What does Alan look like? Alans and their role in the history of the North Caucasus

The history of ancient peoples is full of secrets and mysteries. historical sources did not show a broad picture of the ancient world. Little information remained about the way of life, religion and culture of nomadic peoples. The Alanian tribes are especially interesting, since they lived not only on the territory of the southern Russian steppes and in the mountains of the Caucasus, but also on the territory of medieval Europe.

Alans are nomadic Iranian-speaking tribes of Scythian-Sarmatian origin, which are mentioned in written sources from the 1st century AD. One part of the tribe participated in the Great Migration of Nations, while others remained in the territories in the foothills of the Caucasus. It was on them that the Alanian tribes formed the state of Alania, which existed before the invasion of the Mongols in the 1230s.

In the epic of other peoples

Numerous studies devoted to the peoples in the era of the Great Migration, ignore or do not notice the role of the Scythian and Alanian tribes in the conquest of Europe. But they provided big influence on the military art of European peoples. The history of the Alans in Germany dates back to those times. The people had a huge impact on the Gothic tribes, as they did not own military equipment.

Alanian military culture underlies medieval legends and the code of chivalry. The tales of King Arthur, the round table and Them are attributed to the Anglo-Saxon tribes, but some researchers claim that this is not true. These legends come from the Alanian people. Emperor Marcus Aurelius, at the end of the second century, recruited 8,000 Alans. Warriors worshiped the god of war - a sword stuck in the ground.

Historiography

Why were researchers interested in the relationship between the Alanian and Ossetian tribes? It's simple, the Ossetian language is very different from the languages ​​of other peoples of the North Caucasus.

Gerhard Miller in his work “On the peoples who have lived in Russia since ancient times” made an assumption about the relationship of the Ossetians with the Alanian tribes.

In the 19th century, the German orientalist Klaproth spoke in his works about the genetic relationship of the Ossetian tribes with the Alan ones. Further research confirmed this theory.

The concept of Klaproth was also adhered to by the Swiss archaeologist Dubois de Montpere, who considered the Alanian and Ossetian tribes as kindred, settled at different times in the Caucasus. The German Gaksthausen, who visited Russia in the 19th century, was a supporter of the German theory of the origin of the Ossetians. The Ossetian tribes descended from the Gothic tribes and, persecuted by the Huns, settled in the mountains of the Caucasus. The French scientist Saint-Martin paid special attention to the Ossetian language, since it originated from the languages ​​of Europe.

Russian researcher D. L. Lavrov in his work “ Historical information about Ossetia and Ossetians” gives many details about the relationship of the Alans and this people.

The largest Russian researcher of the late 19th century, V.F. Miller, published the book “Ossetian Etudes”, in which he proves the genetic relationship between these two peoples. The proof was that the names of the Caucasian Alans extended to the ancestors of the Ossetians. He considered the ethnonyms Alans, Oss and Yases as belonging to the same people. He came to the conclusion that the ancestors of the Ossetians were part of the nomadic Sarmatian and Scythian tribes, and in the Middle Ages - Alan.

To date, scientists adhere to the concept of the genetic relationship of the Ossetians with the Alanian tribes.

Etymology of the word

The meaning of the term "alan" is "guest" or "host". In modern science, they adhere to the version of V. I. Abaev: the concept of "Alans" comes from the names of the ancient Aryans and Iranian Agua tribes. Another scholar, Miller, suggested the origin of the name from the Greek verb "wander" or "wander".

What were the neighboring peoples called Alans

In the ancient Russian chronicles, the Alans are Yases. So, in 1029 it is reported that Yaroslav defeated the Yas tribe. In the annals, the Armenians use the same term - "Alans", and the Chinese chronicles call them Alans.

Historical information

The history of the ancient Alans can be traced from the II century BC. e. on the territory of Central Asia. Later they are mentioned in ancient records from the middle of the first century. Their appearance in Eastern Europe associated with the strengthening of the Sarmatian tribes.

After the defeat by the Huns, during the period of the Great Migration of Peoples, part of the tribe ended up in Gaul and North Africa, where, together with the Vandals, they formed a state that lasted until the 6th century. Another part of the Alans went to the foothills of the Caucasus. Gradually there was a partial assimilation of the Alanian tribes. They became ethnically heterogeneous, as evidenced by archaeological finds.

