Main outlines of the policy

A t the end of the 18^th century and early in the 19^th century, the Russian Empire was expanding beyond its southern borders. In this regard, Russia’s advance in the Caucasus was a priority. Current article touches upon the Russian settlement and policy in the Caucasus. In order to form a comprehensive understanding of the background and content of the issue, it is necessary to consider the circumstances leading to the formation of the Russian Empire and hence to the formation and features of its policy. Moreover, the peculiarities of the process of empire formation and nation-building in the historical context are noteworthy. It is also important to understand whether the formation and expansion of the empire hindered the process of nation-building and ethno-national consolidation. There is a conceptual difference in literature: nation-building and state-building («строительство нации» and «строительства государства»)[1].

Nation-building is a less tangible, objective process. In this regard, it is necessary to awaken a sense of devotion among the population, which can be achieved by stimulating a sense of community, not infrequently at the expense of the manipulation of culture, history and symbolism [2]. Actually, the state-building in Russia hindered the process of nation-building. Efforts to collect taxes, the desire to create an army for the needs of the empire required the subordination of almost the entire population, especially Russians, to the interests of the state, thus made it difficult to form public associations, representing national self-consciousness through a civilian character.   

According to the principles of national policy, first of all, a formal agreement was concluded with the peoples with statehood, such as the Treaty of St. George between Russia and Georgia in 1783. Although this was a transitional act, since Russia was going to abolish the institutions of royal power in Georgia and turn the country into an administrative-territorial unit of the empire. The peoples deprived of statehood were obliged to take an oath to the Tsar of Russia. In case of voluntary accession, relations between states were regulated in accordance with an agreement, which however didn’t lead to the formation of a federation, the accession was in the form of a protectorate, which over a time became a complete subordination. The best example was the transfer of the Karabakh Khanate to Russia in 1805, carried out through the Treaty signed between the Karabakh Khan and the Russian military representative in Georgia. [3] In other cases, the issue was resolved by conquest. And then the administrative-territorial and social structure of the conquered territories depended on the will of Russia, which usually provided them with a broad autonomy, that however shouldn’t have led them to the formation of a separate state.[4]

T he issue of the Caucasus played a vital role for the empire, and in the 18-19^th centuries the problem of the North Caucasus gained international importance. It is well known that England, France, Iran and Turkey sought to subjugate Caucasian ethnic communities to jointly oppose Russian Empire policy in the Caucasus. In this regard, the Ottoman Empire was especially active. Turkish interference in the affairs of the Caucasus was of a different nature and contributed to the growth of national hatred, religious fanaticism and religious hostility, mainly between the ethnic communities of Muslims on the one hand and Russians, Armenians and Georgians on the other. The religious and political ideology of Muridism became widespread in the Caucasus and it is noteworthy that the Shirvan is considered to be the first place in the Caucasus where the ideology of Muridism first appeared [5]. Being convinced that it is unpromising to take back what was lost by military means from Russia, the Ottoman Empire decided to use the fellow believers dissatisfied with the Christian order in the territories newly conquered by the Russian Empire. Thus, a religious character was given to the struggle. From this point of view, among the forces opposing Russia, the struggle waged by the Caucasian highlands in 1810-1860 turned into the most stubborn and prolonged one. At first, the movement fell under the influence of the aforementioned Muridism, widely spread among the Muslim population in Chechnya and Dagestan.

The theory and activity of Muridism led to the isolation of the highlanders from the Christian peoples of the Caucasus and the Russian Empire, and unwittingly turned into a political tool in the hands of Russia’s opponents Turkey and the Western powers. [6]

Thus, the Transcaucasia inevitably found itself in the orbit of the foreign policy interests of Russia, England and France.

If evaluating the involvement of the Caucasus into the Russian Empire, then we can say that it ensured their overcoming of backwardness, isolation and political fragmentation, and also ensured their involvement in the all-Russian economy, all-Russian and world market, as well as contributed to the integration into the Russian reality, which in terms of cultural aspect and public mobility was much more developed in Russia than in Turkey and Iran.

However, at the same time, we shouldn’t forget about the colonial policy of the Russian Empire. After the establishment of tsarism in the Caucasus in the first half of the 19^th century it gained new, even more intense manifestations than it had in the previous century. This caused not only distrust among the local population, but often hostility towards everything that is Russian. Many well-known representatives of the aristocratic class (Prince Alexander in Georgia, Surkhay Khan of Kazikumukh, etc.) initiated and organized movements against the Russian Empire. [7] In contrast to the movement leading to the emergence of Muridism, these movements were not covered by a religious veil, if only for the simple reason that the opposition was against the power where the same faith was professed.

Summing up we can state that the process of Russia’s conquest of new territories and involving new peoples into its composition, differed from the colonial policy of classical European empires. If the main course of the European powers’ policy was the conquest of new territories by force of arms, then the policy of Russia was more multifaced, strengthening its positions through the oath of the joining peoples, concluding treaties and voluntary alliances.

[1] Хоскинг Дж., Россия: народ и империя (1552-1917) , Смоленск, “Русич”, 2001, с. 10
[2] Там же, с. 11:
[3] Акты, собранные Кавказской археографической комиссией, под ред. А.П. Берже, Тф.,Тип. Глав. Управ. Наместника кавказского,1868, Т. 2, сс. 704-705
[4] Миронов Б.,Социальная история России периода империи (XVIII-начало XXв.): В 2 т., Т 1, СПб., 2003, с. 30:
[5] Махмудбекова, Мюридическая секиа на Кавказе, Сборник материалов для описания местностей и племен Кавказа, Издание Управления Кавказского Учебного Округа, Тифлис, 1898, Вып. 24, Отд.1, с.17
[6] Սարուխանյան Ն., Հայկական հարցը մինչխորհրդային հայ հասրակական-քաղաքական մտքի և պատմագրության մեջ, Եր. , 1997, էջ 206:
[7] Смирнов Н., Политика России на Кавказе в XVI-XIX веках , М., 1958, с. 181: