Gamzat-bek is the second imam in the North Caucasus. Imam Khamzat-bek (Caucasian War) How many wives did hamzat-bek have

At the first stage, the uprising was led by Gazi-Magomed, who was elected imam in 1830. Gazi-Magomed was born in 1793 in the village of Untsukul. Then he lived in Gimry. His childhood friend was his future ally Shamil. Gazi-Magomed studied with outstanding Dagestan scientists and soon gained fame himself. In February 1830, Gazi-Magomed, having collected 8 thousand. The army headed to the residence of the Avar khans - the village of Khunzakh. In 1828, the Khunzakh khans accepted Russian citizenship and represented real opposition to the rebels. The Khunzakhs managed to defend their village. Then military operations were transferred to the plane. A fortification was built in the Chumeskent tract. Supporters of Gazi-Magomed flocked here. The rebel troops were successful. They occupied the village of Paraul. On May 25, 1831, Gazi-Magomed besieged the Burnaya fortress. The arrival of Russian reinforcements forced him to retreat. Similar events were repeated during the siege of the Vnezapnaya fortress, which was also located on the river. Sulak. In August 1831, Gazi-Magomed went to Derbent, and in November 1831, having passed the Caucasian line, he besieged Kizlyar. The uprising grew. The troops of Gazi-Magomed headed for Vladikavkaz. A punitive expedition led by General Rosen was sent to Dagestan. On October 10, 1832, Rosen’s troops approached Gimry. The battle has begun. The rebels put up fierce resistance, but the forces were unequal. Imam Gazi - Magomed died defending his village. Here his associate Shamil was seriously wounded. It seemed that the uprising would end, as a temporary calm reigned in the mountains. But soon the struggle flared up with renewed vigor and found a new leader. He became Gazi's comrade-in-arms - Magomed, a native of the village of Gotsatl Gamzat-bek. He was born in 1789. He was of Chanka origin. He also studied with famous scientists. During the period of the liberation struggle under the leadership of Gazi-Magomed, Gamzat-bek showed great activity. After the death of the first imam, Gamzat-bek took his place. At the beginning of 1834, Gamzat Bek’s army numbered more than 20 thousand people. The number of Gamzat-bek's supporters increased more and more. In mountainous Dagestan, only the Khunzakh khans did not recognize his authority. In August 1834, 12 thousand troops of Gamzat-bek headed for Khunzakh. The residence of the Khunzakh khans was taken without a fight. Almost the entire khan's family was destroyed here. This meant that the uprising entered a new phase - the anti-feudal struggle. Throughout mountainous Dagestan, representatives of feudal clans were destroyed. In the village of Rugudzha, about 50 feudal lords from the Sultanaliev family were exterminated. The reprisal against the feudal lords increased the power of Gamzat-bek. At the same time, forces united against him, dissatisfied with the growth of his influence. As a result, a conspiracy was organized, headed by the foster brothers of the murdered Khunzakh khans Osman and Hadji Murad. Gamzat-bek chose Khunzakh as his residence. It was here that the fatal events took place. On May 15, 1834, Gamzat-bek was killed on the threshold of the Khunzakh mosque. One of the participants in the conspiracy, the future Naib of Shamil - Haji - Murad described these events as follows: “My brother, Osman, who stabbed Gamzat with a dagger, was killed by his nukers.” The imamship of Gamzat Beg did not last long, but under his leadership it expanded even more and acquired an anti-feudal character. The death of Gamzat-bek did not mean the end of the war.

In September 1834, Gazi's friend Magomed and Gamzat-bek's comrade-in-arms Shamil were elected as the new imam. Like the first imam, Shamil was a native of the village of Gimry. The date of his birth is considered to be 1798. His father was the Dengau-Magomed Uzden, his mother was the daughter of the wealthy Bahu-Mesedu Uzden. The boy was named Ali at birth, but due to constant illness according to the belief that exists in the mountains, his name was changed, calling him Shamil. The future imam, even in his youth, was distinguished by his strength, strong-willed qualities, and leadership abilities, which determined his future fate. He also showed great zeal in his studies, studying with famous Dagestan scientists. The first period of the uprising under his leadership, 1835 - 1839, was marked by the fact that military operations were carried out mainly in the territory of mountainous Dagestan. In the spring of 1837, Shamil’s troops defeated Russian troops near the villages of Ashilta and Teletl. The scale of the uprising expands and covers the societies of Gumbet, Andi, Salatau, Lezgin societies of the Samur Valley, etc. In 1839, the offensive against Shamil was carried out from two sides. The Samur expedition, led by General Golovin, suppressed the uprising in the Lezgin societies of the Samur Valley and in the Kubinsky district. The Chechen expedition, led by General Grabbe, passed through Northern Dagestan and headed to Shamil’s residence - the impregnable fortress of New Akhulgo, where his army was concentrated. On June 11, 1839, the siege of Akhulgo began, since General Grabbe did not dare to storm the fortress. Due to the numerical advantage of the Russian troops, Shamil entered into negotiations, providing his 8-year-old son Jamaletdin as an amanat (hostage). (The subsequent fate of Shamil’s son was difficult. Jamaletdin was brought up in Russia. In 1855, Shamil returned his son home. Having grown up far from his father and homeland, Jamaletdin did not find happiness in the mountains. On June 28, 1859, he died of consumption). Hostilities were soon resumed. The assault on Ahulgo ended on August 22. The siege lasted three months. The rebels suffered heavy losses. Among those killed were Shamil's wife and little son. Shamil himself was forced to go to Chechnya. Meanwhile, the royal command considered the uprising over. There was a temporary lull, which was marked by an increase in the tax burden.

In the early 40s. XIX century The uprising was marked by new successes. Chechnya joined it. In 1842, the rebels recaptured 12 fortresses. Successful expeditions were undertaken to Kazikumukh, Akusha, Akhty, Tabasaran. In 1843, Russian troops were forced to leave Nagorno-Dagestan. At the end of 1844, Count Vorontsov was appointed the new commander of the Russian troops. In St. Petersburg, a plan of action in the Caucasus was developed, which was supposed to end the uprising with one blow. An army of 40,000 was deployed to the Caucasus. Vorontsov's troops were sent against the then residence of Shamil - the village of Dargo in Chechnya, as a result of which this expedition received the name Dargin. By the beginning of the campaign against Dagestan, Vorontsov’s army consisted of 21 infantry battalions, 4 sapper companies, 3 rifle companies, 16 hundred Cossacks and police, 2 Georgian foot squads of 500 people each and 46 guns. As the commander's army advanced, it suffered significant losses. But final goal the campaign seemed to have been achieved. In 1845 Dargo was busy. But Shamil, using mountain warfare tactics, exhausted Vorontsov’s army and, ultimately, his exhausted and significantly thinned troops were forced to stop advancing. The government's plans to end the war with one large-scale campaign were dealt a crushing blow. During these events, Shamil's talent as a strategist and commander was best demonstrated. The failure of this expedition forced the tsarist command to radically change its war tactics. Instead of single large-scale expeditions, it was decided to act slowly, but firmly strengthening the conquered lands. Meanwhile, Shamil took further actions to spread the uprising throughout the Caucasus. In 1846, he made a raid into Kabarda, but he failed to raise this region to fight. In the same year he goes to Akusha. In 1847, Vorontsov’s troops tried to besiege the village of Gergebil, but failed. The military command begins to implement new tactics, clearing roads and advancing the system of fortresses deeper into Dagestan. Rebellious villages are destroyed. In 1847, Naib Shamil Kibit-Magoma was defeated at the Saltinsky Bridge. The campaign against Tabasaran by another naib, Hadji Murad, also ends unsuccessfully. In 1851, Shamil's troops suffered a number of military failures. In 1852, Russian troops successfully operated in Chechnya. After the end of the Crimean War and the signing of the Paris Agreement, the tsarist government was able to transfer additional troops to the Caucasus. In 1856, the Russian army in the Caucasus numbered 226 thousand soldiers and officers. They had about 226 guns at their disposal. In 1857 - 1858, Russian troops carried out a number of successful operations in Dagestan and Chechnya. In January 1858, an army led by General Evdokimov occupied the Argun Gorge, after which Greater and Lesser Chechnya withdrew from the uprising. Ichkeria remains with Shamil, along with the village of Vedeno. Since Vedeno still remains the capital of the Imamate, significant troops are sent here. In February 1859, the siege of Vedeno begins. But it was interrupted due to weather conditions. On March 17, the siege resumed, and on April 1, the village was taken. Shamil retreated to Dagestan. He looked for supporters, but their number was increasingly dwindling. However, Shamil did not lay down his arms. In the summer, the tsarist command launched a general offensive, the purpose of which was to end hostilities in Dagestan. The Russian army is advancing from three sides. The Chechen detachment, led by General Evdokimov, is advancing from Vedeno. The Dagestan detachment under the command of Baron Wrangel is coming from Salatavia. The Lezgin detachment of Prince Melikov is heading from Kakheti. General management is entrusted to Prince A. Baryatinsky. The village of Gunib becomes Shamil's last refuge. Here with him are about 400 supporters with their families. On August 10, the approaches to Gunib were surrounded by 40 thousand troops. On August 20, Baryatinsky began negotiations for peace, which were unsuccessful. On August 23, the assault on Gunib began. On August 25, 1859, Gunib was taken, and Shamil is captured. The largest uprising in the Caucasus ended. The reasons for his defeat were inequality of power, economic and moral exhaustion of Dagestan. The fact of the isolation of the top of the rebels and their separation from the general mass of the people also played a certain role. Gradually, Shamil's naibs accumulated wealth and were not much different from the feudal lords they fought against. All this happened against the background of the general impoverishment of the masses. After the news of the capture of Gunib, Emperor Alexander II wrote in his rescript dated September 11, 1859: “Glory to you, Lord! Honor and glory to you and all our Caucasian fellows.” The war in the Caucasus depleted the resources of both Russia and Dagestan. After his capture, Shamil was sent to live in Kaluga and became an “honorary prisoner” of Russia. Already living in Kaluga, Shamil repeatedly asked the sovereign to allow him to travel to holy places, to Mecca. But he was released there 10 years later on the eve of 1870. Considering Shamil's age and old wounds, the trip was not easy for him. His health was undermined and on the night of February 3-4, 1871, Shamil died in Medina. He was buried in the Jannat al Baqiya cemetery.

Gamzat-bek (Khamzat-bek) Gotsatlinsky(1789, Gotsatl, Dagestan - September 19, 1834, Khunzakh, Dagestan) - imam of Dagestan (1832-1834).

Early years

Origin

Gamzat-Bek was born in 1789 or 1801 in the Avar village of New Gotsatl, which lies 18 versts northeast of Khunzakh and contained at that time up to 300 households. He descended from the Avar Beks-Dzhanks (Dzhankachi are the bastard children of rulers, as well as those born from an unequal marriage).

His father, Aliskender-bek (GIaliskandi), son of Alikhan, son of Muhammad, who came from the “Nutsabi” clan, was respected in society “for his courage and management” and belonged to those successful military leaders who, while making campaigns, were popular in Avaria. More than once Aliskender Beg showed personal bravery and bravery in the repeated invasions of the mountaineers into Kakheti, recorded in folk legends. In his youth, he often gathered crowds of Avars, and going with them to Kakheti, he always returned with great booty. Umma-Khan, the then Khan of Avaria, consulted with him in many important matters and Aliskender-Bek provided him with full assistance in everything.

Education

In 1801, Gamzat-Bek was given to be raised by the mullah of the Andalal village of Chokh-Mahad-Effendiy. Gifted with good abilities, he made rapid progress in learning the Arabic language, which is held in great esteem by the mountaineers. In his free time from classes, he loved to shoot with a gun, and living opposite the mosque, he more than once damaged the moon sign placed on the minaret with a well-aimed bullet. After 12 years, Mahad-Effendi died without finishing the education of Gamzat-Bek, who, having a passionate desire to learn, went to Khunzakh, where he continued to take lessons from the main qadi, Nur-Mahomet.

In Khunzakh, the widow of the former Avar Khan Ali-Sultan-Akhmet, Khansha Pahu-Bike, in reward for the merits and devotion to their family of Aliskender-Bek, placed his son in her khan's house, treated him as a close relative and was always very kind to him. affectionate. At the end of his teaching, Gamzat-Bek returned to the village. New Gotsatl, where he got married. He was also naturally very intelligent, and his studies further developed his abilities. The main traits of his character were: extreme persistence in achieving goals, determination and cheerfulness.

Moving from mental pursuits to family life, Gamzat-Bek began to look for entertainment and found it in frequent feasts, during which he consumed excessively hot drinks, and finally became known as a person of drunken behavior. For several years, he actually thought about having fun, and although his uncle and his father-in-law, Iman-Ali, tried to turn him away from such a life, all admonitions and requests remained in vain, until 1829, when Kazi-Mulla attracted the attention of the mountaineers . Once talking with Gamzat-Bek about the actions of the first troublemaker, Iman-Ali told him: “You come from the Beks, your father was a brave man and did a lot of good to the Avars, and you not only do not want to follow his example, but also indulged in debauchery.” Look at the deeds of Kazi-Mulla, a simple mountaineer, and remember that you are more noble than him and have studied no less than him.”

On the side of the Imamat

Joining Kazi Mulla

First military actions

These words had a magical effect on Gamzat. He silently stood up, left the house, saddled his beloved horse and rode off to the village of Gimry. Kazi-Mulla received him with all Eastern greetings and proposed to act together in spreading the new teaching. Gamzat-Bek willingly agreed to the proposal and became the most zealous assistant of the first Imam. Together they won over Koisuba, Gumbet and Andiya to their side, and together they attacked Khunzakh.

Having suffered defeat at Khunzakh, Gamzat-Bek returned to New Gotsatl, where he disbanded the murids who were with him. However, he did not remain inactive for long. Soon, several people from the Jaro-Belokan region, hiding in the village of Koroda, of the Andalal society, arrived to him. Having announced that the Jarians had joined the correctional sect and their intention to rebel against the Russians, they asked him to come to them with his followers, promising to unquestioningly obey his orders. Not daring to fulfill their request without the advice of Kazi-Mulla, Gamzat-Bek went to him in the village of Gimry. with an offer to take charge of new accomplices. But Kazi-Mulla, either as a result of the defeat he suffered at Khunzakh, or not hoping for luck, refused Gamzat’s offer and allowed him to be their leader.

Having moved from mental pursuits to family life, Gamzat-Bek began to look for entertainment and found it in frequent feasts, during which he consumed excessively hot drinks, and finally became known as a person of drunken behavior. For several years, he actually thought about having fun, and although his uncle and his father-in-law, Iman-Ali, tried to turn him away from such a life, all admonitions and requests remained in vain, until 1829, when Kazi-Mulla attracted the attention of the mountaineers . Once talking with Gamzat-Bek about the actions of the first troublemaker, Iman-Ali told him: “You come from the Beks, your father was a brave man and did a lot of good to the Avars, and you not only do not want to follow his example, but also indulged in debauchery.” Look at the deeds of Kazi-Mulla, a simple mountaineer, and remember that you are more noble than him and have studied no less than him.”

On the side of the Imamat

Joining Kazi Mulla

First military actions

Returning from Gimra, Gamzat-Bek wrote an appeal to the Andalians, Khidatlins, Karakhs and Tleserukhs. Just as the faithful flock to the mosque for prayer at the call of the mullah, so the inhabitants of these societies gathered in crowds to the village of New Gotsatl, thirsting for booty and blood. For the first time, Gamzat-Bek saw himself as the ruler of such a huge crowd. Upon arrival to the Jarians, he took from them, as a pledge of fidelity, amanats, whom he sent to Andalal society, under the supervision of people devoted to him.

