Russian history overview and key developments

¶ … trouble that faced the Caucasus at the time of the Great Reforms tended to be that it was, and continues to be, one of the most culturally and linguistically varied geographic locations on earth. In a strict geographic sense the Caucasus is part of Asia; however, its cultural and historic ties are much closer to Europe. Until the Great Reforms, "The Caucasus had never been unified except as a geographic concept applied to the territory between the Black and Caspian Seas, bordered on the north where the inland sea of the steppe breaks against a mountain barrier on the south, rather more vaguely, by the plateau of what is now northern Iraq and Iran."

For the region, as with the rest of Russia, perhaps the most important event that occurred during the Great Reforms was the abolition of serfdom.

When Alexander II signed the fact of emancipation in 1861 he unwittingly set into motion what would eventually be a complete reorganization of Russia's power structure. Essentially, emancipation was what ultimately demanded the reforms that were to follow; institutions needed to be set into place that were capable of working these newly freed peasants into a productive society. The lands in the Caucasus remained under the control of landowners until the conclusion of the redemption bargain. After this, peasants made use of farmsteads and grounds for their duties; this was the permanent-obliging condition. Non-farming serfs in wealthy households became free but without any repayment; however after only two years they had to serve the owner or else pay a quitrent. Those who had been serf workers under the government were transferred to quitrent and were given the right of the repayment. State peasants in the Caucasus were considered personally free but had to pay a labor tax in order to preserve their rights to work. All of this reorganization of the peasantry eventually demanded a reorganization of the ruling class as well.

Accordingly, one of the first reforms to follow emancipation was the restructuring of the local authorities in the Caucasus. Previously, "The 1840 edict establishing a Russian provincial government in the Caucasus abolished local laws, and decreed that all businesses would be conducted in Russian, and all positions of authority filled by Russians."

This approach failed almost immediately because of its heavy-handedness and inflexibility; such a handling of a population did not lend itself well to the pluralistic regions within the Caucasus. Later, Viceroy Mikhail Voronstov strengthened Russian control over the Caucasus by recognizing local nobility and strengthening serfdom; but when this form of labor was formally abolished serious changes were required from Russia to maintain a hold on the Caucasus.

Often, the ideals that have become associated with the Great Reforms have been misrepresented. Some people believe that Alexander II approved emancipation in a genuine effort to improve human rights conditions in Russia as a whole; yet, others contend that it was merely a practical move, aimed at stymieing the numerous potential uprisings that were brewing in the Caucasus at the time. The latter view, though the move what not nearly as successful as Alexander II may have hoped, is likely to be closer to the truth. It is important to recognize this first movement towards reform in the overall context of what was happening in the Caucasus in the second half of the nineteenth century: it was the Tanzimat period. This was a time in which many members of the ruling class in the Caucasus were looking towards Europe for answers to both economic and philosophical questions. Specifically, many people were looking for ways to catch up to the Europeans.

European institutions and models were adopted and modified to fit regions throughout Russia; this was a trend, arguably, set into motion by Peter the Great. So, emancipation and the concepts of social justice that were associated with it were also linked to the prosperity and power of many of the European states. One of the most significant changes to reach the Caucasus was the establishment of secondary professional schools based upon European curriculums. Western style painting and architecture were soon to follow in certain regions.

Yet, the individualistic nature of many portions of the Caucasus resisted these changes wholeheartedly and have continued to resist outside influence for centuries. Over a century after the Great Reforms and Kennan's travels, "Tradition holds strong in the highlands despite political change and economic dislocation. We found many of the same rituals that Kennan observed, some of them traceable to pagan beliefs predating Dagestan's conversion to Islam."