A new source on the history of Kabarda XV century: information from the anonymous Arabic manuscript “Precious Necklaces in the Dignities of the State of al-Ashraf al-Ghauri” 1515

Scientific article

doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-1-11-32

For citation

Druzhinina, Inga A., Iliushina, Milana Yu. (2025). A new source on the history of Kabarda XV century: information from the anonymous Arabic manuscript “Precious Necklaces in the Dignities of the State of al-Ashraf al-Ghauri” 1515, Herald of an Archivist, № 1, pp. 11-32, doi 10.28995/2073-0101-2025-1-11-32

Druzhinina, Inga A., Iliushina, Milana Yu., Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

A new source on the history of Kabarda XV century: information from the anonymous Arabic manuscript “Precious Necklaces in the Dignities of the State of al-Ashraf al-Ghauri” 1515

Abstract

The authors introduce reader to a new source containing unique information on the history of the peoples of the North Caucasus in the 15th century. The article analyzes a block of information extracted from the second volume of the anonymous Arabic manuscript al-'Uqud al-jawhariya fi al-mahasin al-dawla al-Ashrafiya al-Ghawriya (Precious Necklaces in the Dignities of the State of al-Ashrafiya al-Ghawriya), dated 1515, which is in the custody of the S?leymaniye Yazma Eser K?t?phanesi (Istanbul). The text by an unknown author praises the penultimate Mamluk sultan of the Burji dynasty (1382-1517), al-Ashraf Kansukh al-Ghauri (1501-1516), and describes a number of events on his behalf, including those related to the period of his life in the North Caucasus before his departure for Cairo. The manuscript contains the most information on the history of one of the Circassian regions or lands, known in Russian historiography as the principality of Kabarda. The source provides a detailed picture of social, political, confessional and ethno-cultural life in Kabarda in the 15th century, as well as the genealogy of six generations of its first princes. It describes the internecine conflicts between the pretenders to supreme power in this principality, as well as contacts of Kabardians with the rulers of the Great Horde, Shirvan, Ak-Koyunlu and the Sultanate of Burji. Unique information about other Circassian regions - Karmuk and Kabak - is also presented. In terms of thematic coverage and detail, the information in the manuscript exceeds many times all known sources on the history of Circassians of the 15th century - the works of Western European authors Josaphat Barbaro (1488-1492) and Giorgio Interiano (1502), Arab historians al-'Aini (d. 1451), Ibn Taghri Birdi (d. 1469), al-Sahawi (d. 1497), al-Malati (d. 1597), and al-Malati (d. 1549). in 1451), Ibn Tagri Birdi (d. 1469), al-Sahawi (d. 1497), al-Malati (d. 1514), as well as Russian documents of the Embassy Order of the second half of the 16th century and data from genealogical books containing lists of genealogies of Kabardin princes of the 17th century. This paper presents a brief codicological description of the source, addresses questions about the origin of the manuscript author, the reliability of the information given and the sources of information borrowed by him, the dating system of the main events described and the thematic scope of the “North Caucasian narrative” contained in the manuscript, with an emphasis on the analysis of text fragments devoted to the description of the ethno-territorial and socio-political structure of Circassia in the 15th century and the place it occupied on the political map of the region This information is compared with the materials of Arab, Western European and Russian sources of the XV-XVI centuries.

Keywords

Middle Ages, Circassians, Kabarda, Kabak, Karmuk, political history, socio-political organization, new source, Mamluk Sultanate of Burji, al-Ashraf Kansukh al-Ghauri (1501-1516).

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About authors

Druzhinina Inga A., PhD Historical Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Center for Byzantine-Caucasian Studies, Senior Researcher, Moscow, Russia, 8-495-625-42-62, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0000-0002-3180-7697

Iliushina Milana Yu., Doctor Historical Sciences, Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Center for Byzantine-Caucasian Studies, Leading Researcher, Moscow, Russia, 8-495-625-42-62, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

ORCID 0000-0001-5901-961X

Grant information

The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-18-00869, https://rscf.ru/project/23-18-00869/

The article was received in the editorial office on 22.08.2024, recommended for publication on 20.12.2024