Alejuqo Shojenuqo was a Kabardian prince who served as the Grand Prince of Kabardia from 1624 to 1654. He was a member of the Shojenuqo princely house, the son of Shojenuqo Pshiapshoqo, and the grandson of Qaziy Pshiapshoqo. Alejuqo rose to power in a period that involved occasional internal clashes among the Kabardian noble families.
Alejuqo supported the unification of both regions of Kabardia (Lesser & Greater Kabardia) under one Grand Prince. During his reign, he played a significant role in the political and military affairs of Kabardia, navigating shifting alliances and conflicts involving both local princes and foreign states. His rule was marked by efforts to consolidate authority within Kabardia while maintaining diplomatic relations with major regional powers, including Muscovy and the Crimean Khanate. Alejuqo remained an influential figure in Kabardian politics until his death in 1654, after which the balance of power among the Kabardian nobility continued to evolve.
Early life According to Circassian folklore, Alejuqo was a tall and freckled man, clad in a red silk corset, with a "wasp-like waist". He was raised according to the modest customs of princely rites. He was taught horseback riding and swordsmanship, and trained as a knight. When it was determined that he had received sufficient training, he was invited to the great khasa ("Council") of Greater Kabardia, where he was elected as the senior prince of the appanage in 1619.
At the time, Kabardia was under constant threat from the Ottoman Turks and the Crimea from the west, the Nogais from the north, and Safavids from the south, who had recently occupied Eastern Georgia during the Georgian campaign of Shah Abbas the Great.
At the beginning of 1619, Kabardia faced the threat of a second invasion by the Great Nogai Horde. Alejuqo understood that Kabardia alone could not resist the Nogai Tatars, whose cavalry significantly outnumbered the Kabardian forces. In response, he organized a coalition of North Caucasian groups to oppose the planned invasion. Detachments from Dagestan, Chechnya, and Western Circassia, including forces from Besleney, Chemguy, and Zhaney, gathered in Kabardia under Alejuqo Shodjenuqo. The formation of this alliance strengthened Kabardia's defensive position. Confronted with the combined forces of several North Caucasian rulers, the Nogais abandoned their invasion plans. In the same year, the Great Nogai Horde, facing additional pressure from Kalmyk movements in the steppe, migrated from the right bank to the left bank of the Volga River. As a result, Nogai raids into Kabardia temporarily ceased.
In 1624, Qudenet Qambolet of Kabardia died. After Qudenet's death, the charter for the position of Grand Prince of Kabardia was issued to his younger brother, Pshemakho, but he failed to win the election over Alejuqo.Мальбахов Б. К. Кабарда на этапах политической истории (середина XVI — первая четверть XIX века). Москва: «Поматур», 2002, p. 65. The young prince was fortunate in his companions. First and foremost, these were Alejuqo's cousin, Princes Hatokhshoqo Qazy and Bezruko Akhmet.
Reign In the early 1620s, Kabardia's foreign policy began to shift toward Crimea. Khan Mehmed III Giray married the sister of Hatokhshoqo Qazi, and in 1622, his brother, Kalga Shahin Giray, married the sister of Alejuqo.
Alejuqo gradually extended his power to Lesser Kabardia. In 1626, the Tlekotlesh Anzors were subjugated. In 1628, Cherkassky was forced to move to the Terek city of Pshimakho (Pshchymakhue), all his possessions coming under Alejuqo's control. Attacks by detachments from Qazi's Kabardia on Russian settlements on the Terek River became more frequent. Captured Russians were sold to Shahin Giray in Crimea. At the same time, Cossack servicemen began fleeing en masse to the Kabardians.
On January 20, 1638, ambassadors from Crimea arrived in Kabardia and Dagestan bearing rich gifts and an order from the khan to send Kabardian cavalry for a campaign against Azov, which had been captured by the Don Cossacks in 1637. Alejuqo greeted the ambassadors warmly and gratefully accepted the gifts, but refused to send a highland army under various pretexts.
Alejuqo understood well that sending his army on long campaigns was extremely unwise. Alejuqo also always refused the Terek voivodes' appeals to send his army for campaigns against Russia's enemies. Alejuqo's policy of neutrality bore fruit during Alejuqo's reign. Kabardia never launched major campaigns against its neighbors, which ultimately allowed the Kabardian cavalry to retain its considerable mobilization potential. S. A. Belokurov, characterizing the military strength of Alejuqo's army, spoke of over 1,000 uzdens, over 2,000 mounted armored soldiers, and over 2,000 peasants. A formidable force for the time, and that does not include the retinues of Hatokhshoqo and other princes allied with Alejuqo. In the late 1630s, Kabardia established good relations with Georgia. These relations were significantly strengthened by the marriage of the son of the Mingrelian king, Levan II Dadiani, to the daughter of Alejuqo. Alejuqo's daughter's truly royal dowry inspires respect: 100 souls of the yasyr, 100 silver vessels, 100 gold dresses, 100 mares, 100 bulls, and 100 arquebuses.
