The
Nogais are a
Turkic ethnic group, who live in southern European Russia, mainly in the North Caucasus region. Most are found in northern
Dagestan and
Stavropol Krai, as well as in
Karachay–Cherkessia and the
Astrakhan Oblast; and also live in
Chechnya. They speak the
Nogai language and are descendants of various
Mongolic and
Turkic tribes, who formed the
Nogai Horde. There are two main groups of Nogais: the Qara Nogais (as known as Kichi), and the Uly Nogais. It first started when the Ottomans reached the Nogai steppe, where the Nogais were living as rogue clans and herders. There were two main chiefs: Yusuf Mirza and Ismail Mirza. Yusuf Mirza supported joining the Ottomans. However, his brother Ismail Mirza, who was allied with Russians, ambushed Yusuf and declared his chiefdom under Russian rule. After that, the supporters of Yusuf Mirza migrated to Crimea and Yedisan, joining the Crimean Khanate. Supporters of Yusuf took the name Qara, later named by Crimeans as Kichi (Small). Those who remained in present-day West Kazakhstan and the North Caucasus took the name Uly (Mighty/Strong).
