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North Caucasus Line
The North Caucasus Line (Russian: Кавказская линия) was a line of Russian forts and Cossack settlements along the north side of the Caucasus Mountains. Originating in the mid-16th century with a small number of free Cossacks near the Caspian Sea, from the mid-18th century the line was pushed west and used as a base to conquer the mountains to the south and to settle the steppes to the north.
The distribution of Cossack settlements was determined by three roughly parallel lines. The first was the line between the Caucasus foothills and the lowlands. The second was the line between forest and steppe. It is difficult to trace this line, as much of the forest has been cleared for agriculture, but it is clear that a belt of forest steppe extended north of the foothills onto the plain. The third line was marked by three, and later five, rivers. In the east, the Terek River catches the rivers that flow north from the Caucasus and drains them into the Caspian. In the west, the Kuban River drains the Caucasus rivers west into the Sea of Azov. In the center, the Malka River catches the mountain rivers and flows east into the Terek. The Terek, Malka, and Kuban made a natural military line. Later two other rivers became important. The Terek first flows north, turns somewhat west, and makes a bend before flowing east. Inside this bend, the Sunzha River flows northeast into the Terek and catches most of the mountain rivers. Once the Terek was controlled, it became the next military line. In the west, the Kuban also flows north before swinging west. Inside this curve, the north-flowing Laba River was the next military line.
In the east, along the Terek, the soil is poor and rainfall is low. Dense peasant settlement became possible only when the line was pushed west to the Stavropol highland in the center in the late 18th century.
Around 1500, Russia began to push south from its heartland in Muscovy. Everything south of the Black Sea and the Caucasus was controlled by the Nogai nomads. In 1556, Russia moved down the Volga, capturing Astrakhan at the north end of the Caspian Sea. The land south of the Terek along the Caspian Sea was controlled by various Khanates nominally subject to Persia, the northernmost of which later became the Shamkhalate of Tarki.
Cossacks lived all along the southern Russian frontier; most were of non-Russian ancestry. Originally runaway serfs and adventurers who went to the frontier to live a free life, they were gradually brought under government control by being hired as mercenaries. By the later period, the Cossack was basically a fighting farmer who supported himself but was available for military service. Their usual duties were guarding villages against raiders, protecting convoys, especially along the Georgian Military Road, and serving as auxiliaries to the regular army. Cossack villages attracted locals who were slowly absorbed into the Cossack community. Georgians and Armenians moved to the north side of the mountains, some of them becoming Cossacks. In 1829, vagrants (brodyagi) were rounded up and made to work in Cossack villages for three years, after which they might become Cossacks. Although they normally had to be Orthodox, a number of Cossacks, including military officers, were Muslim. They adopted the local dress and economic methods. Horses and weapons were often bought from the mountaineers. In 1828, Cossacks were forbidden to approach peasants working in the fields because they could not be distinguished from native raiders. Raiding between Cossacks and natives was common. The local people also raided each other, but reports of Cossacks raiding other Cossacks are few. When they were not raiding each other there was a good deal of economic and personal interaction. This was especially true in the early period, in which there were many free Cossacks, whom the government were unaware of. In 1744, the Greben Cossacks had 450 men but could round up 1,500 more if they recruited using financial incentives. Free Cossacks usually appear in the records as “criminal fugitive Cossacks” when they engaged in raiding or piracy. Before the Russian state began a serious attempt at conquest in the early 19th century, the Caucasus Cossacks were almost another local tribe.
Free Cossacks were living on the lower Terek by the first half of the 16th century. The usual dates are 1520 and 1563, but the matter is very obscure. To the west of the Terek Cossacks lived the Greben Cossacks. They were formally distinguished in 1736. Before that date, a distinction between Greben and Terek Cossacks is questionable. Few records are available from this period, those which do exist pertain mostly to matters of warfare.
Early forts: In 1556, Russia occupied Astrakhan at the head of the Caspian Sea and began interacting with Kabardia in the center of the North Caucasus. In 1567, Sunzha Ostrog (1567–1579) was built at the mouth of the Sunzha at the east end of Kabardian territory. It moved several times. It was abandoned under Turkish pressure in 1571, rebuilt in 1578, then was abandoned again the following year. In 1588 Tersky Gorod (1588–1722) was founded in the Terek delta. In 1623, it had 500 Cossacks on the government payroll. By the late 17th century, it is said to have had a population of 20,000, mostly non-Russian. In 1708, it was burned by "Kuban Tatars". It was abandoned in 1722. In 1635, Sunzha Ostrog (1635–1653) was restored. In 1653 Persia forced its abandonment (the so-called Russo-Persian War (1651-1653)).
Early Wars: Russian relations with Kabardia were more diplomatic than militaristic. In 1560, four years after the capture of Astrakhan, Cheremisinov attacked Tarki, burned it and withdrew. In 1594, Prince Khvorostinin led 5,000 Terek, Astrakhan and Yaik Cossacks south to attack Tarki, but was soundly defeated. Later on in 1604–05, Ivan Buturlin attacked Tarki as well, but was also defeated. In both of these conflicts, the Dagestanis allowed the Russians to take the town, only to surround, harass, and attack them when they were forced to retreat. The first war was requested by the Kabardians and the last two by the Georgian kings who did nothing to help. In 1605, the rebel Ilya Muromets was on the Terek. In 1614, some Terek Cossacks helped attack Ivan Zarutsky at Astrakhan. In the 1680s, 1,500 Don Cossack Old Believers settled on the Kuma River.
