Hadji Murad
Encyclopedia
Hadji Murad (late 1790s - April 23 (N.S. May 5), 1852) was an important Avar
leader during the resistance of the peoples of Dagestan
and Chechnya
in 1811-1864 against the incorporation of the region into Russian Empire
.
during a Friday prayer in 1834, in revenge for Gamzat's murdering the Khanum and her sons. Murad's brother, Osman, was slain in the fight with Gamzat-bek's Murid
s.
Hadji Murad supported the Russians for a while, to counter what he saw as the threat of Murid
ism. His rival, Akhmet Khan, set about undermining Russian confidence in Murat, until they ordered his arrest, which was carried out by Akhmet Khan. General Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov
demanded that he be brought in to general head-quarters. Hadji Murad contrived to escape, by flinging himself over the ledge of a narrow mountain-pass. The Russians gave him up for dead. The snow, however, had broken his fall and he lay in hiding for the winter. Because of the Russian's bad faith, he decided to throw his lot in with Imam Shamil
, who bestowed upon him the rank of naib. Many tribes followed Hadji Murad, defecting from the Russians.
s, which he left behind for the Russian troops to eat unawares. Though false, this rumour gained much credence among the Russians and vilified Hadji Murad's reputation.
in today's Azerbaijan
accompanied by a Cossack
escort. Hadji Murad planned an escape, which he carried out on April 24 (Old style calendar), 1852, during one of his morning rides. The Cossack guards were ambushed and killed but the town's garrison, led by Colonel Karganov, tracked Hadji Murad down. The Russians were joined by many tribesmen, including Akhmet Khan's son and Hadji Murat was killed in the ensuing fight. The young Akhmet Khan cut off the head and sent it to Tblisi, where it was embalmed and then sent to the Emperor
. Tolstoy
places Murad's death near the minaret of Belarjik (probably referring to the latterday town of Biləcik on the Shaki
to Qax road) but a commemorative grave marker is further south near km76 on the Shaki-Zaqatala
road.
's posthumously published novel Hadji Murat
(1912) is a fictionalized account of Murad's struggle with the Russian Empire. His image also appears in My Dagestan, a novel of the Avars writer Rasul Gamzatov
Agi Murad il diavolo bianco (1959) – in English, The White Warrior – is an Italian movie account of Murad's struggle with the Russian Empire. Murad is played by Steve Reeves
.
Caucasian Avars
Avars or Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan, in which they are the predominant group. The Caucasian Avar language belongs to the Northeast Caucasian language family ....
leader during the resistance of the peoples of Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
and Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
in 1811-1864 against the incorporation of the region into Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
Alliance with Russia
Hadji Murad was an Avar commander who lived in the Caucasus. He was foster-brother to Omar, Pakkou-Bekkhe, the Khanum of Khunzak's son. Hadji Murad was involved in the murder of Gamzat-bekGamzat-bek
Gamzat-bek , Hamza-Bek, was the second imam of the Caucasian Imamate, who succeeded Ghazi Mollah upon his death in 1832.Gamzat-bek was a son of one of the Avar beks...
during a Friday prayer in 1834, in revenge for Gamzat's murdering the Khanum and her sons. Murad's brother, Osman, was slain in the fight with Gamzat-bek's Murid
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
s.
Hadji Murad supported the Russians for a while, to counter what he saw as the threat of Murid
Murid
Murid is a Sufi term meaning 'committed one' from the root meaning "willpower" or "self-esteem". It refers to a person who is committed to a Murshid in a Tariqa of Sufism. Also known as a Salik , a murid is an initiate into the mystic philosophy of Sufism. When the Talib makes a pledge to a...
ism. His rival, Akhmet Khan, set about undermining Russian confidence in Murat, until they ordered his arrest, which was carried out by Akhmet Khan. General Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov
Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov
Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov , was a Russian prince and field-marshal, renowned for his success in the Napoleonic wars, and most famous for his participation in the Caucasian War from 1844 to 1853....
demanded that he be brought in to general head-quarters. Hadji Murad contrived to escape, by flinging himself over the ledge of a narrow mountain-pass. The Russians gave him up for dead. The snow, however, had broken his fall and he lay in hiding for the winter. Because of the Russian's bad faith, he decided to throw his lot in with Imam Shamil
Imam Shamil
Imam Shamil also spelled Shamyl, Schamil, Schamyl or Shameel was an Avar political and religious leader of the Muslim tribes of the Northern Caucasus...
