When Imam Shamil surrendered. Why Imam Shamil surrendered to Russian troops. Fight with the Russian Empire

In 1859, one of the bloody pages in the history of Russia and the Caucasus turned over. After a months-long siege, Russian troops took the village of Gunib in Dagestan and captured the famous leader of the highlanders, Imam Shamil. For more than a quarter of a century, he was one of the most stubborn and elusive enemies of the Russian Empire.

In the early 1830s, Shamil created a multinational state in which Chechens, Ingush, Avars (Shamil himself was an Avar), Lezgins and representatives of a number of small Dagestan nationalities were united. Shamil rallied them on the basis of muridism, a militant direction in Islam, the main idea of which is a holy war with the "infidels" (ghazavat) as the duty of every Muslim. Shamil became an autocratic ruler, concentrating spiritual, secular and military power in his hands - the imam of a theocratic state.

Initially, Shamil was one of the associates of the first imam, Kazi-Mulla, who in 1829 raised an uprising against Russian domination in the Caucasus. But during the capture by Russian troops in 1832 of the village of Gimry, Kazi-Mulla was killed. His successor Gamzat-bek also did not last long - he fell victim to tribal squabbles. And then the supreme authority among the murids (fighters for the faith) passed to Shamil. He settled in the village of Akhulgo and gave rise to a new round of the struggle of the peoples of the Caucasus for independence.

Shamil skillfully used diplomatic methods. In the first years of his reign, he managed to keep the Russian administration from hostilities through negotiations. When, in 1837, the Russian troops nevertheless took Akhulgo, Shamil agreed to swear allegiance to the Russian emperor. However, Shamil used the peaceful respite thus obtained to strengthen his power and consolidate the forces of the highlanders in order to resume the confrontation.

In 1839, Russian troops again captured Akhulgo, but Shamil managed to slip away. The Russian authorities considered his case lost and did not pursue him, and again miscalculated. Having settled this time in the Chechen village of Dargo, Shamil in 1842 repulsed the Russian offensive. And in 1845, when Dargo nevertheless fell under the onslaught of the imperial army, our troops were ambushed during the retreat and were destroyed by the murids.

The next 12 years were the peak of Shamil's political power. The power of the imam extended to the entire Mountainous Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya and some northwestern regions of present-day Azerbaijan. In his state, Shamil steadily established order in accordance with Sharia. He cleverly consolidated his own power. And in order to prevent separatism, he divided the military and judicial authorities locally.

Shamil had a broad political outlook. During Eastern war(1853-1856) he tried to find allies in the face of Turkey and England and asked them for help with weapons and money (but did not receive it due to communication difficulties). Shamil also established relations with the fighters for independence in the Western Caucasus - the Circassian tribes.

Only after the end of the Eastern War was the Russian Empire able to return to the final conquest of the Caucasus. By that time, Shamil's power was in crisis. Many highlanders did not like the order established by Shamil, the arbitrariness of his qadis (judges) and naibs (military governors), and the imam's unusual taxes "to fight the infidels." Some tribal authorities were increasingly willing to make peace with the Russian administration on the condition that they retain their traditional position. It became increasingly difficult for Shamil to control his associates.

For a while, Shamil still managed to rally the highlanders in the face of the renewed offensive of the Russian army. But, when in the spring of 1859 the imperial troops under the command of General of Infantry A.A. Baryatinsky was besieged by Gunib, Shamil had to either die or negotiate honorable conditions for surrender. However, Shamil dragged out the negotiations. Then on August 25, 1859, Baryatinsky moved his units to storm Gunib. And Shamil was captured.

The Russian Empire treated its defeated enemies mercifully. In addition, an example of respectful treatment of Shamil should have encouraged other leaders of the mountain resistance to stop fighting. Shamil was left with the state treasury (which he turned into personal) and his harem. He also received a promise that in the future he would be given the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. Shamil was settled in Kaluga, where the tsarist government rented for him the luxurious house of the local landowner Sukhotin. The noble captive was given a pension from the Russian treasury in the amount of 15 thousand rubles of that time per year. Emperor Alexander II himself received him and talked with him.

Shamil was allowed to travel around Russia. He watched with interest the innovations of technological progress that were then part of life - railways, steamships, telegraph; admired huge stone buildings and temples, etc. It is said that at the end of his life he expressed regret that he had fought the "white king" for so long. In 1866, on the anniversary of his captivity, he solemnly took an oath of allegiance to the Russian crown.

In 1870, Shamil made a pilgrimage to Mecca, where, as predicted, he died the following year. He was buried in Medina. Shamil obviously did not lose either when he fought or when he surrendered. He received everything from life - wealth, power, reverence and the sacred memory of the peoples he ruled, and at the end of his life, having lost only power, he received respect from the enemy who defeated him.

Those who condemn, blame, dislike Imam Shamil should repent as soon as possible

There is a hadith that says that only worthy people can appreciate worthy people. There is also a saying that when pious people are mentioned, the grace of the Most High is sent down. Therefore, with the hope for the mercy of Allah, a few words about Imam Shamil.

Unfortunately, dear brothers, among us there are people who condemn, reprove Imam Shamil, express disapproving words about him. For example, some say that the imam and his murids fought for worldly wealth. Others say that the imam fought for glory and power, and still others say that the imam was cruel man who knew no mercy. There is another category of people who claim that the imam surrendered and was taken prisoner, and that it was his mistake, supposedly, he had to fight to the end.

Today there are people, although there is nothing human left in them, who, under the slogan of jihad, sow confusion and discord, and without any shame put their madness on a par with the holy deed of Imam Shamil. Here, dear brothers, there is nothing to be surprised at, because even at that time the so-called “Muslims” fought against the imam on the side of the tsarist army, there were several thousand of them. People who speak disapprovingly of the Imam may suffer an evil fate. Why? Because the Almighty in Hadith al-Qudsi says: "Whoever has hostile feelings towards My beloved, I truly declare war on him." Those people who condemn, blame, dislike Imam Shamil, need to repent as soon as possible before they are overtaken by the punishment of Allah.

