There are lot of facts bearing witness to violent eviction of Circassians from their historical lands, but only a few people know how this nation could manage to opposite the one of the greatest countries: Great Britain, Austria, Turkey and Russia. None of these powers could risk resisting Russia openly, especially after routing by Russians the Napoleon's army. But Circassians, not very big nation could resist Russian Empire with her well-trained and armored army for 200 years.

Without going into details I'll remind that Circassians are not the heap of militant highland tribes who have no idea about "politics".

Such a fact can serve as a best proof of it. In 1839 there were several documents made by Circassians. One of them is the "Independence Declaration": "Well armored Russian army accounting for about 100000 soldiers is at war with Circassians, and maybe tomorrow they may happened to invade you. Now they need Caucasus Mountains, tomorrow they'll go down from them and seize your beautiful green lowlands. Our eternal mountains and brave jighits are standing and protecting Turkey, Iran, and India now. If you don't help us you'll be seized and destroyed.

There are 4000000 of us; we divided into numerous tribes. But we have our costumes and traditions, kings and rulers. We don't have one - the united Law but our ancestors' customs control us better than any laws made in any up-to-date country".

In the X-Th century (in 913, 923, 954 and 971 ) Russian squads headed by Sviatoslav a lot of times came up to the Circassian borders. About 55000 lives took away these bloody altercations. Nevertheless, in 960 Russians and Circassians could unite and come out against their common enemy- Khazaria.

In the XI-th century the massacre between Redada and prince Mstislave was taken place. The result-20000 Circassians were killed. Practically after that incident the long-time millitary actions between Circassians and Russians began.

In 1772 the serious collision between the troops of Peter the Great and Circassian Prince Aslan Kaytouko was taken place. In the fort Kizlar of Russian army there were 10.000 soldiers. The battle was occurred on Daghestan territory. A lot of people from both sides were killed and finally Russians stepped back.

In the same XVIII century Russians tried to divide Caucasus in two parts (near Mezdoghu). And only the courage of Circassians and Chechens who defended their Motherland disturbed them.

From 1742 Islam began to spread on the territories of North and West Caucasus. Russia tried to take this opportunity to explain her military actions on Caucasus and to scare Europe by Moslem expansion.

Such a situation continued till 1794 when the Belgrad document was signed where Russia Osman Empire agreed to leave Caucasus independent. It's a rather comic fact that Russia and Osman Empire agreed to grant Caucasus independence but meanwhile as a matter of fact Caucasus didn't depend of them.



The main military battles.

In 1763-1777 near the fort of Mezdagh the military actions began and then engulfed all the territory along Terek.

During Ekaterine the II's rule action didn't reduce, but probably increased. Ekaterine the II sent an army of 120.000 soldiers to Caucasus. During the battles Circassians lost 30.000 men killed. In 1774 Osman Empire sent an army for Circassians to help, but it was too late. Russians managed to takeover Cuban and Taman peninsula. Turkeys returned with nothing not even trying to win back the native Circassian lands.

During this period Russia carried out military actions not only in Caucasus but also in Europe.

Having took this opportunity Circassians made several impacts on russian army in a different directions: part of them tried to get back the seized territories, and other part - attacked Kizlar and Mezdagh, and the third part undertook military actions on Taman peninsula having out flanked russian army. In the course of military actions russians lost about 10.000 men killed.

In 1776 russian army built several forts on Terek to encircle Circassians from the north. Meanwhile Circassians managed to gather14.000 army and won back several forts having captured a lot of soldiers.

In 1793 general Suvorov who could control Noghay tribes seizer the lands of shapsoughs and bzedoughs who had lived on Cuban river

The Circassian national council addressed to Russia a note of protest against such movements. Fazin a was chosen as a leader of Circassians. He was so well known and popular that Ekaterine the II, to win over him to her side, sent him a lot of expansive presents. However Fazin didn't accept them with words: "I was chosen by my nation and must follow her customs and traditions assert her interests. Let her majesty excuse my, but I wouldn't accept the presents."

