In the 19th century, several people have nominally or effectively stood out as leaders of Circassia.
In the 19th century, several people have nominally or effectively stood out as leaders of Circassia.
Between 1427 and 1453, Inal the Great conquered all Circassian principalities and declared himself the Grand Prince of Circassia. Following his death, Circassia was divided again.
The influential tribes of Circassia regularly met to elect a Grand Prince (Пщышхо) among them, with the only condition being that the prince can trace descent from Inal the Great. The existence of such an institute is confirmed by foreign sources. In the eyes of foreign observers, the Grand Prince was considered the king of the Circassians. However, the individual tribes were greatly autonomous and the title was mostly symbolic. [1] In 1237, the Dominican monks Richard and Julian, as part of the Hungarian embassy, visited Circassia and the main city of this country Matrega, located on the Taman Peninsula. In Matrega, the embassy received a good reception from the Grand Prince. [2]
In the 14th and 15th centuries Italian documents concerning the relationship between the consul of Kafa and Circassia clearly indicate the absolutely special status of the ruler of Circassia. This status allowed the senior prince of Circassia to correspond with the Pope. The letter of Pope John XXII , addressed to the Grand Prince of Zichia (Circassia) Verzacht, dates back to 1333, in which the Roman pontiff thanked the ruler for his diligence in introducing the Catholic faith among his subjects. Verzacht's power status was so high that following his example some other Circassian princes adopted Catholicism. [3]
Circassia traditionally consisted of more than a dozen principalities. Some of these principalities were divided into large feudal estates, characterized by the stability of political status. Within these territories there were numerous feudal possessions of princes (pshi). The Circassian state was a federal state consisting of four levels of government: Village council (чылэ хасэ, made up of village elders and nobles), district council (made up of representatives from 7 neighboring village councils), regional council (шъолъыр хасэ, made up from neighboring district councils), people's council (лъэпкъ зэфэс, where every council had a representative). A central government emerged during the mid to late 1800s. Prior to that, the institute of grand prince was mostly symbolic.
In 1807, Shuwpagwe Qalawebateqo self-proclaimed himself as the leader of the Circassian confederation, and divided Circassia into 12 major regions. [4] [5] [6] [7] In 1827, Ismail Berzeg officially declared the military confederation of the Circassian tribes and by 1839 united a significant part of Circassia under his control. [8] [9] In 1839, the Circassians declared Bighuqal (Anapa) as their new capital and Hawduqo Mansur was declared the new leader of the Circassian Confederation. He kept this title until his death. [10] [11] [9] In 1848, Muhammad Amin was the leader of Circassia. [12] [13] [14] After learning that a warriorly scholar has arrived, thousands of families moved to the Abdzakh region to accept his rule. [15] Seferbiy Zaneqo assumed power after Amin's departure, but died the next year.
In June 1860, at a congress of representatives of Circassians, a parliament was formed as the highest legislative body of Circassia. Being a political resistance council and the legislature of Circassia, [16] [17] [18] the parliament was established in the capital of Sochi (Adyghe : Шъачэ, romanized: Ş̂açə) on June 13, 1860 and Qerandiqo Berzeg was elected as the head of the parliament and the nation. [19] [20]
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Tribe of origin | Profession | Status | Established effective control | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 (Coat of Arms) | Shuwpagwe Qalawebateqo | 1807–1827 | Soldier, politician | De jure |  No | [5] [6] | |
 | Ismail Berzeg | 1827–1839 | Military commander, politician | De facto |  Yes | [8] [9] | |
 | Hawduqo Mansur | 1839–1846 | Natukhaj  | Military commander, politician | De facto & De jure | Yes | [10] [11] [9] |
 | Muhammad Amin | 1848–September 1859 | Islamic preacher | De facto & De jure | Yes | [12] [13] [15] [21] | |
 | Seferbiy Zaneqo | September 1859–1 January 1860 | Diplomat, Military commander, politician | De facto | Yes | [22] [23] | |
 | Gerandiqo Berzeg | 13 June 1860 – 21 May 1864 | Military commander, politician | De facto & De jure | Yes | [24] [25] [20] |
Circassia, also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in the North Caucasus. Located along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea, it was conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 90% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide.
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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. As a consequence of the Circassian genocide, which was perpetrated by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War in the 19th century, most of the Circassian people were exiled from their ancestral homeland and consequently began living in what was then the Ottoman Empire—that is, modern-day Turkey and the rest of the Middle East. In the early 1990s, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization estimated that there are as many as 3.7 million Circassians in diaspora in over 50 countries.
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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.
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Inal Nekhu was the Supreme Prince (King) of Circassia from 1427 to 1453 who unified all Circassians into one state. He led campaigns into several countries and expanded borders on all directions. He was the founder of several Circassian tribes, mainly Kabardia, Besleney, Temirgoy, Zhaney, and Hatuqwai.
The Circassian Parliament or the Circassian Majlis was the legislature of Circassia officialized in 1861 after a meeting in Sochi attended by leaders of several Circassian provinces. A tribal confederation had existed before the parliament's establishment, but a centralized government was achieved only after it was built.
The Battle of Kulikovo was fought between the forces of Mamai and Russian forces led by Grand Prince Dmitry of Moscow. The battle took place on 8 September 1380, at Kulikovo Field near the Don River and was won by Dmitry, who became known as Donskoy after the battle.
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.
Muhammad-Amin Asiyalav or Naib Emin Pasha was a North Caucasian military commander and Islamic preacher of Avar origin who served as the 4th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1848 to 1859. He was one of the Circassian leaders in the Russo-Circassian War and the third naib of Imam Shamil.
Hajji Gerandiqo Berzeg was a Circassian military commander who served as the 6th leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1860 to 1864. Most of his life, including his late childhood, was spent in the Russo-Circassian War (1763-1864) fronts. He reportedly met his own son in the battlefield, where he lost two of his other sons. After the Circassian genocide, he was exiled to the Ottoman Empire, volunteered in the Ottoman army against Russia, and died there of old age.
The Circassian Union and Charity Society or Çerkes İttihat ve Teavün Cemiyeti was a Circassian nationalist charitable organization in the Ottoman Empire. It was based on several principles, mainly intellectualism, Circassian nationalism, and belief in Islam.
Shuwpagwe Qalawebateqo was a Circassian politician and military commander who served as the 1st leader of the Circassian Confederation from 1807 to 1827. He took part in the Russo-Circassian War. Not much is recorded about Qalawebateqo.
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.