Sixth Righteous Caliph

Indeed, Imam Shamil was a favorite of Allah (awliya) of a very high level, a spiritual mentor. He was a phenomenon that the Almighty endowed with a clear mind. He was a very wise politician, a great commander, and Allah chose him to save Dagestan from unbelief. After the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and companions, one can say that Imam Shamil was the most just imam. For example, Shuayb-afandi al-Bagini in the book “Tabaqat” writes: “After the gazavat of Imam Shamil ended, Sharia became an orphan.” Great Ulama called Imam Shamil the sixth righteous caliph. Shuayb-afandi writes that after Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz there was no such imamate in history where the Sharia rules would be so perfectly observed, as in the imamate of Imam Shamil. Alims say that Imam Shamil's ghazawats were similar to the ghazawats of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). We know that Imam Shamil, like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), had to make a hijra (migration).

Shamil was a true Nakshbandi ustaz. In "Tabaqat" al-Bagini writes that in addition to the ustazes of Muhammad Yaragi and Jamalutdin Kumukhi, Ismail Kurdumerdi also gave permission for tutoring (ijaza) to the imam.

Sometimes you hear the statement that Imam Shamil was not a sheikh of the tariqat. In fact, in those days, the alleys of the village of Gimry were crowded with murids, who came to ustazes Gazimuhammad and Shamil. It's confirmed historical fact. They were on the true path, and this confirms the fact that the imam was supported from all over the world. In the mosques of Arabia, Asia, Turkey, they asked the Almighty to help the imam. The great scholars of Mecca sent letters to him, confirming in them the truth of the path of the Imam, and warning those who would go against him from the danger of falling into error.

Imam's Karamats

The Almighty endowed Imam Shamil with many features, karamat. For example, the one who opposed the imam, the Almighty already punished in this world, without waiting for Ahirat. The same decision is valid to this day, since after the death of the imam it was not annulled. Why? Because the Almighty is eternally alive and punishes people who dislike Imam Shamil even today.

Imam Shamil, when looking at a person, could determine which category he belongs to: the category of believers or non-believers. Why? Because Allah has endowed him with such an opportunity. Based on this, he treated everyone accordingly.

Here is another manifestation of the karamat of Imam Shamil and Gazimuhammad: when representatives of the tsarist troops demanded that they be given the highlanders as an amanat (trust), Gazimuhammad said that they should give people away, and Imam Shamil was against it, and a small quarrel arose between them. People who did not like Imam Shamil approached Gazimuhammad and said: “How long will we tolerate the arrogance of this Shamil, come on, we will kill him.” To this, Gazimuhammad replied: “We will kill, but who will deliver his body to Medina?” Gazimuhammad knew that his body was made of Yathrib (Medina) clay. Each of us is created from the soil in which he will be buried.

Love for the sciences

The imam paid the greatest attention to knowledge, and although he fought for 25 years, it cannot be assumed that the imam did not think about anything other than battles. He paid much attention to muta'alim (students). From the public treasury (bay-ul-mal), he allocated large funds for the dissemination of knowledge (ilmu). In each settlement, the imam created a madrasah. gifted people Imam Shamil exempted from ghazavat and sent to study science. In those days, the literacy rate of the highlanders increased tenfold compared to what it was before the gazavat. It can be said that among the highlanders there are few left who could not read and write. A Russian scientist, General Uslar writes: “If we compare the population and the number of madrasahs in Dagestan at that time, the level of literacy of the Dagestanis far exceeded the level of literacy of Europeans.”

Did the imam pursue the goal of destroying the unbelievers?

Imam Shamil, like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), did not have a goal to destroy the unbelievers. Because in the Sharia there is such a rule, which Ramadan Buti writes about in the book Al-Jihad Fil-Islami, that truly jihad with weapons is carried out in order to eliminate enmity, and not to destroy unbelief. The proof is the fact that Imam Shamil, like the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said to his murids in front of the ghazawat: “Do not kill old people, women and children, do not cut trees, do not burn fields, if you make peace even with infidels, do not break it." From this it is clear that the purpose of the imam and his murids was not the destruction of the unbelievers. The imam treated his captives with respect. He respected them, did not force them to accept Islam. It is written that Imam Shamil allowed the captives to freely profess their religion - Christianity. It is also reported that many unbelievers, having heard about the justice of Imam Shamil, went over to his side, including two priests. The tsarist generals were afraid of this. They were afraid that, having heard about justice, the majority would go over to the side of the imam.

Great commander

Europeans followed the war in the Caucasus and wondered how it royal Russia, such a strong power that defeated Napoleon himself, cannot cope with such a small number of highlanders. They knew that the Russian Tsar had deployed twice as many troops against Imam Shamil than against Napoleon himself. Giving an assessment to Imam Shamil, the well-known Turkish historian Albay Yashar writes: "There has never been such a great commander in world history as Imam Shamil." He further states: "If Napoleon is the coal of war, then Imam Shamil is the fiery pillar of war." The Russian generals themselves, who fought against Shamil, gave him a worthy assessment. They called him a war genius. They were surprised at his mastery of the tactics of battles, they were surprised how he always managed to emerge victorious from the battle, having no money, in need of medicines, weapons and human resources. The tsarist generals were amazed. For example, in the battles for Akhulgo, the royal army lost 33,000 soldiers, while Imam Shamil lost only 300 murids. They even say that about 5,000 soldiers were killed by the aggressors in the battles for Akhulgo in one day. There were times when a general returned from battle with only two soldiers. But, unfortunately, the closest, trusted people betrayed Shamil. Once, in a state of despair, the imam expressed the words of Imam Shafi'i in verse form:

Those who pledged to protect me

Became allies of enemies suddenly

And the arrows of those whom I completely trusted,

Having pierced my chest, they returned back.