Someone think Circassians were a bad politicians but the following facts proof the opposite.

In 1552 the Circassian prince Edar Temruk and Russian Tsar Evan the terrible concluded the amicable agreement stipulating the military assistance a of Russian army in actions of Circassians against Turks. And The Circassians for their part had to help Russians in struggle with Crimea Tatars.

In 1567 Kabardian prince allowed Russians the building of military fort on the bank of river Sunje.

On 1-st September 1739 Russia and Turkey declared the independence of territories of Big and Small Kabarda and Mezdoghu (in accordance to Turkey State archive's information).

On 14 September 1829 Turkey expressed the consent to grant Russia all the rights to own the Circassians territories (Turkey State archives).

In 1808 the commission was established in Petersburg with the main purpose to do everything possible to make Circassians relinquish their military actions against Russia and obey her influence. The commission made the following decisions:

To clear Caucasus completely of weapon and continue the military actions until then the armed resistance is offer.

To make Circassians come down from mountains to lowlands, because in highlands they are very skillful in carrying out the military actions. And living on the lowlands they will lose their skills with the passage of time.

To dissolve the native population by relocating Russians and Kazaks on Caucasus.

To make Circassians leave their native lands for Turkey (On this account the agreement was made between Russia and Turkey)

21 May 1864 is the day of completion of Russian-Caucasus war (the day of mourning of Circassian people). The Circassians dispatched the delegation for negotiations but all their attempts proved to be in vain. The general commissioner announced them the following: "We have concluded the agreement with Turkey not to hinder those Circassians who wish to leave there. Everyone who remains will be moved to the places that we will point out."

In June 1864 Russia announced: "All the inhabitants of Caucasus have to leave their houses and remove within a month, otherwise they will be considered as a traitors and will be dispatched to Siberia."

It was the beginning of Circassians people tragedy.

Before this horrible date there were a lot of cases of Circassians removing to Turkey. According to information of 1860 of the Turkey migration service the following is clear:

Before 1859 the amount of Circassian migrants were 450000, and in 1859- 300000.

Before the great tragedy according to the facts of 1878 year commission there were:

In 1877- 100000 abazines

In 1878- 150000 bzedughes.

Regarding the eviction from Caucasus during the period from 1864 till 1865 the different information exists:

Newspaper "Ghuaza" (1911)- 1750000 people.
"Caucasus in history"- more than 1000000.
"Daghestan and Daghestanians"- more than 1000000.
Turkey encyclopedia- 1500000.
Journal "North Caucasus"- 2500000.
World Dictionary- 1000000.
Islamic encyclopedia- 1500000.
Journal "East" (Austria, 1877)- 600000 people (who reached Turkey).
"Notes of General Fadeev"-600000.
Journal "Dulari" (France)- 750000.
Mr. Jurasy (1863-1864)- 400000 people (who reached Turkey).
Journal " Truthful stories " (N 670)-600000.

Historian Biancotti published the following information: a number of Circassian reached the Turkey's shores in ships is attained from 700000 to 1200000. He emphasized that 700000 people reached Turkey in 1864. (It was pointed out about numbers of dead). 1000000 people got Turkey in 1866.

Historian Bizzenj pointed out that from 1858 till 1866 the Turkey's shores reached on ships about 490000 people. Turkey government refused to give the precise information about the exact number of Circassians - migrants in 1866, but supposedly there were 1000000 of them.

Professor Kamal Karbat - member of the central scientific researches commission of Wisconsin University (USA). "Having researched the Turkey archives we found that from 1859 till 1879 the 1400000 people were evicted from Caucasus and only 1000000 of them reached Turkey".

Just on arriving about 20% of migrants dead from diseases and starvation. For example, in May 1864 after the 4 months of being on foreign land 40000 Circassians dead (Samsun, Turkey), and by the late 1865 in Trabzone 53000 had been dead.

From other sources it is known that in 1877 19000 young Circassians were taken to the army from Trabzone to participate in Balcan war. In all 30000 Circassians formed a part of Turkey army in that war.

