The Feappii (
Ingush: фаьппий) were an
Ingush subgroup (society) that mostly inhabited the mountainous
Fappi region of
Ingushetia in the
Caucasus. Historically, they bordered on the west with
Dzherakh, on the east with
Khamkhins, on the north with
Nazranians, and in the south with Gudomakarians. The center of the society was the fortified village (aul) of
Erzi or
Metskhal.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, part of the Feappii migrated to
Tusheti,
Georgia, due to a lack of land. The descendants of the migrants are known as
Bats people. In the 17th and 18th centuries, another wave of migration occurred, to the region of
Aukh (modern-day
Dagestan).
In 1733, due to concerns about the expansion of the
Ottoman Turks in the region, the Feappii tried to establish ties with the
Kingdom of Kartli. As the
Russian Empire began expanding its territories in the
Caucasus region in the 19th century, the
Caucasian War broke out. During the war, the Feappii Society was devastated after a Russian
punitive expedition in 1830.
Foma Gorepekin [
ru] translated the ethnonym in Ingush language as "settlers marching in a discordant crowd".[5] Similarly, Rusudan Kharadze and Aleksey Robakidze made a hypothesis that the ethnonym might be connected with the term "alien/new settler" (but not as ethnically different from the main mass of Ingush).[6] According to linguist
Yu. Desheriyev [
ru], the ethnonym has no etymological explanation.[7]Anatoly Genko [
ru] connected the name in the form of Veppiy with the
Khazar king Uobos, mentioned in the Georgian Chronicles, thus dating the name back to the 10th century
AD.[8]
Exonyms
Historically, the Feappii were known by the
exonym of
Georgian origin as Kists or Kistins, along with its variants such as Nearby Kists or Nearby Kistins. These terms later appeared in Russian literature.[9] Eventually, the meaning of this ethnonym expanded to cover all
Nakh peoples, despite originally referring specifically to the Feappii.[10] The Kist ethnonym was replaced by the term "Metskhalins" in the 19th century, and the Kistin society became known as the "Metskhalin society" respectively, after the chancellery of the society was transferred to
Metskhal.[11]
The Ossetians referred to the Feappii as Maqqal (Мæхъхъæл), and the river
Armkhi [
ru], on which the society was situated, as Maqqaldon (Мæхъхъæлдон), which lent its name to one of the Russian names for Armkhi, Makaldon (Макалдон).[12] The ethnonym Maqqal was infrequently used to denote Feappii on some maps.[a] This ethnonym is linked to the Ingush and Ossetian word for
Kite, Maqqal (Маккхал/Мæхъхъæл).[13][14] According to Anatoly Genko, the Ossetians derived this name from the aul of Erzi and its inhabitants, the Erzians.[13]
History
Early history
One of the mountainous
Ingush societies,[b] the Fyappins inhabited the mountainous
Fappi region of
Ingushetia in the
Caucasus.[15] All Fyappin villages and settlements were descended from the inhabitants of a mountainous fortified village (aul),
Falkhan.[16] Fyappins bordered on the west with
Dzherakh, on the east with
Khamkhins, on the north with
Nazranians, and in the south with Gudomakarians.[17]
Historically, the Fyappins were known by the
exonym of
Georgian origin as Kists or Kistins, along with other variants such as Nearby Kists or Nearby Kistins. The region where they resided was referred to as "Kistetia," as well as "Kistia" or "Kistinia".[c] The first recorded mention of Kists dates back to the 7th century, in the work Ashkharhatsuyts, where it appeared in the form Kusts. However, in that context, it was used to generally describe the
Ingush people, not specifically the Fyappins.[19]
During the 16th to 17th centuries, a portion of the Fyappins migrated to
Tusheti,
Georgia, in search of land.[20][d] Today, the descendants of these Fyappins are known as the
Bats people.[23] Another wave of migration of the Fyappins occurred in the 17th to 18th centuries to the region of
Aukh (modern-day
Dagestan).[24][25] Today, the descendants of those migrants are known as the Vyappiy and refer to
Tyarsh as their ancestral village, as evidenced by their family chronicle (teptar [
ru]):[26]
Their fathers left the village of
Tyarsh in the
Vabo District on a high mountain near the
Buruv fortress. Tyarsh is the name of their eldest father.
In 1733, fearing the expansion of the
Ottoman Turks, the Fyappins and
Dzherakh wrote a letter to
Vakhtang VI, declaring their oath of allegiance to
Kartli. The letter was signed by 16 representatives from various surnames of the Fyappin and Dzherakh communities.[27]
Contacts with Russia and incorporation into Russia
On January 8, 1811, foremen from 13 Fyappin villages swore allegiance to the
Russian Empire through an act of oath.[e][28] However, it's essential to note that despite these oaths from individual Ingush societies or clans, the nature of Russian-Ingush relations remained largely unchanged. Both sides viewed these oaths as concluding union treaties.[29]
During the
Caucasian War, the Fyappins were targeted by Russian expansion efforts. In July 1830, two Russian columns led by Major General
Abkhazov embarked on a punitive expedition to mountainous Ingushetia. The Russian forces traversed the
Darial and Assa Gorges, encountering fierce resistance, particularly from the inhabitants of
Eban.[30] As a result of this expedition, the Fyappins were temporarily subdued by the Russian Empire,[31] and their villages (auls) were devastated.[30] This marked the establishment of district courts and the introduction of a civil system in mountainous Ingushetia for the first time.[32] Following the general uprising of
Chechnya in March 1840, during which Chechens aligned with the
Caucasian Imamate,
Pavel Grabbe reported on March 30, 1840, that the Kists (i.e., Fyappins) were either greatly agitated or openly sided with the Caucasian Imamate.[33]
Whole Greater Chechnya was transferred to
him, as well as the Michik and Ichkerin residents and many Aukhites; the Kachkalyks are kept in obedience only by the presence of our detachment. Some of the Karabulak and Ingush villages, all the Galgai and Kists are also in great agitation and are secretly or openly assisting the rebel.