Was Imam Shamil captured?

Dear brothers, there was no captivity and it could not be that Imam Shamil surrendered to the infidels, because Muhammad-Tahir al-Karahi writes: “And at the last hour on Mount Gunib, the imam approached each murid separately and asked to fight to the end, until the death of the martyr. But everyone refused and asked the imam to accept the offer of the Russians, go to them for negotiations and conclude a peace treaty. Here's what we need to know. There was no surrender. There is more evidence: firstly, when the imam went out to the royal troops, he was armed to the teeth, and we know that the prisoners are not left with weapons, but the imam was armed, and even his murid Yunus from Chirkey, who was with him, was armed. Secondly, the imam set conditions for the Russians, only after accepting which, he would stop the war. The Russians accepted his condition and the peace treaty came into force. The conditions were as follows:

1. Do not interfere with Islam in Dagestan;

2. In Dagestan, do not spread Christianity;

3. Do not debauch;

4. Do not call on the highlanders to serve in the tsarist army;

5. Do not pit the peoples of Dagestan against each other.

In addition to these, there were many other conditions, and all of them were accepted. When the imam was in Russia, he was very respected, and he once said: “Praise be to Allah, Who gave the Russians, so that I lead a gazavat with them when I was full of strength and that they honor and respect me when I grew old and my strength left me” . Abdurahman Suguri, when he heard these words of the imam, said: “This praise of Allah (shukr) is comparable to a 25-year-old ghazawat.”

Stay of the Imam in Turkey and Medina

When the imam arrived in Turkey, he was met by the Turkish Sultan Abdul-Aziz. The imam reproached him for promising material assistance and not helping. The Sultan asked the Imam: “Shamil! You fought for 25 years with unbelievers, how did you stay alive? Or maybe you did not take part in the battles, but sent your murids? Imam Shamil got angry, got up, exposed his body and the Sultan counted more than 40 wounds from the waist to the head. Then Abdul-Aziz wept, showed the imam his throne and said that he was worthy of this place.

In Turkey, the imam was asked what he regrets the most? The Imam said: “Most of all I regret those heroes who remained in the mountains, each of whom cost an entire army.” Sheikh Badruddin-afandi, telling the story of the imam, said that upon arrival in Medina, the imam first of all visited the mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The people of Medina, learning of his intention, gathered in the mosque to see the imam. Seeing the crowd, the imam thought, who should he greet first, these people or the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? And the imam went first to the grave of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), wept and said: “ Assalamu alaika, I am rasulullah", and everyone saw how the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) from the holy grave extended his hand in radiance and, shaking the hand of the imam, answered:" Wa aleyka ssalam I imamal muzhahidin!».

During the stay of the imam in Medina, there was a direct descendant of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), a Tariqat murshid, the famous Alim Nakibu Sadat, already of advanced age. He asked his children to meet with the imam, as he was ill and could not move. At the sight of the imam, the descendant of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fell to his knees and began to kiss his feet. The Imam helped him up. He told the imam that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) appeared to him in a dream and said that there was a revered guest among them, commanding him to observe respect (adab) for him.

Imam's death

In 1287 Hijri, on the 10th day of the month of Dhul-Qaeda, Imam Shamil left this world. A huge number of people gathered to perform a funeral prayer (Janaza-namaz) for him. Everyone tried to touch the imam in order to receive grace, and those who could not touch lay down on the ground so that the body of the imam was carried over them. He is buried in the sacred Bakia cemetery in Medina.

When the Imam's body was placed next to the grave, it rose, bent over the grave, and said: “O my grave! Be to me a consolation and a Garden of Eden, be not a hellish abyss to me! Seeing this, everyone fainted. He is buried next to the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Abas. Ahmadou Rifai, the great alim of those times, wrote with his own hand on the tombstone: “This grave belongs to a murshid close to Allah, who fought in the path of Allah for 25 years, an imam who followed the path of truth, a great alim, the ruler of the faithful, Sheikh Shamil-afandi from Dagestan . May Allah cleanse his soul and increase his good deeds.” Many who did not like the imam, seeing how he was exalted by the Russian tsar, the Turkish sultan, the sheriff of Mecca, and learning about the sacred place where the imam was buried, wept and made tavba.

In one of his letters to Hasan-afandi, Sayfulla-kadi writes: “Know, my brother, this is reliable, without doubts and assumptions. Truly, Dagestan is the only place on earth where the values of religion have remained, and where the source of the light of Islam has been preserved, and in other places only the name has remained.” He further writes that the reason for all this was the barakat of imams Gazimuhammad and Shamil.

May the Almighty make them the leaders and inhabitants of Paradise. O Allah, strengthen Dagestan on the foundations of faith and piety. May Allah not deprive us of the barakat of Imam Shamil and extend the life of our mouths. Amine.

Prepared Ansar Ramazanov

Imam Shamil is a well-known leader of the Caucasian highlanders, who was active in the second quarter of the 19th century. In 1834 he was officially recognized...

By Masterweb

11.04.2018 16:00

Imam Shamil is a well-known leader of the Caucasian highlanders, who was active in the second quarter of the 19th century. In 1834, he was officially recognized as the imam of the North Caucasian Imamat, which was considered a theocratic state. It was located on the territory of modern Chechnya and the western part of Dagestan. Counts national hero peoples of the North Caucasus.

Origin of Shamil

Imam Shamil is an Avarian by birth. His father was a blacksmith, and his mother was the daughter of an Avar bek. He was born in 1797 in the small village of Gimry on the territory of modern western Dagestan. They named him Ali after his grandfather.