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North Caucasus Line AI simulator
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North Caucasus Line
The North Caucasus Line (Russian: Кавказская линия) was a line of Russian forts and Cossack settlements along the north side of the Caucasus Mountains. Originating in the mid-16th century with a small number of free Cossacks near the Caspian Sea, from the mid-18th century the line was pushed west and used as a base to conquer the mountains to the south and to settle the steppes to the north.
The distribution of Cossack settlements was determined by three roughly parallel lines. The first was the line between the Caucasus foothills and the lowlands. The second was the line between forest and steppe. It is difficult to trace this line, as much of the forest has been cleared for agriculture, but it is clear that a belt of forest steppe extended north of the foothills onto the plain. The third line was marked by three, and later five, rivers. In the east, the Terek River catches the rivers that flow north from the Caucasus and drains them into the Caspian. In the west, the Kuban River drains the Caucasus rivers west into the Sea of Azov. In the center, the Malka River catches the mountain rivers and flows east into the Terek. The Terek, Malka, and Kuban made a natural military line. Later two other rivers became important. The Terek first flows north, turns somewhat west, and makes a bend before flowing east. Inside this bend, the Sunzha River flows northeast into the Terek and catches most of the mountain rivers. Once the Terek was controlled, it became the next military line. In the west, the Kuban also flows north before swinging west. Inside this curve, the north-flowing Laba River was the next military line.
In the east, along the Terek, the soil is poor and rainfall is low. Dense peasant settlement became possible only when the line was pushed west to the Stavropol highland in the center in the late 18th century.
Around 1500, Russia began to push south from its heartland in Muscovy. Everything south of the Black Sea and the Caucasus was controlled by the Nogai nomads. In 1556, Russia moved down the Volga, capturing Astrakhan at the north end of the Caspian Sea. The land south of the Terek along the Caspian Sea was controlled by various Khanates nominally subject to Persia, the northernmost of which later became the Shamkhalate of Tarki.
Cossacks lived all along the southern Russian frontier; most were of non-Russian ancestry. Originally runaway serfs and adventurers who went to the frontier to live a free life, they were gradually brought under government control by being hired as mercenaries. By the later period, the Cossack was basically a fighting farmer who supported himself but was available for military service. Their usual duties were guarding villages against raiders, protecting convoys, especially along the Georgian Military Road, and serving as auxiliaries to the regular army. Cossack villages attracted locals who were slowly absorbed into the Cossack community. Georgians and Armenians moved to the north side of the mountains, some of them becoming Cossacks. In 1829, vagrants (brodyagi) were rounded up and made to work in Cossack villages for three years, after which they might become Cossacks. Although they normally had to be Orthodox, a number of Cossacks, including military officers, were Muslim. They adopted the local dress and economic methods. Horses and weapons were often bought from the mountaineers. In 1828, Cossacks were forbidden to approach peasants working in the fields because they could not be distinguished from native raiders. Raiding between Cossacks and natives was common. The local people also raided each other, but reports of Cossacks raiding other Cossacks are few. When they were not raiding each other there was a good deal of economic and personal interaction. This was especially true in the early period, in which there were many free Cossacks, whom the government were unaware of. In 1744, the Greben Cossacks had 450 men but could round up 1,500 more if they recruited using financial incentives. Free Cossacks usually appear in the records as “criminal fugitive Cossacks” when they engaged in raiding or piracy. Before the Russian state began a serious attempt at conquest in the early 19th century, the Caucasus Cossacks were almost another local tribe.
Free Cossacks were living on the lower Terek by the first half of the 16th century. The usual dates are 1520 and 1563, but the matter is very obscure. To the west of the Terek Cossacks lived the Greben Cossacks. They were formally distinguished in 1736. Before that date, a distinction between Greben and Terek Cossacks is questionable. Few records are available from this period, those which do exist pertain mostly to matters of warfare.
Early forts: In 1556, Russia occupied Astrakhan at the head of the Caspian Sea and began interacting with Kabardia in the center of the North Caucasus. In 1567, Sunzha Ostrog (1567–1579) was built at the mouth of the Sunzha at the east end of Kabardian territory. It moved several times. It was abandoned under Turkish pressure in 1571, rebuilt in 1578, then was abandoned again the following year. In 1588 Tersky Gorod (1588–1722) was founded in the Terek delta. In 1623, it had 500 Cossacks on the government payroll. By the late 17th century, it is said to have had a population of 20,000, mostly non-Russian. In 1708, it was burned by "Kuban Tatars". It was abandoned in 1722. In 1635, Sunzha Ostrog (1635–1653) was restored. In 1653 Persia forced its abandonment (the so-called Russo-Persian War (1651-1653)).
Early Wars: Russian relations with Kabardia were more diplomatic than militaristic. In 1560, four years after the capture of Astrakhan, Cheremisinov attacked Tarki, burned it and withdrew. In 1594, Prince Khvorostinin led 5,000 Terek, Astrakhan and Yaik Cossacks south to attack Tarki, but was soundly defeated. Later on in 1604–05, Ivan Buturlin attacked Tarki as well, but was also defeated. In both of these conflicts, the Dagestanis allowed the Russians to take the town, only to surround, harass, and attack them when they were forced to retreat. The first war was requested by the Kabardians and the last two by the Georgian kings who did nothing to help. In 1605, the rebel Ilya Muromets was on the Terek. In 1614, some Terek Cossacks helped attack Ivan Zarutsky at Astrakhan. In the 1680s, 1,500 Don Cossack Old Believers settled on the Kuma River.