In 1944, the Ingush people (including Fyappins)
were deported to Central Asia and were only allowed to return in 1957, after
Nikita Khrushchev reversed many of
Josif Stalin's policies, including the mentioned deportation. Fyappin representatives like the writer and poet
Issa Kodzoev faced repressions by the
Soviet regime after writing about Stalin's repressions.[45][g] In 1989, Kodzoev, along with other Fyappin representatives like
Sulambek Mamilov, was part of the committee for the revival of
Ingush autonomy within the
Russian SFSR of the Soviet Union.[46][h] Today, representatives from the Fyappin society mostly reside across
Ingushetia.[47]
Composition
Fyappin society consisted of the following fortified villages (auls), tribal organizations (teips), and surnames (nyaqhash/vyarash):[i]
Dzhemaldin Yandiev [
ru], the first Ingush people's poet, member of the Union of Soviet Writers, and chairman of the Union of Writers of Checheno-Ingushetia.[r]
Zaam Yandiyev [
ru], a Soviet military and political figure. Active participant in the First World War and the Russian Civil War on the side of the Reds, and commander of the Ingush cavalry brigade.[r]
^As noted by
Nataliya Volkova [
ru], "the resettlement of the Fappians to
Tusheti is not chronologically determined." However, if the comparison made by
Anatoly Genko [
ru] of the Batskiye grebeny mentioned in Russian documents with the Bats people is correct, then the Fyappins were already present in
Tusheti by the end of the 16th century. Additionally, Nataliya Volkova mentions various legends of the
Bats and
Ingush peoples. The Bats legends date the migration of the Fyappins to the times of
Abbas the Great of the
Safavid Empire.[21] Nataliya Volkova and
Leonid Lavrov [
ru], in a different work, date the migration no earlier than the 16th century.[22]
^The 13 villages included
Erzi with 50 households,
Tyarsh with 29, (
Upper Khuli) with 29, Lower Khuli with 20, Kharp with 18, Koshke with 15, Morch with 10, Garak with 28,
Metskhal with 10,
Falkhan with 30,
Beyni with 20, Lyazhgi with 30, and
Furtoug with 29.
^
abDzhabagievs are part of the Tochievs, a Fyappin surname, native to the mountainous aul of
Metskhal.[43]
^
abcKodzoevs are part of the Chulkhoy, a Fyappin clan (teip). Kodzoyevs are native to the mountainous aul of
Kyazi [
ru].[62]
^
abMamilovs are part of the Oartskhoy,[65] a Fyappin clan (teip).[67] Native to the mountainous aul of
Erzi.[65]
^The information in the table is based on several archive documents such as: "List of populated locations of the Voeynno-Ossetinskiy Okrug" (1859),[48] "List of residents of the Gorsky Uchastok of the Ingushskiy Okrug, with testimony against everyone who, how many have their own arable hay days of land" (1864)[49] and "List of mountain villages of the
Kuban and
TerekOblasts" (1869).[35] The orthography of the teips and nyaqhash/vyarash was mainly based on the work "Onomasticon of Ingushetia",[50] while the information regarding which auls they inhabit/inhabited is mainly based on the information from
Zaurbek Malsagov [
ru][51] and Shukri Dakhkilgov.[47]
^Including Bersanovs (Берсанаькъан), Mestoy (Местой) and Shovkhalovs (Шовхалнаькъан).
^
abKotiyevs are a Fyappin clan (teip). Native to the mountainous auls of Metskhal and Falkhan.[56]
^Amerkhanovs are part of the Matievs,[57] a Fyappin clan (teip). Native to the mountainous aul of
Kharp.[58]
^Gazikovs are part of the Gelatkhoy,[59] who are a Fyappin clan (teip) originating from Oartskhoy, another Fyappin clan. Native to the mountainous aul of Gveleti.[60]
^
abcYandievs are part of the Oartskhoy, a Fyappin clan (teip). Native to the mountainous aul of
Erzi.[61]
^Gutserievs are part of the Kodzoevs, who in turn, are part of the Chulkhoy, a Fyappin clan (teip). Kodzoevs are native to the mountainous aul of
Kyazi [
ru].[62]
^Didigovs are part of the Gorokoy,[63] a Fyappin clan (teip).[63] Native to the mountainous aul of
Khamishk [
ru].[64]
^Mankievs are part of the Loshkhoy,[65] a Fyappin clan (teip).[66] Native to the mountainous aul of
Lyazhgi [
ru].[65]
^Matievs are a Fyappin clan (teip). Native to the mountainous aul of
Kharp.[58]
^Yevkurovs are part of the Oartskhoy,[68] a Fyappin clan (teip).[67] Native to the mountainous aul of
Olgeti.[68]
^Sautievs are part of the Torshkhoy,[69] a Fyappin clan (teip). Native to the mountainous auls of Tyarsh, Beyni, and Falkhan.[70]
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