After Prince Sholokh Cherkassky, Alejuqo's son-in-law, fell to his death while riding a wild horse in 1636, power in the Terek town passed to his brother, Mutsal Sunchaleevich. According to the custom of levirate marriage, he married his brother's widow, Porhan, Alejuqo's sister.
Mutsal began to assist Alejuqo in his efforts to unify Kabardia. According to some reports, Mutsal participated in the attack of Alejuqo's troops on the lands of Chalimat and Eldar Cherkassky on May 29, 1641. These territories were annexed to the possessions of Qazy's Kabardia. Many prisoners were captured, including the mother and two sisters of Chalimat Cherkassky. Events were moving toward open war. A pretext was needed to begin it, and it was soon found.
By 1641, Kabardia was already practically united by Alejuqo Shojenuqo. Only one major ruler of Lesser Kabardia remained, pursuing an independent policy. This was the elderly prince Mudar Alkhas, who had strong family ties with the Shah of Iran Abbas the Great and the Shamkhal of Tarki.
Alejuqo never gave up hope of improving relations with Russia. While well aware of Russia's military capabilities, he nevertheless tried to avoid war. The Supreme Prince of Kabardia made his final attempt to avoid a clash in 1640, when a Kabardian embassy, led by the particularly trusted uzden Bezruko Akhmet, was sent to Moscow to Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. The talented Kabardian diplomat carried a letter from Alejuqo and Hatokhshoqo to Moscow, containing assurances of loyalty to Russia and a request for an independent envoy from Moscow to fairly resolve disputes in Kabardia. There were complaints about the bias of the Terek governors and the oppression of hostages in Terek. But the most important thing was the tone of the letter itself. Although the charter was full of assurances of allegiance to Russia, the document clearly implied that, if Moscow did not heed the Kabardians' requests, Alejuqo reserved the right to change his overlord. Essentially, it was a hidden ultimatum: either Moscow recognize Alejuqo as Supreme Prince of Kabardia, or Kabardia would come under the wing of Crimea.
On June 29, 1640, Bezruko Akhmet was received at the Ambassadorial Prikaz. The negotiations themselves took place on August 25, without the Tsar's presence. It immediately became clear that the Tsar supported Alejuqo's opponents. The charter was declared improperly and impolitely written. All of Alejuqo's requests were rejected, and he himself was accused of various untruths, the most important of which was maintaining good relations with Crimea (which was only partially true). The negotiations appeared to have ended in vain. It was declared that the Kabardian ambassador deserved the death penalty for such an improper charter. Bezruko awaited his fate until September 9, when he was unexpectedly received by Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Bezruko was informed that Prince Dmitry Gorchakov was being sent to Kabardia to resolve disputes, and a charter was presented to Alejuqo inviting him to confess. The next day, Bezruko departed for Kabardia.
In 1641, a detachment from the city of Terek, under the command of the Strelets voivode Artemy Shishmarev, was sent to the lands of Chalimat Cherkassky, which had been conquered by Alejuqo. The detachment consisted of 100 mounted Strelets, 18 boyars, and approximately 200 Chechens and Ingush. The formation of an anti-Kabardian coalition began. The first to join the Russian detachment were forces of the Lesser Kabardian princes Yeldar Aybak, Narchu Yelbezduqo, Aytech Akhle, Qazi Alkhas, and Qudenet Baraghun. A large cavalry force from the Great Nogai Horde soon arrived. The Nogai were led by the murzas Soltanash Aksakov and Khoroshai Chubarmametov. Dagestani rulers, interested in weakening Kabardia, also hastened to the area. The Kumyk cavalry was led by Shamkhal Aydemir himself. Finally, many servicemen rushed from the city of Terek, seeking easy profit, to join the anti-Kabardian coalition. They were led by Tatarhan and Tonzhekhan Araslanov. However, Alejuqo and Hatokhshoqo were also quick to act. Warned in advance by Mutsal Cherkassky's men remaining in Terek about the impending campaign against them, they formed their own coalition. Detachments from Maly Nogai, led by the murzas Urakov and Kaspulatov, and the Abaza rulers Saralp Murza Loov and Kazy-Murza Dorukov, came to the Kabardians' aid. On July 12, 1641, the opposing sides met on the Malka (Balk) River. The opposing army was routed and suffered enormous losses. In a desperate attempt to escape the encirclement, horsemen and foot soldiers leaped from a cliff into the Balk River, but almost all were killed or drowned. All the leaders of the opposing forces were killed in the battle, including Chalimat Cherkassky, Shamkhal Aydemir, Yeldar Aybak, and Artemy Shishmarev.
Several hundred people were captured by the Kabardians, among whom were the princes Tatarkhan Aslan and Akhle Aytech, as well as Qudenet Baraghun.
Without a doubt, had Alejuqo been defeated, Kabardia would have been devastated by foreign invaders, and the Dagestani rulers would have assumed hegemonic power in the North Caucasus. The devastated Kabardian lands would have become easy prey for constant raids, which would have set back the nation's development for many years. Alejuqo Shojenuqo's military leadership and his ability to rally the people to defend their homeland played a significant role in the Kabardian victory. The Battle of Malka in 1641 is one of the major milestones in Kabardian history.