14 Facts About Chechens

Chechens, historically known as Kisti and Durdzuks, are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe.

The vast majority of Chechens today are Muslims and live in Chechnya, a republic of Russia.

Chechens are one of the Nakh peoples, who have lived in the highlands of the North Caucasus region since prehistory.

Chechens reported to have found several arrowheads and spears from the 13th century near the very mountain the battle took place at:.

Tired of the long years of hard struggle, the Chechens, believing the assurances of mercy by the enemy, descended from the mountain, but the Mongol-Tatars treacherously killed the majority, and the rest were taken into slavery.

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The Chechens bear the distinction of being one of the few peoples to successfully resist the Mongols and defend themselves against their invasions; not once, but twice, though this came at great cost to them, as their states were utterly destroyed.

The Chechens were finally defeated in 1861 after a bloody war that lasted for decades, during which they lost most of their entire population.

At various times in their history, Chechens used Georgian, Arabic and Latin alphabets; as of 2008, the official script is Russian Cyrillic.

However, this relationship is not a close one: the Nakho-Dagestani family is of comparable or greater time-depth than Indo-European, meaning Chechens are only as linguistically related to Avars or Dargins as the French are to the Russians or Iranians.

Genetic tests on Chechens have shown roots mostly in the Caucasus and Europe, as well as slight connections to and influences from the Middle East.

Chechens are accustomed to democratic ways, their social structure being firmly based on equality, pluralism and deference to individuality.

Chechens today have a strong sense of nation, which is enforced by the old clan network and nokhchalla – the obligation to clan, tukkhum, etc.

Chechens are sometimes referred to as the "French of the Caucasus", for a number of reasons.

Chechens were called "French" by early Russian military officers and the French anthropologist Ernest Chantre who noted their "happy and witty" nature.