THE OATH IN CUSTOMARY LAW IN KARACHAY

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the specifcs of the ancient traditional institution of the purifcation oath of the peoples of the Northern Caucasus, in particular in Karachау. Special attention is paid to the origins and formation of the ancient custom, including the earlier forms of the purifcation of the oath, as the testimony of witnesses. The author shows that the oath was a crucial element of the inquiry. The relevance of the study due to the fact that the oath as the most important type of court evidence in the period of tribal relations is still great interest to modern researchers.