Sultan-Murza

Sultan Larsinsky, (died at end of 16th century) also called Sultan-murza or Prince Sultan in Russian sources was an Ingush feudal lord who controlled the Darial Gorge and the village located in it. In 1589, he swore allegiance to the Russian Tsar Feodor I as part of the Georgian embassy, therefore becoming subordinated to the Tsardom of Russia.

Biography

Identity Based on the assertion that Sultan-Murza called Shikh Murza "brother", historians like concluded that he was of Vainakh stock, in this case, of Ingush stock as until the 18th century, the Darial Gorge was inhabited by the Ingush. Number of other historians also mentioned him as Ingush. In other words, Sultan-Murza was a representative of the ethnic group referred in the Old Russian sources as the Kalkans (Ghalghai).

The exact society Sultan is from was not established, however he is a representative of the Dzherakh society. Ingush ethnographer Chakh Akhriev heavily correlates Sultan-murza with the legendary Ingush noble Larsin mentioned in folklore. Local toponymy attributes the naming of the Lars settlement directly to Prince Larsin.

Let me remind you that in the article list of Prince S. Zvenigorodsky, Saltan-murza calls Shikh-murza Okotsky his brother. The Nakh origin of Saltan-murza and the population of Lars of that period has been proven in historical science and does not need an argument in the form of a conditional assumption about his “blood ties” with Shikh-murza.

Taking this circumstance into account, E. N. Kusheva introduces this turn of speech precisely as a feudal "brotherhood". Calling another feudal lord of equal status a brother was common practice in that era; even feuding kings called each other brothers. Therefore, Sultan-murza speaks of brotherhood to emphasize that his own status is higher than other nobles of Caucasus, and that he is instead a ruler like Shikh-Murza.

Death The Moscow ambassadors departed for Georgia along a hazardous mountain route. From there, they sent a messenger to Terek town requesting that the local governors provide an escort to the village of Lars, but no response was received. On their return journey through the Darial Gorge, the embassy unexpectedly clashed with the "Kalkans". Contemporary accounts that describe these events do not explicitly mention Sultan Larsinsky, leaving his direct role uncertain. It is therefore unclear whether he personally violated his obligations or whether the incident unfolded independently of his authority.

However, within the broader political context of the period, it is often interpreted that Sultan Murza was killed by anti-Russian factions operating in the region. These groups, opposed to the strengthening of Russian diplomatic and political influence in the North Caucasus, are believed to have targeted local leaders perceived as cooperating with Moscow. In this interpretation, the clash was not merely an isolated skirmish but part of a wider campaign of intimidation and removal of pro-Russian figures. Accordingly, Sultan Larsinsky is presented as having been assassinated or executed by hostile anti-Russian nobles, rather than falling in a simple battlefield encounter or acting independently.