Global InformationCircassian genocide information
| Circassian genocide | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Russo-Circassian War | |
 Painting depicting Circassians trying to evacuate their town in order to avoid Russian aggression | |
 Circassian population remaining in Circassia after the genocide. After the genocide, only those forced into exile, hiding in marshes and caves, and, in rare cases, who could make agreements with the Russians, survived. | |
| Native name | Ubykh: ЦӀыцӀэкӀун |
| Location | Circassia under Russian invasion |
| Date | 1863–1878[1] |
| Target | Circassians and other Muslim peoples of the Caucasus |
Attack type | Genocidal massacres, genocidal rape, deportation, torture, death march, ethnic cleansing |
| Deaths |
|
| Victims |
|
| Perpetrators | Russian Empire |
| Motive | Imperialism, Anti-Muslim sentiment, Russification, Christianization |
The Circassian genocide,[10][11] or Tsitsekun,[a][b] was the Russian Empire's systematic mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and expulsion of 95–97%[c][d] of the Circassian population, resulting in 1 to 1.5 million deaths[15][e] during the final stages of the Russo-Circassian War.[16][17][18] The peoples planned for extermination were mainly the Muslim Circassians, but other Muslim peoples of the Caucasus were also affected.[17] Killing methods used by Russian forces during the genocide included impaling and tearing the bellies of pregnant women as means of intimidation of the Circassian population.[16][19] Russian generals such as Grigory Zass described the Circassians as "subhuman filth", and glorified the mass murder of Circassian civilians,[16][20][21] justified their use in scientific experiments,[22] and allowed their soldiers to rape women.[16]
The Genocide is considered to have had its first steps in the deportation and/or massacre of the Muslim Circassian population of the Russian Empire. The Muslim Circassians were deported to the Muslim Ottoman Empire. During the Russo-Circassian War, the Russian Empire employed a genocidal strategy of massacring Circassian civilians. Only a small percentage who accepted Russification and resettlement within the Russian Empire were completely spared. The remaining Circassian population who refused were variously dispersed or killed en masse.[23] Circassian villages would be located and burnt, systematically starved, or their entire population massacred.[24] Leo Tolstoy reported that Russian soldiers would attack village houses at night.[25] William Palgrave, a British diplomat who witnessed the events, adds that "their only crime was not being Russian".[26] In 1864, "A Petition from Circassian leaders to Her Majesty Queen Victoria" was signed by the Circassians requesting humanitarian aid from the British Empire.[27][28][29] In the same year, mass deportation was launched against the surviving population before the end of the war in 1864 and it was mostly completed by 1867.[30] Some died from epidemics or starvation among the crowds of deportees and were reportedly eaten by dogs after their death.[26] Others died when the ships underway sank during storms.[31]
The Circassian genocide was also the deadliest ethnic cleansing campaign of the 19th century.[32] Calculations, including taking into account the Russian government's archival figures, have estimated a loss of 94–97%[33][34][35] of the Circassian population, who were either mass murdered or forcibly expelled during the genocide. The displaced people were settled primarily in the Ottoman Empire.[16] Most sources state that as many as 1 to 1.5 million Circassians were forced to flee in total, but only around half of them could make it to land.[6][36] Ottoman archives show more than one million migrants entering their land from the Caucasus by 1879, with nearly half of them dying on the shores as a result of disease.[5] If Ottoman archives are correct, it would make this the biggest genocide of the 19th century.[37] In confirmation of Ottoman archives, Russian records documented only the presence of 106,798 Circassians in the region, following the events of the genocide. Other estimates by Russian historiographers are even lower, with figures ranging from 40,400 to 65,900.[13] The Russian census of 1897 recorded 150,000 Circassians still remaining in the now-conquered region.[38][39]
As of 2023[update], Georgia is the only country to recognize the Circassian genocide.[40] Russia actively denies the Circassian genocide,[41][42][43] and classifies the events as a migration (Russian: Черкесское мухаджирство, lit. 'Circassian migrationism'). Some Russian nationalists in the Caucasus region continue to celebrate the day when the Circassian deportation was launched, 21 May (O.S), each year as a "holy conquest day". Circassians commemorate 21 May every year as the Circassian Day of Mourning commemorating the Circassian genocide.[44] On 21 May, Circassians all over the world protest against the Russian government, especially in cities with large Circassian populations such as Kayseri and Amman, as well as other large cities such as Istanbul.[45][46]
- ^ Richmond 2013, pp. 8, 79–83, 91–92.
