Simsim

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Ulus Simsim
fl. 1395–1470
Medieval map of Simsim
Medieval map of Simsim
Religion
Sunni Islam[1]
Vainakh religion
• fl. 1395–1396
Gayur-khan
Today part ofRussia

Simsim (Persian: سیمسیم) was either a historical region or kingdom in the North Caucasus during the Middle Ages, existing in the 14th century. Predominantly localized roughly in eastern Chechnya (Ichkeria), with some also connecting part of Kumyk Plain [ru]. Simsim is also localized in both Chechnya and Ingushetia. Its name may have been derived from the Chechen village of Simsir [ru]. However, according to folklore, the King Gayur-khan was chosen as the leader of all Chechens by the Mehk-Khel (National Council). In its later years it allied itself with the Golden Horde before being destroyed in 1395 by Timurlane, which was recorded in Zafarnama by Nizam al-Din Shami and the Zafarnama by Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi.

Name

The historical region or the kingdom is referred in the two Persian chronicles, Zafarnama (Shami) and Zafarnama (Yazdi), as Simsim.[2] Fasih Khwafi referred Simsim as "Ulus Simsim".[3]

Localization

Simsim is usually localized in Ichkeria, a region located in eastern Chechnya,[4] with some authors localizing it both in the Ichkeria and Kumyk Plain [ru].[5] It's also localized in both Chechnya and Ingushetia.[6][7][8][9]

Society

Simsir existed at a time when Chechens had a feudal system; in the early modern era, they overthrew their feudal rulers in a "revolutionary" event and established in its place a quasi-democratic taip system by which representatives of teips voted in a national council,[10][better source needed] but while this differentiated Chechens from their neighbors more recently, it was not the case in the Middle Ages when Simsim existed. In the Middle Ages, Chechen societies such as Simsir had a hierarchical and pyramidal structure. The Principality of Simsir's prince (the eela) sat at the top, followed by nobility and vassals (uzden), followed by free commoners (halxoi), followed by servants (yalxoi, including gharbashash, i.e. bond women), followed by serfs (lesh, lai in the singular), with only slaves and war captives (yiysarsh) beneath them; additionally, clerics were placed in the uzden nobility class. The wife of a prince was called a stuu and addressed as stulla.[11][better source needed]

History

Alliance with the Golden Horde

File:GoldenHorde1300.png
Map of Golden Horde's suzerainty in the 14th century

Timurid invasion

In the reign of its last ruler, Gayur-khan, the Principality of Simsir was destroyed by Timurlane in 1395 as part of his campaign against the Golden Horde. Its population fled south, into the mountains, in order to escape the attacks of the Mongols.[12] In the Zafarnama it states that Timurlane chased these escapers south into the mountains and subdued them.[13] Timur placed Makhama, the son of Gayur-khan, as vassal and converted him to Islam. The fate of Makhama is described in Chechen folklore collected by the Sadoy clan historian Murtazaliev. Makhama was assassinated by the Chechens who replaced him with the previous Gayur-khan who continued to resist Timur until he was treacherously murdered during negotiations by the Timurids.[14]

See also

References

  1. Долгиева et al. 2013, p. 135: "Правитель области Симсим, вероятно, был представителем власти Золотой Орды, и, судя по тому, что его сын носил имя Мухаммед, часть населения этой области исповедовала ислам."
  2. Зафар-Намэ 1941.
  3. Фасих Хавафи 1980.
  4. Гадло 1994, p. 186 (whilst referring to Ртвеладзе 1976, pp. 118–119, Хизриев 1977a; Хизриев 1977b)
  5. Шнирельман 2006, p. 164.
  6. Тменов et al. 1987, p. 138: "Вслед за тем Тимур покорил область Симсим, расположенную, по-видимому, на территории современной Чечено-Ингушетии."
  7. Кузнецов 1992, p. 348: "(...) а правителем области Симсим в Чечено-Ингушетии был Гаюрхан."
  8. Гаджиев, Давудов & Шихсаидов 1996, p. 306: "Разорив земли Чечни и Ингушетии (“область Симсим”) (...)"
  9. История Дагестана 2004, p. 231: "Разорив земли Чечни и Ингушетии (область Симсим) (...)"
  10. Jaimoukha 2005, p. 89.
  11. Jaimoukha 2005, p. 276.
  12. Jaimoukha 2005, p. 35–36.
  13. Sharaf ad-Din Ali Yazdi (2008). Zafar Nama (Book of the victories of Amir Timur, translated from Persian to Uzbek by Muhammad Ali ibn Darvesh Ali Bukhari (16th century)). Tashkent: Academy of the Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. "Abu Rayhan Beruni" Institute of Oriental Studies. SAN'AT. p. 203.
  14. Муртазалиев, В. К вопросу об истории государства и права чеченцев.

Bibliography

English sources

Russian sources