At a young age, the future Imam Shamil was a very sickly child. Therefore, in order to protect him from adversity, his parents decided to give him another name - Shamil, which literally means "Heard by God." That was the name of his mother's brother.

Hero's childhood

It happened by chance or not, but having received a new name, Shamil soon recovered, began to amaze everyone around him with his health, strength and energy.

As a child, at the same time, he was a very lively and frisky child, often caught in pranks, but rarely any of them were aimed at harming someone. It was often said about Shamil that outwardly he was distinguished by a very gloomy appearance, strong will, unprecedented curiosity, lust for power and a very proud disposition.

He was a very athletic child, was fond of gymnastics, for example, few could catch up with him on the run. Many noted his strength and courage. Therefore, his hobbies for fencing, his passion for edged weapons, especially for checkers and daggers popular in the Caucasus, are understandable. As a teenager, he tempered his body so much that in any weather, even in winter, he appeared with an open chest and barefoot. This quote from Imam Shamil characterizes him well:

If you're afraid, don't speak, he said, don't be afraid.

His first mentor is his childhood friend Adil-Muhammad, who was born in the town of Gimry. For many years they were inseparable. By the age of 20, Shamil had completed courses in logic, grammar, Arabic, rhetoric, jurisprudence, and even higher philosophy. His education was the envy of many of his contemporaries.

Fascination with "holy war"

The sermons that Ghazi-Muhammad read, in the end, captivated the future Imam Shamil. He broke away from the books from which he drew knowledge, became interested in Muridism, which at that time began to spread rapidly. The name of this teaching comes from the word "murid", which in literal translation means "seeking the path to salvation." At the same time, Muridism differed little from classical Islam in rituals and teachings.

In 1832, Shamil took part in the Caucasian War, which was quite expected in connection with his hobbies. Together with Gazi-Muhammad, he ended up in the village of Gimry besieged by Russian troops. The operation was led by General Velyaminov. The hero of our article was seriously wounded, but still managed to break through the besiegers. At the same time, Gazi-Muhammad, who was the first to attack, leading the troops behind him, was killed. Imam Shamil's quotes are still reproduced by many of his fans and followers. For example, this, one of the first battles in his career, he described as follows:

Kazi-Magomed said to Shamil: “Here they will kill us all, and we will die without harming the infidels, it’s better to go out and die, making our way.” With these words, he pulled his hat over his eyes and rushed out of the door. As soon as he ran out of the tower, a soldier hit him in the back of the head with a stone. Kazi-Magomed fell and was immediately stabbed with bayonets. Shamil, seeing that two soldiers with aimed rifles were standing opposite the doors, in an instant jumped out of the doors and found himself behind them both. The soldiers immediately turned to him, but Shamil cut them down. The third soldier ran away from him, but he caught up and killed him. At this time, the fourth soldier stuck a bayonet in his chest, so that the end entered his back. Shamil grasping right hand the muzzle of a gun, chopped a soldier with his left hand (he was left-handed), pulled out a bayonet and, holding the wound, began to chop in both directions, but did not kill anyone, because the soldiers ran away from him, amazed by his courage, and were afraid to shoot, so as not to injure their own, surrounding Shamil.

The body of the murdered imam was transported to Tarki to avoid new disturbances (these are places in the area of modern Makhachkala). The territory was controlled by Russian troops. Shamil managed to meet with his sister, presumably because of this he was so excited that a fresh wound opened up. Some of those around him considered him near death, so they did not choose him as the new imam. His associate named Gamzat-bek Gotsatlinsky was appointed to this place.

Two years later, during the Caucasian War, the highlanders managed to win several significant victories. For example, Khunzakh was taken. But already in 1839 they suffered a heavy devastating defeat at Akhulgo. Shamil then left Dagestan, he was forced to urgently move to Chechnya, where he lived for some time in the village of Gush-Kort.

Congress of the Chechen people

In 1840, Shamil took part in the congress of the Chechen people. To do this, he arrives in Urus-Marta, where Isa Gendargenoevsky invites him. There is a preliminary congress of Chechen military leaders.

And the very next day, at the congress of the Chechen people, he was elected Imam of Chechnya and Dagestan. In a short biography of Imam Shamil, this fact is necessarily mentioned, being one of the key ones. The future hero of the Caucasian people becomes the third imam. His main task is to unite the highlanders, while continuing to fight against the Russian troops, who, as a rule, outnumber the Dagestanis and Chechens, and their weapons and uniforms are of better quality.

From the previous imam of Dagestan, Shamil differs in military talent, slowness and prudence, he shows organizational skills, as well as perseverance, endurance, and the ability to choose the moment to strike.

With his charisma, he managed to raise and inspire the highlanders to fight, at the same time forcing them to submit to his power, which extended to the internal affairs of almost all subject communities. The last moment was especially unusual for the Dagestanis and Chechens, it was perceived not simply, but Shamil coped with it.

Shamil's power

One of the main achievements in the biography of Imam Shamil is that he managed to unite under his rule almost all the societies of Western Dagestan and Chechnya. He relied on the teachings of Islam, which tells of a "holy war" against the infidels, who were called ghazawat. Here he also included demands to fight for independence, uniting the highlander communities scattered throughout the regions.

In the biography of Imam Shamil, it was repeatedly noted that in order to achieve his ultimate goal, he sought to abolish institutions and customs, many of which were based on centuries-old customs, called adat in those places.

Another merit of Imam Shamil, in the brief biography that is in this article, this is emphasized in particular, is the subordination of both public and private life of the highlanders to Sharia. That is, their use included Islamic prescriptions based on the sacred texts of the Koran, as well as Islamic prescriptions used in Muslim legal proceedings. The name of Shamil was directly associated among the highlanders with the "time of Sharia", and when he was gone, they began to say that there was a "fall of Sharia".