With the fall of the Khazar Khaganate, the unification of the Alanian tribes into the early feudal state of Alania is connected. Since this period, their influence in the Crimea has increased.

After the merger of the Alans with the Caucasian tribes, they switched to agriculture and a settled way of life. This was the main factor in the formation of the early feudal state of Alania. In the upper reaches of the Kuban, under the influence of Byzantium, was the Western part of the country. Part of the "Great Silk Road" passed through its territory, which strengthened the ties of the Alans with the Eastern Roman Empire.

By the X century, Alania becomes a feudal state. Also at this time, this people plays an important role in foreign policy relations between Byzantium and Khazaria.

By the XIII century, Alania had become a powerful and prosperous state, but after the Tatar-Mongols captured the Ciscaucasia plain, it fell, and the population went to the mountains of the Central Caucasus and Transcaucasia. The Alans began to assimilate with the local Caucasian population, but retained their historical identity.

Alans in Crimea: the history of settlement

A few written sources tell about the resettlement through the Kerch Strait to the territory Crimean peninsula. The burial grounds found were of an unknown design for the Crimea. Similar crypts were found in the Caucasus, where the Alans lived. The method of burial was also specific. In the crypt, there were 9 buried, and a sword was placed on the head or shoulder of a warrior. The same custom was among the tribes of the North Caucasus. In addition to weapons, gold and silver jewelry. These archaeological finds allow us to conclude that in the 3rd century AD. e. part of the Alanian tribes migrated to the Crimea.

In written sources, the Crimean Alans are practically not mentioned. Only by the 13th century did different information about the Alans appear. Researchers are of the opinion that such a long silence is not accidental. Most likely, in the 13th century, part of the Alans moved to the Crimea. This may be due to the Tatar-Mongol invasion.

Archaeological data

The materials found in the Zmeysky burial ground confirm the data on the high culture of the Alans and the developed trade relations between Iran, Russia and the countries of the East. Numerous finds of weapons confirm the information of medieval authors that the Alans had a developed army.

Also an important factor in the fall of the state were frequent avalanches in the XIII-XIV centuries. Many settlements were destroyed, and the Alans settled down the slopes. The final fall of Alanya was the result of the attack of Tamerlane. Alans participated in the army of Tokhtamysh. It was the largest battle in the history of the Golden Horde, which determined its position as a great power.

Religion

The basis of the Alanian religion was the Scythian-Sarmatian religious tradition. Like other tribes, the Alans' beliefs centered on the worship of the sun and the hearth. In religious life there were such phenomena as "farn" - grace, and "ard" - an oath. With the formation of statehood, polytheism was replaced by a single God (Khuytsau), and the rest of the deities turned into an “avdiu” creature. Their functions and features eventually passed to the saints who surround the one God. The Alans believed that the universe consists of three worlds. Therefore, the trinity division was present in the life of society: in the religious, economic and military spheres.

After the final transition to an agricultural way of life, the formation of the Scythian-Sarmatian union, the structure of public life changed. Now the military nobility dominated, not the shepherds. Hence the numerous legends about warrior knights. In such a society, it was required to abandon the pagan pantheon and have one God. The royal power needed a heavenly patron - an unattainable ideal that would unite different people. Therefore, the Alanian king chose Christianity as the state religion.

Spread of religion

According to the legends of the church, the acquaintance of the Alans with Christianity took place in the first century. The disciple of Christ, the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, preached in the Alanian city of Fust. Also in written sources it is reported that the Alans, who visited Byzantium and Armenia, adopted Christianity. After the Great Migration, many Alans adopted Christianity. Since the 7th century, it has spread widely in the territory of Alanya and has become the state religion. This fact strengthened foreign policy and cultural ties with Byzantium. But until the 12th century, the Eastern Alans remained pagans. They partly accepted Christianity, but were faithful to their gods.

After the establishment of the Golden Horde dominion in the Caucasus, the construction of Muslim mosques began on the site. Christian churches. Islam began to supplant the Christian religion.

Life

Alanya was located on the part of the great silk road, so trade and exchange was developed in it. Mostly merchants went to Byzantium and the Arab countries, but archaeological finds indicate that they also traded with the countries of Eastern Europe, Central and Central Asia.