- ^ "Circassian Genocide on its 159th Anniversary". Human Rights Association. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023.
- ^ Karpat 1985.
- ^ Levene, Mark (2005). "6: Declining Powers". Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State. Vol. II: The Rise of the West and the Coming of Genocide. 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010. p. 301. ISBN 1-84511-057-9.
anything between 1 and 1.5 million Circassians perished either directly, or indirectly, as a result of the Russian military campaign
- ^ a b Neumann, Karl Friedrich (1840). Russland und die Tscherkessen [Russia and the Circassians] (in German).
- ^ a b Karpat 1985, p. 69.
- ^ Karpat 1985, pp. 68, 69.
- ^ Levene, Mark (2005). "6: Declining Powers". Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State Volume II: The Rise of the West and the Coming of Genocide. 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010. p. 300. ISBN 1-84511-057-9.
- ^ Shenfield 1999, pp. 153–154.
- ^ Richmond 2013, p. [page needed]; Shenfield 1999, p. 154; King 2008; Jones 2016, p. 109
- ^ * "UNPO: The Circassian Genocide". unpo.org. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- Javakhishvili, Niko (20 December 2012). "Coverage of The tragedy public Thought (later half of the 19th century)". justicefornorthcaucasus.info. Tbilisi State University. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
- "Postanovleniye Verkhovnogo Soveta K-BSSR ob osuzhdenii genotsida cherkesov ot 7 fevralya 1992 g. N° 977-XII-B" Постановление Верховного Совета К-БССР об осуждении геноцида черкесов от 7 февраля 1992 г. N° 977-XII-B [Decree of the Supreme Council of the K-BSSR on the condemnation of the genocide of the Circassians of February 7, 1992 N ° 977-XII-B]. elot.ru. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
- "Postanovleniye Parlamenta Kabardino-Balkarskoy Respubliki ot 12.05.1994 № 21-P-P (ob obrashchenii v Gosdumu s voprosom priznaniya genotsida cherkesov) Nedostupnaya ssylka" Постановление Парламента Кабардино-Балкарской Республики от 12.05.1994 № 21-П-П (об обращении в Госдуму с вопросом признания геноцида черкесов) Недоступная ссылка [Decree of the Parliament of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic of May 12, 1994 No. 21-P-P (on applying to the State Duma with the issue of recognizing the genocide of the Circassians) Unavailable link]. parlament-kbr.ru (in Russian). September 2021.[permanent dead link]
- "Постановление ГС — Хасэ Республики Адыгея от 29.04.1996 № 64-1 «Об обращении к Государственной Думе Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации»" [Decree of the State Council - Khase of the Republic of Adygea dated April 29, 1996 No. 64-1 "On Appeal to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation"]. pravoteka.ru (in Russian).
- ^ "Зумысыжмэ, ущхьэхуитщ!". Жьынэпс Гъазэтэ (in Kabardian). 20 May 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ a b Richmond 2013, p. 132.
- ^ Jones 2016, p. 110.
- ^ Sources:
- Shenfield 1999, pp. 149–162: "The number who died in the Circassian catastrophe of the 1860s could hardly, therefore, have been fewer than one million, and may well have been closer to one-and-a-half million"
- Richmond 2013
- King 2008
- Cataliotti, Joseph (22 October 2023). "Circassian Genocide: Overview & History". Study.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023.
- "Circassian Genocide on its 159th Anniversary". Human Rights Association. 21 May 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Richmond 2013, back cover.
- ^ a b Yemelianova, Galina (April 2014). "Islam, nationalism and state in the Muslim Caucasus". Caucasus Survey. 1 (2): 3. doi:10.1080/23761199.2014.11417291.
