登陆注册
5382300000101

第101章 CHAPTER XV(3)

The best means of protecting the southern frontier was to have as allies a large body of men leading the same kind of life and capable of carrying on the same kind of warfare as the nomadic marauders; and such a body of men were the Free Cossacks. The sentiment of self-preservation and the desire of booty kept them constantly on the alert. By sending out small parties in all directions, by "procuring tongues"--that is to say, by kidnapping and torturing straggling Tartars with a view to extracting information from them--and by keeping spies in the enemy's territory, they were generally apprised beforehand of any intended incursion. When danger threatened, the ordinary precautions were redoubled. Day and night patrols kept watch at the points where the enemy was expected, and as soon as sure signs of his approach were discovered a pile of tarred barrels prepared for the purpose was fired to give the alarm. Rapidly the signal was repeated at one point of observation after another, and by this primitive system of telegraphy in the course of a few hours the whole district was up in arms. If the invaders were not too numerous, they were at once attacked and driven back. If they could not be successfully resisted, they were allowed to pass; but a troop of Cossacks was sent to pillage their aouls in their absence, whilst another and larger force was collected, in order to intercept them when they were returning home laden with booty. Thus many a nameless battle was fought on the trackless Steppe, and many brave men fell unhonoured and unsung:

"Illacrymabiles Urgentur ignotique longa Nocte, carent quia vate sacro."

Notwithstanding these valuable services, the Cossack communities were a constant source of diplomatic difficulties and political dangers. As they paid very little attention to the orders of the Government, they supplied the Sultan with any number of casi belli, and were often ready to turn their arms against the power to which they professed allegiance. During "the troublous times," for example, when the national existence was endangered by civil strife and foreign invasion, they overran the country, robbing, pillaging, and burning as they were wont to do in the Tartar aouls. At a later period the Don Cossacks twice raised formidable insurrections--first under Stenka Razin (1670), and secondly under Pugatchef (1773)--and during the war between Peter the Great and Charles XII. of Sweden the Zaporovians took the side of the Swedish king.

The Government naturally strove to put an end to this danger, and ultimately succeeded. All the Cossacks were deprived of their independence, but the fate of the various communities was different. Those of the Volga were transfered to the Terek, where they had abundant occupation in guarding the frontier against the incursions of the Eastern Caucasian tribes. The Zaporovians held tenaciously to their "Dnieper liberties," and resisted all interference, till they were forcibly disbanded in the time of Catherine II. The majority of them fled to Turkey, where some of their descendants are still to be found, and the remainder were settled on the Kuban, where they could lead their old life by carrying on an irregular warfare with the tribes of the Western Caucasus. Since the capture of Shamyl and the pacification of the Caucasus, this Cossack population of the Kuban and the Terek, extending in an unbroken line from the Sea of Azof to the Caspian, have been able to turn their attention to peaceful pursuits, and now raise large quantities of wheat for exportation; but they still retain their martial bearing, and some of them regret the good old times when a brush with the Circassians was an ordinary occurrence and the work of tilling the soil was often diversified with a more exciting kind of occupation.

The Cossacks of the Ural and the Don have been allowed to remain in their old homes, but they have been deprived of their independence and self-government, and their social organisation has been completely changed. The boisterous popular assemblies which formerly decided all public affairs have been abolished, and the custom of choosing the Ataman and other office-bearers by popular election has been replaced by a system of regular promotion, according to rules elaborated in St. Petersburg. The officers and their families now compose a kind of hereditary aristocracy which has succeeded in appropriating, by means of Imperial grants, a large portion of the land which was formerly common property. As the Empire expanded in Asia the system of protecting the parties by Cossack colonists was extended eastwards, so now there is a belt of Cossack territory stretching almost without interruption from the banks of the Don to the coast of the Pacific. It is divided into eleven sections, in each of which is settled a Cossack corps with a separate administration.

When universal military service was introduced, in 1873, the Cossacks were brought under the new law, but in order to preserve their military traditions and habits they were allowed to retain, with certain modifications, their old organisation, rights, and privileges. In return for a large amount of fertile land and exemption from direct taxation, they have to equip themselves at their own expense, and serve for twenty years, of which three are spent in preparatory training, twelve in the active army, and five in the reserve. This system gives to the army a contingent of about 330,000 men--divided into 890 squadrons and 108 infantry companies--with 236 guns.

同类推荐
  • The Persians

    The Persians

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 灵宝天尊说禄库受生经

    灵宝天尊说禄库受生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 润卿鲁望寒夜见访

    润卿鲁望寒夜见访

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 冥通记

    冥通记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Yellow God

    The Yellow God

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 快穿时空局:宝宝要辞职

    快穿时空局:宝宝要辞职

    【萌萌哒的软妹子VS腹黑高冷男上司】什么公司没有固定地点?没有固定时空?甚至连每个任务都是随机分配?什么工作需要精湛演技?需要全能才艺?甚至要求匹配DNA达到99%?什么岗位面对牛鬼蛇神?面对生命危险?甚至还搭档总是使绊子的上司?莫名其妙成为时空捕获者的顾兮音表示,不给亲亲抱抱举高高,宝宝要辞职,(╯‵□′)╯ノ┻━┻☆刚从时空仓苏醒的男人冷笑地看向小声抱怨的女孩儿,“过来。”顾兮音一个冷颤,“老大,我错了┭┮﹏┭┮”“给你个么么哒,嗯?”“不辞了。\( ̄︶ ̄)/”
  • 圣运图录