The history of the Alans is of interest to modern scholars. The people had a great influence on the states of Eastern Europe and the Ossetians. Yet the information is not enough. The few essays on the history of the Alans do not allow drawing conclusions about the origin of the people.

The dwellings of the Alans were different depending on the social system. The settlements of the early Alans practically did not differ from the settlements of the nomads of Eurasia. Gradually they moved from a semi-nomadic to a sedentary agricultural way of life.

culture

The development of material culture is evidenced by the presence of burial grounds and settlements found on the Northern Donets and the North Caucasus. Ground tombs and crypts, dolmens, catacombs speak of the high development of the Alans culture.

The settlements were fenced with slabs on which a geometric pattern or images of animals were applied.

Alans were masters of jewelry art. This is confirmed by pendants made of gold and silver with semi-precious stones, figurines of warriors, various brooches that adorned the clothes of the Alans.

Numerous amulets, toiletries, sabers, and clothes found in the Zmeysky burial ground speak of the flourishing of the Alanian state.

In the 10th century, Alanya developed its own written language and heroic epos.

legends

The Nart epic is the pinnacle of Alanian medieval art. It reflected a long period in the life of this people - from the early communal system to the fall of Alania in the XIV century. Narts is a pseudonym for the creators of the epic, who preserved in the legends religious beliefs, way of life and public relations people. The Nart or Nart epic was formed among the Alans, and eventually developed among the Georgian peoples. It is based on the adventures of warrior heroes. The story intertwines reality with fiction. There is no chronological framework and description of events, but the reality is reflected in the names of the area where the battles of the warriors take place. The motifs of the Nart epic reflect the life and beliefs of the Alans and Scythians-Sarmatians. For example, one of the legends describes how they tried to kill the old man Uryzmag - it was customary for the Alans and Scythians to kill old people for religious purposes.

Based on the legends, the Narts divided the society into three clans, which are endowed with special features: Borata - wealth, Alagata - wisdom, Akhsartaggata - courage. This corresponds to the social division of the Alans: economic (Borata owned the wealth of the land), priestly (Alagata) and military (Akhsartaggata).

The plots of the Nart legends are based on the exploits of the main characters during a campaign or hunting, matchmaking and revenge for the murder of their father. The legends also describe a dispute about the superiority of the Narts over each other.

Conclusion

Alans, Scythians, Sarmatians... The history of these peoples has a great influence on the Ossetians. It is safe to say that the Alans influenced the formation of the Ossetian people. That is why the Ossetian language differs from other Caucasian languages. And yet, the few essays on the history of the Alans do not allow us to draw conclusions about the origin of the people.

ALANS

(in Russian sources - jars, in Georgian - oats, wasps) - numerous. Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. Known since the 2nd century. BC e. under the name roxalan. In the first centuries A.D. e. lived in Nizh. Volga region, South. Urals, Don region, Sev. Caspian, Ciscaucasia and in the south. district Sev. Black Sea region (to the Dnieper); this is the time of their expansion to the south, to the north. Caucasus, which can be clearly seen from the distribution of the funeral rite of A. in the catacombs. According to Josephus Flavius, Tacitus and others, strong and hosts. A. tribes made successful campaigns in Transcaucasia, Media, M. Asia and in the districts of the Roman Empire. Initially, the basis of the farms of the steppe A. was cattle breeding in combination with agriculture; later, pottery, jewelry and metallurgy reached a high level of development. Societies. The system of A. was characterized by the selection of tribal leaders and the formation of an alliance of tribes.

In the 4th c. A. ethnically were already heterogeneous. Large tribal associations of A. in the 4th century. defeated the Huns, in the 6th c. - Avars. Part of A. participated in the great migration of peoples and ended up in the West. Europe (in Gaul) and even in the North. Africa, where, together with the vandals, she formed a state that lasted until the middle. 6th c. All these events were accompanied everywhere by the partial ethno-cultural assimilation of A. Culture A. 4-5 centuries. represent the settlements and burial grounds of the foothill zone of the North. and Zap. Caucasus and the richest Kerch crypts of the Crimea. 7th to 10th centuries Means. part of the Middle Ages. Alania, stretching from Dagestan to the Kuban region, was part of the Khazar Khaganate. During the duration time North-Caucasus. A. waged a stubborn struggle with the Arabs. Caliphate, Byzantium and the Khazar Khaganate. An idea of ​​the rich Alanian culture of the 8th-11th centuries. give the famous catacomb burial grounds and settlements on the Seversky Donets (Saltovo-Mayatskaya culture) and especially settlements and burial grounds in the North. Caucasus (settlements: Arkhyz, Upper and Lower Dzhulat, etc., burial grounds: Arkhon, Balta, Chmi, Rutkha, Galiat, Zmeisky, Gizhgid, Bylym, etc.). They testify to the wide international A.'s connections with the peoples of Transcaucasia, Byzantium, Kievan Rus and even Syria.

