Relations Between North Caucasians and Russians in the 15th Century

Abstract

The relations between the Russian principalities and the Northern Caucasian people were extremely negatively affected by the invasions of the Tatar-Mongol conquerors. For a certain period, these relationships ceased altogether. The beginning of the renewal of these relations can be considered the meetings of the leaders of the regions under the Golden Horde in its capital. The historical sources of this time provide us with many interesting pieces of information about these relationships. It is characteristic of Russian historians that they equate the liberation struggle against the Tatar-Mongols with the liberation struggles of all peoples conquered by the Mongols, and they believe that it was Russia that initiated the victories against the conquerors, which is a biased approach to the issue. All peoples groaning under the Tatar-Mongols, fought for their independence, and the freedoms they attained are also their merit. There were also trade relations between the Northern Caucasian peoples and the Russians. One of the main directions in this regard was the trade relations conducted through the Volga River to the cities on the Caspian Sea, notably Derbent and Baku. Certainly, the development of trade relations was accompanied by the emergence of political relations.