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	==Origins of the word Chechen==		==Origins of the word Chechen==

	The term "Chechen" is ultimately believed to derive from the ] name for the Nokhchii and it first occurs in ] sources from the 8th century. According to popular tradition, the Russian term "Chechen" comes from the name of the village of Chechen-Aul, where the Chechens defeated ]n soldiers in 1732.~~{{fact}}~~ The word "Chechen", however, occurs in ] sources as early as 1692 and the ] probably derived it from the ] "Shashan".<ref>Jaimoukha p.12</ref>		The term "Chechen" is ultimately believed to derive from the ] name for the Nokhchii and it first occurs in ] sources from the 8th century. According to popular tradition, the Russian term "Chechen" comes from the name of the village of Chechen-Aul, where the Chechens defeated ]n soldiers in 1732. The word "Chechen", however, occurs in ] sources as early as 1692 and the ] probably derived it from the ] "Shashan".<ref>Jaimoukha p.12</ref>

	==Geography==		==Geography==
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	== History ==		== History ==

	The ] tribes, the ancestors of the Chechens and ], lived in the mountains of the region since the ] (there is archeological evidence of historical continuity dating back since 10,000 B.C.<ref name="science">{{cite journal \|author=Bernice Wuethrich \|year=2000 \|month=19 May \|title=Peering Into the Past, With Words \|journal=] \|volume=288 \|issue=5469 \|pages=1158 \|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/288/5469/1158 \|doi=10.1126/science.288.5469.1158}}</ref>). In the 16th century, they began ~~migrating~~ to the ]s ~~where they established contact with~~ the ~~Russian ], as~~ ] of the Chechen people began under the influence of bordering nationalities.<ref name="chechenya">Sven Gunnar Simonsen, ''Chechnya''</ref> relations turned hostile. In 1711, in agreement of the Persian shah, the Terek Cossack abandoned the right-bank Terek, although many would continue to use the excessive land and vineyards right up to the end of the 18th century. This allowed the Chechens to migrate to the low region, however after intense skirmishes, first in 1731 and then again in 1765, the Terek Cossacks allowed Chechens to settle on the right bank Terek forming a neutral zone of peaceful Chechens to mediate between the hostile mountonous tribes and the Russians.		The ] tribes, the ancestors of the Chechens and ], lived in the mountains of the region since the ] (there is archeological evidence of historical continuity dating back since 10,000 B.C.<ref name="science">{{cite journal \|author=Bernice Wuethrich \|year=2000 \|month=19 May \|title=Peering Into the Past, With Words \|journal=] \|volume=288 \|issue=5469 \|pages=1158 \|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/288/5469/1158 \|doi=10.1126/science.288.5469.1158}}</ref>). In the 16th century, they began settling in the ]s and the ] of the Chechen people began under the influence of bordering nationalities.<ref name="chechenya">Sven Gunnar Simonsen, ''Chechnya''</ref>

	Yet by the start of the 19th century this arrangement was no gaurantee for peace, such began the long ] which saw the Chechens as one of the prime resistance forces to Russian expansion.

⚫	This period was followed by the long and difficult Russian expansion into the Caucasus, when the Chechens with their extensive lowlands territory and access to the central pass were prime targets of the Russian conquest efforts. ~~Known~~ ~~for~~ ~~brutality on both sides~~, ~~eventually~~ ~~the~~ ~~Chechens~~ ~~were~~ ~~driven~~ ~~from~~ the ~~lowland after~~ ] ~~built~~ ~~the ] line~~ in the ~~1820s.~~ ~~However~~ it ~~would~~ ~~take~~ ~~another four decades for the~~ ~~Russians~~ to ~~fully pacify~~ the ~~region.~~ ~~The~~ ~~casulties~~ ~~this~~ ~~brought~~ ~~on the Chechen population was also severe, many became~~ the '']'' ]s ] or were forcibly deported to the ].<ref name="nichols"/>

	After the war ended in 1860, the Chechens were left with only highland mountous zones, and though the area was peaceful, there was never mutual respect for the Russians living in the lowlands. As the population grew, the limited space for land ownership was a key issue and the result was that Chechens rebelled several times first during the ] and again during the ]. After the latter event, the Tsarist government did attempt to make some concessions to the Chechens, the famous ] was formed in the Imperial Russian Army.

