Ingush societies (, ) were autonomous ethno-territorial communities that formed the principal political and administrative units of traditional Ingush society. The formation and functioning of most of them dates back to the late Middle Ages. During this period, their boundaries, number and names changed.
The names of the societies were mainly derived from the names of the areas in which they were located, following a geographical principle, although some names may also have been associated with clan or ancestral origins. During this period, the Ingush lived in relatively isolated mountain gorges, which encouraged territorial fragmentation rather than consolidation around a single centre. Nevertheless, they retained a sense of shared ethnic identity based on a common culture and language.
Ingush societies in the literature are sometimes called shahars ( – from Persian 'city, town'). In ancient West Asian usage, the term shahar denoted a city or town and, in some contexts, an administrative territorial unit. Societies (shahars) of medieval Ingushetia were also territorial units.
Etymology The Ingush name for societies is shahar () which is derived from Persian word shahr ().
History
The collapse of the Alanian state in the 13th century and the migration of its population into the mountains, where they settled to the east and west of the Darial Gorge and constructed fortifications, served as the basis for the formation of new ethno-territorial communities. Villages located in the mountainous zone were grouped mainly along local gorges, which contributed to their ethno-political consolidation into separate territorial societies/regions (). By the end of the 16th century, the main territorial societies of the Ingush had already formed. Based on the data of Russian sources of the 16th-17th centuries, which mention several Ingush territorial communities, it is suggested that in the 15th century there was a similar number of such societies, each uniting several villages.
Over time, the number and boundaries of these societies changed due to migration processes among the Ingush population, including movements back to the plains. These began relatively early, soon after Timur’s withdrawal from the North Caucasus. In their initial stages, they took the form of localized military-political actions undertaken by the Ingush in the lowlands in response to the settlement of nomadic groups in these areas.
Changes in the names and number of societies also occurred due to the transfer of rural administrative centres from one village to another. For example, the Kist (Feappii) society came to be known as the Metskhal society, while the Ghalghaï society later split into the Tsorin and Khamkhin societies.
Political organization According to the ethnographer Chakh Akhriev, the Ingush societies differed in their systems of governance. He describes the Dzherakh and Feappii as preserving traditions of hereditary ruling families tracing their origins to legendary founders. Their descendants were regarded as the rulers of their respective societies, although Akhriev notes that their political authority had diminished over time. In contrast, the Ghalghaï, Nazran and Karabulak societies are described as being governed by elected elders and judges. Akhriev concludes that hereditary aristocratic institutions among the Ingush were generally weaker than among many neighbouring Caucasian peoples.Akhriev, Ch. E. (1875). "Ингуши. Их предания, верования и поверья" [Ingush. Their legends, beliefs and beliefs]. Сборник сведений о кавказских горцах [Collection of information about the Caucasian highlanders] (in Russian) (8th ed.). Tiflis. pp. 1–40.
List of societies Sholkhi society
Angusht society
Dzherakh society
Feappii society
Khamkhin society
Tsorin society
Galashian society
Nazranian society
Orstkhoy society
Akkin society
Malkhin society
Notes
References
Bibliography
English sources
Russian sources