Sheikh Mansur was a Chechen military commander and Islamic leader who led an anti-Russian North Caucasian resistance, known as the Sheikh Mansur Movement. He was influential in the resistance against Catherine the Great's imperialist expansion into the Caucasus during the late 18th century. Sheikh Mansur is considered the first leader of the resistance in the North Caucasus against Russian imperialism. He remains a hero of the Chechen and North Caucasian peoples in general, and their struggle for independence.
The Russo-Turkish War of 1787–1792 involved an unsuccessful attempt by the Ottoman Empire to regain lands lost to the Russian Empire in the course of the previous Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). It took place concomitantly with the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791), Russo-Swedish War (1788–1790) and Theatre War.
Grand Principality of Great Kabarda or East Circassia was a historical country in the North Caucasus corresponding partly to the modern Kabardino-Balkaria. It had better political organization than its neighbors and existed as a political community from the fifteenth century until it came under Russian control in the early nineteenth century after the Russo-Circassian War.
The Russo-Circassian War, also known as the Russian invasion of Circassia, was the invasion of Circassia by Russia, starting in 1763 (O.S) with the Russian Empire assuming authority in Circassia, followed by the Circassian refusal, and ending 100 years, 10 months and 6 days later with the last army of Circassia defeated on 21 May 1864 (O.S), making it exhausting and casualty-heavy for both sides. The Russo-Circassian War was the longest war both Russia and Circassia have ever fought and the longest war in the Caucasus region.
The Shihab dynasty is an Arab family whose members served as the paramount tax farmers and emirs of Mount Lebanon from the early 18th to mid-19th century, during Ottoman rule (1517–1918). Before then, the family had been in control of the Wadi al-Taym region, purportedly as early as the 12th century. During early Ottoman rule, they maintained an alliance and marital ties with the Ma'n dynasty, the Chouf-based, paramount Druze emirs and tax farmers of Mount Lebanon. When the last Ma'nid emir died without male progeny in 1697, the chiefs of the Druze in Mount Lebanon appointed the Shihab emir, Bashir, whose mother belonged to the Ma'n, as his successor. Bashir was succeeded by another Shihab emir with a Ma'nid mother, Haydar, after his death.
The Russian conquest of the Caucasus mainly occurred between 1800 and 1864. The Russian Empire sought to control the region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. South of the mountains was the territory that is modern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Iran and Turkey. North of the mountains was the North Caucasus region of modern Russia. The difficult conquest of the intervening mountains is known as the Caucasian War. Multiple wars were fought against the local rulers of the regions, as well as the dominant powers, the Ottoman Empire and Qajar Iran, for control. By 1864 the last regions were brought under Russian control.
The Battle of Aldy, also known as the Battle of the Sunzha River was a failed military expedition launched by the Russian Empire with the aim of capturing Sheikh Mansur, who, through his speeches and teachings had gained a wide following the North Caucasus, especially in his hometown Aldy. His teachings on Jihad ("Gazavat") and his idea of the unification of the North Caucasian tribes under a single Islamic state concerned the Russian administration, who, as a result, sent a 3,000 strong force under Nikolai de Pieri in order to capture him.
The siege of Érsekújvár also known as the siege of Neuhäusel occurred in 1663 when Grand Vizier Fazil Ahmed Pasha leading the Ottomans invaded Habsburg Hungary and captured the Hungarian fortress at Érsekújvár.
Seferbiy Zaneqo, or Sefer Pasha, was a Circassian diplomat and military commander who served as the 5th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1859 to 1860. He took part in the Russo-Circassian War both in a military and a political capacity. Advocating for the Circassian cause in the west and acting as an emissary of the Ottoman Empire in the region. By the end of his life Zaneqo had emerged as the leader of the Circassian resistance.
Mehmed II Giray, the Fat was khan of the Crimean Khanate. During his reign he made at least three campaigns against Persia in the service of the Ottomans. He was overthrown by the Ottoman Empire for refusing another campaign. He was one of the numerous sons of Devlet I Giray. Five of his brothers were later Khans.
The siege of Anapa or the storming of Anapa was a siege that took place on July 3, 1791, when the Russian Empire attacked the Turkish-regulated Anapa fort in Circassia as part of the Russo-Turkish War and the Russo-Circassian War.
The siege of Kizlyar in July 1785 was the second major confrontation between the Russian Empire and the forces of Sheikh Mansur. The North Caucasians hoped to capture the fortress of Kizlyar, which was the Russian economic center of the North Caucasus. After fierce fighting, they failed however as the fortress was well fortified and defended. After retreating, the Russian command sent the Tomsk infantry to attack the rebels as a show of strength and also to push them away from Kizlyar, but the regiment was forced to retreat with heavy losses, ending the 4 day long Siege of Kizlyar in no deciding victory for either side.
The Battle of Kachkalikov, also known as the Battle of Ghachalq, was a surprise attack conducted by Chechen fighters of the Kachkalikov clan led by Ibba-Mullah, on a Russian army led by Colonel Savalyev on January 17, 1787.
The Anapa campaign (1787) was a military expedition launched by the Russians to capture the fortress of Anapa. The Russians failed to capture the fort.
The Attack on Karginsk took place on 14 July 1785. Sheikh Mansur attacked Karginsk Redoubt with his army of North Caucasians before advancing on Kizlyar, which ended in a success for the former and his capture and looting of the redoubt. The attack was the first victory of Sheikh Mansur outside of Chechnya.
The Anapa campaign in 1788 was a military expedition launched by the Russians to capture the fortress of Anapa. The expedition ended in failure for the Russian army.
The Sheikh Mansur Movement, also known as the 1785–1791 Insurgency in the North Caucasus, was a major war between the Russian Empire and the North Caucasians, caused by the Chechen religious and military leader Sheikh Mansur, who opposed the Russian expansionist policies and wanted to unite the North Caucasians under one, single, Islamic state.
The Battle of the Tokhtamysh River, also known as the Battle of the Abazinka River, was a major battle between the Ottoman forces and the North Caucasians with a Russian army led by Johann Hermann von Fersen. The battle ended in a major Russian victory and forced the Ottomans and North Caucasians to flee. The main commander of the combined army, Batal Hussein Pasha, was captured, however, according to some sources, Batal surrendered himself without a fight to the Russians and betrayed his army.
The Battle of the Shibza River was a short battle between Russian forces led by Yuri Bibikov and combined Turkish–Circassian troops led by Aji Mustafa Pasha. It ended in a Russian victory.
The siege of Anapa of 1788 was a major confrontation between the North Caucasians led by Sheikh Mansur and Turkish troops led by the commander of Anapa, Tatal-Bey, with a Russian force led by General Peter Tekeli. During the battle, the Russian army managed to force the Turks and North Caucasians into the fortress, after which they began besieging it. However, according to General Tekeli, the Russian army was not ready to storm Anapa yet, and if they managed to capture fortress, it would be difficult to hold. Thus, the Russian troops retreated from Anapa on October 15, 1788, and, except for minor skirmishes with Circassian mountaineers, the iege of Anapa was the last major battle of the campaign and the year 1788 as a whole.
Sheikh Mansur Movement 
Ottoman Empire 
Russian Empire 
Sheikh Mansur