The Rulers of Circassia refers to the figures who held supreme authority over Circassia. This role evolved from a symbolic feudal title into a formal executive office established to coordinate national defense during the Russo-Circassian War.
History
Pre-Inalid princes The influential tribes of Circassia regularly met to elect a Grand Prince (Пщышхо) among them. The existence of such an institute is confirmed by foreign sources. In the eyes of foreign observers, the Grand Prince was considered the king of the Circassians. However, the individual tribes were greatly autonomous and the title was mostly symbolic. In 1237, the Dominican monks Richard and Julian, as part of the Hungarian embassy, visited Circassia and the main city of this country Matrega, located on the Taman Peninsula. In Matrega, the embassy received a good reception from the Grand Prince.De facto Ungariae Magnae a fretre Riccardo invento tempori domini Gregorii Noni. // Исторический архив. 1940. Т. 3. С. 96.)
In the 14th and 15th centuries Italian documents concerning the relationship between the consul of Kafa and Circassia clearly indicate the absolutely special status of the ruler of Circassia. This status allowed the senior prince of Circassia to correspond with the Pope. The letter of Pope John XXII, addressed to the Grand Prince Verzacht of Zichia (Circassia), dates back to 1333, in which the Roman pontiff thanked the ruler for his diligence in introducing the Catholic faith among his subjects. Verzacht's power status was so high that following his example some other Circassian princes adopted Catholicism.Atti della Societa Ligure di storia patria. T. VII, f. 2. 737; Колли Л. Кафа в период владения ею банком св. Георгия (1454-1475) // Известия Таврической Ученой Архивной комиссии. № 47. Симферополь, 1912. С. 86.)
List NameCircassian nameReignDescriptionRededya Ридадэ?–1022Prince of Kassogia, leader of Circassians who fought Mstislav the BraveTuqarTукъар?–1237Leader of Circassians who died fighting the MongolsTuqbashTукъбаш1237–1239Leader of Circassians who died fighting the Mongols
Inalid Prince of Princes Grand Princes of the Principality of Chemguy were considered as the "true owners" of most of West Circassia. This is because in Circassian oral history, Inal the Blind managed to unite all Circassians and declared himself the "Princes of Princes", and the title has passed to Inal's eldest son Chemrug. Chemrug's son Boletuqo founded the House of Boletuqo, which was the princely dynasty of the Principality of Chemguy. In some versions, Boletuqo's brothers, along with their subjects, broke away from the principality and formed their own principalities. This separation process resulted in the formation of the Hatuqay, Jane, and Hegayk tribes. The Chemguy Grand Prince held a nominal vassal authority over all the principalities believed to be descended from the Inal; including Kabardians and Besleney.
In the first half of the 16th century, the Bzhedug people migrated from the Black Sea coast to settle in the Chemguy lands in the Kuban region. According to legend, the Chemguy prince agreed to allow the Bzhedug people to settle in his lands on the condition that the Bzhedug princes become his vassal nobles. The Bzhedug princes wanted to preserve their princely rank and independence. The Bzhedug won the ensuing war and acquired vast territories around the Psekups basin. Makhosh tribe, who broke away from the Bzhedug tribe, also went east and settled in the Chemguy lands. In the late 16th century, the Abzakh and Shapsug-Natukhaj tribes appeared, in that order, in central West Circassia and along the Black Sea coast. According to historian F. A. Shcherbina, during the Russo-Circassian War, when General Zass suggested defining borders with the Principality of Chemguy, Grand Prince Jembulat Boletuqo replied:"What has this Russian general, born of a woman without trousers, devised? What border could I have? I am a son of the sun and the moon, meaning I descend from parental blood so pure that my parents can only be likened to the sun and the moon, and my ancestors' domains stretched along the Kuban, from the Laba River to the Black Sea. There is but one border for these lands: the Kuban. On one side are my lands, on the other are the Russians. Everyone should know this."By the early 19th century, the confederative structure of the Principality of Chemguy included the territories of Makhosh, Yejeruqay, Ademiy and Mamkhegh. They had previously established dominance over the Abazin regions as well.
