Excess with the Misost Clan in Kabarda in the 1740s and Competing Scenarios for Stabilizing the Political System

This article attempts to identify one of the modes of overcoming the internal political conflict in Kabarda through a comparative analysis with the initiatives system of the Russian government to overcome the collision destructive for its interests in the neighboring principality. The work reveals the main attitude of the Russian side towards Greater Kabarda in the period after the conclusion of the Belgrade Treaty of 1739. Though before that Russia showed a desire to preserve the unity of the political elite of the principality as a guarantee of effective opposition to the Crimean expansion in the region, then from the end of the Russian-Ottoman war of 1735-1739 St. Petersburg's goals in relation to traditional partners are undergoing changes. The task of the Russian foreign policy department was to maintain the situation of competition between the two groups of Circassian princes. As the Baksan party was the most consistent counterparty of St. Petersburg since the mid-20s. of the XVIII century, the stake was placed on it. In the spring of 1747, one of the pillars of this group, the feudal Misost clan, was forced to leave the principality. Thus, the stability of Russian influence in the affairs of the "barrier" principality came under threat. This prompted the Russian leadership to try to restore a status-quo acceptable to its interests. The trendsetters for restoring the internal political balance in Kabarda were also the triad of Tlekotlesh clans - Kundet, Tambi (y) and Anzor, dissatisfied with the destabilization of the political system and possessing sufficient ideological and military-political resources to force the dominant princely alliance to agree to the return of the exiles.