- ^ Geçmişten günümüze Kafkasların trajedisi: uluslararası konferans, 21 Mayıs 2005 [The tragedy of the Caucasus from past to present: international conference, 21 May 2005] (in Turkish). Kafkas Vakfı Yayınları. 2006. ISBN 978-975-00909-0-5 – via Google Books.
- ^ Gazetesi, Aziz Üstel. "Soykırım mı; işte Çerkes soykırımı - Yazarlar - Aziz ÜSTEL" [Is it genocide; here is the Circassian genocide - Authors - Aziz ÜSTEL]. star.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ Dönmez, Yılmaz (31 May 2018). "General Zass'ın Kızının Adigeler Tarafından Kaçırılışı" [Kidnapping of General Zass's Daughter by the Adygs]. ÇERKES-FED (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 14 January 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ^ Capobianco, Michael (2012). Blood on the Shore: The Circassian Genocide
- ^ Gazetesi, Jıneps (2 September 2013). "Velyaminov, Zass ve insan kafası biriktirme hobisi" [Velyaminov, Zass and his hobby of collecting human heads]. Jıneps Gazetesi (in Turkish). Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ King 2008, p. 95.
- ^ Richmond 2013, p. [page needed].
- ^ "Çerkesler'in Kesilen Başlarını Berlin'e Göndermişler" [They Sent the Cut Heads of Circassians to Berlin]. Haberler (in Turkish). 29 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ a b Grassi 2018.
- ^ Rosser-Owen 2007.
- ^ Burnaby 1877, p. 352.
- ^ Enclosed in Despatch No.3 From Sir Henry Bulwer to Earl Russell, Constantinople, April 12, 1864 (FO 881/1259)
- ^ Kazemzadeh, Firuz (1974). "Russian penetration of the Caucasus". In Hunczak, Taras (ed.). Russian Imperialism from Ivan the Great to the revolution. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-0737-8.
- ^ King 2008.
- ^ "Remembering the Circassian Deportations and Massacres". TCA. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
- ^ Grassi 2018; Shenfield 1999, p. 154
- ^ Richmond 2013, p. 132: "If we assume that Berzhe's middle figure of 50,000 was close to the number who survived to settle in the lowlands, then between 95 percent and 97 percent of all Circassians were killed outright, died during Evdokimov's campaign, or were deported."
- ^ Rosser-Owen 2007, p. 16: "with one estimate showing that the indigenous population of the entire north-western Caucasus was reduced by a massive 94 percent."
- ^ Levene, Mark (2005). "6: Declining Powers". Genocide in the Age of the Nation-State Volume II: The Rise of the West and the Coming of Genocide. 175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010. pp. 300, 301. ISBN 1-84511-057-9.
- ^ Leitzinger, Antero (October 2000). "The Circassian Genocide". The Eurasian Politician. No. 2. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
- ^ Abzakh, Edris (1996). "Circassian History". University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "The Circassian Genocide". Unrepresented Nations and People Organisation (UNPO) (14 December 2004). Retrieved April 4, 2007
- ^ Barry, Ellen (20 May 2011). "Georgia Says Russia Committed Genocide in 19th Century". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 14 March 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
- ^ "Georgia Recognizes Russian 'Genocide' Of Ethnic Circassians". Radio Free Europe. May 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ "Georgia Recognizes Circassian Genocide". Eurasianet. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ Bodio, Tadeusz; Sieradzan, Przemysław J. (15 December 2012). "Źródła nacjonalizmu czerkieskiego i jego konsekwencje polityczne" [Sources of Circassian nationalism and its political consequences]. Środkowoeuropejskie Studia Polityczne (in Polish) (4): 47–74. doi:10.14746/ssp.2012.4.03. ISSN 1731-7517.
- ^ "145th Anniversary of the Circassian Genocide and the Sochi Olympics Issue". Reuters. 22 May 2009. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2009.
- ^ "Çerkesler soykırım yürüyüşü yaptı" [Circassians marched on genocide]. Denizhaber (in Turkish). May 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- ^ Kayseri, DHA (May 2017). "Çerkeslerden anma yürüyüşü" [Circassian memorial march]. Sözcü (in Turkish). Retrieved 15 January 2021.
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