He died in Medina on February 4, 1871, and was buried there according to his final wishes.
A few years after his surrender, the martyrdom of his people began once again in the Caucasus.
Entire populations were massacred, stripped of all their possessions, and deported. A series of crimes, more terrifyingly brutal than ever, followed.
The saga of Shamil was soon claimed by both camps, the Russians as well as the Chechens and Dagestanis.
At the National History Museum in Moscow, a permanent exhibit is devoted to his legend. His portrait and those of his children are on display, and an entire roomful of images tells the story of his exploits.
In Dagestan and in Chechnya, the imam Shamil is still regarded as the incarnation of the union of the Caucasian Muslims and the armed struggle for the triumph of God, the honor of men, and the liberty of the people.
Two of his sons shared this religious, political, and moral inheritance.
One of them, Mohammed Ghazi, never accepted the yoke of Russia and continued to fight for independence. He moved to Constantinople and later fought with the Turks.
The second, Mohammed Sheffi, served in the army of the czar.
The third son, born in captivity at Kaluga, would try to reconcile these two loyalties to Russia and to Dagestan. He named his own son after the legendary brother he never knew, Jamal Eddin.
This second Jamal Eddin Shamil also became a lieutenant in the Russian army. In 1911, Jamal Eddin II, then posted south of Tiflis, also fell in love with a Georgian princess, whom he kidnapped and married. He brought his Christian wife and their little boy to his family’s native village, Ghimri, before disappearing into the maelstrom of the First World War.
But that, as they say, is another story…
Glossary
adat: law of the elders that governs daily life in the Caucasus
amanat: hostage given as a guarantee of good faith during peace negotiations in the Caucasus
auclass="underline" mountain village in the Caucasus
atalik: a sort of tutor who assists the parents in overseeing the education of a male child in the Caucasus
Avar: Caucasian tribe to which Jamal Eddin belonged
Bek: noble title
burka: a black, waterproof cape made of goat hair
cherkeska: Caucasian man’s costume, typically buttoned and belted
Cherkess: Circassian. Also the main nation of the western Caucasus. Sometimes incorrectly used to describe a native of the Caucasus
cornet: lowest rank of officer in the Russian cavalry, equivalent of a second lieutenant
djighit: warrior horseman of the Caucasus
djighitovka: equestrian games of djighits
ghizir: cartridge belt worn across the chest of a cherkeska
giaour: pejorative term referring to infidels
Hakika: the truth
junker: Russian officer candidate, rank immediately inferior to a cornet
kanly: complex code of the law of blood and vengeance of the Caucasus
khan: aristocratic title in the Caucasus, a prince
kibitka: small Russian carriage that runs on wheels in the summer and sleigh blades in the winter
kinjaclass="underline" long, straight-bladed dagger
kokoshnik: traditional Russian tiara, obligatory apparel of ladies at court at official balls, by order of Nicholas I during his reign
Lesghien: tribe of the Caucasus, close to the Avars and Chechens
madrassa: Islamic educational institution, place of study
Montagnard: general term applied to all the Muslims of the Caucasus by the Russians. The Montagnards included Circassians, Kabardians, Ossetians, Chechens, Inguche, Lesgheins, and Avars
murchide: spiritual guide of the Caucasus
murid: disciple of a Sufi sheik, warrior of Shamil
murtaghazet: combatant from an aul
naïb: war chief of Shamil, with powers over a specific region
Naqshbandi: Sufi fellowship to which Shamil belonged
padishah: title of the sultan of Constantinople, emperor
papakha: tall lambskin hat
qadi: Sharia-based religious authority with the power of a judiciary
ruble: unit of Russian currency worth about fifteen euros in 1850
saklia: house in a Montagnard village
seraglio: word used in the sense of a harem, part of a house reserved for women
Sharia: the law of God
shashka: a slightly curved saber, worn as a bandolier in the Caucasus
surat: chapter of the Koran
Tariqa: the path to God
ukase: edict pronounced by the czar
verst: distance corresponding to about seven-tenths of a mile
zikr: method of prayer leading to mystical ecstasy and direct union with God
List of Main Characters and Place Names
Abdul Aziz: surgeon in the Dagestani village of Untsukul, maternal grandfather of Jamal Eddin.
Akbirdiclass="underline" one of Shamil’s naïbs, who insulted General Klüge von Klugenau during the meeting at Chirquata in September 1837.
Akulgo: village of Dagestan that served as Shamil’s fortress-headquarters from 1837 to 1839. The Russians besieged the village in the summer of 1839. Czar Nicholas considered its capitulation as a triumph that marked the end of the wars of the Caucasus. On September 5, 1839, he had a medal struck to commemorate the victory and awarded it to all officers, noncommissioned officers, and soldiers who had fought at Akulgo.
Alexandra Feodorovna (czarina, wife of Nicholas I) (July 1798–October 1860): married in July 1817. Their first son, the future Alexander II, was born on April 17, 1818, followed by three girls and three boys.
Alexandra Nicolaïevna (Adini): third daughter of Czar Nicholas I and Czarina Alexandra Feodorovna, born in 1825, married in 1843, died in 1844.
Alexander I (Pavlovitch): czar from 1801 to 1825, elder brother of Nicholas I, conqueror of Napoleon.
Alexander II: first son of Nicholas I, born at the Kremlin April 17, 1818, assassinated in 1881. Married Maria of Hesse-Darmstadt (Maria Alexandrovna) April 28, 1841. Assumed the throne upon the death of his father in February 1855. Was crowned after the Crimean War ended in 1856.
Alexandrovsky Cadet Corps of Tsarskoye Sielo (Christmas 1839–August 1841): elementary school for children ages six to nine, sons of poor or deceased officers. Their schooling was conducted by women under a male director. Jamal Eddin was transferred there after spending September to December 1839 with the First Cadet Corps of Moscow.
Ali Bek al-Kunzahki: naïb who defended the tower of Surkhaï at Akulgo.
Andi Koysu: river at the foot of Akulgo, one of whose tributaries is named Ashilta, like the village.
Ashilta: native fief of Shamil, where he was consecrated imam in 1834. Destroyed by General Fézé May 13, 1837.
Bahou-Messadou: Jamal Eddin’s paternal grandmother.