Muhammad-Mirza Anzor (), was a Kabardian military and political figure, a mudir (general-naib) of the

Caucasian Imamate The Caucasian Imamate, also known as the North Caucasus Imamate (), was a state founded by Muslim imams in the early-to-mid 19th century across Dagestan and Chechnya. It emerged during the Caucasian War (1817–1864) as a resistance movement a ...

, and a leading figure in the resistance against

Russian imperial 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 ...

expansion during the

Caucasian War The Caucasian War () or the Caucasus War was a 19th-century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the Russian conquest of the Caucasus. It consisted of a series o ...

. Coming from the noble Kabardian Anzor family, he played a critical role in uniting Circassian and Chechen forces against Russian colonial policies.

Early life and background

Born in the village of Anzorei in

Kabarda The Grand Principality of Great Kabarda, also known as East Circassia or Kabardia (), was a historical country in the North Caucasus corresponding partly to modern-day Kabardino-Balkaria. It existed as a political community from the fifteenth ce ...

in 1804, Muhammad-Mirza belonged to a prominent Kabardian noble family that held significant land near the confluence of the Terek and Uruq rivers. During the Russian conquest of Kabarda, he was taken as a hostage (amanat) in 1822. By the 1840s, Muhammad served as a Russian officer, holding ranks up to lieutenant and serving on the Kabardian court and in delegations to the Russian Emperor. Despite his formal ties to the Russian administration, Muhammad opposed Russian colonial expansion and increasingly identified with the cause of resistance led by

Imam Shamil Imam Shamil (; ; ; ; ; 26 June 1797 – 4 February 1871) was the political, military, and spiritual leader of North Caucasian resistance to Imperial Russia in the 1800s, the third Imam of the Caucasian Imamate (1840–1859), and a Sunni Muslim ...

Defection to the Imamate

In April 1846, Muhammad joined

, the leader of the

, accompanied by 37 Kabardian princes, nobles, and a large group of peasants. His defection marked a turning point, signaling the discontent of Kabardian elites with Russian rule. Muhammad and his followers moved to

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 they reinforced Shamil's forces. On August 22, 1846, Muhammad was appointed

naib Nawab is a royal title indicating a ruler, often of a South Asian state, in many ways comparable to the Western title of Prince. The relationship of a Nawab to the Emperor of India has been compared to that of the Kings of Saxony to the Ge ...

(governor) of the Gekhi district in Lesser Chechnya, and he became the leader of a hundred Circassian ( Kabardian) muhajirs. His appointment demonstrated Shamil's trust in him as a capable military and administrative leader.

Role in the Caucasian War

Muhammad's tenure as naib coincided with one of the most challenging periods of the

. Russian forces intensified their campaigns, isolating mountain societies and constructing military lines to cut off supplies and reinforcements. Despite these challenges, Muhammad led fierce battles to defend villages, particularly in the Arshtkhoy and Gekhi regions. In March 1849,

elevated him to the position of mudir (governor) of Lesser Chechnya. Under his leadership, Circassian and Chechen fighters carried out daring raids, including repeated breaches of the Russian fortifications along the Sunzha line. These operations inflicted heavy losses on Russian forces and underscored Muhammad's military prowess.

Death and Legacy

On June 15, 1851, during a battle near Nurikoevskaya Polyana against a detachment led by Major General Nikolai Sleptsov, Muhammad sustained severe injuries. He succumbed to his wounds four days later, on June 19, 1851. His death marked the loss of a key leader for the Caucasian resistance. Muhammad-Mirza Anzor remains a symbol of Kabardian resistance and a testament to the unity among North Caucasian peoples during the struggle against imperial domination. His efforts to protect the autonomy of his homeland and his commitment to the cause of the Imamate are remembered as significant contributions to the history of the

.B.Z. Mansur, ''History of the Caucasian Imamate and Its Leaders'', pp. 97-105.

References

{{Authority control Circassian people North Caucasian independence activists People of the Caucasian War Circassian military personnel of the Russo-Circassian War Muslims from the Russian Empire 1851 deaths 1804 births