Highlanders management system

Talking about the biography of Imam Shamil, you need to focus on how he organized the management system. Everything was subordinated to him through the military administrative system, which was based on a country divided into districts. Moreover, each of them was directly controlled by the naib, who had the right to make key decisions.

For the administration of justice in each of the districts there was a qadi appointed by the mufti. At the same time, the naibs themselves were strictly forbidden to solve any cases according to Sharia, this was an agency exclusively subordinate to the qadi or mufti.

Every four naibs were united into murids. True, in the last decade of his reign, Shamil was forced to abandon such a system. The reason for this was the beginning of strife between the amirs of the jamaat and the naibs. The assistants of the naibs were often entrusted with the most important and responsible affairs, because it was they who were considered devoted to the "holy war" and very courageous people.

Them total number was not finally established, but at the same time, 120 of them necessarily obeyed the so-called centurion, were included in the honorary suffering of Shamil himself. Both day and night they were with him, accompanying him on all trips and at all meetings.

All officials without exception, they unquestioningly obeyed the imam, any disobedience or misconduct was fraught with severe reprimands. They could even end in arrests, demotions, and corporal punishment with whips. Only naibs and murids got rid of this.

In the administration built by Imam Shamil, in the biography of this hero of the Caucasian people, this is described, military service were required to carry all men capable of bearing arms. At the same time, they were divided into groups of up to 10 and 100 people. Accordingly, they were under the leadership of tenths and centurions, who, in turn, were directly subordinate to the naibs.

At the very end of his reign, Shamil somewhat changed the system of command and control of the army. Regiments appeared, numbering a thousand people. They were already divided into smaller units.

Artillery Shamil

Among Shamil's personal guards were Polish cavalrymen who had previously fought on the side of the Russian army. The highlanders had their own artillery, which, as a rule, was led by a Polish officer.

Some villages, which suffered more than others from the invasion and shelling of Russian troops, got rid of military service. This was the exception. In return, they were obliged to supply saltpeter, sulfur, salt and other necessary components for conducting successful military operations.

At the same time, the maximum number of Shamil's troops at some times reached 30,000 people. By 1842, the highlanders had permanent artillery, which was made up of abandoned or captured cannons that previously belonged to Russian troops. Due to this, during the Caucasian War, Imam Shamil began to achieve success and even a certain advantage.

In addition, some of the guns were produced at their own factory located in Vedeno. At least 50 guns were cast there. True, of these, no more than 25% turned out to be suitable. Gunpowder for the artillery of the highlanders was also produced in the territories controlled by Shamil. It was all the same Vedeno, as well as Gunib and Uktsukule.

The financial condition of the troops

The war of Imam Shamil was fought with varying success, largely due to interruptions in funding, it was inconsistent. Random incomes were formed from trophies, and permanent ones from the so-called zyakat. This is the collection of one tenth of the income from sheep, bread and money of all residents established by Sharia. There was also a kharaja. This is a tax that was collected from mountain pastures and from some especially remote villages. They once paid the same tax to the Mongol khans.

Basically, the treasury of the Imamate was replenished at the expense of the Chechen lands, which were very fertile. But there was also a system of raids, which also significantly replenished the budget. Of the trophies obtained, it was necessary to give one-fifth to Shamil.

Captivity

In the history of Imam Shamil, the turning point was the moment when he was captured by the Russian troops. He scored several major victories in the 1840s, but his movement declined in the next decade.

By that time, Russia had entered the Crimean War. Turkey and the Western anti-Russian coalition urged him to act jointly against Russia, hoping that he would be able to strike at the rear of the Russian army. However, Shamil did not want the imamat to join Ottoman Empire. Finally, during Crimean War he took a stand.

After the conclusion of the peace treaty in Paris, the Russian army concentrated its forces on the Caucasian War. The troops were led by Baryatinsky and Muravyov, who began to actively attack the imamate. In 1859, the residence of Shamil, located in Vedeno, was taken. And by the summer, the last pockets of resistance were almost completely crushed. Shamil himself was hiding in Gunib, but at the end of August he was overtaken there too, the leader of the highlanders was forced to surrender. True, the Caucasian war did not end there, continuing for about five more years.

Shamil was brought to Moscow, where he met with Empress Maria Alexandrovna and Alexander II. After that, he was assigned to live in Kaluga, where his family moved. In 1861, he again meets with the emperor, asks to let him go on a hajj, a Muslim pilgrimage, but receives a categorical refusal, as he lives under supervision.

As a result, in 1866, the leader of the highlanders, together with his sons, swore allegiance to Russia, and soon he was even invited to the wedding of Tsarevich Alexander. At this celebration, he saw the emperor for the third time in his life. In 1869, he was even made a special decree by a hereditary nobleman, Shamil's life in Russia finally settled down.

In 1868, when he was already 71 years old, the emperor, knowing about the poor state of health of the highlander, allowed him to live in Kyiv instead of Kaluga, where he immediately moved.

The next year, he finally received the coveted permission for the pilgrimage to Mecca, where he went with his family. First they arrived in Istanbul, and then went by ship through the Suez Canal. In November we reached Mecca. In 1870, he arrived in Medina, where Imam Shamil died a few days later. Years of life of the Caucasian highlander 1797 - 1871.

They buried him in a cemetery called al-Baqi, located in Medina itself.

Personal life

In total, Imam Shamil had five wives. The very first bore the name Patimat. She was the mother of three of his sons. These are Gazi-Muhammad, Jamaludin and Muhammad-Shapi. She died in 1845. Even earlier, Shamil's second wife, named Javgarat, died. This happened in 1839, when Russian troops tried to take Akhulgo by storm.