As a result of Russian - Caucasus war ended in 1864 more than 1000000 Circassians had to leave their Forefathers and go to Turkey with the only hope that sometime they would be able to return. Concerning the assertions of many historians only a half of this number could reach Turkey.

In conclusion I'll point out up-to-date statistic facts. In 1989 in USSR there were:

ABAZAS - 32.482

ABHAZIANS - 98.068

CIRCASSIANS IN:

Adyghe Republic - 95.439

Kabardian-Balkarian Republic - 363.494 (includes Mezdoghu circassians)

Karachay-Circassian Republic - 40.241

And all other Circassians of about four million people live in 45 countries of the world.

Our Nation was 4 000 000 in 1763.
Now in 2000 there are less than 1 000 000 in Motherland...
and about 3 000 000 abroad who unfortunatly will stay there forever and will forget . . .

How many circassians are killed . . .

http://www.circassian.narod.ru/circass/hist/1864.htm

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Summary: The genocide committed against the Circassian nation by Czarist Russia in the 1800s was the biggest genocide of the nineteenth century. Yet it has been almost entirely forgotten by later history, while everyone knows the later Jewish Holocaust and many have heard about the Armenian genocide. "Rather than of separate, selectively researched genocides, we should speak of a general genocidal tendency that affected many – both Muslim and Christian – people on a wide scene between 1856 and 1956, continuing in post-Soviet Russia until today", writes Antero Leitzinger. This article was originally published in "Turkistan News".

The Circassian Genocide
By Antero Leitzinger

A professor of the university of Munich (München), Karl Friedrich Neumann (not to be confused with the later Naumann), wrote in 1839 a book titled "Russland und die Tscherkessen" (published in the collection "Reisen und Länderbeschreibungen", vol. 19, in 1840). He describes, how Russia settled Christians to the parts of Armenia gained from Persia in 1828 - actually, Neumann had written about the issue already in 1834. (p. 68-69) Neumann considered this a very sound policy and predicted, that all Caucasus would become under firm Russian rule within the next decades. (p. 125) European powers would not intervene, because it was the destiny of all Europe to rule over the lands of Turks, Persians, and Hindus. (p. 129-130)

Neumann was no racist, but he certainly advocated colonialism and was a Russophile in relation to the southern lands. He had a Darwinist approach many years before Charles Darwin or Herbert Spencer presented their ideas. This appears to have been more typical to 19th century German thought than any anti-Armenian sentiments. Neumann makes it clear in his very first words of the preface: "The European humanity is selected by divinity as ruler of the earth."

Although Neumann respected the bravery of Circassians, he anticipated their destruction by Russia, because in a modern world, there would be no place for chivalrous "uncivilized" people. Neumann estimated the total number of Circassians, including the Kabardians and Abkhaz, at 1.5 million persons, or 300.000 families. (p. 67) Both the Russian figure of 300.000 persons, and the Circassian figure of four millions, were exaggerated.

Neumann divided the Circassians into ten tribes: Notketch, Schapsuch, Abatsech, Pseduch, Ubich, Hatiokech, Kemkuich, Abasech, Lenelnich, Kubertech (in German transliteration). They formed a loose confederation very much like old Switzerland, with democratic majority votes deciding the affairs of villages. Their princes had no privileges, and were regarded only as military commanders. Women were more free than anywhere in the Orient. There was no written law, and death penalties were unknown. Many Circassians were Muslims, but there were also Christians and pagans, all completely tolerated.

Russian prisoners-of-war were used as slaves, but if they were of Polish origin, they were regarded as guests. Therefore, Poles recruited in the Russian army, deserted en masse at every opportunity, and even Russians often declared themselves to be Poles. (p. 123) Slavery as such included no shame. Circassians used to sell their own family members as slaves to Turkey and Persia, and many went to slavery voluntarily, returning later on back home as rich and free men. (p. 124) This system could be compared to the Gastarbeiter emigration from Turkey since the 1960s. We should also remember, that in those times, slavery or serfdom existed in Romania and Russia as well.