Arrest

In the first skirmishes with Russian troops, luck favored Gamzat-Bek and he constantly harassed them with attacks. Finally, the Jarians were defeated, conquered and forever deprived of their political independence and civil structure, and their lands formed the Dzharo-Belokan district. After this outcome, Gamzat-Bek could not do anything, especially since a harsh winter had already set in in the mountains. Deep snow not only made further actions difficult, but also made it impossible for its people, who were supposed to cross the main Caucasian ridge, to return to Dagestan. In these circumstances, he decided to personally enter into negotiations with the head of the detachment in the Dzharo-Belokan district, Lieutenant General Strekalov, but was captured.

The murids who remained in the Dzharo-Belokan mountains, having lost their leader, no longer dared to attack the Russians and soon went home. The arrest of Gamzat-Bek in Tiflis did not last long. As a result of the request of Major General Aslan-Khan Kazikumukhsky, he was released to his homeland; Aslan-Khan introduced his nephew Koikhosrov as a pledge of loyalty. Grateful to his deliverer, Gamzat-Bek went to him in the village of Kumukh, where, talking about various things, he started talking about the Accident. This conversation had enormous consequences.

Aslan Khan, soon after the death of the Avar Khan Sultan-Akhmet, asked the hand of his daughter, Sultanet, for his son, Mohammed Mirza Khan, and received consent to this from her mother, Hansha Pahu-Bike. Following this, Shamkhal Tarkovsky, Abu Muslim Khan, expressed his desire to marry the Sultanet. Comparing the two suitors, Hansha decided to change the promise she had already given to Aslan Khan and gave preference to Shamkhal, as the richer one, who, if necessary, could provide help.

New goals

Having no means at that time to avenge the insult, Aslan Khan suffered it, but could not forget, and the desire for revenge did not fade away in him. Touching upon Gamzat-Bek’s conversation about the Accident, he saw his avenger in this enterprising man. And therefore, skillfully telling a story about the wealth of the Avar khans and decorating the possession of the khan’s power with oriental flowers, Aslan Khan said to him: “Do you know why all your plans and Kazi-Mulla’s were destroyed during the storming of Khunzakh, and why all your further actions on the Avaria will they crumble like limestone falling from the top of a cliff? Hansha Pahu-Bike denigrates you before the people; her words are the same as the Koran for the faithful, and as long as there is life in this snake’s sting for you, you will spend a lot of work and time to implement the first assumption of Kazi-Mulla and erect a new building.” Gamzat-Bek stood up, took his saber out of its sheath and said the following words: “You see this saber, Khan! it has a double edge. “I’m going forward,” he cried, waving his saber towards the side where Khunzakh lies, “and I’m defending myself with it from behind.” These words made sense, that is: going to Khunzakh from New Gotsatl, which lies closer to our fortifications, he will at the same time protect his rear.

Although the insidious suggestions of Aslan Khan sank deeply into the soul of Gamzat-Bek, and further developed his ambitious plans, however, when parting, he announced that he had decided, first of all, at all costs, to destroy the fortress of New Zagatala, which was quite a hindrance to the raids to Kakheti and Georgia in general. This unexpected intention of Gamzat-Bek was very contrary to the wishes of Aslan-Khan, imbued with vengeance towards Khansha Pakhu-Bika; and therefore he tried to direct his thoughts towards the mastery of Khunzakh. But when all admonitions remained in vain, Aslan Khan allowed him to act at his own discretion, asking not to interfere with him in the war with the Russians and promising all kinds of benefits only if he directs all his forces to take over the Avar Khanate.

Meanwhile, during the absence of Gamzat-Bek from Dagestan, rumors about some of his successful actions in the Dzharo-Belokan region increased even more from the exaggerated stories of the mountaineers who were with him. He had only to wish - and there would be no shortage of accomplices: and when, upon returning to New Gotsatl, he announced his intention to destroy the fortress of New Zagatala, then at his first call, huge crowds of rebellious highlanders again gathered to him . Seeing himself as the ruler of a much larger crowd than the first time, the ambitious Gamzat-Bek again headed to the Dzharo-Belokan region. On the way, he was joined by the brave Dagestan robber Shikh-Shaban, with a significant party of daring comrades from his raids and robberies.

To deliver a decisive blow to the Novy-Zagatala fortress, Gamzat-Bek quietly moved forward, reinforced by arriving parties. Finally, in the first half of 1831, with his huge horde, he crossed the main Caucasian ridge, he was greeted with delight by the Jarians, who were in a hurry to join him. However, Gamzat-Bek did not take advantage of his position, but admiring the forces he had collected and waiting for the arrival of new parties, he postponed the attack on the fortress from day to day; and meanwhile, due to extreme heat, fever and fever began to develop in his crowd. Those who arrived replaced only those who left, without increasing the number of accomplices. This circumstance made him hesitate even more, because, not trusting too much in the courage of the mountaineers, he relied mainly on their numbers. Gamzat’s slowness and indecision made it possible for the Russian troops to arrive on time at the threatened point. The rumor of their approach stopped his actions for several more days, until he received correct information about our troops; and in a few days the illness, which became more and more rampant, apparently reduced the number of his crowd, so that soon more than half of the Jarians were forced to leave their ranks to care for the sick. The removal of the Jarts had a very unfavorable effect on the murids who came to them, and Gamzat-Bek, seeing the decline of moral strength in his accomplices and the constantly increasing mortality, decided to make a return movement to the mountains. When the Jartsy who were with him found out about this, fearing punishment from the Russians, they tried with all their might to restrain him; but without paying attention to their requests, he went to New Gotsatl, where he disbanded his gathering.

Death of Ghazi-Muhammad

The failure against the Novy-Zagatal fortress reduced popular rumor about the exploits of Gamzat-Bek and forced him to forever abandon the repetition of such an enterprise. Excited by speculation about the conquest of Khunzakh, he went at the end of 1831 to Kazi-Mulla, who at that time occupied a fortified camp on the Chumkeskente tract. Kazi-Mulla received him, as before, extremely kindly, and having approved the plan of action for capturing Khunzakh, he advised him to stay with him for some time in order to give a friendly and decisive rebuff to the Russians who intended to attack them; to which Gamzat-Bek was quick to agree. He had already been in Chumkeskent for several days, when one morning Kazi-Mulla announced that he had seen a wonderful dream, which he definitely wanted to find out from the book he had in Gimry; and therefore, going there, he entrusted him with leadership over the assembled murids.

During the absence of Kazi-Mulla, Chumkeskent was attacked by a detachment of Colonel Miklashevsky. After the assault on this tract, Gamzat-Bek and Shamil left for New Gotsatl. When Kazi-Mulla, expecting the approach of the Russians, called him for help, he, as a faithful companion, called upon his former comrades; but there was no answer to his call: no more than 1000 people gathered to him.

Despite the small number of reinforcements, Gamzat-Bek hurried with him to join Kazi-Mulla, and on October 16 he arrived in the village of Irganay, Koisubulin society. The next day he set out from there to Gimry, but was unable to reach due to the hordes of Russians on the way, getting stuck in battle with them. At midnight they informed him about the death of Kazi-Mulla. Gamzat did not believe this news at first; but when the sun reflected on the bayonets of the Russian invaders in the gardens of Gimry and in the village itself, he began to mourn the death of the leader of the Islamic liberation movement of the highlanders.

Imam Gamzat-bek

The first Imam campaigns

After Gamzat’s words, several contradictory voices were heard and a murmur was heard in the crowd of elders. Not allowing time for the hesitant conversation to merge into one whole, he made a sign with his hand for silence and said in an imperative tone: “Muslims! I see that faith has begun to weaken; but my duty, the duty of the Imam, forces me to lead you to the path from which you have turned aside. I demand obedience; otherwise, Gamzat will force you to obey him by force of arms.” The menacing movement of Gamzat-Bek, who was clutching the handle of his saber, and the approach of his followers, ready to do anything, confused those gathered. Not a single voice was raised to protest; on the contrary, a whisper of agreement was heard from the crowd. Then Gamzat-Bek left the mosque and, jumping on his horse, rushed out of the village, accompanied by devoted murids, who, horseback riding around, fired in honor of their favorite new Imam.

Upon arrival in New Gotsatl, Gamzat-Bek received a letter from Kazi-Mulla’s mother. Congratulating him on accepting the title of Imam, she informed him of the order of her son, who ordered, in the event of his death, to transfer to his successor the money stored in Chirkat, collected for military expenses, to support the spiritual war. This news made Gamzat extremely happy, and he did not hesitate to send reliable people to Chirkat.

Having cash, Gamzat-Bek also acquired new followers, who increased his wealth with stories, and at the same time the number of those who wanted to join the ranks of his accomplices. Followers of Muridism eagerly flocked to the call of the new Imam, and soon he again saw himself as the ruler of a large gathering. When the existence of this gathering became known to the Russians, Shamkhal Tarkovsky, Akhmet Khan Mehtulinsky and Akushinsky Kadiy were sent against it in 1833. Gamzat-Bek met them near the village of Gergebil and, having gained the upper hand over them, returned in triumph to New Gotsatl, from where he advanced against the Avar villages of Kakh and Kharakuli. However, the inhabitants, reinforced by the Khunzakhs, defended themselves very stubbornly and defeated the enemies.

Soon after the Kharukulin case, one of his nukers fled from Gamzat-Bek and hid in Golotl. Approaching this village with 40 people, he demanded the extradition of the fugitive. Refusal on the one hand was followed by threats on the other; finally the bullets whistled and Gamzat had to return without any success and with a shot in the neck to New Gotsatl. During the treatment of the wound, which lasted more than a month, his warlike spirit did not weaken, and his ambition created a new world of honors. The thought of taking control of Khunzakh did not leave him for a minute, and in order to more accurately achieve his goal, he proposed to first subjugate the societies surrounding Avaria to his power, and then invade this Khanate from all sides.

As a result of this plan, Gamzat, immediately upon recovery, sent out appeals to the Koisubulians, Gumbetians, Andians and Karakhians. The rebellious inhabitants of these societies, obedient to the voice of the Imam, gathered in significant numbers in New Gotsatl, from where he marched with them to Andalal, as the strongest and closest tribe to his place of residence. The villages of Koroda and Kulyada were the first to accept the new teaching without resistance and joined the crowds of murids. Their joining made it possible to continue what had been started with greater hope of success; and therefore, without wasting time, Gamzat-Bek moved into the middle of Andalal society. Camping on Mount Babeshtlya-Narakh, not far from Chokh, he wrote an appeal to the Andalans, from whom he demanded that they recognize him as the Imam and hand over the amanats as a sign of submission. Although the Andalali, being mainly engaged in trade, became less warlike, the appeal of Gamzat, who encroached on their independence, awakened in them the former warlike spirit. Rejecting his demand, they gathered on Mount Khakhilab-Tsigo, two miles from the enemy camp, where the battle was to decide their further fate. Insulted by the refusal, Gamzat-Bek quickly attacked those who dared to resist him, knocked them out of the rubble and drove them to the village of Rugzhab. The loss suffered by the Andalali brought such fear upon them that, no longer hoping for happiness, they submitted to the winner, gave the Amanates and their best weapons as pledges of loyalty, and joined his crowds.

Khamzat moved to the villages of Koroda, Khotoch, Hindakh and Chokh with admonitions addressed to their inhabitants. He encouraged them to accept the Sharia and other provisions of Islam, and in this they submitted to him. The Korodins, Khotots, Hindakhs and Chokhs thus became subjects of the imam. Then Khamzat went to the village of Rugudzha. The Rugudzhin residents, however, began to persist here and sang themselves too proudly. The fact is that the inhabitants of this village were rude people, prone to lawlessness and at the same time very strong. The Imam therefore began to fight with them and the Rugujins then tasted both bullets and blows of the sword. Their fortified monastery was taken, and about fifty people were killed from among the Rugudzhin rapist nobles and persons judging by adats.

The leader of the Rugujinians was a rude man named Sultanav, who managed to gain a foothold in his castle. Khamzat's people, however, cunningly forced this Sultanav to come out, and then, having put shackles on him, they sent him to the Gimry prison. They plundered the wealth of Sultanav. Subsequently, already during the reign of Shamil, this man was killed there; the book “The Shine of Dagestan Sabers” says: “The first thing Shamil started with was the murder of Sultanav Rugudzhinsky, who was then in Gimry prison. Khamzat, returning back, then went to cities such as Teletl, Batlukh, Karata, as well as to those who supported them. The inhabitants of these cities and the people who supported them, submitting to the imam, became among his subjects.”

The easily won victory over the Andals had very favorable consequences for Gamzat: it increased the number of his accomplices; increased his power, which could be strengthened in the mountains with only one weapon, and casting a shine on the flattering name of the Imam of Dagestan, encouraged him to continue, with more persistence, military actions, for the speedy implementation of ambitious plans. Upon the accession of the Andalals, he divided his forces into two parts: with one he himself went to the Khidatlins and Akhvakhs, and sent the other, under the leadership of his main murid, Shamil, to the Bagulals, Jamalals, Kalalals and Tehnusals. The inhabitants of the numerous societies, frightened by the actions of Gamzat in Andalal, did not dare to resist the troublemakers, who, passing unhindered through their lands, finally connected between the villages of Karata and Tokhita.

Having thus subjugated to his power all the societies surrounding the Avaria and increasing his crowd with those who had once again submitted, Gamzat-Bek saw himself as the leader of a huge crowd, which, according to some, stretched up to 20 thousand people. Such means gave him the opportunity to carry out the idea that had long ripened in him, sown by the revenge of Aslan Khan, about the conquest of Avaria and the appropriation of the power of the Avar khans. Presenting the peaceful relations of the Avars with the Russians as illegal and deserving of severe punishment, he invaded their lands with full hope of success. When he appeared, all the villages submitted, with the exception of a small number of residents who remained loyal to their rightful owner and left their homes to protect the village of Khunzakh - the seat of the khans.

Extermination of the Avar Khans

At the beginning of August 1834, of the entire Avaria, only Khunzakh did not recognize the authority of Gamzat-Bek; and therefore, approaching this village, he besieged it and sent devoted murids to Hansha Pakhu-Bika for negotiations. The proposals they made were that Hansha should accept a new teaching with her subjects, break off all relations with the Russians and force her sons to act against the infidels, following the example of her father and husband. Frightened by the enormous forces of her enemy and not expecting an ambulance, Pahu-Bike was in grave indecision. She lately repented of her reckless stubbornness, shown by her in 1832, when, despite the insistent demands of Baron Rosen, she did not dare to extradite Gamzat-Bek, considering him a relative of the Avar khans, and allowed him to live, after the death of Kazi-Mulla, in her possessions . She reproached herself with carelessness for not taking decisive measures back in 1833 against the disturber of public peace: which gave him the opportunity to act in 1834 with particular success, and to act against his rightful owners and their mother, who, several years ago, his treated him kindly and even placed him in his house, But since repentance and reproaches were no longer inappropriate, finally, as a result of a general meeting, the Khunzakh qadi, Nur-Magomet, was sent to Gamzat with the answer that Hansha accepted the new teaching and asked to send a knowledgeable confessor to her. Kazavat rejects the Russians and begs to leave her alone, promising, however, not to assist the infidels in the event of hostile enterprises against them on the part of the Imam.