The third wife of the military leader was born in 1829 and was 32 years younger than her husband. She was the daughter of Sheikh Jamaluddin, who was a close associate of the Imam and his de facto mentor. She gave birth to the son of Muhammad-Kamil and two daughters named Bahu-Mesed and Najabat from the hero of our article. Despite such a difference in age, she died at the same year as her husband.

For 5 years, he was survived by his fourth wife Shuaynat, who was an Armenian, who from birth bore the name of Anna Ivanovna Ulukhanova. She was taken prisoner in Mozdok by one of Shamil's naibs. Six years after the capture, she married the leader of the highlanders, bore him 5 daughters and 2 sons. True, almost all of them died in infancy, only the girl Sapiyat lived to be 16 years old.

Finally, the fifth wife was Aminam. Their marriage was short-lived, and there were no children in it.

Kievyan street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255

The Caucasian peoples is Imam Shamil. The biography of this man allows us to conclude that his life was full of sharp turns and interesting events. He long years led the uprising of the mountain peoples against the Russian Empire, and is currently a symbol of freedom and rebellion in the Caucasus. The biography of Imam Shamil will be briefly outlined in this review.

Hero origin

Without a family history, the biography of Imam Shamil will not be fully understandable. Summary we will try to retell the history of the kind of this hero below.

Shamil came from a rather ancient and noble Avar or Kumyk noble family. The great-great-grandfather of the hero Kumyk-Amir-Khan enjoyed great authority and respect among his fellow tribesmen. Shamil's grandfather Ali and father Dengav-Magomed were uzdens, which is an analogue of the nobility in Russia, that is, they belonged to the upper class. In addition, Dengav-Magomed was a blacksmith, and this profession was considered very honorable among the highlanders.

Shamil's mother's name was Bahu-Mesedu. She was the daughter of the noble Avar Bek Pir-Budakh. That is, both paternal and maternal, he had noble ancestors. This is reported in the biography of famous person like Imam Shamil (biography). The nationality of the hero has not yet been fully clarified. It is only known for certain that he is a representative of the highlanders of Dagestan. It is precisely established that Avar blood flowed in his veins. But with some degree of probability, we can say that he was a Kumyk by his father.

Birth of Shamil

The biography of Imam Shamil, of course, begins with the date of his birth. This event happened in June 1797 in the villages of Gimry on the territory of Avaria. The locality now located in the western regions of the Republic of Dagestan.

Initially, the boy was named after his paternal grandfather, Ali. But soon he fell ill, and the baby, according to customs, in order to protect from evil spirits, changed his name to Shamil. It is a variant of the biblical name Samuel and translates as "heard by God." That was the name of his mother's brother.

Childhood and learning

As a child, Shamil was a rather thin and sickly boy. But in the end, he grew up to be a surprisingly healthy and strong young man.

Since childhood, the character of the future leader of the uprising began to emerge. He was an inquisitive, lively boy with a proud, adamant and power-hungry character. One of Shamil's features was unprecedented courage. He began to learn how to use weapons from early childhood.

Imam Shamil was very sensitive to religion. The biography of this person is inextricably linked with religiosity. Shamil's first teacher was his friend Adil-Muhammad. At the age of twelve, he began to study in Untsukul under the guidance of Jamaluddin Kazikumukhsky. Then he mastered grammar, rhetoric, logic, jurisprudence, Arabic, philosophy, which for the mountain tribes of the first half of XIX was considered very high level education.

Caucasian war

It is very closely connected with the life of our hero, and Shamil's biography mentions this more than once. Briefly describe this military conflict between the mountain peoples and Russian Empire worth it in this review.

The military conflict between the highlanders of the Caucasus and the Russian Empire began in the time of Catherine II, when Russian-Turkish war(1787-1791). Then the highlanders, led by Sheikh Mansur, sought to stop the advance and strengthening of Russia in the Caucasus, using the help of their co-religionists from the Ottoman Empire. But the Turks lost in this war, and was taken prisoner. After that, tsarist Russia continued to increase its presence in the Caucasus, oppressing the local population.

In fact, the resistance of the mountain tribes did not stop even after the conclusion of peace between the Russians and the Turks, but special power the confrontation reached after the appointment of General Alexei Yermolov as commander in the Caucasus and the end of the Russian-Persian war of 1804-1813. Yermolov tried once and for all to solve the problem of the resistance of the local population by force, which led in 1817 to a full-scale war that lasted almost 50 years.

Despite the rather cruel fighting, Russian troops acted quite successfully, putting under their control more and more territories in the Caucasus and subjugating new tribes. But in 1827, the emperor recalled General Yermolov, suspecting that he had connections with the Decembrists, and General I. Paskevich was sent in his place.

Emergence of the Imamate

Meanwhile, in the fight against the offensive of the Russian Empire, the consolidation of the Caucasian peoples began. One of the currents of Sunni Islam is spreading in the region - muridism, the central idea of which was ghazawat against the infidels.

One of the main preachers of the new doctrine was the theologian Gazi-Muhammad, who was from the same village as Shamil. At the end of 1828, at a meeting of the elders of the tribes of the Eastern Caucasus, Gazi-Muhammad was proclaimed imam. Thus, he became the de facto head of the newly formed state - the North Caucasian Imamat - and the leader of the uprising against the Russian Empire. Immediately after taking the title of Imam, Ghazi-Muhammad declared a holy war against Russia.

Now the Caucasian tribes were united into a single force, and their actions acquired a particular danger for the Russian troops, especially since Paskevich's military leadership gift was still inferior to Yermolov's talent. The war broke out with new force. From the very beginning, Shamil also took an active part in the conflict, becoming one of the leaders and assistants of Ghazi-Muhammad. They fought shoulder to shoulder in the battle for Gimry in 1832, for their native village. The rebels were besieged by the tsarist troops in the fortress, which fell on 18 October. During the attack, Imam Gazi-Mohammed was killed, and Shamil, despite being wounded, managed to break out of the encirclement, chopping up several Russian soldiers.

