Battle of Shchedrinskaya

Last updated
Battle of Shchedrinskaya
Part of Sheikh Mansur Movement
Date16th January 1788
Location
Plantage near Chervlyonnaya (Shchedrinskaya)
Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Flag of the Sheikh Mansur Movement.png Chechen fighters Flag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Unknown Flag of Russia.svg Lieutenant Gagarin
Units involved
Detachment of Chechen fighters from the villages Sunzha, Germenchuk, Shali, Aldy and others Team of Rangers
Strength
~600 70
Casualties and losses

77

  • 22 KIA
  • 50 drowned
Light

On January 16, 1788, Chechen fighters attempted to attack a plantation near Chervlyonnaya, spurred by Sheikh Mansur's letters urging them to attack Russian settlements. However, the Russian Empire repelled the attack. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

History

After suffering a heavy defeat in the 1787 October Campaign, Sheikh Mansur was forced to retreat to the fortress Sudzhuk-Kale. There, he began sending several letters to the peoples of the Caucasus, called on them to fight against the Russian Empire and attack Russian and Cossack settlements. In one of the letters, sent to the Chechens on January 1, Mansur promised them that he would soon return to Chechnya with an army of 6,000 cavalry, 9,000 infantry, and artillery, after which he would go to war with the Russians. Until then, he told them to intensify in their attacks on Russian borders. Caucasus Viceroy Peter Tekeli commented that "supported by assurances from the shikh, gathering in large detachments, they carry out attacks everywhere." [4]

The Chechens began carrying out more raids, such as a raid on the Novogladkovskaya state post office near Kizlyar, capturing the sergeant of the Kizlyar garrison battalion Osipov and several Cossacks. "Inflamed by Mansur's letters," Tekelli reported, "the Chechens are increasingly disobeying their rulers and elders and launching attacks on the Russian borders." [4]

On the night of January 16, a detachment of 600 Chechens crossed the Terek River and made their way to the plantation, 40 miles from the village Chervlyonnaya. The detachment, according to Russian authorities, included several people from villages considered loyal to the Russian Empire. The Chechens had passed through villages subject to the Aksai princes, previously considered loyal to Russia, leading pro-Russian Chechen princes to claim that the Aksai nobility were "not strong to keep their subjects, inflamed by Mansur's letters." [4]

The same day, the Chechens attacked the plantation, but there they were met by a team of 70 rangers. The disorganized Chechens were repelled and suffered 22 deaths. While trying to flee across the Terek River, another 50 fighters drowned. [5] [1] [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Mansur</span> Chechen Islamic and military leader

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terek Cossacks</span> Cossack host

The Terek Cossack Host was a Cossack host created in 1577 from free Cossacks who resettled from the Volga to the Terek River. The local aboriginal Terek Cossacks joined this Cossack host later. In 1792 it was included in the Caucasus Line Cossack Host and separated from it again in 1860, with the capital of Vladikavkaz. In 1916 the population of the Host was 255,000 within an area of 1.9 million desyatinas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kabardia</span> Historical country in the North Caucasus

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 Battle of Aldy, also known as the Battle of the Sunzha was a battle between the Russian Empire and Chechen forces of Sheikh Mansur in 1785. The Russian troops under command of Colonel De Pieri were surrounded and defeated by the forces of Sheikh Mansur. De Pieri and 840 Russians and Cossacks were killed, with 162 more taken captive, several hundred injured and the remainder of the Russian forces fleeing through the woods, chased by Chechen fighters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chechen–Russian conflict</span> Centuries-long conflict in the North Caucasus

The Chechen–Russian conflict was the centuries-long ethnic and political conflict, often armed, between the Russian, Soviet and Imperial Russian governments and various Chechen forces. The recent phase of the conflict started after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and ended with the oppression of Chechen separatist leaders and crushing of the separatist movement in 2017.

Kostek is a village (selo) in the Khasavyurt District of the Republic of Dagestan in Russia. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 4,551. It is the administrative center of the rural settlement of Kostekskogo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Caucasus Line</span> Russian forts and Cossack settlements

The North Caucasus Line was a line of Russian forts and Cossack settlements along the north side of the Caucasus Mountains. Originating in the mid-16th century with a small number of free Cossacks near the Caspian Sea, from the mid-18th century the line was pushed west and used as a base to conquer the mountains to the south and to populate the steppes to the north.

Russian–Kumyk wars — a series of military conflicts between the Russian Tsardom and the Kumyk Tarki Shamkhalate and other Kumyk states and feudal possessions during the 16th–18th centuries. At the end of the 18th century, as well as during and after the Caucasian War, and throughout the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, conflicts continued in the form of uprisings in Shamkhalate, Northern Kumykia, Southern Kumykia, and in the form of anti-colonial protests of individual villages (societies). In the result of these wars and uprisings, some Kumyk areas and villages were destroyed several times over.

The Battle of Grigoriopolis, or the siege of Grigoriopolis was a 2 day long siege of the Grigoripolis Redoubt by Sheikh Mansur's forces which ultimately failed and forced the North Caucasians to retreat.

The Battle of the Malka River, also known as the Battle of Grigoriopolis took place on 30 October 1785, between the Russian Empire and the forces of Sheikh Mansur. The 5 hour–long battle ended in no deciding victory for either side.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aidemir Bardykhanov</span> Senior Prince of Chechnya

Aidemir Bardykhanov, also known as Aidemir Turlov was a prince from the Turlov dynasty and the Senior Prince of the Chechen principality from 1732 to his death in 1746 and was also a Khan of the Endirey Khanate. He is famous for his role in the Battle of Chechen–Aul, where he led Chechen rebels into victory against Russian troops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anapa Campaign (1787)</span> Russian military failed attack to capture fortress of Anapa

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 Anapa Campaign in the winter of 1790 was a military expedition launched by Russia to capture the fortress of Anapa. The expedition failed.

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 Battle of Alkhan–Yurt, or the Battle of Alkhanov was a military engagement between the Russian troops led by Brigadier Fyodor Apraksin and the villagers of the Chechen village of Alkhan–Yurt as well as volunteers from Aldy. Brigadier Apraksin was originally supposed to help the Pieri detachment at Aldy but arrived too late and was ambushed by Chechen fighters when trying to capture the village Alkhan–Yurt. The Chechens however suffered heavy casualties.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheikh Mansur Movement</span>

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 Kuban River in September 1787 was an ambush by Mansur's forces on the Russian rear guard. The attack was repelled with heavy Russian losses.

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.

References

Citations

Sources