In the 9th-10th centuries. A. develop early feud. relationship. From the 7th c. in Alanya, Christianity begins to spread from Byzantium and Georgia. In the conditions of the decomposition of primitive communal relations, the differentiation of the population, a large tribal union of A. was formed, which in the 10-12 centuries. acquired the features of a primitive state with the allocation of kings-"bagatars" (king Durgulel). Large mountain settlements arose. type (Dedyakov). In 10-12 centuries. A. originated writing in Greek. alphabet. At that time, A. were a settled people who created a note. Nart heroic. epic and high culture, which fell into decline only after the Tatar-Mong. invasion of the Caucasus (1222). From the 14th century Islam began to spread among Azerbaijan. A., who are the direct ancestors of the Ossetians, played a well-known role in the ethnogenesis and formation of the culture and other indigenous peoples of the North. Caucasus. The term "A." lived in the North. Caucasus until the 19th century. already in the meaning of "friend", "neighbor".

Lit .: Miller V.F., Ossetian studies, part 3, M., 1887; Kulakovsky Yu., Alans according to the classic. and Byzantium. writers, K., 1889; Gotye Yu.V., Who were the inhabitants of Upper Saltov?, "IGAIMK", 1927, c. 5; Krupnov E.I., Archaeological. monuments of the upper reaches of the river. Terek and bass. R. Sunzhi, "Tr. GAIMK", 1947, c. 17; Abaev V.I., Ossetian language and folklore, (v.) 1, M.-L., 1949; History of the North Ossetian ASSR, M., 1959; Kuznetsov V. A., On the issue of late Alanian culture Sev. Caucasus, "SA", 1959, No 2; Essays on the history of the USSR. III-IX centuries., M., 1958; Täubler E., Zur Geschichte der Alanen, "Klio. Beiträge zur alten Geschichte", 1909, Bd 9, H. 1.

E. I. Krupnov. Moscow.

Soviet historical encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Ed. E. M. Zhukova. 1973-1982 .

See what "ALANS" is in other dictionaries:

Modern Encyclopedia

Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. From the 1st century lived in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia. Part of the Alans participated in the Great Migration of Nations. Caucasian Alans (in Russian, Yases) are the ancestors of the Ossetians ... Big encyclopedic Dictionary

Alans- Alans, Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. From the 1st century lived in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia. Part of the Alans participated in the Great Migration of Nations. Caucasian Alans (in Russian, Yases) are the ancestors of the Ossetians. At the end of the 9th beginning of the 13th centuries. formed a state... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Alans, Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. From the 1st century n. e. lived in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia. Part of A. participated in the Great Migration of Peoples. They were part of the Khazar Khaganate. At the end of the 9th c. formed a state in the central part ... Russian history

- (Alani, Άλανοί). A warlike people, akin to the Scythians, who originally lived in the Caucasus; then they penetrated into Europe, together with the Suebi and Vandals devastated Gaul and Spain; but since the 5th century they no longer appear in history. (Source: “Brief… … Encyclopedia of mythology

Iranian-speaking semi-nomadic tribes of Sarmatian origin (see Sarmatians), who lived in the 14th centuries. on a vast territory from the Southern Urals to the Don, Crimea and the North Caucasus. After the invasion of the Huns (end of the 4th century), part of the Alans settled on ... ... Art Encyclopedia

A people often mentioned during the migration of peoples between the Germanic tribes, but actually belonging to the Scythian tribe, which in turn is also often ranked among the Aryans. A. lived first in the Caucasus; from there they... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Alans- (Alans), nomadic tribes of the Black Sea steppes, to rye in the 1st century. AD repeatedly raided the east. borders of the Roman Empire. In the 4th c. were forced out by 3. by the Huns, went to Gaul in 406 and Spain in 409. There they joined the Vandals, in 429 ... ... The World History

