Draft:Sheikh Shamil
| Sheikh Shamil | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Sheikh Shamil |
| Other Names | Sheikh Shamil Dagestani |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Dagestan |
| Brith Date | 1797 CE |
| Death Place | Medina |
| Death Date | 1871 CE |
Sheikh Shamil was from the "Avar" people and was the leader of the resistance movement against Tsarist Russia.
Biography
He was from the "Avar" people and was born in the mountainous village of Gimry, located in northeastern Dagestan, in 1212 AH / 1797 CE.
His father, Abdulaziz, in addition to farming, was also involved in medicine.
From a young age, Shamil was known for his piety and firm belief in Islam, as well as his extraordinary physical endurance, which was notable even among the hardy people of Dagestan.[1]
Education
Sheikh Shamil learned reading, writing, and the fundamentals of Islamic sciences during his adolescence in his home province of Dagestan, which was at that time the most important Islamic scientific and cultural centre.
From the beginning of his youth, Shamil was influenced by the sermons of Qazi Muhammad — one of the Naqshbandi Sufi shaykhs.
The Russian conquests in the Caucasus coincided with the spread of the Naqshbandi order in that region.
Therefore, resistance against foreign invaders turned into a kind of "Ghazwah" or "Holy Jihad" against the Russian infidels.
Notes
Political and Military Activities
Qazi Muhammad and Sheikh Shamil engaged in mobilisation and organising the people of Dagestan against the Russian occupiers.
Within a short time, rebellion and uprising spread across all of Dagestan, and Qazi Mullah Muhammad was chosen as the leader of the resistance movement in the capacity of "Imam".
With the help of his fighting forces, who were obedient and devoted to him, he attacked Russian military bases and their native allies.
In 1246 AH / 1830 CE, Qazi Muhammad along with Shamil attacked Khunzakh, the centre of Avaristan, but were defeated.
In 1248 AH / 1832 CE, while Mullah Muhammad and Shamil were near Vladikavkaz, the Russians under General von Rosen attacked Chechnya and Avaristan. In this battle, Qazi Mullah Muhammad was martyred and Shamil was severely wounded but managed to escape the scene.
After the martyrdom of Qazi Mullah Muhammad, Hamza Bek was chosen as his successor, and after his murder in Jumada al-Awwal 1250 AH / September 1834, Shamil reached the position of "Imamate" and took command of the Muslim forces of Dagestan.
Shamil was chosen as "Imam" when he was in very difficult conditions. Haji Murad, the ruler of Avaristan, who was well aware of the strength and agility of his new rival, sought help from the Russian Tsar, and the Russians accepted this request generously, and soon Russian auxiliary forces poured into Khunzakh.
Defeat of Shamil's Movement
The fall of Chechnya in 1275 AH / 1859 CE was a major defeat for Shamil's Islamic movement. Thus, the borders of Shamil's movement collapsed further, and Dagestan became a battlefield from all sides. The moment of the end had arrived. The fall of the Vedeno fortress, which Shamil had entrusted to his son Qazi Muhammad, severely shook the confidence and loyalty of Shamil's followers.
Baryatinsky proceeded to Gunib via Chechnya, which was Shamil's last refuge in Dagestan. At this time, the mountain tribes who once obeyed him had rushed to plunder the last remnants of their leader's assets. Shamil, in such a situation, alone reached Gunib, which still controlled northern Dagestan. His family and children, Qazi Muhammad and Muhammad Shafi, joined him a few days later. In this fortress, four hundred of his loyal companions gathered.
On 30 Muharram 1276 AH / 30 August 1859, the Russians under the command of Baryatinsky reached the vicinity of the fortress. Shamil rejected the Russian proposal for surrender and desperately resisted against their attacks which started from 4 Safar / 4 September, but the resistance of men whose number had decreased to one hundred due to enemy fire was not effective against fourteen equipped Russian battalions.
Sheikh Shamil, seeing the lives of women, children, and other companions at risk of destruction in case of resistance, surrendered along with two of his sons on the condition of securing their lives, and presented his sword as a sign of surrender. At that time, thirty years had passed since the day Qazi Mullah Muhammad and Shamil had declared jihad against the Russians.
Fate of Sheikh Shamil After the Defeat
He fought with Russia for 25 years. But eventually, he was defeated in this struggle and surrendered to Russian authorities in a village known as Gunib.
The Tsarist government treated this prisoner with utmost respect by order of the Tsar, but could not keep him in the Caucasus as they feared he would continue his struggle. Therefore, the authorities decided that Sheikh Shamil and his family be exiled to another location.
First, Imam Shamil was taken to the city of Saint Petersburg, and there he was informed that henceforth he and his family would reside in a small town known as Kaluga near the city of Moscow.
Artsimovich, the governor of Kaluga, was ordered by the Russian government to find a house for the Imam and his family. After a long search, the governorate employees found a suitable house in exchange for an annual rent of 900 rubles.
The aforementioned house was a three-story brick building with additional blocks located in the courtyard. There were 13 rooms in the three stories of the house.
On 10 October 1859, Imam Shamil entered Kaluga accompanied by his son Qazi Muhammad, two servants, and Colonel Boguslavsky, the officer assigned to monitor him.
Imam Shamil liked the city of Kaluga very much and happily kept saying: This is Chechnya! With hills and bush-covered outskirts and small rivers and picturesque villages.
Imam Shamil did not know the Russian language and spoke with the locals through a translator named Gromov. Sheikh Shamil had a very attractive appearance, and the townspeople liked him very much. Sheikh Shamil was given an annual salary of 15,000 rubles, which was a considerable sum at the time; a carriage and four horses were also gifted to him. The Sheikh visited hospitals and schools. On 26 August 1866, Sheikh Shamil swore an oath of loyalty and allegiance to Russia at the Assembly of Nobles in Kaluga. He committed that he and his family would forever be subjects of the Tsarist Empire of Alexander II, the Crown Prince, and the Russian government. On 25 November 1876, Sheikh Shamil moved to the city of Kiev with his family.[1]
Death
In 1870, he traveled to the cities of Medina and Mecca, and on 4 February 1871, he passed away in Medina and was buried near the Prophet's tomb.