The Islamic factor and the Adyghe (Circassian) emigration to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century: revisiting the interpretation in the context of ethnological and diaspora approaches

Introduction. The relevance of the research is determined by its significance in the historiography of the Caucasian War and the associated mass migration of the Adyghes to the Ottoman Empire, where the role of the Islamic factor remains controversial. The dominant paradigm, inherited from Soviet scholarship, tends to absolutize the significance of Muridism as an ideological platform for resistance, groundlessly extrapolating the Dagestani model to the different socio-political reality of the Northwest Caucasus. These constructs require critical rethinking, drawing on interdisciplinary approaches.
The materials and methods. Harnessing the potential of ethnology and diaspora studies allows us to interpret the religious element not as a standalone driver of migration, but as one of many factors that occupied a subordinate position relative to the fundamental foundations of the Adyghe society. The goal of the research is to analyze the scale and specific impact of the Islamic ideology on the migration movement through the prism of stable ethnocultural constants. The methodological basis has been formed by the principles of historicism, scientific approach, and objectivity, combined with retrospective and cross-cultural analysis.
The research results. Due to a critical analysis of historiography and the theoretical framework of ethnology, it has been substantiated that religious affiliation was not the determining factor in the outcome.
Discussion and Conclusion. The assertion that the Islamic factor played a dominant role is a scholarly oversimplification. The Adyghe ethnic group represented a complex, stable system, in which indigenous sociocultural mechanisms – «the Adyghe» ethical system and «the Adyghe khabze» normative system – occupied a central place. These structures served as the primary identification matrices, neutralizing the influence of external ideologies and defining the specific perception of migration.

1. Potto, V.A. The Caucasian War (in separate essays, episodes, legends, and biographies). Stavropol, 1994; Shcherbina F.A. History of the Kuban Cossack Host. Ekaterinodar, 1910. Vol. 1/2; Esadze S. Conquest of the Western Caucasus and the End of the Caucasian War. Maikop, 1993. [In Russ.]

2. Shcherbina, F.A. Op. cit. P. 555. [In Russ.]

3. Felitsyn, E.D. Prince Sefer-bey Zan // The Kuban Collection. Ekaterinodar, 1904. Vol. 10; Karlhof N. On the political structure of the Circassian Tribes inhabiting the Northeastern Shore of the Black Sea // The Russian Herald. Vol. 28. Moscow, 1860; Ibid. Magomet-Amin // The Caucasian Calendar for 1861. Tiflis, 1860; Volkonsky N.A. War in the Eastern Caucasus from 1824 to 1834 due to Muridism // The Caucasian Collection. Vol. 10. Tiflis, 1886; Drozdov I. Review of Military Operations in the Western Caucasus from 1848 to 1856 // The Caucasian Collection. Vol. 10. Tiflis, 1886. [In Russ.]

4. Prushanovsky, K.I. Historical note on the beginning and development of the Spiritual War, Doctrine on the moral element of a man in Dagestan from 1823 to 1843 // The Caucasian Collection. Tiflis, 1902. Vol. 23. P. 1-73; Fadeev, R.A. Sixty Years of the Caucasian War. Tiflis, 1860. [In Russ.]

5. Fadeev, R.A. Op. cit. P. 37. [In Russ.]

6. Khan-Girey. Notes on Circassia. Nalchik, 1978. [In Russ.]

7. The Adyghe Enlightenment writers of the 19th century. Selected Works. Krasnodar, 1986. P. 107-165. [In Russ.]

8. Pokrovsky, M.N. Diplomacy and Wars of the tsarist Russia in the 19th Century. Moscow, 1924. P. 179-229. [In Russ.]

9. Bushuev, S.K. The Struggle of the Highlanders for Independence under the Leadership of Shamil. Moscow; Leningrad, 1939. [In Russ.]

10. Bagirov, M.D. The issue of the nature of the Muridism Movement and Shamil // Bolshevik. 1950. No. 13. [In Russ.]

11. Fadeev, A.V. Muridism as an instrument of aggressive policy of Turkey and England in the Northwest Caucasus // Questions of History. 1951. No. 9; Daniyalov, A.D. On Distortions in the Coverage of Muridism and Shamil’s Movement // Questions of History. 1950. No. 9; Smirnov, N.A. Sheikh Mansur and His Turkish Inspirers // Questions of History. 1950. No. 10. [In Russ.]

12. Pikman, A.M. On the struggle of the Caucasian Highlanders against the tsarist colonizers // Questions of History. 1956. No. 3. [In Russ.]

13. Ibidem P. 81.

14. Smirnov, N.A. Characteristic features of the ideology of the Caucasian Muridism // Questions of the History of Religion and Atheism. Moscow, 1959. P. 177.

15. Chirg, A.Yu. Savior of the National Independence // The Socialist Adyghea. 1989. September 23 (in Adyghe); Kerashev An. Sefer-bey Zanoko: a political portrait // Adyghe Pravda. 1990. May 16; Degoev, V.V. The Caucasian issue in international relations of the 1830-1860s. Vladikavkaz, 1992; Bizhev, A.Kh. The Adyghes of the Northwest Caucasus and the Crisis of the Eastern Question in the late 1820-early 1830s. Maikop, 1994; Bliev, M.M., Degoev, V.V. Index of Works. P. 182-234; Bliev M.M. Russia and the Highlanders of the Greater Caucasus. P. 158-194. [In Russ.]

16. Mufti, H.Sh. Heroes and Emperors in the Circassian History. Nalchik, 1996; Berzage, N. The Expulsion of the Circassians. Maikop, 1996.

17. Kandur, M. Muridism. History of the Caucasian Wars of 1819-1859. Nalchik, 1996. [In Russ.]

18. Kudaeva, S.G. The Adyghes (Circassians): Ethnos, Diaspora. Maikop, 2024. P. 46-58. [In Russ.]

19. Kandur, M. Op. cit. P. 177. [In Russ.]

20. Pokrovsky, M.N. Index of Works; Gadzhiev, V.G. Unresolved and controversial issues in the history of the Caucasian War // The Caucasian War: controversial issues and new approaches. Abstracts of the International Scientific Conference. Makhachkala, 1998. [In Russ.]

21. The State Academic Conference of the Caucasian Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic. F. 221. Black Sea coastline. St. 128. D. 1041. L. 39.

22. SAKK. F. 260. Black Sea coastline. St. 177. D. 1406. L. 195. [In Russ.]

23. Agrba, B.S.; Khotko, S.Kh. «Island» civilization of Circassia. Maikop, 2004. P. 39-40. [In Russ.]

24. Bgazhnokov, B.Kh. The Adyghe ethics. Nalchik, 1999. [In Russ.]

25. Unezhev K.Kh. Phenomenon of the Adyghe (Circassian) culture. Nalchik, 1997. [In Russ.]