Check information. It is necessary to check the accuracy of the facts and the reliability of the information presented in this article. There should be explanations on the talk page. At ... Wikipedia

Iranian-speaking tribes of Sarmatian origin. From the 1st century lived in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov and Ciscaucasia. Part of the Alans participated in the Great Migration of Nations. Caucasian Alans (in Russian, Yases) are the ancestors of the Ossetians. * * * ALANES ALANES (self-name of irony, in Byzantine ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (lat. Alani) the self-name of the Irons, in the Byzantine sources of the Alans, in Georgian wasps, in Russian Yases, numerous Iranian-speaking tribes that stood out in the last century of the don. e. from the environment of the semi-nomadic Sarmatian population of the North ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Books

• Alans of the Central Ciscaucasia of the V-VIII centuries. The rite of neutralization of the buried, V. S. Flerov. The first monograph in domestic archeology on a little-studied rite, reflecting the worldview, beliefs and psychology of the early medieval Alans. The study is based on excavation materials…

SCYTHIANS, ALANS, RUSSIANS - JEWISH TRIBES

E. Makarovsky. ("Jewish Roots of Rus'")

As for the relationship between the Jews and the Scythians, the Ashkenazi Scythians have been known since ancient times. Of interest is the opinion of A.P. Smirnov on this issue, who writes: “So, the name of Noah’s “great-grandson” Ashkenaz corresponds to the name of the Ashkuz tribe, known from Assyrian sources, and the Scythians of Greek sources. And the name of the "father" Ashkenaz Homer corresponds to the cuneiform "Gimmirai" and the Cimmerians of classical authors. This mention of the Scythians and Cimmerians is considered one of the oldest. And pay attention: the Cimmerians are the "fathers" of the Scythians.

Evidence of the Jewish origin of the Ashkenazi Scythians are stone statues - "women" with Torah scrolls in their hands and tefillin on their heads, stored in the Dnepropetrovsk Museum.

And when we talk about the Bosporan kingdom, we must keep in mind that no Greco-Scythian kingdom existed there at that time, as some historians are trying to substantiate. It was the Jewish kingdom in the Crimea. The same as Byzantium was a Greek state in Eastern Europe, although the ruling elite did not consider themselves Greeks, but called themselves Romans - Romans.

When, in the first century AD, the Alanian tribes appeared in the region of the Sea of ​​Azov, the Jews-dews who lived here entered into an alliance with them and attacked the Sarmatians who lived in the steppes of the Black Sea region and, sweeping away everything in their path, reached the banks of the Danube. The Sarmatians, in turn, retreated to the western tip of the Balkan Peninsula and are now known under the name of the Croats.

The Scythians, once oppressed by the Sarmatians, withdrew to the Crimea and, having mixed with the Taurians, became known under the name of the Tauro-Scythians. According to A.P. Smirnov: “The close relationship between the Taurians and the Scythians is reflected not only in the ritual side of the burials, but also in the inventory. In the first centuries of our era, a new term "Tavro-Scythians" appeared. This term was found on one of the Bosporan inscriptions. Byzantine chroniclers identified the Tauro-Scythians with the Rus. However, the Rus of the tenth century were not yet Slovenes.

And the Arab chroniclers never wrote that the Rus are Slovenes. The famous passage of Ibn-Khordadbeg about: "As for the Russian merchants - they are the essence of a tribe from the Slavs ...", then Irma Heinman believes that this is just a mistranslation of the word "jeans".

The word "jeans" has a meaning - type, genus, category. And the term "sakaliba" means from Hebrew not a Slovene, but "slave", "slave". So the correct translation of this place by Ibn-Hardadbeg will sound like: "Ruses - they are from the type of slave traders." Or: "Ruses are slave traders."

At the same time, the stubborn unwillingness of Russian historians to use the Hebrew language in translating the difficulties of medieval terminology into Russian often puts Russian scientists in a rather curious position.