It is important that Gamzat-Bek listened to the answer brought by his former mentor and teacher. He did not need Pahu-Bike to join the penal sect, but the possession of the Avar Khanate. To achieve this goal, he was ready to take all sorts of paths, albeit based on treachery. Remembering how four years ago, the Khunzakhs, inspired by the Hansha and led by the brave Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan, the son of Pahu-Bike, repelled the crowds of Kazi-Mulla, Gamzat-Bek, not hoping for the success of an open attack, decided to capture the young, brave leader, and having him in his power, he was confident in the fall of Khunzakh. In carrying out this insidious plan, he did not foresee any great difficulties, because the presence of a large crowd had already brought fear to a handful of brave Khunzakhs and Hansha herself, of which her proposal, which proved hesitation, convinced him. This hesitation, which served as an incentive for him to increase his demands, also served as a guarantee for their fulfillment. But in order not to directly reveal his species, he first wanted to take possession of the youngest son of Pahu-Bike; and therefore, sending the honorary residents she had sent to her, he ordered to say that he was ready to send a knowledgeable mullah to interpret Muridism, if only she would hand over her youngest son, Bulach Khan, to the amanate. At the same time, resorting to hypocrisy, he ordered to repeat again that if Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan accepts the title of Imam of Dagestan and decides to act against the Russians, as his father acted, then in this case he will serve under him, following the example of his father Aliskender -Bek, who served faithfully and faithfully Ali-Sultan-Ahmed-Khan.

The response delivered by the returning Khunzakhs was not comforting for the elderly Hansha. Forced by the need to agree to the demand of a strong enemy, and also in the hope of subduing him with the speedy fulfillment of his desires, she sent Bulach Khan to him the next day, with several honorary residents. Gamzat-Bek, having received him with great honors and volleys of gunfire, on the same day retreated two miles from Khunzakh, and then sent the young Khan to New Gotsatl, where he entrusted his father-in-law Iman-Ali with supervising him.

Having Bulach-Khan in his power, Gamzat-Bek no longer doubted the achievement of his proposed goal, because he owned a powerful means to force Pahu-Bike to fulfill all his desires. Based on this conviction, he immediately sent the murids to Khunzakh with the demand that Hansha send him her sons, Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan and Umma-Khan, for very important negotiations, on which the peace of the entire Avaria and the own benefits of their house depended ; in case of refusal, he threatened to entrust the administration of the Avar Khanate to the dzhanka Surkhai-Khan, cousin of Pakhu-Bika, a native of the village of Siukh.

Pahu-Bike, fearing for his life youngest son, had to submit to the will of Gamzat and, calling her eldest sons to her, announced to them a new demand from the enemy. To this, Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan remarked that it would be very unwise for both of them to go to the enemy camp, where Gamzat-Bek could detain them and thereby deprive Khunzakh of his defenders; and therefore he believes it is best to send one Umma Khan to him for a conference.

Hansha approved the opinion of her eldest son, and Umma Khan set off, with five honorary elders, accompanied by Osman, his foster brother and the Khunzakh qadi Nur-Magoma and several others similar persons, to the camp of the murids. Gamzat-Bek received him with the same honors as Bulach Khan, and then, having called his main accomplices, addressed Umma Khan with the following words: “I have not done any harm to your house and do not intend to do it, and I did not even have thoughts of taking away the khanate from you. All the rumors spread by my ill-wishers are completely false. My only request is that you do not seek my death. According to the duties I have accepted and according to my title, I will be engaged in the spread of Muridism. My father, Aliskender-Bek, served with great zeal to your father, Ali-Sultan-Ahmet-Khan. All my desires tend towards serving the current Khan, following the example of my father. I place all my troops at his disposal. Let him act with them together with you, at his own discretion; but I ask for one thing: to allow me to continue to live in your house. I will help you with my advice and experience if you need them, and I will never go to the Khan without permission.”

Young Umma Khan, surprised by Gamzat’s flattering and submissive speech, stood silent. Then the voice of one murid rose in the crowd and asked him: “Is it really possible that in all of Khunzakh there was no one smarter and more experienced than you to understand the words of the Imam and respond to them?” Seeing the embarrassment of his Khan, who again did not utter a single word, the Khunzakh foreman said that they had arrived not for a quarrel, but for a meeting with Gamzat-Bek, as a relative of the Avar Khans. After that, he wanted to speak for the young Khan, but Gamzat did not deign the faithful elder with attention, and took his guest to look at the solid shooting of his daredevils - the murids.

Meanwhile, Pahu-Bike, worried about the long absence of Umma Khan, asked her eldest son to go to Gamzat-Bek for personal explanations. Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan, understanding more than his enemy, refused to fulfill his mother’s request until his brother’s return. A few hours later, she urgently demanded that her desire be granted, based on the youth of Umma Khan, who would not be able to respond to the enemy’s proposals. Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan again refused a meeting with Gamzat-Bek, for the same reason. Then Hansha, as if heading towards her death, resorted to a means that accelerated the denouement of the drama. Attributing Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan’s reluctance to a sense of self-preservation, she told him: “Are you really proud to such an extent that you consider it humiliating for the Avar Khan to speak with Bek when danger threatens not only your brother, but your entire Khanate. Could cowardice be the reason for your refusal? “Do you want,” said Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan proudly, “to lose your last son? If you please, I’m going!” And he went to the enemy camp with 20 nukers.

As soon as Abu-Nutsal-Khan appeared in the camp of the murids, Gamzat-Bek, who did not expect such favorable circumstances, hurried to meet him and received him with slavish respect. Arriving at Imam Gamzat, Khan friendly greeted his enemy and, at his request, entered the tent, together with his brother Umma Khan, followed by several honorary residents of Khunzakh. They sat down in his tent. Treating his dear guests, Gamzat-Bek told Abu-Nutsal-Khan that the entire crowd he had collected was now at his disposal, that he himself was surrendering to his power, and that from that day on, if they did not refuse him room in the khan’s house, he will be engaged only in godly work - the spread of Muridism in Avaria. Abu Nutsal Khan, touched by such signs of respect, thanked Gamzat in the most sincere terms, promising him eternal friendship.

When Osman left the tent, one of Gamzat’s murids told Osman that they were not invited to a treat, but to commit murder against them and advised them to return home. - “Otherwise you will be killed!” he said. Osman began to think about how to save himself and his comrades, but he could not think of anything, so he mounted his horse and rushed home.

Soon after this, Gamzat-Bek left, and with him the murids who were with him. Although his criminal desire came true, and the two Khans, one of whom he feared, were in his power, ambition had not yet completely drowned out the concept of their inviolability in him and he was overcome by indecision. He immediately ordered the appointment of assassins and ordered a volley of guns to be fired at the Khan's nukers. When successful shots destroyed most of the loyal defenders, one of the Khunzakh residents, the devoted murid Gamzat-Bek, was the first to run up to the tent and inflict a fatal wound on Umma Khan with a shot from a gun. The young Khan, not suddenly feeling weakened, pulled out a dagger and rushed at the enemies; but upon leaving the tent, his strength left him and he fell dead. Meanwhile, Abu Nutsal Khan, who ran out after Umma Khan, fought longer with the killers. The first opponent he met was Gamzat’s brother, whom he threw to the ground. A similar fate befell Gamzat-Bek’s brother-in-law, who raised his hand at him, and one Jaro-Belokan murid, who shot him in the left shoulder. Khan's heroic defense deterred the assassins from engaging him in single combat; and therefore several murids attacked him and it is unknown which of them cut the left side of his face. Abu-Nutsal-Khan, grabbing the severed cheek with his hand, pulled out the sword and dealt more than one fatal blow with it. At this fateful moment, Khan's despair and courage reached an incredible degree: everyone he approached fled from him. Eyewitnesses say that Abu Nutsal Khan looked like a fierce lion who did not feel his suffering, and while chasing the fleeing people, he killed and wounded up to 20 people. Finally, exhausted and exhausted, he fell on the corpse of one of his enemies.

So, on August 13, 1834, Gamzat-Bek’s wish came true and the Avar khans were gone. Of the honorary residents and nukers who came with them, very few survived to bring to Khunza the sad news of the murder of the Khans, which plunged the Hanshu and the people into despondency. On the same day, Pahu-Bike and Hansha Khistaman-Bike, having lost their defenders and abandoned by the timid Khunzakhs, were transported, by the will of Gamzat, to the village of Genichutl, located 3 versts from Khunzakh; the wife of Abu-Nutsal-Khan, actually because of her pregnancy, was left in the khan’s house. Driving past the enemy camp, Hansha Pahu-Bike asked permission to talk with Gamzat-Bek. Replying that there was nothing in common between her and him, he then entered Khunzakh, and, stained with the blood of the legitimate khans, accepted their title and settled in their house.

Upon his establishment in Khunzakh, Gamzat-Bek’s first action was to arrest Surkhai-Khan of Siukh, Pahu-Bike’s cousin, a colonel in the Russian service, who had already ruled the Avar Khanate from 1821 to 1828. Surkhai Khan, although he was a janka, having a mother of simple origin, was still considered a cousin of the last Khan and could assume the khanate in the event of the death of his closest heirs. The rights of Surkhai Khan were not unknown to Gamzat-Bek; and therefore he hastened to capture his rival. His second concern was to take possession of all the property of the Avar Khans.

Having made the necessary orders for this, Gamzat-Bek demanded Hansha Pahu-Bike, along with her mother-in-law, to come to him. He placed the latter on the farm of the Avar khans, built in a gorge near Khunzakh, and ordered the first to be brought into the room. Killed by the loss of her sons and the Khanate, she entered with a firm step into the dwelling, which contained for a long time Khanov Avaria, and without embarrassment congratulated Gamzat on receiving a new rank. The kidnapper, grinning evilly, made a sign to the Gimrin murid standing behind Hanshi, and her head rolled to the feet of the killer.

Even those close to Gamzat-Bek did not like this act. Feeling the baseness of his action, contrary to customs, he apologized by saying that Hansha would probably ask for protection from the Russians, who would not refuse her help. The next day, the fate of Hanshi Pahu-Bike befell Surkhai-Khan. The fate of young Bulach Khan, then imprisoned in New Gotsatl, had not yet been decided, and it is unknown what Gamzat-Bek would have done with him. But he did not dare to take the life of Abu Nunzal Khan’s wife, Hanshu Gaibat-Bike, because by killing her, he would have killed an innocent creature along with her; and according to Muslim laws this is considered the greatest crime.

Tsudahara campaign

After the extermination of the Avar khans and Surkhai Khan, Gamzat-Bek could only strengthen his power in Avaria, and then begin to implement his further assumptions. He had the intention of not delaying action; but the death of his cousin, Chopan-Bek, who was sincerely loved by him and who died from a wound he received while killing the khans, forced him to change his intention and go to New Gotsatl for several days, both to attend the funeral rite and to console his father Chopan-Bek, that Iman-Ali who awakened the rebellious spirit in his soul, drowned in depravity.

During a short stay in New Gotsatl, Gamzat-Bek received two letters from Major General Aslan-Khan Gazi-Kumukhsky. The first, read before the people, was as follows: “I learned,” wrote Aslan-Khan, “that you killed my relatives and your rulers - Abu-Nutsal-Khan and Umma-Khan. Their death will fall upon you with the just wrath of God. The death of Hansha Pahu-Bike will fall with all the weight of my vengeance, and you will not find a place where you could hide from him.” The second letter, shown only to a few close associates and with which a gold watch was sent, contained the following words: “Thank you, Gamzat-Bek; you fulfilled your promise perfectly. God grant that in our age there would be more such fellows; That’s why I recognize you as my son. Now, first of all, you need to conquer the Tsudaharin society, and if necessary, I will secretly help you.”

Obedient to the advice of Aslan Khan, who, for unknown reasons, had a special anger towards the Tsudakharins, and also wishing to subordinate this people to his power, as they had not yet accepted the new teaching and the conquest of which was part of the general plan of his actions, Gamzat-Bek immediately gathered the murids from Khidatli and Andalal societies, up to 4 thousand people in total. Having crossed the Korodakh bridge with them, he suddenly attacked, at night, the nearest Tsudakharin villages: Salta and Khudahib. Frightened residents, unprepared for defense, had to submit to circumstances and allowed enemy crowds into their homes. From Salta he wrote to the Tsudakharin qadi and the elders of this society so that they would let him pass through their lands, declaring to them his intention to go to Derbent.

Having received Gamzat-Bek’s letter, the Tsudakharin qadi, Aslan, wanted to go to him; but his relatives restrained him and decided in council, with other elders, not to trust the man who had deceived the Avar khans and had already occupied two Tsudakharin villages with hostility, but to gather together and repel their enemy with common forces. As a result, all the Tsudakharins who could bear arms opposed the enemy, and the Akushins joined them to help. They met with Gamzat-Bek near the village of Tsudahara, on the Karaits tract, and, inspired by the desire to defend their independence, quickly attacked their opponents. Suppressed by their numbers and courage, the murids wavered and fled; their leader himself could barely escape, having suffered a head-on defeat. Having separated from his crowd, pursued by the Tsudakharins to the Salta bridge, Gamzat-Bek headed, with part of his followers, to New Gotsatl, from where, a few days later, he left for Khunzakh.

Unrest and conspiracies in Khunzakh

The failure suffered by Gamzat-Bek against the Tsudakharins did not cool his warlike spirit. Imbued with vengeance, he again began military preparations to attack Tsudahar, Akusha and the Mehtulin Khanate, and even thought about conquering Derbent, Cuba, Shamakhi and, in general, all of Dagestan. On this assumption, he ordered to prepare a large number of gunpowder and sent his main murids to all societies that recognized his power over them, demanding that their inhabitants, armed to the full, go to Khunzakh.

While the orders made to resume hostilities were being carried out, many of Gamzat-Bek’s associates, wanting to probably give his forced entry into the Khanate some kind of legality and thereby strengthen his power, advised him to marry the widow of Abu-Sultan-Nutsal-Khan, sister of Abu Muslim Khan. But Gamzat-Bek refused to satisfy the desire of his followers, saying that Hansha Gaibat-Bike could not be his wife, because of her pregnancy, and also because she belonged to a man cursed for apostasy, who smoked tobacco, drank wine and was in connection with Russian. Their intense requests not only did not bring them any benefit, but even more irritated Gamzat, who, as if in defiance of them, married the daughter of a Khunzakh janki. As proof of his devotion to faith and conviction that he considered the habit of Abu-Nutsal-Khan a great sin, he gave a strict order that no one should dare smoke tobacco or drink hot drinks. In addition, in order to distinguish the followers of the new teaching from those who persisted in joining Muridism, he ordered each murid to trim his mustache, along with his upper lip. Those who violated this order were threatened with being thrown into a pit and punished on their heels with 40 blows with a stick.

The Khunzakh people had many reasons to be dissatisfied with Gamzat-Bek and his followers, and this insignificant circumstance, intensifying their indignation even more, served as the final reason for drawing up a conspiracy against the kidnapper of the Avar Khanate. Those in the workshop began to grumble about the behavior of the murids, from whom they had no peace, and one of them, turning to Osman and Hadji Murad, said: “Sultan Ahmed Khan, our late ruler, was great person. He gave his son Umma Khan to your father to be raised and thereby made you equal to his family; and meanwhile you allowed to kill not only Abu Nutsal Khan, but also your foster brother, Umma Khan. It is not surprising after this that we will all pay with our heads if Gamzat decides to show his power by amusing ourselves with our lives. Let's kill Gamzat! There are few murids with him now.” These words resonated in the hearts of the bitter listeners. They silently shook hands and agreed to meet again in the same workshop in the evening.

At the appointed hour, the conspirators secretly made their way to the meeting, bringing with them up to 18 more reliable relatives. At this meeting, the plot was to be carried out at the first opportunity, and each of those present swore on the Koran to keep it in deep secrecy.

Despite the precautions taken by the conspirators, one of the murids managed to find out about the attempt on the life of Gamzat-Bek and immediately informed him about what was happening in the workshop, confirming the justice of his words with an oath. However, the information delivered about the threatening danger did not frighten the kidnapper of the Avar Khanate, who was overly confident in his fate. After listening to the murid, he asked him calmly: “Can you stop the Angels when they come for my soul? If you can't, then go home and leave me alone. What is determined by God cannot be avoided, and if tomorrow is appointed for me to die, then tomorrow will be the day of my death.”