Gamzat-bek became the new imam. This choice was dictated by the fact that Shamil was seriously wounded at that time. But Gamzat-bek stayed as an imam for less than two years and died in a bloody struggle with one of the Avar tribes.

Imam election

Thus, Shamil became the main candidate for the role of the head of the North Caucasian state. He was elected at a meeting of elders at the end of 1834. And until the end of his life, he was referred to as Imam Shamil. A biography (short in our presentation, but very rich in fact) of his reign will be presented by us below.

It was the election of the imam that marked the beginning of the most important stage in the life of Shamil.

Fight with the Russian Empire

He put all his strength into making the fight against the Russian troops successful, Imam Shamil. His biography fully states that this goal has become almost the main one in his life.

In this struggle, Shamil showed considerable military and organizational talent, he knew how to instill confidence in the soldiers in victory, and did not make hasty decisions. The latter quality distinguished him from previous imams. It was these characteristics that allowed Shamil to successfully resist the Russians, who were numerically superior to his army.

Management of the imamate under Shamil

In addition, using Islam as an element of propaganda, Imam Shamil managed to unite the tribes of Chechnya and Dagestan. If, under his predecessors, the union of the tribes of the Caucasian peoples was rather loose, then with the coming to power of Shamil, he acquired all the features of statehood.

As a law, he introduced the Islamic Sharia instead of the ancient canons of the highlanders (adat).

The North Caucasian imamat was divided into districts, headed by naibs Imam Shamil. His biography is replete with similar examples of attempts to maximize the centralization of control. The judiciary in each district was in charge of the mufti, who appointed judges-kadi.

captivity

Imam Shamil ruled relatively successfully in the North Caucasus for twenty-five years. The biography, a brief excerpt from which will be placed below, indicates that 1859 was a turning point in his life.

After the end and conclusion, the actions of Russian troops in the Caucasus intensified. Against Shamil, the emperor threw experienced military leaders - generals Muravyov and Baryatinsky, who in April 1859 managed to capture the capital of the imamate. In June 1859, the last groups of rebels were suppressed or forced out of Chechnya.

National freedom movement broke out among the Adyghes, and also moved to Dagestan, where Shamil himself was. But already in August, his detachment was besieged by Russian troops. Since the forces were unequal, Shamil was forced to surrender, however, on very honorable terms.

In captivity

And what can tell us about the period when Imam Shamil was in captivity, a biography? short biography this person will not draw us a whole picture of his life, but will allow us to draw at least an approximate psychological picture this person.

Already in September 1859, the imam first met with Russian emperor Alexander II. It happened in Chuguev. Soon Shamil was transferred to Moscow, where he met with the famous General Yermolov. In September, the imam was taken to the capital of the Russian Empire, where he was introduced to the empress. As you can see, the court treated the leader of the uprising very loyally.

Soon Shamil and his family were assigned a permanent place of residence - the city of Kaluga. In 1861 there was a second meeting with the emperor. This time, Shamil asked to be released to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, but was refused.

Five years later, Shamil and his family took an oath of allegiance to the Russian Empire, thus accepting Russian citizenship. Three years later, according to the decree of the emperor, Shamil received a title of nobility with the right to pass it on by inheritance. A year before, the imam was allowed to change his place of residence and move to more favorable climatic conditions in Kyiv.

It is impossible to describe in this short review everything that Imam Shamil experienced in captivity. The biography briefly says that this captivity was, however, quite comfortable and honorable, at least from the point of view of the Russians.

Death

Finally, all in the same 1869, Shamil managed to ask the emperor's permission for the Hajj to Mecca. The journey there took over a year.

After Shamil brought his plan to life, and it happened in 1871, he decided to visit the second holy city for Muslims - Medina. There he died at the age of seventy-four. The imam was buried not in his native Caucasian land, but in Medina.

Imam Shamil: biography, family

The family occupied a significant place in the life of this person, however, like any Caucasian highlander. Let's learn more about the relatives and friends of the great fighter for the independence of his people.

According to Muslim customs, Shamil had the right to have three legal wives. He took advantage of this right.

The eldest of Shamil's sons was called Jamaluddin (born in 1829). In 1839 he was given as a hostage. He studied in St. Petersburg on a par with the children of family nobles. Later, Shamil managed to exchange his son for another captive, but Jamaluddin died at the age of 29 from tuberculosis.

One of the main assistants of the father was the second son - Gazi-Mohammed. During the reign of Shamil, he became the naib of one of the districts. He died in 1902 in the Ottoman Empire.

The third son - Said - died in infancy.

The younger sons - Muammad-shefi and Muhammad-Kamil - died in 1906 and in 1951, respectively.

Characteristics of Imam Shamil

We traced life path which Imam Shamil passed (biography, photos are presented in the article). As you could see, the appearance of this man betrays a real highlander, a native of the Caucasus. It can be seen that this is a bold and determined personality, ready for the sake of highest goal put a lot on the line. His contemporaries testified to the firmness of Shamil's character more than once.

