# Ale Khirtsizhiqo

Ale Khirtsizhiqo (Adyghe: Хъырцыжъыкъо Алэ, romanized: Xhırtsıjzıqo Alə) was a Circassian military commander from the Abdzakh region who took part in the Russo-Circassian War.

## Biography
### Early life

Not much is recorded about Khirtsizhiqo's early life, as Circassians did not write down their history, and all knowledge comes from Russian sources. Sources state that he was born in the village of Shakh, and was of the Zhanchate clan. His birth date is unknown, but records show he joined a campaign against the Don Cossacks as a young man in 1776.

### Russo-Circassian War
#### Rise to fame

Khirtsizhiqo quickly became famous for his military successes. Ghish Nuh described him as follows:
   The most prominent characteristics of Khirtsizhiqo Ale and his close companions are not hatred and revenge but bravery and humor. In their lives, courage and jokes are so intertwined that if you didn't know better, you'd think they were playing with the enemy. Fear never crosses their minds, nor is it seen in their actions. When they encounter a problem in achieving their goals, one of their friends always finds a way out. Khirtsizhiqo Ale is always at the forefront as a leader and commander. He manages the most challenging tasks, and his friends are always by his side. They watch him closely and never lag behind in bravery. While Ale commands his soldiers in battle, his friends tackle a significant problem in the meantime.

#### Waving the Circassian flag

In 1830, the Circassian flag was designed by Seferbiy Zaneqo. In 1836, when the first copy of the flag arrived in Circassia, it was received by Nur Muhammad Haghur and brought to the Gesh Valley, located in present day Sochi. Here, the chiefs of all Circassian provinces gathered and accepted the flag, and Commander Khirtsizhiqo Ale became the first person to hoist the flag on Circassian soil.

#### Hostilities with Zass

In 1833, Grigory Zass was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Russo-Circassian War and arrived at the Kuban Line with full authority. Zass was infamous for his hatred of the Circassians. He boasted in letters to his friends about massacring Circassian civilians. Zass's main headquarters was in the Prochnyi Okop fortress. According to a Circassian oral story, wanting to strike a blow against Zass, Khirtsizhiqo Ale, along with his comrades from the Circassian army, attacked this base and kidnapped General Zass's daughter. Three years later, they sent a letter to Zass informing him that they would return his daughter, and they agreed on the terms and location of the exchange. Circassian mediators arrived at the agreed time and handed over the girl, dressed in Circassian attire, to her father. The girl convinced her father to pardon the Circassians, and both sides returned to their bases. However, events described in the story do not appear in Russian records.

#### Surrounded by Russian forces

While Khirtsizhiqo Ale and Alezheriyeqo Kushiku were camped in the field, they were surrounded by the Russian army. In the morning, both commanders led the charge to break the siege. Upon taking count, they saw that all their comrades were alive, but Aljeriyeqo Kushuk's servant was missing. Khirtsizhiqo Ale went into the Russian forces and rescued the servant, escaping without any casualties.

### Death

In September 1836, a 2,000-strong (1.200 of them had taken blood oath) Abzakh army, including Shapsugs and Hajjret Kabardians, gathered under the command of Khirtsizhiqo Ale and his son to launch a raid. However, General Zass's spies learned of this plan, so Zass's troops began to follow the Circassians. When they heard that the Circassians planned to raid Batalpashinskaya, Zass secretly surrounded the area. Realizing they were being followed, the Circassians suddenly changed their plan. They crossed the Kuban River with 800 men and attacked a Russian outpost near Kislovodsk, which was 100 kilometers away. They killed Russian soldiers and started to returning to their villages with five captives and twenty carts of loot.
Meanwhile, 200 Circassians and Nogais loyal to the Russians joined the Russian army and guided them through shortcuts to a location near the Lesser Zelenchuk River, where the Circassian forces were expected to pass. By morning, the Circassian army was getting closer, and the Russians prepared for battle. The Circassians spotted the Russian army three kilometers away, and fighting began. The Russians were firing artillery from a hill, making it hard for the Circassians to aim. Russian snipers were positioned below the cannons. Both sides would took cover in the grass after a volley fire, reloaded their rifles, and moved toward each other. Although the Cossacks attempted to attack, they were repelled and retreated to regroup and fire again.
As the Russian line advanced in the beginning, a group of five-six Circassians finally reached a hillside rock facing the snipers, bothering the Cossacks. Among this group was Khirtsizhiqo Ale, described as a big, long gray-bearded, elderly man in fine clothing who was hitting the every shot he took. When Kornet Kokoff was shot by Ale, they fired back at him, and Ale was hit multiple times. As he was trying to raise his rifle again, he lost his balance and dropped his gun on the rocks, falling off the cliff. After falling, he attempted to get up again, trying to break his sword and pistols against the rocks to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Both sides recognized him. Ale's close comrades, his only son, and his son's atalik were also killed during the rifle fire.
Short before Ale's body fell, the Circassians, with rifles on their backs and swords in their mouths, rushed forward, shouting battle cries at the Cossacks. The Cossacks started to retreat in panic. A few Circassians lifted Ale's body while shouting. Meanwhile, Russian snipers came down from the cliffs and surrounded the Circassians. Very few from the surrounded managed to escape, but they managed to rescue Ale's body.
To prevent the horses from falling into enemy hands, the Circassians removed the saddles from their horses and killed them. They quickly climbed the steep slopes under rifle fire with Ale's body and gathered around their leader's corpse at the top of the hill. In the three-hour long battle, the Circassians—including Ale—lost 41 men in some sources and the fallen were buried at the same location.