	After the ] in March ] the Chechens led by ] in non-violent political motives formed the ] along with other neighbouring peoples. Yet as the ] gained pace after the ] the Chechens found their old adversary the ] and the rich land they owned to be a prime target. Because the Bolshevism viewed Cossacks as one of the biggest threats, after the defeat of ] in 1920, several thousand Terek Cossack stanitsas were deported and the land was granted to the Chechens, for their aid in victory of Bolshevism.

	The ] policy formed the ] within the ], and handed it extensive territory of the former Sunzha Cossacks (with exception around the city of Grozny and the region between modern northweste Chechnya where a Sunzha Cossack District was formed). The 1920s also saw the development of Chechen writing and modernisation of their culture. However after the 1930s the Soviet policy was switched from korenizatsiya to building of the Soviet Union. The autonomies, such as the Chechen A.O. themselves economically were failing, and Chechens resisted the attempts at ] and ] policies of the early 1930s. Thus in 1934 the Sunzha Cossack district, city of Grozny, and the Ingush Autonomous Oblast were merged into the Chechen-Ingush A.O. which was elevated into ] in december 1936. By 1939 Chechens made


		⚫	This period was followed by the long and difficult Russian expansion into the Caucasus, when the Chechens with their extensive lowlands territory and access to the central pass were prime targets of the Russian conquest efforts. During the wars, large numbers of lives due to the Russian ] tactics which decimated the local population as the ]ist troops tried to break the fierce resistance while large numbers of the '']'' ]s ] or were forcibly deported to the ].<ref name="nichols"/> Since then there have been various Chechen ]s against Russian power, as well as resistance to ] and the ]'s ] and ] campaigns.

	In 1944 the Moscow's repressions gained apogeum as the Chechens and Ingush, together with several other Caucasian nationalities, were ordered by ] to be all deported ] to Kazakhstan and ] and at least one-quarter and perhaps half of the entire Chechen nation perished in the process.<ref name="nichols"/> Though "]" in 1956 and allowed to return the next year, the survivors lost economic resources and ] and, under both Soviet and post-Soviet governments, they have been the objects of (official and unofficial) ] and discriminatory public discourse.<ref name="nichols"/> The Chechen attempts to regain independence in the 1990s after the ] led to the two next bloody wars with the new Russian state.		In 1944 the Moscow's repressions gained apogeum as the Chechens and Ingush, together with several other Caucasian nationalities, were ordered by ] to be all deported ] to Kazakhstan and ] and at least one-quarter and perhaps half of the entire Chechen nation perished in the process.<ref name="nichols"/> Though "]" in 1956 and allowed to return the next year, the survivors lost economic resources and ] and, under both Soviet and post-Soviet governments, they have been the objects of (official and unofficial) ] and discriminatory public discourse.<ref name="nichols"/> The Chechen attempts to regain independence in the 1990s after the ] led to the two next bloody wars with the new Russian state.

Revision as of 16:45, 2 July 2008

Ethnic group

Chechens (Noxçi)
Regions with significant populations
File:Famchechensrev002.jpg
Russia	1.36 million (including in Chechnya)
Chechnya	1,031,000
Ingushetia	95,000
Turkey	90,000 (estimated)
Dagestan	88,000
Kazakhstan	75,000 (estimated)
Jordan	45,000 (estimated)
Georgia	40,000 (estimated)
Syria	40,000 (estimated)
Saudi Arabia	20,000 (estimated)
Moscow	14,000 (registered) 80,000 (estimated)
Stavropol Krai	13,000
Azerbaijan	10,000 (estimated)
Rest of the world combined	250,000 - 500,000
Languages
Chechen, Russian
Religion
Sunni Islam (Sufism)
Related ethnic groups
Ingush, Bats, Kists

Chechens (Chechen: Hохчи / Noxçi) constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Nokhchii (singular Nokhchi or Nokhcho), which comes from the name of a large Chechen tribe, the Nokhchmekhkakhoi, and their homeland.

The isolated mountain terrain of the Caucasus and the strategic value outsiders have placed on the areas settled by Chechens has contributed much to the Chechen community ethos and helped shape a unique national character.

