Amirkhamza Turlov, also known as Amiramza or Amir Garze''Register for mountain owners (1732)''
/ref> was a prince from the Turlov dynasty who ruled the Turlov Principality until his retirement in 1728. The beginning of his reign is not known, although it must have been before 1707. He is mainly known for his support for the Bashkir religious and military leader Murat Kuchukov and his involvement in the 1708 Insurgency in the North Caucasus.

Reign

He became the ''Senior Prince'' of the Turlov Principality following the death of his predecessor Muhammad Turlov, possibly in the 1690s. He is first mentioned in Russian sources in 1708. In November 1707, he met with the Bashkir ambassador and military leader Murat Kuchukov. Murat decided to stay in

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

, where Amirkhamza supported him with everything needed, including military support. When the rebels led by Murat Kuchukov were ready to storm the

Terki Fortress Terki fortress, Terka, or Terek (originally Shamkhalian Tyumen's fortress, later Tersky redoubt, sometimes mentioned as Terskiy town) was a Tsardom of Russia, Russian fortress in the Caucasus in the 16-18th centuries. It was originally erected at t ...

, Amirkhamza gathered 700 fighters from all across his state. Combined with the armies of other North Caucasian princes and peoples, this number was raised to over 1,600 fighters. In February 1708, the rebels successfully stormed Terki and captured almost the entire fortress except for the

Citadel A citadel is the most fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of ''city'', meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. ...

. However, later that month, Russian and Kalmyk reinforcements invaded the rebel–held fortress and inflicted a crushing defeat on the North Caucasians. Murat himself was wounded and captured, and later on executed. Amirkhamza survived the insurgency and continued ruling over his state. Amirkhamza was also known for his pro–Crimean and pro–Ottoman views and supported them in their conflicts with the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. In 1728, Amirkhamza retired and was succeeded by

Khasbulat Bamatov Khasbulat Bamatov, Kazbulat Bammatov or Khasbulat Turlov, was a prince from the Turlov dynasty and the ''Senior Prince'' of the Principality of Chechnya, Chechen Principality from 1728 to his death during the Battle of Chechen–Aul on July 7, 1732 ...

, who adhered to a pro–Russian orientation. Nevertheless, Amirkhamza continued to be a vassal of the

Safawid Empire The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shah Ismai ...

, to which he paid taxes in the form of cattle and sheep. Despite his retirement, he continued to remain an influential noble among the Turlovs, and in 1732 he is mentioned as one of the three owners of

Chechen-Aul Chechen-Aul is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a ''village#Russia, selo'') in Argun urban okrug, Argun urban ''okrug'' of the Republic of Chechnya, Russia, located on the left bank of the Argun River (Caucasus), Argun Ri ...

, along with Aidemir Bardykhanov and

. He died in the 1730s, at least 1732.

Chronology

A chronology of important events in Amirkhamza's life: * 1690s: Death of Amirkhamza's father, Tururav II Turlov * 1690s: Death of Amirkhamza's predecessor, Muhammad Turlov. Amirkhamza becomes the new Senior Prince * November 1707: Murat Kuchukov arrives in Chechnya; Begin of the alliance between Murat and Amirkhamza * 1707–1708: Murat Kuchukov Movement * February 1708: Battle of Terki; Northcaucasian rebel forces storm the

but are repelled later the same month * 1708: First mention of Amirkhamza in Russian documents * 1728: Amirkhamza retires as Senior Prince and is succeeded by

* 1732: Amirkhamza is mentioned as ''Amir Garze'' as one of the influential owners of

* 1730s (At least 1732): Death of Amirkhamza

References

Notes

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