Piping or trimming of the caftan's collar and the chest was a common feature among the noble and common classes of the Parthians, Kushans, Sasanians, Sogdians, Hephthalites, Huns, Turks, Alans, and the Scythians. Prior to this, garments were trimmed with woven trim or fur. By the period of the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–8 CE), silk trimming became a regular feature in the steppe environment. Later in the Khazar reign the caftan started to become associated with aristocracy in the Caucasus and it remained that way until late 19th century. Well-preserved caftans were made of Sogdian and Chinese fabrics. The original use of the coat is very specialized for mounted archery, horse riding, and combat, similar to the use modern chokha. The large dolman sleeves allow for freedom of movement and the two slits towards the back allow the skirt to cover the legs more fully while seated on horseback. The costume consisted of the following elements: shorts, leggings, caftan or coat (multiple layers), and boots. Western Turks of both sexes wearing caftan with lapels. Georgians and other North Caucasian groups started adopting the costume style because of Georgia's role in the silk road and having constant interactions with the neighboring steppe peoples. Due to tensions between Byzantine Empire and Persia, Georgia became an important route for steppe merchants to deliver silk to Byzantium. The caftan was worn by horsemen along the Silk Road in Caucasus during the 8th to 10th centuries, although, the generic horse archer costume remained unchanged in the region for centuries. It is possible that the caftan has its origins from the Generic Horse Archer Costume which is a clothing style worn by horsemen among the Iranic groups, Western Turks, the Huns, and also the east Germanic peoples who settled in the Pontic and Danube regions and took the clothes west after the invasion of the Huns in 375 CE. The prototype may have been a common type of clothing among the Khazars and the Alans. Metropolitan Museum of Art.Ī popular theory is that the caftan found in Moschevaya Balka is the prototype of what we know today as chokha. The wearer could have been a man from Alania, in a region then under Khazar domination. History and development A caftan worn by a horseman along the Silk Road, 8th–10th century AD. The Turkic groups in North Caucasus such as the Nogais, Balkars, Karachays and Kumyks named the coat chepken, which is another word that entered the Russian language in the form of chekmen. However, in Circassian languages, the word chugha was not adopted and the outfit is known as shwakh-tsia which means 'covers the horseman', or simply tsey, meaning 'from fabric'. Azerbaijanis either call the caftan a chukha or chuxa or arkhalig, although arkhalig is most of the time associated with a lighter jacket but Azerbaijanis use those words interchangeably. Georgians call it chokha but the clothing used to be called talavari which is now known as the Khevsur chokha. The word chugha was used mostly in regions like the South Caucasus, Chechnya and Dagestan. From the Book of Dede Korkut, the name of this type of clothing was known among the Oghuz Turks as "chuga" or "cuha" as well which translates to "cloth". Also, the word chek means "pull", "tighten", "tie up". In that context, it is also possible that the word comes from the word chek, which is what the Turks call cotton fabric, from which the outerwear is sewn. The word chugha is of an Iranian origin meaning 'outfit made of textile', but it was also found being used in Turkic languages to describe another similar coat chugha (çoğa) that was worn during winters in Central Asia. īefore the Russian invasion, parts of the South Caucasus were under a Persian influence so the word chugha was widely used in the region and still continues to be used to refer to the attire, although, the pronunciation of the word varies among ethnicities. Later the Kuban Cossacks adopted it as part of their costume. Russians and Ukrainians called the attire a cherkeska (meaning 'of/from Circassia') because when they arrived in the Caucasus they saw it for the first time being worn by Circassians. It was in wide use among Avars, Abazins, Abkhazians, Eastern Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Balkars, Chechens, Circassians, Georgians, Ingush, Karachays, Nogais, Ossetians, Tats, the peoples of Dagestan, as well as Terek and Kuban Cossacks who adopted it from the aforementioned peoples. Chechens wearing chokha at wedding match.Ī chokha also known as a cherkeska is a woolen coat with a high neck that is part of the traditional male dress of peoples of the Caucasus.
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