Death of Gamzat-Bek

Gamzat-Bek was in such blind confidence in his happiness that after the murid left, he began to mock the absurdity of the denunciation; and when Maklach brought precious things into his room and began to supply the other rooms with everything necessary in case of a siege of the Khan's house by the Khunzakhs, looking for a long time with an ironic smile at the precautions being taken, he finally ordered to postpone preparations until the onset of real danger.

September 19, Friday, was big celebration all Muslims, and Gamzat-Bek, as the head of the clergy in Dagestan, had the intention of going to the mosque. But as soon as morning came, Murid again appeared to him, reporting on the conspiracy, and again confirming with an oath the justice of his words, he added that he would certainly be killed that day during prayer in the temple, and that the first instigator of the conspiracy was Osmanilyazul Gadzhiev, Osman’s grandfather and Hadji Murad.

The informer's assurances shook Gamzat-Bek somewhat; and therefore he demanded Gadzhiev to come to him. A cunning old man approached him with a completely calm face, and while Gamzat looked at him intently, probably trying to confuse him, he began to earnestly ask for help with the means to study his son Arabic language. Disarmed by Gadzhiev’s serene appearance, Gamzat promised to fulfill his request, and again trusted his happiness. Not allowing the thought that his fate had already been decided and the minutes of his life were counted, he decided to definitely be in the mosque, giving only the order that none of the residents of Khunzakh should dare enter there in a burqa, so that they could see the armed ones and take away their weapons.

At noon, September 19, the Mullah's voice was heard, and crowds of Muslims began to converge on the mosque. Armed with three pistols and preceded by 12 murids, with drawn swords, Gamzat-Bek entered the temple of the prophet, accompanied by his entourage. He was about to begin prayer when, noticing several people in burkas, he stopped in the middle of the mosque. Then Osman, Haji Murad’s brother, loudly said to the crowd: “Why don’t you get up when the great Imam came to pray with you?” The words of the grandson of the first conspirator did not bode well; and therefore Gamzat-Bek began to retreat to the doors of the temple; but at that time Osman fired a pistol and inflicted a serious wound on him. Following this signal, shots quickly followed, and the killer of the Avar khans fell dead on the carpets of the mosque, riddled with several bullets.

Those close to Gamzat-Bek wanted to avenge the death of their master, but only managed to kill Osman, and, attacked in turn by the emboldened Khunzakhs, suffered great damage and fled. Having freed themselves from their oppressors - the murids, the Khunzakhs immediately brought the elderly Khansha Khistaman-Bike into the khan's house. She, out of compassion, ordered to bury, on the fourth day, the naked body of Gamzat-Bek, which was lying near the mosque.

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Notes

Literature

// Military Encyclopedia: [in 18 volumes] / ed. V. F. Novitsky [and others]. - St. Petersburg. ; [M.]: Type. t-va I.V. Sytin, 1911-1915.
Shapi Kaziev, ZhZL. M., Young Guard, 2010. ISBN 5-235-02677-2

Excerpt characterizing Gamzat-bek

“After all, he knows what this loss means to me. He can't want my death, can he? After all, he was my friend. After all, I loved him... But it’s not his fault either; What should he do when he is lucky? And it’s not my fault, he told himself. I didn't do anything wrong. Have I killed anyone, insulted anyone, or wished harm? Why such a terrible misfortune? And when did it start? Just recently I approached this table with the thought of winning a hundred rubles, buying this box for my mother’s name day and going home. I was so happy, so free, cheerful! And I didn’t understand then how happy I was! When did this end, and when did this new, terrible state begin? What marked this change? I still sat in this place, at this table, and still chose and pushed out cards, and looked at these big-boned, dexterous hands. When did this happen, and what happened? I am healthy, strong and still the same, and still in the same place. No, it can't be! It’s true that all this will not end in anything.”
He was red and covered in sweat, despite the fact that the room was not hot. And his face was scary and pitiful, especially due to his powerless desire to appear calm.
The record reached the fateful number of forty-three thousand. Rostov prepared a card, which was supposed to be an angle from the three thousand rubles that had just been given to him, when Dolokhov, knocking the deck, put it aside and, taking the chalk, quickly began, in his clear, strong handwriting, breaking the chalk, to summarize Rostov’s note.
- Dinner, time for dinner! Here come the gypsies! - Indeed, with their gypsy accent, some black men and women were already coming in from the cold and saying something. Nikolai understood that it was all over; but he said in an indifferent voice:
- Well, you won’t do it yet? And I have a nice card prepared. “It was as if he was most interested in the fun of the game itself.”
“It’s over, I’m lost! he thought. Now there’s a bullet in the forehead - only one thing remains,” and at the same time he said in a cheerful voice:
- Well, one more card.
“Okay,” answered Dolokhov, having finished the summary, “good!” “It’s 21 rubles,” he said, pointing to the number 21, which equaled exactly 43 thousand, and taking the deck, he prepared to throw. Rostov obediently turned the corner and instead of the prepared 6,000, he carefully wrote 21.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said, “I’m only interested in knowing whether you’ll kill or give me this ten.”
Dolokhov began throwing seriously. Oh, how Rostov at that moment hated these hands, reddish with short fingers and with hair visible from under his shirt, which had him in their power... Ten was given.
“You have 43 thousand behind you, Count,” said Dolokhov and stood up from the table, stretching. “But you get tired of sitting for so long,” he said.
“Yes, I’m tired too,” said Rostov.
Dolokhov, as if reminding him that it was indecent for him to joke, interrupted him: When will you order the money, Count?
Rostov flushed and called Dolokhov into another room.
“I can’t suddenly pay everything, you’ll take the bill,” he said.
“Listen, Rostov,” said Dolokhov, smiling clearly and looking into Nikolai’s eyes, “you know the saying: “Happy in love, unhappy in cards.” Your cousin is in love with you. I know.
"ABOUT! it’s terrible to feel so in the power of this man,” thought Rostov. Rostov understood what blow he would deal to his father and mother by announcing this loss; he understood what happiness it would be to get rid of all this, and he understood that Dolokhov knew that he could save him from this shame and grief, and now he still wanted to play with him, like a cat with a mouse.
“Your cousin...” Dolokhov wanted to say; but Nikolai interrupted him.
“My cousin has nothing to do with it, and there is nothing to talk about her!” - he shouted furiously.
- So when can I get it? – asked Dolokhov.
“Tomorrow,” said Rostov, and left the room.

It was not difficult to say “tomorrow” and maintain a tone of decency; but to come home alone, to see your sisters, brother, mother, father, to confess and ask for money to which you have no right after your word of honor was given.
We weren't sleeping at home yet. The youth of the Rostov house, having returned from the theater, having had dinner, sat at the clavichord. As soon as Nikolai entered the hall, he was overwhelmed by that loving, poetic atmosphere that reigned in their house that winter and which now, after Dolokhov’s proposal and Iogel’s ball, seemed to thicken even more, like the air before a thunderstorm, over Sonya and Natasha. Sonya and Natasha, in the blue dresses they wore at the theater, pretty and knowing it, happy, smiling, stood at the clavichord. Vera and Shinshin were playing chess in the living room. The old countess, waiting for her son and husband, was playing solitaire with an old noblewoman who lived in their house. Denisov, with shining eyes and tousled hair, sat with his leg thrown back at the clavichord, clapping them with his short fingers, striking chords, and rolling his eyes, in his small, hoarse, but faithful voice, sang the poem he had composed, “The Sorceress,” to which he was trying to find music.
Sorceress, tell me what power
Draws me to abandoned strings;
What fire have you planted in your heart,
What delight flowed through my fingers!
He sang in a passionate voice, shining at the frightened and happy Natasha with his agate, black eyes.
- Wonderful! Great! – Natasha shouted. “Another verse,” she said, not noticing Nikolai.
“They have everything the same,” thought Nikolai, looking into the living room, where he saw Vera and his mother with the old woman.
- A! Here comes Nikolenka! – Natasha ran up to him.
- Is daddy at home? - he asked.
– I’m so glad you came! – Natasha said without answering, “we’re having so much fun.” Vasily Dmitrich remains for me one more day, you know?
“No, dad hasn’t come yet,” said Sonya.
- Coco, you have arrived, come to me, my friend! - said the countess's voice from the living room. Nikolai approached his mother, kissed her hand and, silently sitting down at her table, began to look at her hands, laying out the cards. Laughter and cheerful voices were still heard from the hall, persuading Natasha.
“Well, okay, okay,” Denisov shouted, “now there’s no point in making excuses, barcarolla is behind you, I beg you.”
The Countess looked back at her silent son.
- What happened to you? – Nikolai’s mother asked.
“Oh, nothing,” he said, as if he was already tired of this same question.
- Will daddy arrive soon?
- I think.
“Everything is the same for them. They don't know anything! Where should I go?” thought Nikolai and went back to the hall where the clavichord stood.
Sonya sat at the clavichord and played the prelude of the barcarolle that Denisov especially loved. Natasha was going to sing. Denisov looked at her with delighted eyes.
Nikolai began to walk back and forth around the room.
“And now you want to make her sing? – what can she sing? And there’s nothing fun here,” thought Nikolai.
Sonya struck the first chord of the prelude.
“My God, I am lost, I am a dishonest person. A bullet in the forehead, the only thing left to do is not sing, he thought. Leave? but where? anyway, let them sing!”
Nikolai gloomily, continuing to walk around the room, glanced at Denisov and the girls, avoiding their gaze.
“Nikolenka, what’s wrong with you?” – asked Sonya’s gaze fixed on him. She immediately saw that something had happened to him.
Nikolai turned away from her. Natasha, with her sensitivity, also instantly noticed her brother’s condition. She noticed him, but she herself was so happy at that moment, she was so far from grief, sadness, reproaches, that she (as often happens with young people) deliberately deceived herself. No, I’m having too much fun now to spoil my fun by sympathizing with someone else’s grief, she felt, and said to herself:
“No, I’m rightly mistaken, he should be as cheerful as I am.” Well, Sonya,” she said and went out to the very middle of the hall, where, in her opinion, the resonance was best. Raising her head, lowering her lifelessly hanging hands, as dancers do, Natasha, energetically shifting from heel to tiptoe, walked through the middle of the room and stopped.
"Here I am!" as if she was speaking in response to the enthusiastic gaze of Denisov, who was watching her.
“And why is she happy! - Nikolai thought, looking at his sister. And how isn’t she bored and ashamed!” Natasha hit the first note, her throat expanded, her chest straightened, her eyes took on a serious expression. She was not thinking about anyone or anything at that moment, and sounds flowed from her folded mouth into a smile, those sounds that anyone can make at the same intervals and at the same intervals, but which a thousand times leave you cold, in the thousand and first times they make you shudder and cry.
This winter Natasha began to sing seriously for the first time, especially because Denisov admired her singing. She no longer sang like a child, there was no longer in her singing that comic, childish diligence that was in her before; but she still did not sing well, as all the expert judges who listened to her said. “Not processed, but a wonderful voice, it needs to be processed,” everyone said. But they usually said this long after her voice had fallen silent. At the same time, when this raw voice sounded with irregular aspirations and with efforts of transitions, even the expert judges did not say anything, and only enjoyed this raw voice and only wanted to hear it again. In her voice there was that virginal pristineness, that ignorance of her own strengths and that still unprocessed velvet, which were so combined with the shortcomings of the art of singing that it seemed impossible to change anything in this voice without spoiling it.
“What is this? - Nikolai thought, hearing her voice and opening his eyes wide. -What happened to her? How does she sing these days? - he thought. And suddenly the whole world focused for him, waiting for the next note, the next phrase, and everything in the world became divided into three tempos: “Oh mio crudele affetto... [Oh my cruel love...] One, two, three... one, two... three... one... Oh mio crudele affetto... One, two, three... one. Eh, our life is stupid! - Nikolai thought. All this, and misfortune, and money, and Dolokhov, and anger, and honor - all this is nonsense... but here it is real... Hey, Natasha, well, my dear! Well, mother!... how will she take this si? I took it! God bless!" - and he, without noticing that he was singing, in order to strengthen this si, took the second to the third of a high note. "My God! how good! Did I really take it? how happy!” he thought.
ABOUT! how this third trembled, and how something better that was in Rostov’s soul was touched. And this was something independent of everything in the world, and above everything in the world. What kind of losses are there, and the Dolokhovs, and honestly!... It’s all nonsense! You can kill, steal and still be happy...

Rostov has not experienced such pleasure from music for a long time as on this day. But as soon as Natasha finished her barcarolle, reality came back to him again. He left without saying anything and went downstairs to his room. A quarter of an hour later the old count, cheerful and satisfied, arrived from the club. Nikolai, hearing his arrival, went to him.
- Well, did you have fun? - said Ilya Andreich, smiling joyfully and proudly at his son. Nikolai wanted to say “yes,” but he couldn’t: he almost burst into tears. The Count was lighting his pipe and did not notice his son’s condition.
“Oh, inevitably!” - Nikolai thought for the first and last time. And suddenly, in the most casual tone, such that he seemed disgusted to himself, as if he was asking the carriage to go to the city, he told his father.
- Dad, I came to you for business. I forgot about it. I need money.
“That’s it,” said the father, who was in a particularly cheerful spirit. - I told you that it won’t be enough. Is it a lot?
“A lot,” Nikolai said, blushing and with a stupid, careless smile, which for a long time later he could not forgive himself. – I lost a little, that is, a lot, even a lot, 43 thousand.
- What? Who?... You're kidding! - shouted the count, suddenly turning apoplectic red in the neck and back of his head, like old people blush.
“I promised to pay tomorrow,” said Nikolai.
“Well!...” said the old count, spreading his arms and sank helplessly onto the sofa.
- What to do! Who hasn't this happened to? - said the son in a cheeky, bold tone, while in his soul he considered himself a scoundrel, a scoundrel who could not atone for his crime with his whole life. He would have liked to kiss his father's hands, on his knees to ask for his forgiveness, but he said in a careless and even rude tone that this happens to everyone.
Count Ilya Andreich lowered his eyes when he heard these words from his son and hurried, looking for something.
“Yes, yes,” he said, “it’s difficult, I’m afraid, it’s difficult to get... never happened to anyone!” yes, who hasn’t happened to... - And the count glanced briefly into his son’s face and walked out of the room... Nikolai was preparing to fight back, but he never expected this.
- Daddy! pa... hemp! - he shouted after him, sobbing; excuse me! “And, grabbing his father’s hand, he pressed his lips to it and began to cry.