List NameCircassian nameReignDescriptionInal "the Blind"Хъурышъолъей икъо Инал "Нэшъу"See Dating of InalAncestor of Circassian princes in tradition.ChemrugИнал икъо КӏэмрыгуEarly 14th c.Eldest son of Inal in tradition. He gave his name to the principality (the land of Chemrug, Chemrugoy, Chemirgoy, Chemguy).BoletuqoКӏэмрыгу икъо БолэтыкъоEarly 14th c.Eldest son of Chemrug in tradition. He was the founder of the dynasty. Dated to the early 14th century by Samir Khotko.Chertibiy (Kerti Bey / Kurtibay)Болэтыкъо ЧэртыбийBefore 1452Father of Biberd, Ashaba and Tokhtamish. In the anonymous Arabic chronicle titled 'al-‘Uqūd al-Jawhariyya fī al-Mahāsin al-Dawla al-Ashrafiyya al-Ghawiyya', Kurtibay, the ruler of Karamuk (namely Chemguy), and Kerti Bey, the ruler of Kremuk mentioned by Josaphat Barbaro, are the same person. This ruler had sons named Biberd, mentioned by Barbaro, and Tokhtamish (Taktamysh) and Ashaba (Ishbai), mentioned by the Arabic chronicle.BiberdБолэтыкъо Чэртыбий икъо Биберд 1452Son of Chertibiy. Mentioned by Giosafat Barbaro, a representative of a Venetian noble family in Tana, as the ruler of Chemguy (Kremuk) in 1452. He was also mentioned in a Genoese document from 1471.TomenishБолэтыкъо ТомэнышEarly 16th c.Mentioned in oral sources as the ruler of Chemguy and killed during the battle against Bzhedugs. The place where Tomenish died severely wounded was turned into a mound by the Bzhedugs after the battle. This mound is called the Tomenish mound (Томанышы иIуашъхь). In some versions; Bzhedugs had allied with the fugitive relatives of the Crimean Khan, Tomenish was also recorded as Bezruqo and fought alongside Hatuqay prince Aledjuqo during the battle.Qanshau (Kansu)Болэтыкъо Къаншъау 1581Mentioned in Ottoman documents in 1581 as the Christian ruler of Chemguy (Kemürgüy). The name Kansu in Ottoman documents may be Qanshau. Circassian folk songs about the 1578 Derbent campaign during the Ottoman-Safavid War of 1578–1590 instead name Asran (Болэтыкъо Асран).Qanshauqo (Kanşuk / Kansutrak)Болэтыкъо Къаншъау икъо 1583Mentioned in Ottoman documents from 1583 as the ruler of Chemguy. He was mentioned among the Circassian princes with their detachments who were part of the Ottoman expeditionary force. He is mentioned as Kansutrak in another document. A document from 1586 mentions two Chemguy princes named Subuh and Survez.MehmedБолэтыкъо МыхьэмэдUntil 1590Mehmed was the ruler of Chemguy until he was appointed by Ottomans as the Sanjak-bey of Kefe and the Emir of the Circassian lands in 1590. Mehmed and his brother Husrev had converted to Islam.HusrevБолэтыкъо Хьусрэу 1590After his older brother Mehmed was appointed as Emir, Husrev was appointed as the ruler of Chemguy after Mehmed.Unnamed ruler 1629Mentioned by Dominican friar Giovanni Luca in 1629 as the ruler of Chemguy (Bolette-koy). He welcomed the missionaries sent by Pope Urban VIII, hosting them in his residence and facilitating the mass baptism of 250 children in his domain. He was around 60 years old in 1629 and had sons and at least a daughter. His wife had recently died.MirzabekБолэтыкъо Мырзэбек 1643Mentioned by Russians in 1643 as the ruler of Chemguy (Kumurgey), son of Qanmirza and older brother of Bezruqo which was sent to Terek city as a delegate.