This work is dedicated to Circassia, the historical homeland of the Circassians, who inspired and encouraged emerging generations to maintain the torch of freedom and to lead the way, despite all obstacles and attempts of exclusion that have been tested over the years. Since the subjugation of their homeland, the Circassians were subjected to harsh conditions in all walks of life, which wasn’t easy to withstand and get through. This meant a dictatorial, savage, direct military and security jurisdiction, and domination for the duration of both tyrant tsarist imperial and Soviet/Communist eras. From the beginning of the 1990s on, the general situation has been quite different concerning the circumstances that the Circassian affairs have been clutched to. After decades of being forgotten, the people of the Caucasus region and the world at large have started to become enlightened with information that was prevented and blocked from the public. Even the historians, specialists, and academicians were not in the picture of the pain, destiny, and suffering that the Circassian nation was inflicted with for decades, specifically since the occupation and deportation of 1864.

Turkey's Circassians were exiled to the Ottoman Empire in the wake of the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in 1864, resettling most notably in the Danubian provinces, Thessaly, Syria, Central Anatolia and the southern shores of the Sea of Marmara. As experienced veterans of the wars with Russia, many Circassians were recruited into the paramilitary groups of the late Ottoman Empire and later fought on both sides in the Turkish Civil War. Here, Caner Yelbasi reveals the complex and important role played by the Circassians of north-western Anatolia in the chaotic years after 1918. Because many of the key Circassian actors either sided initially with The Ottoman Government or later broke away from the `national' movement led by Mustafa Kemal in Ankara, official Turkish historiography frequently labelled them `traitors to the nation'. This book revises this narrative by revealing the overlapping and sometimes conflicting bonds of kinship and political loyalty that inscribed their presence in heartlands of the empire and the republic. Yelbasi shows that the Circassians played an important role in the establishment of the early republic and how the Turkification policies of the Kemalist regime in the two decades following 1918 disrupted their world. Using a wide variety of primary source material, including Ottoman and Republican archives - as well as memoirs, the press and secondary literature - this book sheds light on a minority who, unlike the Kurds or Armenians, are yet to receive scholarly attention in Turkish Studies. It will thus be a vital resource for scholars in Middle East Studies, Turkish Studies and Ottoman Studies.

First published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Bracebridge Hemyng's 'Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks' is a riveting adventure novel that takes readers on a thrilling journey through the exotic landscapes of Turkey. Hemyng's descriptive prose and vivid storytelling immerse the reader in the bustling markets of Constantinople and the treacherous dealings of Turkish society. This book falls under the genre of Victorian children's literature, filled with daring escapades and moral lessons for young readers. The fast-paced narrative and engaging characters make it a delightful read for all ages. Bracebridge Hemyng, a prolific writer of adventure stories during the Victorian era, drew inspiration for this book from his own travels and experiences in the Middle East. His deep understanding of the region's culture and history shines through in the detailed portrayal of Turkey in 'Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks'. Hemyng's passion for storytelling and his knack for creating captivating plots are evident in this well-crafted novel. I highly recommend 'Jack Harkaway's Boy Tinker Among The Turks' to readers who enjoy action-packed adventures with a historical backdrop. Hemyng's masterful storytelling and colorful setting make this book a must-read for anyone who appreciates classic adventure literature.

Circassian History relates the heroic struggle for survival of one of the most ancient nations in the world, with a unique language and a highly developed distinctive culture. Beginning from 1555, Circassian princes began seeking the friendship and protection of czarist Russia against the aggressions of the Ottoman Turks and Crimean Khans. However, Czarist Russia unleashed its colonial war against Circassia to build the necessary harbors on the Black Sea. Their Nart Epos and archeological finds of the Maikop dolmen and barrow cultures testify that the ancestors of the Circassians lived and prospered on the same territory at least since the advent of the Bronze Age. Their Homeland in North Caucasus stretched from the main ridge of the Caucasus Mountains to the northeastern Black Sea and eastern Azov seacoasts. Its northern boundaries run from Lake Manych and along the Terek Riverthe northern boundary of Kabarda. Beginning from 1555, Circassian princes began seeking the friendship and protection of czarist Russia against the aggressions of the Ottoman Turks and Crimean Khans. However, Czarist Russia unleashed its colonial aggression and conquered Circassia to build the necessary harbors on the Black Sea. Russia planned to seize Bosphorus and Dardanelles with the passage to the Mediterranean Sea, weaken the position of the Ottoman Empire, deal a powerful blow on the trade interests of Great Britain, and gain the upper hand over the European powers in the contest for world supremacy. In this unequal war, Russia occupied Kabarda in 1779. By 1822, it stripped off the Kabardinian princes of the right to rule in their own land and subjected them and their country to the dictatorship of the commanding generals of the Russian armed forces. Thus, early and masterfully, Russia had cut off Kabarda from its western kindred and then directed its military might against Western Circassia. During this period, Russia launched a powerful worldwide propaganda campaign, portraying the Circassians to the Western world as the marauding savages who should be obliterated from the face of the earth in order to ensure peace in the region. At the same time, Russia kept increasing its armed forces in this region. For example, during General Yermolovs time, Russia increased its army in this region from 5075,000, excluding the Cossacks. Russia added 47 new battalions since 1831 and another 40,000 soldiers in 1840. In short, a 210,000 Russian armies and 80,000 Cossack Cavalries were conducting military operations in Circassia during 18531856. Later, Russia reinforced it with 24,000 Russian infantry corps and 2 dragoon regiments and artillery. Russia suffered colossal losses in the Russo-Circassian War. Since the time of Catherine II to 1864, 1.5 million Russian soldiers fell in this country, excluding the Cossack losses as they were not considered a part of the regular Russian army. From the beginning until the end of the war, the Russian army had burnt and pillaged twenty, thirty, fifty, and one hundred Circassian villages at a time, destroying the harvest and driving out the cattle; the Russian army killed or uprooted the native inhabitants and settled Cossack and Russian stanitsas in the territory, according to the planned genocide. As Russian generals stated openly, Russia needed the Circassian lands, not the Circassians. Finally, Russia crushed the Circassian nation in 1864, forced them from their historical Motherland, drove them to the Black Sea shore under Russian bayonets, and threw them into the confines of the Ottoman Empire thus completing its planned genocide. At the present time, as a result of the genocide, 90 percent of the Circassian population lives scattered all over the world. They survived the planned Russian genocide, the cold, deprivations, epidemics, and other companions of their forcible exile. They became exemplary citizens of many countries, established their own new republicsAdigey, Kabardino-Balkaria