While the father was explaining to his son, an equally important explanation was taking place between the mother and daughter. Natasha ran to her mother excitedly.
- Mom!... Mom!... he did it to me...
- What did you do?
- I did, I proposed. Mother! Mother! - she shouted. The Countess could not believe her ears. Denisov proposed. To whom? This tiny girl Natasha, who had recently been playing with dolls and was now taking lessons.
- Natasha, that’s complete nonsense! – she said, still hoping that it was a joke.
- Well, that's nonsense! “I’m telling you the truth,” Natasha said angrily. – I came to ask what to do, and you tell me: “nonsense”...
The Countess shrugged.
“If it’s true that Monsieur Denisov proposed to you, then tell him that he’s a fool, that’s all.”
“No, he’s not a fool,” Natasha said offendedly and seriously.
- Well, what do you want? You are all in love these days. Well, you’re in love, so marry him! – the countess said, laughing angrily. - With God blessing!
- No, mom, I’m not in love with him, I must not be in love with him.
- Well, tell him so.
- Mom, are you angry? You’re not angry, my dear, what’s my fault?
- No, what about it, my friend? If you want, I’ll go and tell him,” said the countess, smiling.
- No, I’ll do it myself, just teach me. Everything is easy for you,” she added, responding to her smile. - If only you could see how he told me this! After all, I know that he didn’t mean to say this, but he said it by accident.
- Well, you still have to refuse.
- No, don't. I feel so sorry for him! He is so cute.
- Well, then accept the offer. “And then it’s time to get married,” the mother said angrily and mockingly.
- No, mom, I feel so sorry for him. I don't know how I'll say it.
“You don’t have anything to say, I’ll say it myself,” said the countess, indignant that they dared to look at this little Natasha as if she were big.
“No, no way, I myself, and you listen at the door,” and Natasha ran through the living room into the hall, where Denisov was sitting on the same chair, by the clavichord, covering his face with his hands. He jumped up at the sound of her light steps.
“Natalie,” he said, approaching her with quick steps, “decide my fate.” It's in your hands!
- Vasily Dmitrich, I feel so sorry for you!... No, but you are so nice... but don’t... this... otherwise I will always love you.
Denisov bent over her hand, and she heard strange sounds, incomprehensible to her. She kissed his black, matted, curly head. At this time, the hasty noise of the countess's dress was heard. She approached them.
“Vasily Dmitrich, I thank you for the honor,” said the countess in an embarrassed voice, but which seemed stern to Denisov, “but my daughter is so young, and I thought that you, as a friend of my son, would turn to me first.” In that case, you wouldn’t put me in the position of having to refuse.
“Athena,” Denisov said with downcast eyes and a guilty look, he wanted to say something else and faltered.
Natasha could not calmly see him so pitiful. She began to sob loudly.
“Countess, I am guilty before you,” Denisov continued in a broken voice, “but know that I adore your daughter and your entire family so much that I would give two lives...” He looked at the countess and, noticing her stern face... “Well, goodbye, Athena,” he said, kissed her hand and, without looking at Natasha, walked out of the room with quick, decisive steps.

The next day, Rostov saw off Denisov, who did not want to stay in Moscow for another day. Denisov was seen off at the gypsies by all his Moscow friends, and he did not remember how they put him in the sleigh and how they took him to the first three stations.
After Denisov’s departure, Rostov, waiting for the money that the old count could not suddenly collect, spent another two weeks in Moscow, without leaving the house, and mainly in the young ladies’ room.
Sonya was more tender and devoted to him than before. She seemed to want to show him that his loss was a feat for which she now loves him even more; but Nikolai now considered himself unworthy of her.
He filled the girls' albums with poems and notes, and without saying goodbye to any of his acquaintances, finally sending all 43 thousand and receiving Dolokhov's signature, he left at the end of November to catch up with the regiment, which was already in Poland.

After his explanation with his wife, Pierre went to St. Petersburg. In Torzhok there were no horses at the station, or the caretaker did not want them. Pierre had to wait. Without undressing, he lay down on a leather sofa in front of a round table, put his big feet in warm boots on this table and thought.
– Will you order the suitcases to be brought in? Make the bed, would you like some tea? – asked the valet.
Pierre did not answer because he did not hear or see anything. He began to think at the last station and continued to think about the same thing - about something so important that he did not pay any attention to what was happening around him. Not only was he not interested in the fact that he would arrive in St. Petersburg later or earlier, or whether he would or would not have a place to rest at this station, but it was still in comparison with the thoughts that occupied him now whether he would stay for a few days. hours or a lifetime at this station.
The caretaker, the caretaker, the valet, the woman with Torzhkov sewing came into the room, offering their services. Pierre, without changing his position with his legs raised, looked at them through his glasses, and did not understand what they could need and how they could all live without resolving the questions that occupied him. And he was preoccupied with the same questions from the very day he returned from Sokolniki after the duel and spent the first, painful, sleepless night; only now, in the solitude of the journey, did they take possession of him with special power. No matter what he started to think about, he returned to the same questions that he could not solve and could not stop asking himself. It was as if the main screw on which his whole life was held had turned in his head. The screw did not go in further, did not go out, but spun, not grabbing anything, still on the same groove, and it was impossible to stop turning it.
The caretaker came in and humbly began to ask His Excellency to wait only two hours, after which he would give courier for His Excellency (what will happen, will happen). The caretaker was obviously lying and only wanted to get extra money from the passerby. “Was it bad or good?” Pierre asked himself. “For me it’s good, for another person passing through it’s bad, but for him it’s inevitable, because he has nothing to eat: he said that an officer beat him for this. And the officer nailed him because he needed to go faster. And I shot at Dolokhov because I considered myself insulted, and Louis XVI was executed because he was considered a criminal, and a year later they killed those who executed him, also for something. What's wrong? What well? What should you love, what should you hate? Why live, and what am I? What is life, what is death? What force controls everything?” he asked himself. And there was no answer to any of these questions, except one, not a logical answer, not to these questions at all. This answer was: “If you die, everything will end. You’ll die and find out everything, or you’ll stop asking.” But it was also scary to die.
The Torzhkov merchant offered her goods in a shrill voice, especially goat shoes. “I have hundreds of rubles that I have nowhere to put, and she stands in a torn fur coat and timidly looks at me,” thought Pierre. And why is this money needed? Can this money add exactly one hair to her happiness, peace of mind? Could anything in the world make her and me less susceptible to evil and death? Death, which will end everything and which should come today or tomorrow, is still in a moment, in comparison with eternity.” And he again pressed the screw that was not gripping anything, and the screw still turned in the same place.
His servant handed him a book of the novel in letters to m m e Suza, cut in half. [Madame Suza.] He began to read about the suffering and virtuous struggle of some Amelie de Mansfeld. [Amalia Mansfeld] “And why did she fight against her seducer,” he thought, “when she loved him? God could not put into her soul aspirations that were contrary to His will. My ex-wife didn't fight and maybe she was right. Nothing has been found, Pierre told himself again, nothing has been invented. We can only know that we know nothing. And this is the highest degree of human wisdom."
Everything in himself and around him seemed to him confusing, meaningless and disgusting. But in this very disgust for everything around him, Pierre found a kind of irritating pleasure.
“I dare to ask your Excellency to make room for a little bit, for them,” said the caretaker, entering the room and leading behind him another traveler who had been stopped for lack of horses. The man passing by was a squat, broad-boned, yellow, wrinkled old man with gray overhanging eyebrows over shiny eyes of an indeterminate grayish color.
Pierre took his feet off the table, stood up and lay down on the bed prepared for him, occasionally glancing at the newcomer, who with a sullenly tired look, without looking at Pierre, was heavily undressing with the help of a servant. Left in a worn-out sheepskin coat covered with nankin and in felt boots on thin, bony legs, the traveler sat down on the sofa, leaning his very large, short-cropped head, wide at the temples, against the back and looked at Bezukhy. The stern, intelligent and insightful expression of this look struck Pierre. He wanted to talk to the passerby, but when he was about to turn to him with a question about the road, the passerby had already closed his eyes and folded his wrinkled old hands, on the finger of one of which there was a large cast-iron ring with the image of Adam’s head, sat motionless, either resting, or about thinking deeply and calmly about something, as it seemed to Pierre. The traveler's servant was covered with wrinkles, also a yellow old man, without a mustache or beard, which apparently had not been shaved, and had never grown on him. A nimble old servant dismantled the cellar, prepared the tea table, and brought a boiling samovar. When everything was ready, the traveler opened his eyes, moved closer to the table and poured himself one glass of tea, poured another for the beardless old man and handed it to him. Pierre began to feel uneasy and necessary, and even inevitable, to enter into a conversation with this passing person.
The servant brought back his empty, overturned glass with a half-eaten piece of sugar and asked if anything was needed.
- Nothing. “Give me the book,” said the passerby. The servant handed him a book, which seemed spiritual to Pierre, and the traveler began to read. Pierre looked at him. Suddenly the traveler put the book aside, laid it closed, and, again closing his eyes and leaning on the back, sat down in his previous position. Pierre looked at him and did not have time to turn away when the old man opened his eyes and fixed his firm and stern gaze straight into Pierre’s face.
Pierre felt embarrassed and wanted to deviate from this gaze, but the brilliant, senile eyes irresistibly attracted him to them.

“I have the pleasure of speaking with Count Bezukhy, if I’m not mistaken,” said the traveler slowly and loudly. Pierre silently and questioningly looked through his glasses at his interlocutor.
“I heard about you,” continued the traveler, “and about the misfortune that befell you, my lord.” - He seemed to emphasize the last word, as if he said: “yes, misfortune, whatever you call it, I know that what happened to you in Moscow was a misfortune.” “I’m very sorry about that, my lord.”
Pierre blushed and, hastily lowering his legs from the bed, bent over to the old man, smiling unnaturally and timidly.
“I didn’t mention this to you out of curiosity, my lord, but for more important reasons.” “He paused, not letting Pierre out of his gaze, and shifted on the sofa, inviting Pierre to sit next to him with this gesture. It was unpleasant for Pierre to enter into conversation with this old man, but he, involuntarily submitting to him, came up and sat down next to him.
“You are unhappy, my lord,” he continued. -You are young, I am old. I would like to help you to the best of my ability.
“Oh, yes,” Pierre said with an unnatural smile. - Thank you very much...Where are you passing from? “The face of the traveler was not kind, even cold and stern, but despite that, both the speech and the face of the new acquaintance had an irresistibly attractive effect on Pierre.
“But if for some reason you don’t like talking to me,” said the old man, “then just say so, my lord.” - And he suddenly smiled unexpectedly, a fatherly tender smile.
“Oh no, not at all, on the contrary, I’m very glad to meet you,” said Pierre, and, looking again at the hands of his new acquaintance, he took a closer look at the ring. He saw Adam's head on it, a sign of Freemasonry.
“Let me ask,” he said. -Are you a Mason?
“Yes, I belong to the brotherhood of free stonemasons,” said the traveler, looking deeper and deeper into Pierre’s eyes. “Both on my own behalf and on their behalf, I extend a brotherly hand to you.”
“I’m afraid,” said Pierre, smiling and hesitating between the trust instilled in him by the personality of a Freemason, and the habit of mocking the beliefs of Freemasons, “I’m afraid that I’m very far from understanding how to say this, I’m afraid that my way of thinking about everything the universe is so opposite to yours that we will not understand each other.
“I know your way of thinking,” said the Mason, “and that way of thinking that you are talking about, and which seems to you to be the product of your mental labor, is the way of thinking of most people, it is the monotonous fruit of pride, laziness and ignorance.” Excuse me, my lord, if I did not know him, I would not have spoken to you. Your way of thinking is a sad delusion.
“Just as I can assume that you are also in error,” said Pierre, smiling faintly.
“I will never dare to say that I know the truth,” said the Mason, more and more striking Pierre with his certainty and firmness of speech. – No one alone can reach the truth; “Only stone by stone, with the participation of everyone, millions of generations, from the forefather Adam to our time, is the temple being erected, which should be a worthy dwelling of the Great God,” said the Mason and closed his eyes.
“I have to tell you, I don’t believe, I don’t... believe in God,” Pierre said with regret and effort, feeling the need to express the whole truth.
The Mason looked carefully at Pierre and smiled, as a rich man holding millions in his hands would smile at a poor man who would tell him that he, the poor man, does not have five rubles that can make him happy.
“Yes, you don’t know Him, my lord,” said the Mason. – You cannot know Him. You don't know Him, that's why you're unhappy.
“Yes, yes, I’m unhappy,” Pierre confirmed; - but what should I do?
“You don’t know Him, my sir, and that’s why you are very unhappy.” You don't know Him, but He is here, He is in me. He is in my words, He is in you, and even in those blasphemous speeches that you have uttered now! – the Mason said in a stern, trembling voice.
He paused and sighed, apparently trying to calm down.
“If He didn’t exist,” he said quietly, “you and I wouldn’t be talking about Him, my sir.” What, who were we talking about? Who did you deny? - he suddenly said with enthusiastic sternness and authority in his voice. – Who invented Him if He doesn’t exist? Why did you have the assumption that there is such a thing? strange creature? Why did you and the whole world assume the existence of such an incomprehensible being, an omnipotent being, eternal and infinite in all its properties?... - He stopped and was silent for a long time.
Pierre could not and did not want to break this silence.
“He exists, but it’s difficult to understand Him,” the Freemason spoke again, looking not at Pierre’s face, but in front of him, with his senile hands, which from internal excitement could not remain calm, turning over the pages of the book. “If it were a person whose existence you doubted, I would bring this person to you, take him by the hand and show him to you.” But how can I, an insignificant mortal, show all His omnipotence, all eternity, all His goodness to the one who is blind, or to the one who closes his eyes so as not to see, not to understand Him, and not to see and not to understand all his abomination and depravity? – He paused. - Who are you? What you? “You dream of yourself that you are a wise man, because you could utter these blasphemous words,” he said with a gloomy and contemptuous grin, “and you are stupider and crazier than a small child who, playing with parts of a skillfully made clock, would dare to say that , because he does not understand the purpose of this watch, he does not believe in the master who made it. It is difficult to know Him... For centuries, from the forefather Adam to the present day, we have been working for this knowledge and are infinitely far from achieving our goal; but in not understanding Him we see only our weakness and His greatness... - Pierre, with a sinking heart, looking into the Freemason’s face with shining eyes, listened to him, did not interrupt, did not ask him, but with all his soul believed what this stranger was telling him. Did he believe those reasonable arguments that were in the Mason’s speech, or did he believe, as children believe, the intonations, conviction and cordiality that were in the Mason’s speech, the trembling of the voice, which sometimes almost interrupted the Mason, or those sparkling, senile eyes that grew old in that the same conviction, or that calmness, firmness and knowledge of his purpose, which shone from the whole being of the Mason, and which especially struck him in comparison with his dejection and hopelessness; - but he wanted to believe with all his soul, and believed, and experienced a joyful feeling of calm, renewal and return to life.
“It is not comprehended by the mind, but is comprehended by life,” said the Mason.
“I don’t understand,” said Pierre, fearfully feeling the doubt rising within himself. He was afraid of the ambiguity and weakness of his interlocutor's arguments, he was afraid not to believe him. “I don’t understand,” he said, “how the human mind cannot comprehend the knowledge you are talking about.”
The Mason smiled his gentle, fatherly smile.
“The highest wisdom and truth are like the purest moisture that we want to absorb into ourselves,” he said. – Can I receive this pure moisture into an unclean vessel and judge its purity? Only by internal purification of myself can I bring the perceived moisture to a certain purity.
- Yes, yes, that's true! – Pierre said joyfully.
– The highest wisdom is not based on reason alone, not on those secular sciences of physics, history, chemistry, etc., into which mental knowledge is divided. There is only one highest wisdom. The highest wisdom has one science - the science of everything, the science that explains the entire universe and the place of man in it. In order to embrace this science, it is necessary to purify and renew one’s inner man, and therefore, before knowing, you need to believe and improve. And to achieve these goals, the light of God, called conscience, is embedded in our soul.
“Yes, yes,” Pierre confirmed.
– Look with spiritual eyes at your inner man and ask yourself if you are satisfied with yourself. What have you achieved with your mind alone? What are you? You are young, you are rich, you are smart, educated, my sir. What have you made of all these blessings given to you? Are you satisfied with yourself and your life?
“No, I hate my life,” Pierre said, wincing.
“You hate it, so change it, cleanse yourself, and as you cleanse yourself you will learn wisdom.” Look at your life, my lord. How did you spend it? In violent orgies and debauchery, receiving everything from society and giving nothing to it. You have received wealth. How did you use it? What have you done for your neighbor? Have you thought about the tens of thousands of your slaves, have you helped them physically and morally? No. You used their works to lead a dissolute life. That's what you did. Have you chosen a place of service where you can benefit your neighbor? No. You spent your life in idleness. Then you got married, my lord, took on the responsibility of leading a young woman, and what did you do? You did not help her, my sir, to find the path of truth, but plunged her into the abyss of lies and misfortune. A man insulted you and you killed him, and you say that you don't know God and that you hate your life. There is nothing fancy here, my sir! – After these words, the Mason, as if tired from a long conversation, again leaned his elbows on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. Pierre looked at this stern, motionless, senile, almost dead face, and silently moved his lips. He wanted to say: yes, a vile, idle, depraved life - and did not dare to break the silence.
The Mason cleared his throat hoarsely and senilely and called to the servant.
- What about horses? – he asked, without looking at Pierre.
“They brought the change,” answered the servant. -Aren't you going to rest?
- No, they told me to lay it down.
“Will he really leave and leave me alone, without finishing everything and without promising me help?” thought Pierre, standing up and lowering his head, occasionally glancing at the Freemason, and starting to walk around the room. “Yes, I didn’t think so, but I led a despicable, depraved life, but I didn’t love it and didn’t want it,” thought Pierre, “but this man knows the truth, and if he wanted, he could reveal it to me.” . Pierre wanted and did not dare to tell this to the Mason. The person passing by, having packed his things with the usual, old hands, buttoned up his sheepskin coat. Having finished these matters, he turned to Bezukhy and indifferently, in a polite tone, told him:
-Where do you want to go now, my sir?
“Me?... I’m going to St. Petersburg,” Pierre answered in a childish, hesitant voice. - Thank you. I agree with you on everything. But don't think I'm so stupid. I wished with all my soul to be what you would have me to be; but I never found help in anyone... However, I myself am primarily to blame for everything. Help me, teach me and maybe I will... - Pierre could not speak further; he sniffled and turned away.
The Mason was silent for a long time, apparently thinking about something.
“Help is given only from God,” he said, “but the measure of help that our order has the power to give, he will give to you, my lord.” You are going to St. Petersburg, tell this to Count Villarsky (he took out his wallet and wrote a few words on a large sheet of paper folded in four). Let me give you one piece of advice. Having arrived in the capital, devote the first time to solitude, discussing yourself, and do not take the old path of life. Then I wish you a happy journey, my lord,” he said, noticing that his servant had entered the room, “and success...
The person passing was Osip Alekseevich Bazdeev, as Pierre learned from the caretaker’s book. Bazdeev was one of the most famous Freemasons and Martinists back in Novikov’s time. Long after his departure, Pierre, without going to bed and without asking for horses, walked around the station room, pondering his vicious past and, with the delight of renewal, imagining his blissful, impeccable and virtuous future, which seemed so easy to him. He was, it seemed to him, vicious only because he had somehow accidentally forgotten how good it was to be virtuous. There was no trace of the former doubts left in his soul. He firmly believed in the possibility of a brotherhood of men united for the purpose of supporting each other in the path of virtue, and this was how Freemasonry seemed to him.