    圣运图录

    被隐秘培养多年,成为了当朝的太子,之后要怎么办呢?成皇之后,却是妻子的提线木偶又该如何反抗呢?反抗换来了更大的压迫,还反抗吗?皇帝被人诟病大门不出二门不迈,又要该如何平复民心?面对这一切,周文冷笑道:“魂修气运,身修灵!我不是宅男,我是帝王!”
  • 自卑与超越:你要清楚自己应该怎样过好这一生

    自卑与超越:你要清楚自己应该怎样过好这一生

    《自卑与超越》是个体心理学的先驱阿德勒的代表作,作者从探寻人生的意义出发,启迪我们去理解真实的生命意义。他告诉我们,理解一个人,就要从他的过去入手,而一个人的生活风格,则是与他对于过去经验的认识和理解相一致的。自卑并不可怕,关键在于怎样认识自己的自卑,克服困难,超越自我。阿德勒曾是弗洛伊德的弟子,在《自卑与超越》中,关于记忆和梦的探讨,作者也参考了精神分析学派的观点,并提出了自己的意见。针对教育、家庭、婚姻、犯罪等社会性问题,作者也在《自卑与超越》中提出了十分有价值的观点。
  • 重编天台诸文类集

    重编天台诸文类集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 一桩事后张扬的凶杀

    一桩事后张扬的凶杀

    他们看见告示那天是礼拜天的早晨。它突然出现在石林县尾博邑乡浑水塘村委会所有的电线杆子上。它们统一使用A4纸打印,字体是仿宋3号字,由于有的地方特别加了黑体,因此整张告示看上去惊心动魄:是我杀了毕春。因为他贪赃枉法、徇私舞弊、行贿受贿、吃喝嫖赌、无恶不作,他死有余辜。他是靠贿选才当上村委会主任的。就是这样一个恶霸,把我逼上了不归路。我要告诉父老乡亲,杀死这种人不算什么,可是我却要为这样一个恶霸离开你们,离开我生长了40年的家乡故土……署名是江世兴。谁不知道江世兴呢?
  • 命运三国之龙套觅封侯

    命运三国之龙套觅封侯

    街亭之失,引发星落五丈原,假若街亭不失呢?
  • 天劫也疯狂

    天劫也疯狂

    简介?这个世界已经够疯狂了,还需要什么简介?该死的天劫每月来一次,都不带迟到的,问题是我还没踏入武道门槛呢,你大爷的!算了,那头龙马似乎血统很纯的样子,待会儿就把它的圣女主人给绑了,烤龙马肉安慰我干瘪的肚子才是正事。……天地已变,大道不全……那就让我来捅破诸天,俯瞰苍茫大地,镇压万古青天!本书将在轻松诙谐中凸显热血豪情。
  • 举人巷

    举人巷

    连阴了好几日,城里的人们似乎已经淡忘了晴时的天色,这1939年的正月显得灰落落的,像个愁眉不展的怨妇。漫天阴云下,褐色的此起彼伏的屋丛中,偶尔有不知谁家的灶烟从光秃的树干背后升起。烟雾散去,城墙上堞楼尖顶处一杆太阳旗赫然夺目。店铺林立的青石板街上行人寥落,但各家铺子门前却显得非常热闹。一名画工站在临时搭好的架板上,手指间夹着四五枝画笔熟练地在一户商铺廊檐处描摹“富贵不断头”的纹饰。在他身下,有给门板刷漆的、挂灯笼的、清扫路面的,街市中透着一股百废待兴的劲头。
  • 我在雨中等你

    我在雨中等你

    肖唯一:我将最美好的时光用来暗恋你,却不能和你在一起,杨新泽,你是不是我一生的劫,要不然,怎么会让我如此辗转反侧。几年的时间,一直以来的等待,等到最后你是否会明白?杨新泽:有些人总是在我们不注意的时候就消失在茫茫人海,无论以前有多么的亲密,我忽然有一天发现,肖唯一就是我这一辈子的变数,在不知不觉间,那个会傻傻的看着我笑的女孩子已然成长。杨旭:走了一圈才发现,有些人早已经刻在了灵魂的最深处,舍不得放下亦不肯放下,这一次,我不会再用退让来成全你一个未知的幸福。本文青春写意,没有虐恋情深,没有阴谋诡计,只有青春时期淡淡的忧伤与迷茫。我想说的是,谁青春年少时没有爱过一个不可能的人,也会想着与伊人相伴到老,世事无常,有的人很幸运,与所爱之人白头偕老,有的人只能看着伊人消失在茫茫人海,还带着祝福的微笑。你呢,会是那哪种情况?肖唯一不知道她的未来会怎样,她只是固执的站在风雨中,一直,一直。
  • 中国古典散文集2

    中国古典散文集2

    散文是美的,它能给人以美的享受,然而什么样的散文才是最美的散文呢?秦牧曾说:“精粹警辟的、谈笑风生的、亲切感人的、玲珑剔透的,使你读时入了神、读后印象久久不会消失的好散文,还是不多。”他还说:“一篇好的散文,应该通过各种各样的内容给人以思想的启发、美的感受、情操的陶冶。”品读精美的散文,宛如清风般涤荡沐浴;让散文的清扬与美丽永远地伴随你。