Chanca and Chanca-Beks: Social Situation and Legal Status (18th - First Half of 19th Century)

The purpose of this article is to determine the legal status and social status of two social categories of Dagestan society of the New Age period: chanca and chanca-beks. For this, a historical and legal analysis of their legal status in various Dagestan possessions and a comparative analysis were carried out to determine differences in social status. The historical method made it possible to consider the difference in the statuses of the chanca and chanca-beks with similar estate groups of other peoples. Both estate groups came from unequal marriages. The difference between them was that the mothers of the chanca-beks came from wealthy, but not owner-owned surnames, while the mothers of the chanca were from simple uzden (peasant) families. In almost all state entities of Dagestan from the 18th to the 19th centuries, the chanca-beks and the chanca enjoyed a number of privileges but were significantly limited in inheritance rights compared to their siblings born by mothers from beks (noble) families. Despite the existing restrictions, in the history of Dagestan possessions there are known cases of the throne passing to chanca.