Arriving in St. Petersburg, Pierre did not notify anyone of his arrival, did not go anywhere, and began to spend whole days reading Thomas a à Kempis, a book that was delivered to him by an unknown person. Pierre understood one thing and one thing while reading this book; he understood the still unknown pleasure of believing in the possibility of achieving perfection and in the possibility of brotherly and active love between people, opened to him by Osip Alekseevich. A week after his arrival, the young Polish Count Villarsky, whom Pierre knew superficially from the St. Petersburg world, entered his room in the evening with the official and solemn air with which Dolokhov’s second entered his room and, closing the door behind him and making sure that there was no one in the room There was no one except Pierre, he turned to him:
“I came to you with an order and a proposal, Count,” he told him without sitting down. – A person very highly placed in our brotherhood petitioned for you to be accepted into the brotherhood ahead of schedule, and invited me to be your guarantor. I consider it a sacred duty to fulfill the will of this person. Do you wish to join the brotherhood of free stonemasons on my guarantee?
The cold and stern tone of the man whom Pierre almost always saw at balls with an amiable smile, in the company of the most brilliant women, struck Pierre.
“Yes, I wish,” said Pierre.
Villarsky bowed his head. “One more question, Count,” he said, to which I ask you not as a future Freemason, but as an honest man (galant homme) to answer me with all sincerity: have you renounced your previous convictions, do you believe in God?
Pierre thought about it. “Yes... yes, I believe in God,” he said.
“In that case...” Villarsky began, but Pierre interrupted him. “Yes, I believe in God,” he said again.
“In that case, we can go,” said Villarsky. - My carriage is at your service.
Villarsky was silent the whole way. To Pierre's questions about what he needed to do and how to answer, Villarsky only said that brothers more worthy of him would test him, and that Pierre needed nothing more than to tell the truth.
Having entered the gate of a large house where the lodge was located, and walking along a dark staircase, they entered a lighted, small hallway, where, without the help of a servant, they took off their fur coats. From the hall they went into another room. Some man in a strange attire appeared at the door. Villarsky, coming out to meet him, said something quietly to him in French and went to a small closet, in which Pierre noticed clothes he had never seen before. Taking a handkerchief from the closet, Villarsky placed it over Pierre's eyes and tied it in a knot from behind, painfully catching his hair in the knot. Then he bent him towards him, kissed him and, taking him by the hand, led him somewhere. Pierre was in pain from the hair being pulled in by the knot; he winced in pain and smiled from shame for something. His huge figure with his arms hanging down, with a wrinkled and smiling face, moved with uncertain timid steps behind Villarsky.
After walking him ten steps, Villarsky stopped.
“No matter what happens to you,” he said, “you must endure everything with courage if you firmly decide to join our brotherhood.” (Pierre answered in the affirmative by bowing his head.) When you hear a knock on the door, you will untie your eyes,” Villarsky added; – I wish you courage and success. And, shaking Pierre’s hand, Villarsky left.
Left alone, Pierre continued to smile the same way. Once or twice he shrugged his shoulders, raised his hand to the handkerchief, as if wanting to take it off, and lowered it again. The five minutes he spent with his eyes tied seemed like an hour. His hands were swollen, his legs were giving way; he thought he was tired. He experienced the most complex and varied feelings. He was afraid of what would happen to him, and even more afraid of not showing fear. He was curious to know what would happen to him, what would be revealed to him; but most of all he was joyful that the moment had come when he would finally embark on that path of renewal and actively virtuous life, which he had dreamed of since his meeting with Osip Alekseevich. Strong knocks were heard on the door. Pierre took off the bandage and looked around him. The room was black and dark: only in one place was a lamp burning, in something white. Pierre came closer and saw that the lamp stood on a black table, on which lay one open book. The book was the Gospel; that white thing in which the lamp was burning was a human skull with its holes and teeth. Having read the first words of the Gospel: “In the beginning was the word and the word was to God,” Pierre walked around the table and saw a large open box filled with something. It was a coffin with bones. He was not at all surprised by what he saw. Hoping to enter into a completely new life completely different from the previous one, he expected everything extraordinary, even more extraordinary than what he saw. The skull, the coffin, the Gospel - it seemed to him that he expected all this, expected even more. Trying to evoke a feeling of tenderness in himself, he looked around him. “God, death, love, brotherhood of people,” he said to himself, associating with these words vague but joyful ideas of something. The door opened and someone entered.
In the dim light, which Pierre had already managed to take a closer look at, a short man entered. Apparently entering the darkness from the light, this man stopped; then, with careful steps, he moved towards the table and placed his small hands, covered with leather gloves, on it.
This short man was dressed in a white leather apron that covered his chest and part of his legs, he had something like a necklace on his neck, and from behind the necklace protruded a tall, white frill that framed his elongated face, lit from below.
– Why did you come here? - asked the newcomer, following the rustle made by Pierre, turning in his direction. - Why do you, who do not believe in the truths of the light and do not see the light, why did you come here, what do you want from us? Wisdom, virtue, enlightenment?
At that moment the door opened and an unknown man entered, Pierre experienced a feeling of fear and reverence, similar to the one he experienced in confession as a child: he felt face to face with a complete stranger in terms of living conditions and with someone close to him, in the brotherhood of people, person. Pierre, with a breathless heartbeat, moved towards the rhetorician (that was the name in Freemasonry for the brother who prepares the seeker for entry into the brotherhood). Pierre, coming closer, recognized in the rhetorician a familiar person, Smolyaninov, but it was insulting to him to think that the person who entered was a familiar person: the person who entered was only a brother and a virtuous mentor. Pierre could not utter the words for a long time, so the rhetorician had to repeat his question.
“Yes, I... I... want an update,” Pierre said with difficulty.
“Okay,” said Smolyaninov, and immediately continued: “Do you have any idea about the means by which our holy order will help you achieve your goal?...” said the rhetorician calmly and quickly.
“I... hope... guidance... help... in renewal,” said Pierre with a trembling voice and difficulty in speaking, arising both from excitement and from the unfamiliarity of speaking in Russian about abstract subjects.
– What concept do you have about Freemasonry?
– I mean that Frank Freemasonry is a fraterienité [brotherhood]; and the equality of people with virtuous goals,” said Pierre, ashamed as he spoke of the inconsistency of his words with the solemnity of the moment. I mean…

September 1834- Imam Gamzat-bek “moved towards Salta. In the dead of night, his warriors rushed to this village and burst inside, so much so that no one had time to even feel it. In Salta, where there was then a guard of tsudaharis, the imam’s soldiers entered, singing in loud voices: La ilaha illa Allah, la ilaha illa Allah. The security took flight here. Some of the Tsudahariev were killed in the process. Others were taken prisoner. As for the residents of the village of Salta, they showed obedience to the imam.

After the Salta residents submitted, the residents of Kudali arrived to the imam. They showed him their respect and became his subjects." Gamzat-bek “established a punishment (hadd) for drunkenness for the Kudalinites, in accordance with the Koran, and they, for their part, gave him an oath to remain calm and provide the necessary assistance. Then “a delegation from Keger also arrived to the imam to make peace, take an oath and assume certain obligations.” In addition, Gamzat-bek occupied the village of Kuppa and some of the border Tsudahar villages and demanded that the Akushin and Tsudahar qadis join him. The qadi and the elders rejected the imam's proposals. “The Tsudakhar people stubbornly continued not to recognize” Gamzat-bek. “Moreover, they brought the Akushin and Kazikumukh residents to help, and then with all their regiments, they set out en masse” from Tsudahara. “The imam also came forward to meet them. In the area where the Tsudahar farms are located, these two groups clashed, and a great massacre took place there. There were many killed on both sides. Among the martyrs for the Muslim faith who died that day was the great brave man Amirhamza Shototinsky, who was considered the support of the imam - a faithful assistant to the cause of Islam, a mighty lion, whose surname is a branch of the family of noble emirs.
The people who took the oath betrayed Khamzata here because their desire to live according to Sharia was still weak. Moreover, they even began to look for a moment to attack the imam and his followers. From that Islamic campaign, the imam “returned angry at the violators of the treaty and now expected help from Allah to eradicate people who were completely lost, as well as malicious oppressors.”

Imam Gamzat-bek

19.09.1834 - One of the representatives of the Avar elite - Hadji Murad's brother - Osman, in the Khunzakh mosque, kills Imam Gamzat-bek, who came to Friday prayers. In the ensuing shootout, Osman dies. “Osman pulled out a pistol and shot at Khamzat, but Hajiyasul Muhammad also managed to shoot at Osman. Both Khamzat and Osman both fell to the ground here and died immediately.”
The plan of the conspirators was very risky and had almost no chance if not for the extreme fatalism of Gamzat-bek. Warned of the conspiracy, he said to those close to him: “Can you stop the angels if they come for my soul? What is determined by Allah, we will not avoid, and if tomorrow is appointed for me to die, then tomorrow is the day of my death.” The murids who survived the shootout settled in the Khan's palace. Hadji Murad ordered the palace to be set on fire; those who escaped the fire were captured and thrown into the abyss.

July 28th, 2014 , 04:15 pm

June 1834- “A significant party” of Koisubulians, Gumbetians “and other societies” passed through the Salatav lands “and went down to Sulak, where, attacking the Kumyk villages of Bavtugai, Lak-Lak and Temir-aul, they robbed the inhabitants and stole cattle.”

July 1834- Colonel Ahmed Khan Mehtulinsky, “gathering the Mehtulin residents subordinate to him, went down to the village of Arakan and in the Shura area attacked a herd that belonged to the Arakan people, and although the residents came running to protect it, but having lost one person killed, they retreated, leaving them as prey Mekhtulin residents 1,100 rams. At the same time, Major Abu Muslim Kazanishchensky, by order of the regiment. Kluki von Klugenau and his subordinates marched to the Irganay descent, showing their intention to attack Irganay, and great. Ullubiy Erpelinsky and Yusuf Bey Karanaysky, going down to Gimry, started a shootout with the Gimry people. The consequence of these worries was that many Khoisuboilins, leaving Gamzat-bek, returned to their homes to protect them.”

summer 1834- Gamzat-bek “managed to once again spread the influence of muridism throughout the entire Mountainous Dagestan. As a result, the lands subject to the imam surrounded Avaristan on three sides.
In this situation, the Avar khans held a series of negotiations with the imam and developed a plan of joint action to organize raids into Kakheti. However, due to a number of delays, the raid was not organized.
The strengthening of the power of the new imam and the “double” game of the Avar khans did not go unnoticed by the commander of the Caucasian corps, Baron Rosen. Relying on the possibility of penetration of Russian troops into Nagorno-Dagestan, the Caucasian command confronted the Avar khans with the impossibility of continuing the double game. The greatest effect was the deprivation of all Avar khans' salaries! The ruler of Avaristan, Khansha Pakhu-bika, had to choose the lesser of two evils, and she broke with Gamzat-bek and even attempted to physically eliminate the imam.”

August 1834- Imam Gamzat-bek, as a response, invaded the Avar Khanate and besieged Khunzakh. The imam “with his regiments moved towards the city of the Khunzakhs. The latter, having fortified themselves at their castles, blocked the roads leading into Khunzakh, where those residents of the surrounding villages, whose spirit was not healthy, flocked. At the same time, the Khunzakhs took under arrest those of their fellow countrymen who were known to be inclined towards Sharia - the outstanding brave Alibek and people like him. The warriors of Gamzat-bek, having surrounded the Khunzakhs, continued the siege until it tired the latter. At the same time, they poisoned the still green Khunzakh fields in front of their owners.”
Two weeks later, the opponents entered into an agreement, according to which Khansha Pahu-Bike, as a guarantee of fulfilling his conditions, gave her youngest son Bulach Khan hostage to the imam. Gamzat-bek “showed courtesy in word and deed towards the Khunzakh people, and when the situation seemed to have stabilized, he even invited them to a joint meeting.”