For the mountain peoples of the Caucasus, Shamil will always remain a symbol of the struggle for independence. At the same time, some methods of the famous Imam do not always correspond to modern concepts on the rules of war and humanity.

early years

The boy was given the name Ali in honor of his grandfather. As a child, he was thin, weak and often ill. According to the popular belief of the highlanders, in such cases it was prescribed to rename the child. They decided to give him the name "Shamil" in honor of his uncle, his mother's brother. Little Shamil began to recover and subsequently became a strong, healthy young man, amazing everyone with his strength. In childhood, he was distinguished by liveliness of character and agility; he was playful, but not a single prank of him was directed to harm anyone. Gimry's old people said that Shamil in his youth was distinguished by a gloomy appearance, unbending will, curiosity, pride and power-hungry disposition. Shamil passionately loved gymnastics, he was unusually strong and courageous. No one could catch up with him, on the run. He also became addicted to fencing, a dagger and a saber did not leave his hands. In summer and winter, in all weathers, he walked with bare feet and with an open chest. Shamil's first teacher was his childhood friend Gazi-Muhammad (1795-1832) (Kazi-Magomed, Kazi-mullah), originally from Gimry. Teacher and student were inseparable. Shamil began to study seriously from the age of twelve in Untsukul, with his mentor Jamalutdin Kazi-Kumukhsky. At the age of twenty, he completed courses in grammar, logic, rhetoric, Arabic, and began courses in higher philosophy and jurisprudence.

War with the Russian Empire

The sermons of Gazi-Muhammad, the first imam and preacher of the "holy war" - tore Shamil from books. New Muslim teaching of Ghazi-Muhammad; "Muridism" spread rapidly. "Murid" means seeking the way to salvation. Muridism did not differ from classical Islam either in rites or in teaching and recognized the sultan as caliph and head of the faith. The Murids believed that Mohammed was raising prophets from among the peoples who were trying to keep the teachings of the Koran pure and that the faithful should obey them as chosen people. So chosen, the highlanders recognized Gazi-Muhammad, who was especially distinguished by his piety. Since the time when the teachings of the Murids penetrated into Chechnya from Dagestan, the war against the infidels has turned into a nationwide movement. In 1831, the Chechens, under the leadership of Ghazi-Muhammad, raised a general uprising.

Shamil also took an active part in the raids of Gazi-Muhammad against the khans of Avaria, who were loyal to the Russian government. Soon, firmness of character, diligence in the work of Ghazavat, indifference to all the blessings of the world, impeccable morality, honesty, settled in the highlanders high respect to Shamil and he became the right hand of Imam Gazi-Muhammad. Shamil was deeply devoted to the teacher and quickly carried out the orders of his imam. The beginning of the thirties was the most alarming in the Caucasus. Besieged together with Imam Gazi-Muhammad in 1832 by troops under the command of Baron Rosen in a tower near his native village of Gimry, Shamil managed, although terribly wounded, to break through the ranks of the besiegers, while Imam Gazi-Muhammad, who was the first to attack, died.

Contemporaries describe this heroic battle as follows:

« Kazi-Magomed said to Shamil: “Here they will kill us all and we will die without harming the infidels, it’s better to go out and die, making our way.” With these words, he pulled his hat over his eyes and rushed out of the door. As soon as he ran out of the tower, a soldier hit him in the back of the head with a stone. Kazi-Magomed fell and was immediately stabbed with bayonets. Shamil, seeing that two soldiers with aimed rifles were standing opposite the doors, in an instant jumped out of the doors and found himself behind them both. The soldiers immediately turned to him, but Shamil cut them down. The third soldier ran away from him, but he caught up and killed him. At this time, the fourth soldier thrust a bayonet into his chest, so that the end entered his back. Shamil, grabbing the muzzle of a gun with his right hand, chopped the soldier with his left (he was left-handed), pulled out the bayonet and, holding the wound, began to chop in both directions, but did not kill anyone, because the soldiers ran away from him, amazed by his courage, and were afraid to shoot, so that not to injure those who surrounded Shamil.»

Family

Imam Shamil (sitting) with his sons

After the death of his father, Shamil's mother married Dengau Mohammed. In this marriage, a daughter, Fatimat, was born, who was married first to Magoma, and later to Gimrinsky Khamulat, who was killed during the capture of the old Dargo in 1845. Fatimat died during the capture of the fortress of Akhulgo by Russian troops in 1839. She threw herself into the Koisu River, so as not to fall into the hands of the infidels, on the orders of Shamil, and drowned. From Fatimat there was a daughter, Mesedu, who was married twice to the Alm-Mohammeds; From her first husband she had a son, Gamzat-Bek, sent in 1838 by an amanat to Russia.

Shamil had five wives. One of them, Shuanet, was born Anna Ivanovna Ulukhanova, an Armenian by birth.

Ayman al-Zawahiri about Shamil

Memory

Memorial plaque in Kyiv

Shamilsky district - since 1994 the name of the Sovietsky district of Dagestan;
Shamilkala - since 1990 the name of the village of hydro-builders Svetogorsk in the Untsukulsky district;
collective farm named after Imam Shamil - collective farm with. Argvani Gumbetovsky district;
Imam Shamil Avenue - since 1997 the name of Kalinin Avenue in Makhachkala;
Imam Shamil Avenue - Avenue in Kizilyurt
Shamil street - street in the city of Izberbash
Tank column "Shamil" - operating as part of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War.
Shamil street - a street in Buynaksk
Sheikh Shamil street in the center of Baku (Azerbaijan)
bust of Imam Shamil in Zagatala (Azerbaijan)

Notes

Literature

// Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Shamil in the Caucasus and in Russia: Biographical sketch: (Reprint reproduction of the 1889 edition) / Comp. M. N. Chichagova .. - M .: Russian book, Polygraphic resources, 1995. - 208 p. - 10,000 copies. - ISBN 5-268-01176-6(in trans.)
Shapi Kaziev. Imam Shamil. ZhZL. M., Young Guard, 2010. ISBN: 5-235-02677-2
Shapi Kaziev. Ahulgo. A novel about the Caucasian War of the 19th century. Epoch, Makhachkala, 2008
O.-D. A. Private letter about the capture of Shamil dated September 2, 1859 // Russian archive, 1869. - Issue. 6. - Stb. 1045-1068.
Bushuev S.K. Highlanders struggle for independence under the leadership of Shamil. - L., 1939.