So, having mistakenly taken as a basis that the “Slavs” are denoted by the term “as-sakaliba”, T. M. Kalinina cannot give an intelligible answer how the Volga in the 9th century could be called the Slavic River, when there were no Slavs there yet.

“For a hundred years,” she writes, “researchers have been arguing about which river is meant by Ibn Khordadbeg: according to the description, it seems to be the Volga, but why in the 9th century. It is called the "river of the Slavs", and as they could at the beginning of the 9th century. merchants sail "from distant Slavic lands" to its mouth, when its shores were inhabited by non-Slavs at all?

However, if we take into account that in the Hebrew language "as-sakaliba" does not at all mean the ethnonym "Slavs", but serves as the name of a slave-slave, then it is quite clear why the Volga was called the Slave River. On it, the Rus carried slave slaves for sale. This is where the Volga got such a symbolic name - the Slave River.

As for the Alans, they are by no means Ossetians, as Russian historians try to present them. Ossetians were never called Alans. Their self-name was iron.

The Alans were descendants of the Massaget Saks. And the Jewish tribes settled on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea were known in the Assyrian chronicles as the Saki-Massagets. Alans were Jews. They shared the same Catacomb burial culture with the Cimmerians and Taurians. It was the Jewish culture of burials in stone cists and catacombs. G. M. Barats was the first to draw attention to the Jewish origin of the Alans in his works.

And, finally, as for the Ross or Russ, such a tribe never existed. This was noticed by many Russian historians in the past. So, at one time, V. O. Klyuchevsky wrote: “About Rus' among the Eastern Slavs in the VIII century. It is not heard at all, but in the 9th and 10th centuries. Rus' among the Eastern Slavs is not yet Slavs, it differs from them, as an alien and ruling class from the native and subject population.

He was echoed by the well-known historian V.Z. searched outside the territories of their settlements. The persistence with which the compiler of the Primary Chronicle denies the local origin of this name would not have been possible if the Eastern Slavs of the 11th and early 12th centuries considered the name Rus to be their original name. After all that has been said, it is clear that the word Rus did not originally mean either one or a separate tribe, or one or another geographical area. In his opinion: "Rus was a privileged government squad, enjoying special advantages."

It is not surprising that with such a variety of opinions about the origin of the word “Rus”, Professor M. I. Artamonov came to the following conclusion: “Who were the “dews” of the Middle Dnieper region, after whom this area began to be called with the above change “Russian Land”, hard to say."

However, Irma Heinman, in her historical study "Jewish Diaspora and Russia", published in Jerusalem in 1983, convincingly proved that: formed along the coasts of the Black and Azov Seas since the time of the Bosporan Kingdom and spread its activities along the river routes of the East European Plain up to the Baltic Sea.

As for the word “Russians” or “dews”, Irma Heinman claims that in translation from Hebrew it means “Hellenized Jew” in its softened meaning: “A Jew who abandoned Judaism in favor of paganism,” she writes, “according to with the term adopted in the Torah and the "Book of Maccabees" is called "rasha" or "rashiya".

Perhaps this can explain why the Russians are the only people on the globe whose ethnonym is an adjective, not a noun.

However, "dew" or "Rus" was not only a military-trade organization. Rus' was at the same time the religion of the fiasophist brothers, who revere the Almighty God. This is a syncretic religion, combining elements of Judaism with Hellenism, which was widely spread among semi-Jews, Tauro-Scythians and Jews in the Crimea and the North Caucasus. They do not pronounce the name of God, like the Jews, but it means Zeus the Thunderer. Their prayer places are not a temple, but not a church either, but a synagogue.

According to N. I. Novosadsky: “The Bosporan fias were basically religious societies. Their members united around the cult of the same deity. This deity was closest to the ancient Greek Zeus, but it had no name. The absence of a name indicates the influence of the most ancient Christian communities based on Jewish beliefs. The influence of these communities is also seen in certain features of the organization of the Bosporan fiasi. But the Bosporan fiasi did not set as their exclusive goal only the cult of their special deity. They also had other tasks: material support for the members, expressed in the care of the burial of the fiasots and the upbringing of their children, and, apparently, the achievement of certain moral goals.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that initially Rus' was not only a military-trade organization, but also a religious movement close to Christianity. This just explains why Rus', in the end, adopted Christianity. The fiass brothers and the Alans, led by this military-trade organization, also gravitated towards Christianity. The correct spelling, of course, is al-lany. Al is a preposition, and then lans from the word lan-field. So the Mountain Jews called those Jews who lived in the steppes of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

One of the Allanic tribes that founded Kyiv and Kievan Rus were the glades. They were by no means Slovenes. On the other hand, they were not autochthons of the Middle Dnieper, because otherwise they would not have been called glades, but by some other name. The fact is that back in the eighth century this area was covered with dense forests, and here, just at that time, the Slovenian tribe of the Drevlyans or foresters lived.

