From: Eagle_wng
14 March 1711 in Russian History is marked as a day of Kabarda’s voluntary joining Russia
PRAGUE, 14 March, Caucasus Times. In Russian official historiography 14 March 1711 is interpreted as a day of Kabarda’s voluntary joining Russia. Thus, according to Soviet historiography, on 14 March 1711 Russian Emperor Peter I in response to a request by Kabardinian princes issued a decree to Kabardinian people stating that Russia agrees to accept them into Russian citizenship and to protect them from the external enemies.
Results of the earlier Kabardinian embassy to Russia in 1557 were interpreted in historiography as voluntary and peaceful Kabarda’s joining Russia, although in pre-Soviet historiography 1557 treaty was considered as a creation of a political and military union.
After that during several centuries Kabarda was independnet from Russia not only in the internal, but also in the external affairs. Among feudal elite of Kabarda there were both supporters and opponents of Russia, mostly pro-Crimea and pro-Turkey oriented circles. Thus, princes of Big Kabarda initiated the process of joining Russia while princes of Small Kabarda opposed pro-Russian orientation and at times attacked Russian fortifications, Cossack villages and even settlements of Big Kabarda. Later on, princes of Small Kabarda took part in the war against Tsarist Russia in the army of Sheih Shamil.
According to contemporary Historians, taking into account all those circumstances, it is hard to speak about Kabarda’s voluntary joining Russia in the middle of XVI century.
Context of Russia’s foreign policy in the region in XVI-XVIII centuries allows to consider 1557 treaty as one of the earliest Russia’s successes in developing union and vassal relations with the peoples of the North Caucasus.
Islam Tekushev, Caucasus Times, Prague
http://www.caucasustimes.com/article.asp?id=8030