25.08.1834 - Destruction of the Avar ruling house. The hostage’s older brothers, Abu Sultan Nutsal Khan and Omar Khan, arrived for new negotiations with Gamzat-bek, accompanied by a retinue of two hundred Khunzakh daredevils. During the negotiations, a shootout occurred, as a result of which Abu Sultan Nutsal Khan and Omar Khan, all their companions, as well as the imam’s brother and some murids from his entourage were killed.
On the same day, by order of the imam, Pahu-Bike and all the other women of the Avar ruling house were killed. Only one of Nutsal Khan’s wives, who was pregnant, was left alive. “As for Bulach, he was then taken to Gotsatl.” Then, Russian sources unanimously began to assert that this murder was deliberately set up by Gamzat-bek at the instigation of Aslan Khan, the ruler of Kazi-Kumukh and Kurakh, who had a grudge against Pahu-Bik for refusing to give him one of his daughters as a wife. The Russians used this version against Gamzat-bek and his comrades so successfully that a large number of mountain peoples believed it. However, the first Russian reports tell a completely different story. It says that the quarrel between the two sides was started by the youngest participants. One grabbed the dagger, the other the pistol, and in an instant the whole scene turned into a bloodbath.
According to Muhammad-Tahir al-Karahi, Gamzat-bek ordered the Khunzakh people “to destroy all the fortifications in their country and Nusal Khan, Umma Khan and a number of other persons to remain with him until the specified destruction of these fortifications is completed. They didn't agree to this. The Khunzakhs intended to return, but Khamzat’s comrades forbade them to do so. Then the scientist Mirzal Hadzhiyav was the first to grab his weapon and shouted: “Hey, you, well done Khunzakh, put all your might and strength into beating these.” A battle ensued between Khamzat's troops and the people of Khunzakh. Nusal Khan, Umma Khan, Nur Muhammad Kadio, Mirzal Khadzhiyav and a number of others were killed, even from their nobility and heads there was no one left who could be named. Among the people of Imam Khamzat, Khamzat’s brother Murad-bek, Chufan, the son of Khamzat’s paternal uncle Dibirasul Muhammad ar-Riguni, Muhammad Ali al-Gimri and a number of others died the death of the righteous. The battle took place while Hamzat came out of his tent and retired for ablutions. His pillow, which was in the tent, was found riddled with numerous holes from rifle bullets, which were fired at the tent in abundance, thinking that Khamzat was in it.”
The extermination of the house of the Avar rulers, intentional or accidental, became a turning point for the reign of Gamzat-bek, and perhaps for the history of the entire movement, because from that moment in Dagestan the balance of power that existed there was disrupted: the only group in this region capable of resist the power of the imam and its spread throughout Nagorno-Dagestan. This event also deprived the Russians of an important ally in Dagestan.

July 27th, 2014 , 04:18 pm

Imam Gamzat-bek ibn Ali Iskander-bek al-Gutsali

November 1832 - Election of Gamzat-bek as imam of Dagestan. “With the consent of the authoritative and influential Koisubulians - experts in Sharia, as well as people who agreed with them on the issue of ways to help the Muslim religion, the noble aristocrat and brave man Khamzat Gotsatlinsky, the son of Aliskandarbek, who was sworn in after the martyrdom of Imam Gazimuhammad, became the imam.”

1833 “Khamzat began to urge the people to firmly adhere to the Muslim religion, as well as to spread Sharia law. Holding onto the rope of Allah, he then marched at the head of the army to exalt the holy Qur'an.
Khamzat moved to the villages of Koroda, Khotoch, Hindakh and Chokh with admonitions addressed to their inhabitants. He encouraged them to accept the Sharia and other provisions of Islam, and in this they submitted to him. The Korodins, Khotots, Hindakhs and Chokhs thus became subjects of the imam. Then Khamzat went to the village of Rugudzha. The Rugudzhin residents, however, began to persist. The fact is that the inhabitants of this village were rude people, prone to lawlessness and at the same time very strong. The Imam therefore began to fight with them and the Rugujins then tasted both bullets and blows of the sword. Their fortified monastery was taken, and about fifty people from among the Rugudzhin rapists - nobles and persons judged by adats - were killed.
The leader of the Rugujinians was Sultanav, who managed to fortify himself in his castle. Khamzat's people, however, forced Sultanav to come out, and then, having put shackles on him, they sent him to Gimry prison. They plundered the wealth of Sultanav. Subsequently, already during the reign of Shamil, this man was killed there; the book “The Shine of Dagestan Sabers” says: “The first thing Shamil started with was the murder of Sultanav Rugudzhinsky, who was then in Gimry prison.”
Khamzat, returning back, then went to cities such as Teletl, Batlukh, Karata, as well as to those who supported them. The inhabitants of these cities and the people who supported them, submitting to the imam, became among his subjects.”

October 1833- “Akhmet Khan Mehtulinsky, in order to punish the residents of the village of Gergebil for accepting Gamzat-bek, took from them up to 800 sheep, which he promised to return to them if they swore an oath not to accept the imam again.” “Gamzat-bek, having learned about this, gathered a party of up to 600 people from the villages of Arakan, Belokan, Kudukhli and Gimry, seized cattle and up to 300 horses from the Gergebil residents and settled down between two branches of the Koisu River near a stone bridge protected by seven rubble. At the invitation of the Gergebil residents, the next day Akhmet Khan Mehtulinsky with 600 and Abu Muslim Kazanishchensky with 400 of his people arrived to help them and, adding up to 400, the residents of Gergebil. As the skirmish continued, Mamet Kadiy Akushinsky with 100 people and Kadiy Tsudakharinsky with 200 people also came to their aid.” However, “meeted by the mountaineers at Gergebil, this militia was thrown back with significant losses, and the Gergebil victory further strengthened Gamzat’s influence.” “At this point, Gamzat-bek’s own nephew” Ali-Iskander, “one bek and ten simple” murids, were killed.

May 20th, 2014 , 01:18 pm

25.12.1830 - Destruction of the Ossetian village of Kobani by General Abkhazov. “Kobani was occupied, and the confused residents obediently listened to the verdict. They were ordered to immediately leave the village with all their livestock and property. When this was done, the village burst into flames on all four sides and a roar that shook the surrounding mountains announced the explosion of the stone towers that made up the stronghold and pride of Kobani. On the same day, the detachment moved back, and with it came the residents who were being resettled on the plane, in the vicinity of Vladikavkaz.”

30.12.1830 - A detachment of Dagestanis led by Bogaz foreman Alichula-Mukhammed entered the Dzharo-Belokan region. “One party went to the village of Gavazy to capture the Antsukhi bailiff, Prince Vachnadze; the other stood on the road to Zagatala to block the road” for the Russian troops, “and the third, with which Alichula himself was, occupied Tsabluani. Messengers came to Belokani demanding that Murtazali give his sons as amanates. But when Murtazali, instead of answering, gathered six hundred of his fellow villagers and placed them near his house, the stern Alichula descended on Belokani that same night, and the people to whom Murtazali entrusted the protection of himself and his family fled at his first appearance. Murtazali, loyal to the Russians, still counting on receiving help from the redoubt, locked himself in a strong tower located in his courtyard and decided to defend himself to the last opportunity. But Alichula did not even want to waste gunpowder, much less the blood of his companions: he simply ordered to cover the tower with brushwood and set it on fire from all sides. When the red-hot walls cracked and the fire penetrated the interior of the dwelling, the tower collapsed, and under its ruins both Murtazali himself and his entire family perished in the flames. In the redoubt they clearly heard shots and saw a wide glow standing over the village, but no help was given “due to the night time and the unknown number of the enemy.” Meanwhile, “Alichuly’s army” settled down in Belokani as if at home, and the next day it was reinforced with even more parties arriving from Dagestan. These parties, with fifteen unfurled banners, boldly marched under cannon fire from the Russian redoubt” and with the cry: “La-illahi-il-alla” - united with Alichula. The moment came when a siege threatened the Belokan fort itself, and from its high ramparts one could observe how horse parties drove long rows of carts loaded with all kinds of siege equipment to Belokan.”

03.01.1831 - Russian troops who came from the direction of Zagatala and the Tsar’s Wells to help the Belokan redoubt united near Belokan and began an assault on the village. “By the evening, after a fierce battle, half of the village passed into the hands” of the Russians, “but in the other half the Lezgins still stubbornly held on, and the troops were unable to dislodge them. So night came. Thick fog covered both hostile sides and stopped the fierce battle. After a terrible battle, a dead silence suddenly fell - a harbinger of a new storm, ready to break out with the first ray of the rising sun. But in the dead of midnight, Alichula “removed from his position and, together with all the residents, left the village so quietly” that the Russians “noticed his retreat only at dawn, when Belokany was already empty.”

January 1831- Appeal of Imam Gazi-Muhammad and Gamzat-bek to the mountaineers of Dagestan.
“From Ghazi-Muhammad, who trusted in the Almighty God, and from Gamzat-bek, who sacrificed himself to fight for God’s cause, to the societies of Muslims and monotheists, the younger and older ones of the four sides, greetings to you. May God grant you blessings and mercy. May Allah be pleased with you and forgive your sins! Amen.
And then: O dear brothers! How do you not pay attention to God’s words in the book sent down to our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: “You have been commanded in writing to fight, but it is disgusting to you...” Why do you make kafirs rulers, bypassing the believers?
O Muslims! May Allah have mercy on you, follow God and his Messenger. “Whoever follows God and his Messenger and those who truly believe, God’s party will be victorious.” You do not fear punishment from God in fighting apostates and in expelling them from your land and appropriating their property, because the Koran says this: “The punishment for those who fight against Allah and his Messenger and try to sow discord on earth is murder. .."
You are not afraid of death when participating in war. “No matter where you are, death will still reach you, even if you are in fortified castles.” Do not consider your dead dead, for God says: “You do not consider those who fell in the war for God’s cause to be dead, they are alive and well with their God.”
Be with Gamzat in a safe place until my arrival with troops from Derbent, the number of which except God will not be able to calculate. When we come together, we will show miracles to the kafirs and their accomplices. Don't doubt God's words.
O brothers! Come out to fight, because fighting is obligatory for us, as the Ulama know. The slogans about this are clear. Don't pay attention to those making peace with the kafirs. Don't listen to their false advice. It will not be too late for our position and theirs to become clear. In this world by seizing their property and captivating them, and in the next world by driving them into hell. By God, Gamzat and Dagestan are in motion. Trust in God, everything is God’s will. The sabers are ours, and the necks are those of infidels and apostates. God help the champions of religion. Humiliate the humiliators of religion and help us defeat the infidels!”

May 6th, 2014 , 11:59 am

29.10.1830 - Unsuccessful assault on the village of Starye Zagatala by Russian troops. “Two columns were assigned to the assault: one - a battalion of the Shirvan regiment with two guns - was supposed to demonstrate Jar from the side in order to attract the attention” of the highlanders, “and the main one - two battalions of the Erivan regiment, forty sappers, four guns secretly advanced to the Katekh road and from here they begin to approach Old Zagatala through a hollow. At nine o'clock in the morning both columns set off. Generals Strekalov and Sergeev rode with the main column. The troops rose to the first height, which lay behind the fortress, without firing a shot. From here the road entered the forests, a dense strip stretching all the way to Zagatala. Strekalov ordered Sergeev to move forward, stand in the forest itself and then move through the gaps right up to the positions of the mountaineers. “It’s hard to admit that the Lezgins didn’t know, and meanwhile, when the troops were already standing at the edge of the forest, in Starye Zagatala, the people’s assembly was still going on, and Shikh-Shaban, who had recently arrived in Gamzat-Bek’s camp, gave an incendiary speech.” Probably, Gamzat-bek, “aware of all the benefits of forest battles for himself, deliberately did not interfere with the movement” of the Russians, “trying to lure” them “to places memorable for bloody events.
Meanwhile, the squad emerged into a small clearing. It was ordered to stop here, and the Erivan regiment took up a position on both sides of the forest road: the first battalion, Major Koshutin, was positioned to the left at a low altitude; the second, Major Kluki von Klugenau - to the right, at the old cemetery, at which the roads from the Zaqatala mosque and tower converge. Closer than a shot of grapeshot, in front of this cemetery a small clearing could be seen, and behind it began gardens, surrounded by stone walls; both battalions, separated from each other by a shallow beam, were located at a distance of no more than thirty to forty fathoms from each other. Strekalov ordered Koshutin to strengthen the left flank of the position with a small battery placed at a height, and Klugenau to begin cutting down the forest to clear space for artillery action. But as soon as the chain sent by the second battalion to cover the workers advanced into the forest clearing, it was showered with rifle fire from the dense bushes. The regiment commander, Prince Dadian, galloped off himself to ascertain the degree of danger; at that moment the mountaineers jumped out of the bushes and rushed into checkers. Having come under pressure, Dadian was almost killed, but soldiers managed to surround him; the chief of the chain, second lieutenant Korsun, and with him thirty lower ranks were hacked to death. Cut off from its battalion, without even having time to run into groups, the chain was torn, crushed and took to flight. The highlanders attacked the cemetery, but Klugenau, who managed to raise the battalion with a gun, repelled the daring onslaught - and the Lezgins immediately dispersed. The chain under the command of Staff Captain Potebnya again took its place, and to support it, the company of Staff Captain Guramov was advanced beyond the cemetery; then two incomplete companies remained at the cemetery itself in the general reserve, and the rest of the people, under the general command of Captain Antonov, began cutting down the forest.
It was already three o'clock in the afternoon. Soon the chain made it known that ahead, in the gardens, the Lezgins were again gathering in significant forces. Dadian himself went to Strekalov, who was with the first battalion, to get permission to push back the highlanders while this was still possible. But Strekalov, who had news from his spies” that the Lezgins were “in insignificant forces, sent Dadian back with orders to strengthen the work, and he himself, entrusting the troops to General Sergeev, left for New Zagatali. Dadian conveyed the order to Klugenau. The axes clattered even harder, the centuries-old plane trees began to fall even more often under their blows, and meanwhile the piled-up forest reduced the position more and more and surrounded the carabinieri with such a fence that gave the mountaineers the opportunity to sneak up on them unnoticed. Most of Gamzat-bek’s forces at this time had already gathered against the second battalion and, hiding behind an abattoir, secretly surrounded both the chain and the workers. An hour passed, then another - and suddenly, as if on a prearranged signal, several thousand Lezgins rose from all sides and rushed into the checkers. What happened then is difficult to describe. Both the chain and the reserve were instantly cut off from the battalion and separated from each other so that the carabinieri had to defend themselves individually. Staff Captain Potebnya was cut to pieces. The head of the reserve, Staff Captain Guramov, fell under daggers. The dashing Erivan residents almost all laid down their heads near their superiors, and out of one hundred and fifty-eight people, only fourteen managed to reach the cemetery.
All this happened so quickly that part of the battalion, cutting down the forest to the left of the cemetery in the gully and to the right of it along the slope of the mountain, was taken by surprise and did not even have time to grab their guns. Captain Antonov was wounded, and the workers either fled or died without resistance under the blows of the mountaineers. Klugenau, who rushed to their aid with the last reserve, himself collided with the Lezgins and could not break through. The guns fell silent after the third shot: the artillery officer, Lieutenant Opochinin, was wounded by a bullet in the chest, the servants were killed, and both guns, along with the charging boxes, were captured by the mountaineers. Klugenau's desperate efforts to rescue the guns only led to new losses. Klugenau himself, both company commanders, all sergeant majors and most of the officers and non-commissioned officers were either killed or wounded. The soldiers were left without leaders.
The second battalion almost no longer existed when Lieutenant Colonel Koshutin arrived in time to help him with two carabinieri companies of his battalion; but their arrival only uselessly increased the number of Russian losses, since the cramped terrain did not even allow them to turn around. Koshutin, a man of desperate courage, was one of the first to be wounded, and his soldiers, knocked down by the onslaught, ran back. Seeing the disaster, Sergeev sent the last two surviving companies into battle in order to give the rest the opportunity to escape from the attacks of the highlanders - but the companies immediately fell into a general whirlpool and were carried away by the flow of general flight. Sergeev was thus left alone at the battery with forty sappers. The mountaineers easily captured the insignificant fortification, took both guns, and out of forty sappers, only eighteen remained alive; but these heroes fought their way through the Lezgins and carried out the wounded general with their guns.
The remnants of the company no longer reached the old road, but were thrown back into a narrow street, where the highlanders, sitting on both sides of it behind clay walls, shot the fleeing soldiers without any restrictions. The defeat of the detachment was complete. On this fateful day for the Erivans,” the Russians, according to official data, lost “four guns, one general, both battalion commanders, sixteen officers and more than four hundred lower ranks. Among the officers, second lieutenant Litvinov, a cavalier of St. George who personally took the Turkish banner during the assault on Kars, was also killed here.
“Only one and a half miles from the battle site did Prince Dadian finally manage to stop both battalions. He let them come to their senses, put them in order and led them into the attack with the beating of drums. “But at that moment Strekalov’s adjutant galloped up with the order to retreat to the camp.
In vain did Prince Dadian, on behalf of the regiment, send twice to ask permission to resume the attack; Strekalov did not allow it - and the troops returned to the camp sad and killed.”
Nicholas I “was extremely upset by such an incident. On this occasion, Count Chernyshev wrote to Paskevich: “The Emperor, with extreme regret and displeasure, deigned to see that the Erivan Carabinieri Regiment, which distinguished itself so much in the last campaign, under the personal leadership of Your Excellency, now, in the case against the Lezgins, left the guns entrusted to it in the hands of the enemy and, not heeding the voice of the commanders, fled, being pursued by a small number of mountaineers. Not comprehending what circumstances could have prompted the Russian soldiers to such a shameful flight, His Majesty wishes Your Excellency to make a detailed study of this incident and report everything to His Majesty.”