The glades, according to Professor V. A. Parkhomenko, were: “Natives from the territory of the Khazar kingdom, in general from the southeast and, most likely, from the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.” From the habitats in the bend of the Azov-Don fields, they got their name - a clearing. The question of their ethnic belonging to Slovenes is not confirmed by archaeological data.

A. A. Spitsyn pointed this out for the first time. On this subject he published an article in the ZhMNP in January 1909. Following him, in 1930, M. I. Artamonov, based on the material of the medieval settlements of the Lower Don, came to a similar conclusion that no traces of the habitation of the Slovene population in this area before the 11th century can be traced. But unlike A. A. Spitsyn, who believed that the Lower Don and the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov were inhabited by Alans - Iranians, A. M. Artamonov believed that this area was inhabited by Bulgarian, Turkic in language, tribal groups related to the Khazars.

Then I. I. Lyapushkin, investigated the massive archaeological material of Tmutarakan itself and confirmed the conclusion of Spitsyn and Artamonov that until the end of the 10th century, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov did not know any Slovenian culture, which spreads here only in the 11th century, replacing the Saltov-Mayak culture. Carried out in the post-war years in the Crimea on a large scale, archaeological excavations also did not confirm the settlement of this region by Slovenes until the end of the 10th century.

Those who came from the Azov steppes and founded Kyiv and Kievan Rus were Jews who professed Judaism. And according to the Tale of Bygone Years, they, unlike the tribes surrounding them, did not eat clean food, but ate only kosher. So before the adoption of Christianity by Russia, Kievan Rus was an exemplary Jewish state on the banks of the Dnieper. The meadows did not accept Christianity, and Vladimir did not force them to do so. It was Bishop Hilarion who ran to them at night to debate in order to convert them to Christianity.

As we can see, Rus' and Polyany before the adoption of Christianity by Rus are mentioned separately, although it is said that ethnically there is no difference between Polyany and Rus. And with the adoption of Christianity by Russia, the meadows disappear from the pages of the annals and the Jews appear - the Jews.

The Alans also penetrated the Crimea, who completely merged with the Jews related to them by blood. Some historians attribute the Alans to the Sarmatian tribes. But the Sarmatians themselves trace their origins to Scythian men and Jewish women. According to legend, they are descendants of the Amazons.

was abandoned Alans, the people who created their own statehood. For the first time they are recorded at the beginning of the 2nd century BC. and then, throughout their history, they appear in the messages of Armenian, Georgian, Byzantine, Arabic and other authors under different names - roksolany, alanrosy, asii, aces, jars, oats, wasps.

Scientists are convinced that the Alans were Iranian-speaking and were one of the branches of the Sarmatians. By the 1st century AD coming from their steppes Central Asia, occupied vast spaces in the Southern Urals, the Lower Volga region, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, forming a powerful tribal union. At the same time, the hordes of the Alans spread over a significant part of the North Caucasus, subordinating their influence, only the mountainous regions of Chechnya, Dagestan and the western Caucasus retained their originality.

Initially, the economic basis of the Alans was nomadic pastoralism. The social structure was based on the principles military democracy. From the 1st to the 4th centuries, various sources constantly talk about the military campaigns of the Alans against neighboring countries and peoples. Carrying out raids in Transcaucasia, they intervened in the struggle between the great powers of that time ( Parthia, ), participate on the side and against the owners Iberia, Armenia,.

Unlike earlier Iranian newcomers, the Alans were able to move to settled life and agriculture, which helped them gain a foothold in the Central Caucasus. In the 3rd century, Alanya is a formidable force that neighboring states must reckon with, for example,.