Глава III. АДЫГИ В СИСТЕМЕ ГЕОПОЛИТИЧЕСКИХ И ЭТНОПОЛИТИЧЕСКИХ ВЗАИМООТНОШЕНИЙ НА КАВКАЗЕ (СЕРЕДИНА XVI – НАЧАЛО 1770-х гг.) "Отдельные западно-адыгские народности стремились восстановить отношения с Россией. В августе 1643 г. верховный темиргоевский («кумургейский») князь Мурзабек Канмурзин прислал в Терский город своего младшего брата Базруку, который принес шерть..." Архив ИГИ КБНЦ, ф. 1, оп. 1, ед. хр. 12, л. 91-92.Sihatuqo (Sihadok)Болэтыкъо Сыхьатыкъо 1666Mentioned by Evliya Çelebi in 1666 as the eldest brother among the 7 ruling prince brothers of Chemguy (Bolatkay). He listed 5 brothers from eldest to youngest as: Sihatuqo (Sihadok), Yelbezdi (El-Bozdı), Yelmirza (El-mirza), Bezruqo (Bazruk), Bateqo (Batok).Unnamed ruler 1724Mentioned by Xavier de Glavany in his 1724 report as the ruler of Chemguy (Gemirgia) and Makhosh (Mokosigilan). According to Glavany, the principality had 2,000 dwellings under his administration, and the Abazin tribe Barakay (Karabay) with 600 dwellings was also listed as his dependency.ShumafБолэтыкъо Айтэч икъо ШумафэMid 18th c.Son of Aytech. Mentioned in traditional songs and legends. He had 2 sons named Aslanbech and Hatughuzhuqo.AslanbechБолэтыкъо Шумафэ икъо Аслъэнбэч 1782Son of Shumaf. Mentioned in 1782 as the ruler of Chemguy, who signed his letter to the commandant of Suzhuq-Kale, reporting on frontier conditions and requesting military support from the Ottoman authorities. Later that, he is mentioned in 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792 and 1797.Directorate of State Archives (BOA), Ali Emiri - Sabık I (AE.SABH.I), 19-1626, H-10-07-1203 (6 April 1789). "Imperial Order regarding the intelligence report on Russian fortifications in Kabarda and Dagestan."Directorate of State Archives (BOA), Cevdet - Hariciye (C.HR), 33-1621, H-29-09-1205 (31 May 1791). "Decree regarding the mobilization of Circassian tribes against Russia."Directorate of State Archives (BOA), Cevdet - Maliye (C.ML), 57-2608, H-23-05-1212 (13 November 1797). "Report submitted by the Anapa Warden regarding the allocation of the remaining 200 kurus from the salary of the deceased Apetek's son to his three children."BezruqoБолэтыкъо Хьатыгъужъыкъо икъо БэзрыкъоUntil 1808Son of Hatughuzhuqo. He was killed during a battle against the Abzakhs.MishawostБолэтыкъо Хьатыгъужъыкъо икъо Мышъэост1808–1827Son of Hatughuzhuqo, older brother of Bezruqo.JembulatБолэтыкъо Хьатыгъужъыкъо икъо Джанболэт1827–1836/1837Son of Hatughuzhuqo. He opposed Russia and was killed by Russian general Grigory Zass in an assassination.
De-facto Confederation Leaders
Circassia traditionally consisted of more than a dozen principalities. Some of these principalities were divided into large feudal estates, characterized by the stability of political status. Within these territories there were numerous feudal possessions of princes (pshi). The Circassian state was a federal state consisting of four levels of government: Village council (чылэ хасэ, made up of village elders and nobles), district council (made up of representatives from 7 neighbouring village councils), regional council (шъолъыр хасэ, made up from neighbouring district councils), people's council (лъэпкъ зэфэс, where every council had a representative). A central government emerged during the mid to late 1800s. Prior to that, the institute of grand prince was mostly symbolic. The confederation of free tribes emerged as rival power structure to the princes.