, who bestowed upon him the rank of naib. Many tribes followed Hadji Murad, defecting from the Russians.
Exploits and service under Shamil
His exploits and red dress earned him the nickname of the 'red devil' from the Russians. After an ineffectual raid on Russian headquarters at Temir-Khan-Shura, a rumour spread that he had slaughtered all the Russians in the hospital and cut them up into shashlikShashlik
Shashlyk or Shashlik , is a form of Shish kebab popular throughout Israel, Lithuania, former Soviet Union, Iran, Mongolia, and parts of central Europe. Shashlyk is originally lamb depending on local preferences and religious observances...
s, which he left behind for the Russian troops to eat unawares. Though false, this rumour gained much credence among the Russians and vilified Hadji Murad's reputation.
Defection to Russia
In 1851, a feud broke out between him and Shamil, when Shamil proclaimed his son, Khazi Mohammed, as the successor. In a secret meeting, Shamil and his naibs decided that Hadji Murad should be killed. An unknown naib warned him and he managed to escape in time, but his family were held captive. Hadji Murad surrendered to the Russians, who lionised, but mistrusted him. He repeatedly asked to be given men and guns to attack Shamil and rescue his family, but received no firm reply. He was allowed to move from Tblisi to the small Muslim town of NoukkhaShaki
Shaki is a city in northwestern Azerbaijan, in the rayon of the same name.Shaki is situated in northern Azerbaijan on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, from Baku...
in today's Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
accompanied by a Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
escort. Hadji Murad planned an escape, which he carried out on April 24 (Old style calendar), 1852, during one of his morning rides. The Cossack guards were ambushed and killed but the town's garrison, led by Colonel Karganov, tracked Hadji Murad down. The Russians were joined by many tribesmen, including Akhmet Khan's son and Hadji Murat was killed in the ensuing fight. The young Akhmet Khan cut off the head and sent it to Tblisi, where it was embalmed and then sent to the Emperor
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
. Tolstoy
Hadji Murat (novel)
Hadji Murat is a short novel written by Leo Tolstoy from 1896 to 1904 and published posthumously in 1912 . It is Tolstoy’s final work...
places Murad's death near the minaret of Belarjik (probably referring to the latterday town of Biləcik on the Shaki
Shaki
Shaki is a city in northwestern Azerbaijan, in the rayon of the same name.Shaki is situated in northern Azerbaijan on the southern part of the Greater Caucasus mountain range, from Baku...
to Qax road) but a commemorative grave marker is further south near km76 on the Shaki-Zaqatala
Zaqatala (city)
Zaqatala ; is a city in northwest Azerbaijan. With a municipal population of 31,300 inhabitants, it is located northwest of Sheki, by the Tala River and is the main municipality of the Zaqatala rayon...
road.
In fiction
Leo TolstoyLeo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
's posthumously published novel Hadji Murat
Hadji Murat (novel)
Hadji Murat is a short novel written by Leo Tolstoy from 1896 to 1904 and published posthumously in 1912 . It is Tolstoy’s final work...
(1912) is a fictionalized account of Murad's struggle with the Russian Empire. His image also appears in My Dagestan, a novel of the Avars writer Rasul Gamzatov
Rasul Gamzatov
Rasul Gamzatovich Gamzatov was probably the most famous poet writing in the Avar language. Among his poems was Zhuravli, which became a well-known Soviet song....
Agi Murad il diavolo bianco (1959) – in English, The White Warrior – is an Italian movie account of Murad's struggle with the Russian Empire. Murad is played by Steve Reeves
Steve Reeves
Stephen L. Reeves was an American bodybuilder and actor. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe.-Childhood:...
.
Additional reading
- Lesley Blanch "The Sabres of Paradise".
- Kaziev, ShapiKaziev ShapiShapi Magomedovitch Kaziev, is a Russian writer, playwright and script writer. He is the author of historical novels and other books.-Life and career:...
. Imam Shamil. "Molodaya Gvardiya" publishers. Moscow, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2010