To the Issue of the Imam Shamil's Campaign to Kabarda in 1846 year

Abstract

The article analyzes the reasons, the course and the results of the march of the detachments led by Imam Shamil to the territory controlled by Kabardian princes Anorovs and naib Nur Ali to the vicinity of the Daryal canyon in April 1846. The social processes in the region launched in the Central Caucasus region in the 1820s by commander of the Separate Caucasian Corps A.P. Ermolov is also paid attention in addition to the military-tactical aspect. The social nature of the ruling groups in Kabarda (princes Anzorovs and other aristocratic families) and the leaders of the movement for jihad in Chechnya and Dagestan (Imam Shamil and most of his naibs) is considered. The author comes to the conclusion that both the class distinctions and the basic characteristics of the social structure of Kabarda on the one hand, and of Chechnya and Upland-Dagestan, on the other, caused insuperable subject contradictions. The armed confrontation of the mountain people with Russia played a key role in shaping the prerequisites for Imam Shamil's efforts to unite with the Kabardian rulers, and also extend his influence to the mountain communities of the ghalghai and kists that are close to the Chechens. This attempt to unite the mountain peoples united and firm hand of the imam under the banners of Islam was not successful. The lack of mass support for the movement headed by Shamil from the side of ordinary Kabardians and Vainakh societies Aki and Tsori put Shamil and his naib in front of the prospect of being surrounded by Russian troops. Only the skillful tactical decisions of the mountain commanders and the relative passivity of the Russian command saved Shamil from the catastrophe. All this is understood on the basis of a wide range of materials, including unpublished archival sources.