| Crimean-Circassian War (1571) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Crimean-Circassian Wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Crimean Khanate |  Kabardia (East Circassia) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Devlet I Giray | Temroqwa Idar † Mashoqwa (POW) Bulat-Djery (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 130,000+ | Unknown | ||||||
The Kuban War or Crimean-Circassian War of 1571 was a military conflict between the Crimean Khanate and the Kabardian Principality. [1] [2]
Kabardian prince Temroqwa believed that the only way for Kabardian independence was to ally with Russia. Ivan the Terrible supported Temroqwa's goal to extend his power inside Circassia and to unify the lands of Circassians under his reign. Temroqwa established a fort in Mozdok that enabled the Circassian and Russian forces to perform joint training. Ossetian and Ingushetian lands, as well as the Turkic people, became subjects of the Kabardian raising power. Temroqwa's expansion extended towards the Georgian kingdoms in the south. [1]
In 1570, the Tatars swept and burned Moscow. [3] [4] During their retreat, as revenge for having relations with Russia, Tatar forces marched towards northwestern Circassia in 1571. [1]
Temroqwa, against the advice of his counsellors, launched a counterattack. A battle took place on the banks of the Kuban where Temroqwa was killed and two of his sons, Mashoqwa and Bulat-Djery, were captured. [1] [2]
Circassia, also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in Eastern Europe. It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 99.5-99.8% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide.
Balkars are a Turkic ethnic group in the North Caucasus region, one of the titular populations of Kabardino-Balkaria.
The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus.
The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441–1783, the longest-lived of the Turkic khanates that succeeded the empire of the Golden Horde. Established by Hacı I Giray in 1441, it was regarded as the direct heir to the Golden Horde and to Desht-i-Kipchak.
Devlet I Giray ruled as Crimean Khan during a long and eventful period marked by significant historical events. These events included the fall of Kazan to Russia in 1552, the fall of the Astrakhan Khanate to Russia in 1556, and the burning of Moscow by the Crimean Tatars in 1571. Another notable event during Devlet's reign was the defeat of the Crimeans near Moscow in 1572. However, Cossack raids into the Crimea were also common during his reign.
The Nogai Horde was a confederation founded by the Nogais that occupied the Pontic–Caspian steppe from about 1500 until they were pushed west by the Kalmyks and south by the Russians in the 17th century. The Mongol tribe called the Manghuds constituted a core of the Nogai Horde.
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 Molodi was one of the key battles of Ivan the Terrible's reign. It was fought near the village of Molodi, 40 miles (64 km) south of Moscow, in July–August 1572 between the 120,000 horde of Devlet I Giray of Crimea and about 60,000–70,000 Russians led by Prince Mikhail Vorotynsky. The Crimeans had burned Moscow the previous year, but this time they were thoroughly defeated.
The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and expulsion of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th century. It resulted in the deaths of between 625,000 and 1.5 million and the destruction of Circassia, which was then annexed by the Russian Empire. Those planned for extermination were mainly the Circassians, who are predominantly Muslims, but other Muslim Caucasian peoples were also affected, as part of the Caucasian War. Notable killing methods used by the Imperial Russian Army in Circassia included impalement and tearing open the bellies of pregnant women in order to intimidate the Circassians and devastate their morale. Many Russian generals, such as Grigory Zass, described the Circassians as "subhuman filth" and a "lowly race" to justify and glorify their wholesale slaughter and their use as human test subjects in unethical scientific experiments. Russian soldiers were also permitted to rape Circassian women.
The Fire of Moscow occurred on 24 May 1571, when the Crimean army led by the khan of Crimea Devlet I Giray, bypassed the Serpukhov defensive fortifications on the Oka River, crossed the Ugra River into the Moscow suburbs, and rounded the flank of the 36,000–40,000 men of the Russian army.
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 Natukhaj are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Their areas historically extended along the Black Sea coast from Anapa in the north to Tsemes Bay in the south and from the north side of the mountains to the lower Kuban River.
The Besleney are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. By character, culture and language, the Besleney are closest to Kabardians. The noble families of the Besleney were Kanoko and Shaloho, ancestors of Kabardian Prince Beslan,, who established his own tribe of the same name.
The Kanzhal War or Crimean-Circassian War of 1708 was military conflict in 1708 fought between 7,000 Circassians led by Kurgoqo Atajuq and 30,000–100,000 Crimean Tatars led by Qaplan I Giray, which resulted in Circassian victory. It played a big role in decreasing foreign influence in Circassia. In 2013, the Russian Academy of Sciences described the battle as "an important event in the history of Circassians". It was fought near the village of Bylym on the Baksan River.
Hajji Jabagh Qazanoqo was a Kabardian Circassian philosopher, Islamic scholar, poet, military strategist, politician and diplomat who supported the idea of a united and fully independent Northern Caucasus, laying the ideological foundation for the MRNC.
Kurgoqo Atajuq was the Kabardian Supreme Prince between 1695 and 1709.
Temryuk Idar or Temroqwa Idar was a prince of the Circassian Kabardian princedom and its head of power for part of the sixteenth century. His fame was largely due to the association of his name with the alliance with Ivan IV and the marriage of his daughter, Maria Temryukovna. When Temryuk came to power, he put down the revolts of the disputing princes, and helped Circassia become a military power within the North Caucasus.
The Temryuk War or Crimean-Circassian War of 1551–1556 was a military conflict between the Crimean Khanate and the Kabardian Principality.
Misost Bematiqwa was a member of the Kabardian royal family and the Atajuq family. He was the Grand Prince between 1785 and 1788.
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.