History bears testimony that some powerful nations have a unique strategy to make the global community forget about genocides committed by them against weaker sections of societies. War kills men, women, children, love, and also history.
In the North Caucasus in 1864, a terrible genocide was conducted against a people who were called Circassian. They were erased from existence by deportation, ethnic cleansing, and mass murder. After extermination and physical liquidation, the evidence of the genocide was destroyed. This happened when in the North Caucasus, Russians were trying to exert their influence to expand their empire. There is an estimate stating that out of 10 Circassians, only one lives in Russia today, and the remaining nine live in 17 countries around the world.
It is known that the early Circassians arrived in North Caucasus in 140BC from Central Anatolian Plateau, presently Turkey and Iran. They have been living in this land since that time. “Circas” means foreigners, as their ancestors came from Central Anatolian Plateau. Many West European historians and travellers visited Circassians and wrote that they were a peaceful and cultured race. The Circassians later on became Muslims and followed the Sunni sect. Very limited information is available of North Caucasus during the time period of 18 centuries, as the Russian regime had tried to keep the flow of information controlled.
Sochi, a port city on the Black Sea, 150 years ago, witnessed a part of the genocide. The Russian Army and the Cossacks surrounded the Circassian villages, committed murder, and forced the living ones to march to Sochi, the deportation point where ships were lined up for carrying them to the Ottoman Empire.
During the forced march, many succumbed to hunger and disease. When they reached the sea beaches, dogs were roaming and attacking the Circassians. The surviving Circassians were packed into the ships; in some cases there would be about 2,000 people in one small ship which would also carry livestock. The crowded ships led to spread of diseases, and when the ships arrived at their destinations, they only contained remnants of their original human cargo. These ships were referred to by contemporaries as “floating graveyards.”
The dead Circassians in the ships used to be thrown into the sea as food for the fish. Many Turks of Circassians still do not eat fish, in memory of their ancestors who met such a terrible fate during the passage of the Black Sea. It is known that the modern city of Amman was born after refugee Circassians settled there in 1887. Only a small number of Circassians were allowed to live in Russia, but they were forcibly resettled away from their home in different parts of the country.
The Imperial Russian Army with the assistance of nomadic Cossacks were the main perpetrators of the genocide. They prepared a calculated and precise plan for complete annihilation of the Circassians.
The Circassians were living in the foot hills of North Caucasus. When Russian Tsar Alexander II was following aggressive policies against the Circassians, they were trying hard to remain good neighbours to Russia via co-operation and dialogue. However, Russians the had a different plan.
Russia decided to kill the tribal people living along the Don River, who were different from white Russians. They spread propaganda, painting Circassians as savages.
Russian and Cossacks both believed in white supremacy, and considered the Circassians as an inferior race. The genocide started in 1864, and was completed by 1867. In three years, a peaceful, vibrant, and cultured community was destroyed. It is not known how many people were killed, and how many were forced to march to the Black Sea, but the number is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands.
It is estimated that the casualty figure was about four million. The Russian census of 1897 records only 150,000 Circassians, one-tenth of the original number -- still remaining in their conquered regions.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin, in May 1994, said resistance to the Tsarist forces was legitimate. However, he did not recognise the guilt of the Tsarist regime for the genocide.
The Russian Empire mobilised the Cossacks to join with the Russian army in the north of Kuban River to conduct the genocide. Cossacks were given the right by the Russian Tsar to loot the Circassians.
The Tsar allowed Cossacks to forcibly occupy Circassian villages. The Cossacks used brutal force on Circassians, took away their lands, and killed them. As a display of gratitude, the Cossacks gifted a part of the occupied land to Russian Army officers.
The Russian Empire was actively seeking to expand to the south towards the neighbouring Ottoman Empire and Iran. As such, it decided to incorporate Caucasus into their orbit. They also wanted to establish forts and garrisons in these areas. At that time, the Ottoman Empire and Iran were their enemies. Circassians being Muslims were thought to be a security hazard for Russia.
Initially, the Russian Army was faced with a combination of highly mobile raiders and evasive Circassians guerrillas with superior terrain knowledge.
As the news of attacks spread, the Circassian cause began to arouse sympathy in European countries, especially Britain, whom they assisted in the Crimean War. The Russian Army resorted to a unique strategy to destroy the Circassian resistance by modifying the terrain. They constructed a network of roads and cleared the forests, and destroyed native villages.
In 1857, the Russian minister of war, Dmitry Milyutin, propagated the concept of mass expulsions of Circassian natives through his writings. His vision was that Circassians could not be allowed to continue living in Russia and eliminating them was the only solution. Tsar Alexander II had endorsed his plans.
Mass murder, deportations, and ethnic cleansing were manifestations of the modern-day concept of genocide. It is estimated that 90% of Circassians were victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide. The exact numbers will probably be never known.
The genocide against the Circassians has a unique resemblance to the genocide of Bengalis in 1971. There is a resemblance between Pakistan Army and their collaborators, and the Tsar’s army and its Cossack collaborators.
The mass killing, looting, and torching of villages, and deaths in the refugee trails that happened in Bangladesh echo the events of the Circassian genocide.
The difference is in the numbers. Bengalis were killed in much larger numbers, and finally they were victorious in their struggle. In the end, Bengalis won -- otherwise their fate would probably be similar to that of the Circassian people, whose new generations have no identity today.