Origins of the word Chechen

The term "Chechen" is ultimately believed to derive from the Iranian name for the Nokhchii and it first occurs in Arabic sources from the 8th century. According to popular tradition, the Russian term "Chechen" comes from the name of the village of Chechen-Aul, where the Chechens defeated Russian soldiers in 1732. The word "Chechen", however, occurs in Russian sources as early as 1692 and the Russians probably derived it from the Kabardian "Shashan".

Geography

The Chechen people are mainly inhabitants of Chechnya, which is internationally recognized as part of the Russian Federation. There are also significant Chechen populations in other Russian regions (especially in Dagestan, Ingushetia and Moscow).

Outside Russia, countries with significant Chechen diaspora populations are Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and the Arab world (especially Jordan and Syria). These are mainly descendants of people who had to leave Chechnya during the Caucasian War, which led to the annexing of Chechnya by the Russian Empire around 1850, and the 1944 Soviet deportation in the case of Kazakhstan. More recently, tens of thousands of Chechen refugees settled in the European Union and elsewhere as the result of the Chechen Wars since 1994.

History

The Vainakh tribes, the ancestors of the Chechens and Ingush, lived in the mountains of the region since the prehistory (there is archeological evidence of historical continuity dating back since 10,000 B.C.). In the 16th century, they began settling in the lowlands and the Islamization of the Chechen people began under the influence of bordering nationalities.

This period was followed by the long and difficult Russian expansion into the Caucasus, when the Chechens with their extensive lowlands territory and access to the central pass were prime targets of the Russian conquest efforts. During the wars, large numbers of lives due to the Russian scorched earth tactics which decimated the local population as the tsarist troops tried to break the fierce resistance while large numbers of the muhajir refugees emigrated or were forcibly deported to the Middle East. Since then there have been various Chechen rebellions against Russian power, as well as resistance to Russification and the Soviet Union's collectivization and antireligious campaigns.

In 1944 the Moscow's repressions gained apogeum as the Chechens and Ingush, together with several other Caucasian nationalities, were ordered by Joseph Stalin to be all deported en masse to Kazakhstan and Siberia and at least one-quarter and perhaps half of the entire Chechen nation perished in the process. Though "rehabilitated" in 1956 and allowed to return the next year, the survivors lost economic resources and civil rights and, under both Soviet and post-Soviet governments, they have been the objects of (official and unofficial) discrimination and discriminatory public discourse. The Chechen attempts to regain independence in the 1990s after the fall of the Soviet Union led to the two next bloody wars with the new Russian state.

Language

Main article: Chechen language

The main languages of the Chechen people are Chechen and Russian. Chechen belongs to the family of Nakh languages (North-Central Caucasian Languages). Literary Chechen is based on the central lowland dialect. Other related languages include Ingush, which has speakers in Ingushetia, and Batsi, which is the language of the cattle-farmers in part of Georgia.

Culture

Prior to the adoption of Islam, the Chechens practiced a unique blend of religious traditions and beliefs. They partook in numerous rites and rituals, many of them pertaining to farming; these included rain rites, a celebration that occurred on the first day of plowing, as well as the Day of the Thunderer Sela and the Day of the Goddess Tusholi.

Chechen society is structured around "tukhums" (unions of clans) and 130 teip, or clans. The teips are based more on land than on blood and have an uneasy relationship in peacetime, but are bonded together during war. Teips are further subdivided into gars (branches), and gars into nekye (patronymic families). The Chechen social code is called “Nokhchallah” where "Nokhcho" (Noxçuo) stands for "Chechen" and may be loosely translated as "Chechen character". The Chechen code of honor implies moral and ethical behavior, generosity and the will to safeguard the honor of women.

Religion

Chechnya is predominantly Muslim. Some adhere to a Sufi tradition called Muridism, while about half of Chechens belong to Sufi brotherhoods, or tariqa. The two Sufi tariqas that spread in the North Caucasus were the Naqshbandiya and the Qadiriya. The Naqshbandiya is particularly strong in Dagestan and eastern Chechnya, whereas the Qadiriya has most of its adherents in the rest of Chechnya and Ingushetia.

Almost all Chechens belong to the Hanafi school of thought of Sunni Islam. Salafism was introduced to the population in the 1950s. Some of the rebels involved in the Chechen wars are Salafists, but the majority are not.