West of the Alans, from the Laba and the left bank of the Kuban to the Black Sea coast between Nikopsis (near Tuapse) and Gagra, live the Kasogs (the Circassians of later times) and on the coast the Jiks (Zygii).
They are pagan or lightly Christian, organised in princely and clan communities, and sell slaves and timber to the Black Sea traders. The Georgian court histories set Tamar's realm 'from Nikopsia', which claims the Jik coast as far as Nikopsis; there is no sign of Georgian government there in 1200.
Who holds it
- Title
- Princes and communities of the Kasogs (Circassians) and Jiks
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
How things stand that morning
Independent communities.
Customs and assemblies
Princes, nobles and free clans; no single ruler.
Overlord claims
Georgia claims the coast to Nikopsis; the Kipchaks raid from the north.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200No dated event recorded.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Hardly any written evidence for 1200; drawn from general accounts.
On the map: Rough; the north edge meets the Kipchak steppe (Rus' sheet).
Primary sources for Alans and mountain peoples
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The History of Derbent and Shirvan, as preserved in Munejjim-bashi's Jami al-duwal, Anonymous (an 11th-century author of Derbent, excerpted by Munejjim-bashi, died 1702) (about 1075; preserved in an Ottoman compilation of the 1670s). The only local history of the Shirvanshahs and the emirs of Derbent, surviving as extracts in a 17th-century Ottoman compilation.
- The Georgian Chronicles: the Histories and Eulogies of the Sovereigns, and the Life of Queen Tamar, Anonymous, attributed to the chancellor Theodore of Chqondidi and to Basili, master of the court (about 1210 to 1225). Two court histories of Queen Tamar written within a generation. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.