May 4th, 2014 , 12:33 pm

Gamzat-bek Gotsatlinsky

27.09.1830 - Gamzat-bek, “accompanied by a hundred selected Gotsatlin residents, arrived in Mukrak and announced a call to arms. Masses of people on horseback and on foot began to flock to his banner. Anxiety began to boil in Jhariya. The Tiflis military governor, Adjutant General Strekalov, who, in the absence of Paskevich, commanded the troops in Georgia, himself rode to Zagatala to personally verify the state of affairs and take appropriate measures. Just at this time, an incident occurred that clearly outlined in front of him the present state of affairs and the attitude of the inhabitants towards the Russians: Paskevich’s adjutant Prince Andronikov, who was in charge of the cordon line, while going around the posts, spent the night near Katekh in the village of Matsekhi; with him were ten Don Cossacks and about sixty mounted police. At night, when everything was asleep, a hundred Lezgins attacked the village. The Dzharsky convoy, without firing a single shot, fled - and the Cossacks were left alone: five of them were killed, the rest, along with the Georgian prince Baratov, who accompanied Andronikov, were captured; the prince himself was saved only thanks to the owner of the saklya, who hid him on the ceiling; but all his camp property fell into the hands of the mountaineers. “Having quickly examined the village and not finding Andronikov, the Lezgins considered him to have fled and retired to the mountains.”

29.09.1830 - The advanced detachments of Gamzat-bek “appeared on the mountains, fifteen versts from the Belokan redoubt, and at night the cavalry party, separated from them, descended on the village itself. The troops in the redoubt heard shots and screams, but could not give help, since they themselves were expecting an attack every minute, and the party, having plundered the Armenian merchants, calmly left. “Gamzat-bek did not go further, however. He sent to tell the Jarians that he would not come down from the mountains until he saw a united uprising among them and received amanates. Sergeev moved a detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Dobrov - a division of dragoons and a company of Shirvans with three guns - to Belokany, and to Katekh, to monitor the highlanders, he moved an infantry battalion, also with three guns and Cossacks, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Platonov. He was now so sure that Gamzat-bek would not dare to come down from the mountains that he himself refused to send troops from Georgia, finding his forces too sufficient to keep the local population in obedience. In this self-delusion, Sergeev did not even notice how the residents of Katekha, Matsekhi, and even from Dzhar began to move in droves to Gamzat-bek’s camp. Sergeev came to his senses late, when there was no point in thinking about the arrest of the main organizers, which Paskevich so sought and Strekalov demanded, because the uprising was in full swing all around. Meanwhile, Gamzat-bek occupied Katekhi. There he received amanats from all the “rebellious villages” and then sent them to Dagestan, announcing to the residents that he would stay with them for the winter and ordered a fortification to be erected in Starye Zagatala. He did not want to take decisive action, however, until the last reinforcements approached him, and while waiting for them, he allowed private raids on the plane.”

15.10.1830 - The “Party” of Lezgins “descended along the Bezhenyansky gorge, against the villages of Gavazy, Chekana and Kuchetana. These villages were guarded by a post of one hundred Kakhetians, and in reserve were forty grenadiers of the Georgian regiment with a mountain unicorn, under the command of ensign Saltykov. The party quietly bypassed the guard and rushed straight to Saltykov’s camp. Secret raised the alarm in time, and when the Lezgins rushed to the rifle pyramids, the grenadiers met them with bayonets. A desperate chest-to-chest battle ensued, and in the meantime the Kakhetians managed to gallop from the post and, in turn, crashed into the Lezgins from the rear. “One of them, the nobleman Khsrulishvili, immediately chopped up the bayraktar and seized the Lezgin badge. The gun, already in the power of the highlanders, was also recaptured by the grenadiers. Then the Lezgins began to retreat and after half an hour disappeared into the Bezhenyansky Gorge. This night cost the Russians “twenty-four people killed, wounded and missing.”

20.10.1830 - The reinforcements he expected approached Gamzat-bek and he “moved with all his might to Old Zagatali. Sergeev’s detachment, reinforced by Leonov’s Don regiment, stood near the new fortress; two more battalions of Erivans with four guns and the rest of the Georgian regiment, under the command of General Simonich, were moving here from Georgia. Strekalov, ahead of the troops, himself arrived in New Zagatali and took over the main command over the gathering detachment. Having become acquainted with the state of affairs in the Dzhar region, Strekalov came to the conviction that, first of all, it was necessary to block all the Lezgins’ roads to the Trans-Alazani places, and for this to build a series of fortifications along the way to Belokani and Tal. With this measure, he thought to keep the Lezgins “in a strict blockade,” but the mountaineers did not wait until they were “locked up in Zagatala,” but they themselves moved forward and forced the Russians “to take a defensive position themselves. In the evening the first shots were heard throughout the fortress; the firing continued all night and all the next day; several pickets were attacked, and at one of them a Cossack paid with his life.”

22.10.1830 - The Lezgins, “having made their way through dense forests” to the sheds in which bricks were made for the construction of the Zakatala fortress, “suddenly attacked a company of Shirvans covering the workers.”

25.10.1830 - Foragers were sent from the Russian camp near the village of New Zagatala, “under the cover of two companies of the Shirvan regiment with a Cossack gun, under the command of Captain Fokin. As soon as the cover began to set up a chain, eight hundred mounted Lezgins rushed out of the forest and rushed into checkers. The chain was overturned, and the highlanders attacked the Shirvan companies from the raid... God knows how “this bloody day would have ended” for the Russians if help had not arrived to them. “Platonov and his Cossacks galloped out of the camp at full speed and rushed into pikes. Thrown back by the attack, the highlanders, however, instantly recovered and resumed the attack. Then two more companies of the Shirvan regiment with Lieutenant Colonel Ovechkin were expelled from the camp, and only with their appearance the highlanders retreated to Zagatala. “Strekalov reported that the space where the battle took place was littered with the bodies of Lezgins,” but from the Russian detachment, “which withstood a short battle, two officers and sixty-eight lower ranks were out of action. This directly indicated” that the Russian enemy was “brave, enterprising, and that with the further development of military operations,” Russian losses, “in case of the slightest carelessness, could reach a significant figure. Gamzat’s actions were not slow to affect the Jarians, and even those few people who still remained loyal to Russia now, one by one, began to go over to Gamzat’s side. The Lezgins, scattered throughout the forests, prevented all work, and, as Sergeev rightly put it, every felled tree cost the Russian troops “streams of blood. With such an energetic leader as Gamzat-bek turned out to be, there was no point in thinking about a blockade” of his forces. “The Russian detachment, strictly speaking, itself found itself in a blockade, and in order to break this still thin, but every day more and more dense network,” its command “had only one remedy left - to take” Old Zagatala.

- Shaban's first clash with the Russians. A cavalry patrol sent by the governor of the Dzhar region, General Sergeev, to Katekhi came across two hundred Gluhodar people two miles from this village and was captured. By the night of the same day, part of Shaban’s forces “occupied the heights above Belokani itself.”

03.07.1830 - “The main forces of Shaban descended from the mountains and, leaving the Belokan redoubt aside, reached out to Katekh. Sergeev sent Lieutenant Colonel Platonov with a Cossack regiment and part of the police to meet them, and ordered the division of Nizhny Novgorod dragoons to position themselves in reserve. Platonov occupied Katehi and even moved further; but as soon as his leading cavalry was drawn into the gorge, they were met by strong crossfire, could not resist and galloped back in disarray. This new failure of the Russians was reflected in the fact that the residents, gathered with carts at New Zagatala, all fled and the construction of the fortress stopped.

03.07.1830 - Rennenkampf’s detachment set out from Java to the Cheselt Gorge. The detachment walked through the Raro ridge, having crossed which, it then followed in two columns: one column under the command of Rennenkampf himself advanced through the villages of Tsamad, Bikoitikau and Duadonastau; the other, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Berilev, through the villages of Sichta, Kola and Cheselt. Rennenkampf's column met stubborn resistance from the peasants, among whom “the soldiers were surprised to notice women among the fighters.” “The troops appeared killed and wounded; their number began to grow. Gradually pushing out the Ossetians from one village to another, the troops were under continuous fire for two days. In total, Rennenkampf burned seven villages and, after taking the village of Bikoitikau, settled in a camp there.
Berilev's column, traveling through the village of Sikhta, also met strong resistance from the peasants of this village. The village was occupied with great difficulty. Continuing further, the column approached the village of Kola. The population took refuge in the tower and put up such determined resistance that Berilev did not dare to besiege the tower and moved on to join Rennenkampf (for this he received a reprimand from General Strekalov).

04.07.1830 - Russian troops storm Mount Zikara, on which the rebels of South Ossetia have fortified themselves. Two attacks on the mountain launched by Rennenkampf were ineffective. The rebels, defending themselves with rifle fire and large stones that were lowered from the mountain onto the advancing troops, fought with great ferocity

05.-06.07.1830 - Siege of the Belokansky redoubt by the mountaineers, under the leadership of Shaban. “Several times they rushed to attack and each time, meeting resistance, they turned back.” After the approach of General Sergeev’s detachment from Zagatala, Shaban retreated into the mountains. “Shikh-Shaban was too hasty in attacking Belokany and thereby ruined the work he had begun so successfully. If he had waited on Rog-no-or, Gamzat-bek, who had already arrived in Dzhermut, could have easily detained the Russian troops in Zagatala, and then the fate of the Belokan redoubt might have been different. Now, on the contrary, all circumstances turned against the mountaineers. The defeat of Shaban influenced Gamzat-bek so much that he disbanded the Lezgins and himself went to Avaria.” The battle for the Belakan redoubt “immediately suppressed the incipient uprising.”

07.07.1830 - The third assault on Mount Zikara by the detachment of General Rennenkampf. Defeat of the rebels. Of those captured by Rennenkampf, 118 rebels were sentenced to execution, 21 resistance members were sent to Siberia.

08.07.1830 - General Rennenkampf besieged the tower near the village of Kola. The rebels refused the offer to surrender sent through Prince Machabeli. After the bombing of the tower, the assault began. Two companies of grenadiers were thrown into the attack, but were repulsed. The troops lost 4 people killed and 18 people wounded, including Lieutenant Colonel Berilev who was mortally wounded. At night the attack was repeated. The besieged, hearing the noise, began to throw stones, and the hunters were repelled.
Rennenkampf decided to set fire to the tower. In the first hour, several hunters left the camp, surrounded the tower with dry wood and set it on fire. The besieged noticed this and opened fire. The flames quickly rose around the tower and soon reached the top superstructure. “Even in these last minutes,” says one eyewitness, “the desperate thugs did not think about surrender: they sang a cheerful song at the top of their lungs, tirelessly threw stones, mocked our efforts and, apparently, preferred death to any mercy...”
When the fire engulfed all the wooden parts of the tower, 10 Ossetians led by Bega Kochiev climbed down from the tower using ropes and, with daggers in their hands, rushed at the soldiers, trying to make their way through. Nine people were raised at bayonets by soldiers, Bega Kochiev himself was captured. The rest of the besieged were burned in the tower.
The heroic struggle of the Cheselt peasants for freedom made a strong impression on the tsarist generals. “The Highlanders showed exemplary cruelty,” Paskevich wrote to Chernyshov.

Wait, don't rush,

Several hundred, sold for money.

Manifest the sabur, second imam

He will place a greater burden on you.

Ali-haji from Inkho

Khamzat-bek was born in 1789 in the village of Gotsatl in the family of Aliskandi, known among the mountaineers for justice, courage and intelligence. Aliskandi was the vizier of the Khunzakh khans. He served under Uma Khan, famous for his intelligence. Aliskandi was a skilled diplomat. During the reign of Uma Khan, he did a lot of work to resolve relations with the Persian Shah, who threatened Dagestan. For this, the khan gave him eleven villages from his possession.

Khamzat was twelve years old when his father took him to the village of Chokh to study the sciences of Islam. They say that when he saw the bek’s little son “dressed in a decorated Circassian coat and wearing an expensive hat,” the mualim (teacher) of the Chokh madrasah said: “I don’t quite believe that a child dressed like that will study ilma (science).” Hearing these words, Khamzat went out and, taking off his clothes, threw them into the teacher’s stable, returned and sat down among the students, no longer outwardly different from them.

Having studied there for twelve years, at parting Khamzat heard from the teacher that he should not forget to take his clothes. Khamzat threw away the clothes, once richly decorated, but now eaten by moths, so as not to leave dirt in the teacher’s house. Pay attention to this story. The teacher said those words because very few wealthy people studied science. Imam Shafi'i said: "If there were no poor, Islamic science would disappear." Also pay attention to the intelligence of little Khamzat. He was not offended by the teacher’s words and did not leave, but, on the contrary, joined the environment of the students, trying not to stand out in any way. It was for this understanding that the Almighty distinguished him. This example shows what kind of person Khamzat was.

After Imam Ghazi-Muhammad fell as a martyr, scientists and representatives of the people gathered in the mosque in the village of Koroda. Khamzat-bek was chosen as the second imam. At first, he and his friends went around the villages, met with jamaats, instructed them, and talked about Sharia. But this did not give the desired results. Then he went to the village of Irganay, killed their munafiks, and arrested the most influential and authoritative person, Sultanov, and sent him to Gimry for imprisonment. Imam Khamzat himself stayed in Irganai, establishing Sharia law there. The decisive actions of the new imam had an effect and ambassadors from other villages began to come to him, showing submission.

Then he and Shamil went to Untsukul, whose inhabitants had deviated from Sharia. Khamzat-bek himself and his army stopped a little further from the village, and sent Shamil, along with twelve murids, to find out the situation. Shamil stood at the well, but the Untsukul residents began to invite him to the village, promising to fulfill everything he demanded. The wise Untsukul resident Kebed-Khadzhiyav called out to Shamil from the roof of the well that this was a trap and there was no need to go to the village. Then Shamil refused to enter the village until they sent hostages (amanat) to Khamzat.

The Untsukulians obeyed after a great confrontation. There, things almost came to a scuffle. For this they also took a deposit of 60 tumens. After this, the Untsukul people understood the meaning of the words of Gazi-Muhammad, who told them: “A second one will come against you, and he will make your life difficult.” This second was Imam Khamzat-bek.

Thus, Khamzat Beg established Sharia in the villages and was in no hurry to meet with the royal troops. He especially paid attention to the pacification of the oppressors of the common people, the rich, the beks, thinking only about their own benefit. He sent Shamil with a detachment to pacify the village of Mushuli. There, a detachment from Khunzakh arrived to help the Mushulinites, which was defeated by Shamil. Khamzat arrived there and with Shamil and the rest of the detachment went to Gergebil. There he restored order - he arrested the Gergebil aristocracy and sent it to Gotsatl for imprisonment. So, having established Sharia everywhere in Avaria, Khamzat-bek went to Khunzakh.

Muradula DADAEV

Head of the Department of History of Islam, DIU

From the series of articles “The Struggle for the Defense of Faith and People”