The Circassians had been fighting against Russia already for forty years when appealing to the courts of Europe in a "Declaration of Independence": "But now we hear to our deepest humiliation, that our land counts as a part of the Russian empire on all maps published in Europe... that Russia, finally, declares in the West, that Circassians are their slaves, horrible bandits..." (p. 140-141)

The fight continued for two more full decades, until a national Circassian government was set up in Sochi. In 1862, Russia began the final invasion, annihilation and expulsion, as predicted by Neumann well in advance.

According to Kemal H. Karpat, "Ottoman population 1830-1914" (Madison 1985), "Beginning in 1862, and continuing through the first decade of the twentieth century, more than 3 million people of Caucasian stock, often referred collectively as Cerkes (Circassians), were forced by the Russians to leave their ancestral lands..." (p. 27)

Salaheddin Bey mentioned, in 1867, a total of 1.008.000 refugees from the Caucasus and Crimea, of whom 595.000 were initially settled in the Balkans. (p. 27) Half a million followed by 1879, and another half a million until 1914. (p. 69) Most of them were Circassians, although there were Crimean Tatars, Chechens, and other Muslim people among them. Hundreds of thousands Circassians perished on their way.

Neumann’s estimate of 1.5 million Circassians corresponds to 1/30 ethnic Russians, or 1/3 Czechs, or 3/4 Slovaks. (p. 66) According to Neumann, there were over two million Armenians in the world. (p. 69) Now, according to the Soviet census of 1989, the number of Russians has increased to 145 millions, whereof 1/30 would be almost five millions. There are 10 million Czechs and 5 million Slovaks, which would lead us to assume that there should be over 3 million Circassians. Armenia alone has a population of over 3 million Armenians, despite of the past ordeals; 2 million Armenians live elsewhere. The number of Czechs, Slovaks, and Armenians has more than doubled in 150 years, while the number of Russians has tripled; but where are the missing millions of Circassians?

"The Encyclopaedia Britannica", 11th edition (Cambridge 1911), divided the Armenian population equally between Russia and Turkey (little over a million in each empire), and numbered 216.950 Circassians (including Abkhaz etc.) in Russia. Again we must conclude, that about 1.5 million Circassians had been massacred or deported. This disaster exceeded both absolutely and proportionally whatever fell upon Armenians in 1915. Was it intentional? Yes. Was it ideological? Yes. The conquest and Christian colonization of the Middle East was expected not only by Germans, but by most Europeans during the 19th century, and the expulsion of Muslims from Europe was considered a historical necessity. Russia had practicized massacres and mass deportations in the Crimea and Caucasus, and "ethnically cleansed" Circassia specially in 1862-1864. During that period, Panslavists like Mikhail Katkov provided the Russian public with nationalistic excuses for what had started as imperial ambition ("Third Rome" ) and strategic interests ("Access to sea" ).

A vicious cycle was created and increased the stakes at both frontiers: the Caucasus, and the Balkans. Circassian refugees settled in the Balkans were provoked to commit the "Bulgarian atrocities", that inspired some of the Armenian revolutionaries. After the Balkan Wars, Muslim refugees were roaming in Anatolia, thus spreading terror, and hostility. This was exploited by Russia, at the cost of many innocent Armenians. The massacres of 1915 were a tip of the iceberg - the part best visible for Europeans, who had been actively seeking and expecting horror news to justify anti-Muslim prejudice, and to prevent interventions on behalf of Turkey, as had happened in the Crimean War of the 1850s.

Was it a genocide? That depends on the definition. Rather than of separate, selectively researched genocides, we should speak of a general genocidal tendency that affected many - both Muslim and Christian - people on a wide scene between 1856 and 1956, continuing in post-Soviet Russia until today.

Antero Leitzinger

http://www.cc.jyu.fi/~aphamala/pe/issue2/circass.htm


(Edited by Kodzoquo at 2:22 pm on Oct. 14, 2002)