russification of their culture since colonization.
The
Russians in Kabardino-Balkaria are mainly urban and the number
of Cossacks is insignificant. As the second largest group in the
republic, Russians have significant political influence even though
they are rather successfully kept from leading political posts.
This has been possible because the rivalry between the more radical
parts of the two titular nationalities has usually resulted in
political compromises. The prudent policies of government and
parliament have given rise to accusations of conservatism and
being against economic reforms. But fear for the consequences
of land privatisation is as evident here as elsewhere in the North
Caucasus. If a further radicalization of political life in the
republic can be avoided, the Russians might stay - unlike in many
of the other republics.
Sources:
1- Datebase of The Centre of Russian Studies (Norway)
2- The North Caucasus: Minorities at a Crossroads (Helen Krag
and Larsh Funch)
