On the question of “independent” and “alien” taipas in the social structure of the traditional society of Chechnya

The article discusses the problem of “independent” and “alien” taipas in the ethno-social structure of traditional society of Chechnya. The author considers and specifies various perspectives on the issue, and identifies the reasons for existence of separately localized taipa, out of the concrete (“tukkhum”) ethno-territorial communities of Chechnya. It is concluded that the ethno-territorial communities of Chechnya were not constant in their quantitative and qualitative composition and changed by virtue of the migration of some taipas from their communities to other regions of Chechnya and integration of ethnic groups of non-Chechen origin into the Chechen society. The author attributes the taipas formed on a class-professional basis to the independent Chechen taipas.