For several hundred years of their dominance in the North Caucasus, the Alans had such a powerful impact on that the culture of all local peoples was subjected to leveling and acquired common features, including Alan found in various parts of the Caucasus. The presence of the Alans is recorded in the folk epic of the Adyghe and Nakh legends, for example, the epic legends of the Vainakhs “Elijah”.

Alans in the era of the Great Migration of Nations

At the end of the 3rd century AD. the power of the Alans was significantly undermined by the invasion of new nomadic hordes from Central Asia. Initially, in the 70s of the 3rd century, a horde Huns defeated and pushed the Alans to the foothills, and dragged the other part of them into their distant European campaigns.

One of the Hunnic groups, acacirs, remained in the North Caucasian steppes throughout the 4th century. At the same time, at the end of the 3rd - beginning of the 4th centuries AD. almost at the same time as the Huns, another whole group rushes to the North Caucasus a number of Mongolian and Turkic tribes in origin. The most notable of these is tribal association Bulgarians.

The onslaught of the nomads forced the Alans to leave the entire steppe part of the North Caucasus and retire to the foothills and mountainous regions. The settlements of the Alans at that time are based on modern lands Pyatigorye, KChR, KBR, Ossetia, Ingushetia. The main type of dwellings are fortified settlements, which were built in hard-to-reach places. This was justified, because the nomadic expansion in the North Caucasus did not subside for several centuries.

In the 6th century, the Alans experienced the pressure of a nomadic union Turks who created their own huge education Turkic Khaganate. In the 7th century, the subjugation of the nomadic and aboriginal peoples of the Caucasus began to be carried out by another steppe ethnic group.

The Alanian unions of the Central Caucasus became dependent on the Khazars and, on the side of the latter, took part in a whole series of Khazar-Arab wars of the 7th-8th centuries. Khazar and Arab authors during this period point to the Central Caucasus as the permanent residence of the Alans, as well as the Darial Pass ( Darial Gorge), connecting the North Caucasus with Transcaucasia, from Arabic Bab al Alan(Alanian gate).

By this time, two large and independent communities were formed among the Alans. Stand out:

1. Western Alans (Ashtigor), KChR, eastern regions Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol Territory;
2. Eastern Alans (Ardos), KBR, Ossetia, Ingushetia.

At the end of the 10th century, the Khazar pressure on the Alans weakened and the prerequisites were created for the formation of an independent Alanian state. For almost a thousand years of stay in the North Caucasus, the Alans were able to achieve significant success in various industries. Along with traditional cattle breeding, plow farming, crafts - pottery, weapons, blacksmithing, jewelry - developed. Since the 7th century, the craft has been separated from agriculture and turned into an independent industry.

Excavations of the Alanian settlements provided material on social differentiation in their environment. Processes contributed to the formation of classes Christianization, which became especially active in the 10th century. Christianity penetrated into Alania through Georgia and. As a result, the construction of churches according to the Byzantine model is unfolding throughout Alanya.

The rise and fall of the Alanian state

In the 10th century, the western and eastern Alanian tribes united into a single Alanian state. In social terms, a privileged class stands out in alanya feudal lords, exploited community peasants And patriarchal slaves.

In the middle of the 10th century, the rulers of Alania are mentioned, who had the titles of “spiritual son” and “Divine ruler of the Universe”. By this time, we can talk about the emergence of cities among the Alans, for example, the city Magas.

Not only the neighbors, primarily Georgia, but also the distant ilk powers, Kievan Rus, are striving to develop relations with the Alans. During this period there were dynastic marriages between the rulers of Alanya and other countries.

Like other early feudal states of that era, after its heyday in the second half of the 12th century, feudal civil strife plunged into the abyss. The once united state by the beginning of the 13th century was disintegrating into a number of small possessions that were at war with each other.

In a state of feudal fragmentation, he finds Alania. Since 1222, the Mongols have made their first attempts to subjugate Alania, but the systematic conquest of the entire country begins in 1238. Despite the heroic resistance, part of the Alans is destroyed by the Tatar-Mongols, another part of them replenishes the troops of the Tatar-Mongol khans, and the third part of the Alans is scattered over the mountainous, inaccessible places of the Central Caucasus, where the process of mixing Alans with the locals begins. Modern peoples: Ossetians, Balkars, Karachays have a certain share of the Alan component in their ethnogenesis.

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