Ketukin Kabardia (Къетыкъуэ)

Ketukino Kabardia (Къетыкъуэ) was one of the most powerful and politically active princely possessions of Greater Kabardia, becoming the stronghold of the so-called “Kashkatau party” in the 18th century. It was an era of the “knightly republic”, where the political weight of a clan was determined not only by the vastness of its lands, but also by the personal charisma of its leaders, and their ability to maneuver between world empires, maintaining the subjectivity of Circassia.
Territories and political weight
The possessions of the Kaitukin princes (Къетыкъуэ) covered strategically important areas of the Central Ciscaucasia.

• Geography: The clan’s lands stretched in the Pyatigorye region, covering the upper reaches of the Kuma and Kuban rivers, as well as the plains from Kuma to Chegem. For a long time, the residence of Aslanbek Kaitukin was located in the Kashkatau tract, which was an impregnable natural fortress.
• Political dominance: In 1737, Aslanbek Kaitukin was officially recognized as the “senior and paramount prince” of all Kabardia.
  Heroes of the Къетыкъуэ clan
  The pantheon of heroes of this house is inextricably linked with the era of great upheavals and wars with the Crimean Khanate.

1. Aslanbek Kaitukin (Къетыкъуэ Аслъэнбэч): The central figure of Circassian history of the 18th century, nicknamed “The Great”. He was called “Мыщэ” (Bear) for his strength and intransigence. He was a participant in the Persian campaign of Peter I and a strategist whose ambitions could not fit into the narrow confines of a feudal appanage: “Between these two seas (Caspian and Black) it is too tight for even one prince,” he said.
   His closest advisor and the “voice of the people” was the legendary sage Жабаги Казаноко.
2. Kanamat Kaitukin: Aslanbek’s younger brother, whose death in an internecine clash in 1721 became such a significant event that it spawned an enduring proverb “Got into the affair with the murder of Kanamat” (Къэнэмэт и лIыук1ым хэхуащ), meaning participation in a grand and bloody slaughter.
3. Dzhambulat and Khamurza Kaitukin: Prominent military commanders and diplomats who supported the authority of the house under conditions of constant pressure from Crimea and Russia.
   On the status of “пщы я пщыж” (prince of princes)
   It is important to maintain academic accuracy regarding the highest title. According to the sacred traditions of the Adyghe, the status of “пщы я пщыж” (prince of princes) was officially bequeathed by the great Inal to the Temirgoy Bolotokov princes as the senior branch of the Inalids. It was a tribute to the fact that Inal had his headquarters exactly in Temirgoy.
   However, de facto in the 18th century, it was Aslanbek Kaitukin who possessed real weight comparable to this title on the scale of all Kabardia and the Central Caucasus. His leadership in the Kashkatau party and his recognition as the “chief owner” by both Russia and Crimea made his figure exceptional, turning Къетыкъуэ Kabardia into a key center of power for the entire region.
   During the reign of Aslanbek Kaitukin (Къетыкъуэ Аслъэнбэч), recognized in 1737 as the “senior and paramount bey” (пщышхуэ) of all Kabardia, the socio-political architecture of the country reached the peak of its development as a “knightly republic”. It was a complex system of checks and balances, where the personal charisma of the ruler was combined with the inviolability of class boundaries and the code of honor.
   Hierarchy of power: The vertical of authority
   The system of administration under Aslanbek was built on strict subordination based on the principle of seniority and “nobility of blood”:
4. Пщышхуэ (Supreme Prince / Vali): Aslanbek held this post for life, having been elected at the national congress (Хасэ). However, he was not an absolute monarch, but rather a primus inter pares – first among equals. His power was limited by the need to consult with other princes and influential nobles on all important matters not relating to his personal household.
5. Appanage princes (Пщы): Owners of the four (later six) main houses — Atazhukins, Misostovs, Kaitukins, and Bekmurzins. Each of them possessed unlimited administrative and judicial power within their appanage.
6. Tlekoteshs (ЛIакъуэлIэш): The highest estate of first-rate nobles (Anzorovs, Kudenetovs, Tambievs, etc.). They were vassals of the princes, but possessed “ruling” rights: they owned their own villages, serfs, and had their own vassals. Their political weight was so great that they acted as arbiters in disputes between princely houses.
7. Uorks (Уэркъ): The serving nobility, divided into degrees (дыжыныго, беслан-уорк, уорк-шаотлугус). They formed the core of the armored cavalry and were obliged to accompany the prince in campaigns.
   Relations between houses: Balance and split
   The political space of Kabardia under Aslanbek Kaitukin was determined by the fierce rivalry of two coalitions:

• Baksan party: Headed by the Atazhukin and Misostov houses, who owned the best lands along the Baksan River.
• Kashkatau party: The stronghold of the Kaitukin and Bekmurzin clans. Aslanbek’s residence in the Kashkatau tract was a fortified point from where he waged his struggle for influence.
  Relations between them balanced between military clashes and the search for compromises at the Хасэ. The princes masterfully used external resources (Russia or Crimea) to strengthen the positions of their party, but their common descent from Inal and the norms of the Адыгэ Хабзэ kept them from completely destroying the system.
  Integration into the space of Circassia
  Kabardia under Aslanbek was not an isolated subject, but the political and cultural core of a united Circassia (Адыгэ Хэку):
• Political unity: Circassia was a confederation of principalities and “free societies”, where Kabardia acted as the most powerful “state-forming core”. Coordinated policies were pursued on the most important issues (for example, alliances with great powers).