The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-28

|
| by bis pride and overbearing manners Severe
ly wounded with sticks and knives, he was
scarcely able to reach his paternal dwelling
STILL he mentioned to none what had happen
| ed, save to an old woman, upon whoee silence
| he could rely, and whom he requested to dress
his wounds. He suppressed every expression
of pain, assuming cheerful countenance, in
order that no one should get reason to think
that there had been somebody so daring as to
attack Shamyl himself
In a remote village, By happy circum-
stance, Shsmyl acquired an excellent teacher.
in the person Of Dschelal- Eddin, who vas we'll
versed in the Arabian language, and philoe.
opher who had made the Sufi-doctrine his
own. According 20 this doctrine, which plays
an important part in the Caucasian mount.
| aims, there are four steps for man to mount !;
and when ne reaches the highest one, he enters
In immediate communication with God. 0aly
one person can, during one and the same re-
ried OF time, reach the fourth and highest stcp
and Is then the MurSchid of the chosen ones,
the Veegerent of Heaven, whose commands
must be obeyed as strictly as though issued by
the Supreme Being himself, The few persons
who reach the third step are the Ndibs, or
those who execute the orders Of the .HlrSchid
and constitute, as it would appear, kind Of
| Senate. More numerous is the class of the
| Murides or disciples, who have mounted the
second stop; while the first or lowest one is
occupied by the great body Of the sect Of whom
it is required cniy to observe the external cere-
monies prescribed by the Sufi doctrine
DschelalEddin had scarcely initiated Sha-
| myl in the first principles of this creed, when
the ambitious youth began to evinoc the mos,
ardent desire 10 mount one step after the other
in rapid succession, not excepting even the
highest one. Still it seeme scarcely probable
that he already then anticipated what great
political power he might in that way acquire.
1t is more credible that his sole aim was to
gain the fame and influence CT spiritual SER
vant OF God This object he reached within q
few years, and 1t appeared for some time as
though the name of Shamyl was to 90 down
to posterity surrounded rather with the halo
of extraordinary sauctity than with the glory
of heroic deeds on the fields of battle.
! Ia the latter pert Of the first quarter Of the
present century, General YermoIore was the
oommandeF-in chief over the Russian troops in
the Caucasus, and carried On the war against
the brave mountaineers with 80 much skill and
success as to have a better prospect Of their
| final subjCgatOn than what any one Of he
successors In that command has ever had. AT
the time in question, Kasi Muilah was the
| NurschId, or Caucasian Pope, and he saved
the country when about becoming the prey Of
the Russians.
The four steps of tho Suf-doctrjne were con-
verted into equally many pillars of political
organization, by the means OF which the great
mass Of the religious fraternity were made 20
pay obedience TO the Marbles, who again, or
their part, werc directed TO obey the orders Of
the Naibs, while the whole political body, in
famed with the ianaticism Of religion stood
a. L. e \
state Of affairs was suddenly changed. The
Naibs and the Murides, preaching tho holy
war, crossed the CaucGssue, its valleys, and IFS
mountains, in every direction, and as the Sufi-
doctrine prevailed almost everywhere, they
produced 4 general rising Of the people. The
cry, death and Perdition to the Gisurs,"
was heard in oil parts of the country, even in
taoee which, for mony years, had been subject
TO the Russian sway. The village Of Himry
was not behind in raising the standard OF free
dom, and ShamYl, the enthusiastic Suf headed
the movement. It was in the year 1924 that
he placed himself under the command of Kasi
Mullah, and from that time he has ever occ;-
pied conspicuous place among tie patriot
politicians and warriors Of Caucasus. He
proved himself Us one Of the most faithful and
ardent adheTcnts Ct KGsi Mu!lah, Fastening
from ono village or aut to tho ether, end call
ing his countrymen to arms.
During several years the Caucasiaps re-
NAMED, on the whole, successful in repelling
the ever-reneged attempts Of the Russians at
dopriving them of their independence but
there was q short time, during 1881, when
their cause appeared almost lost During the
year, Just now mentioned, numerous Russian
army under the personal command CT General
RoseD, attacked and took by storm the passes
cf Koissu, which had hitherto been deemed
impregnabIe Kasi Mullsh, compelled to with
draw from one position TO the other, took at
last refuge in the village Of Himry, which was
occupied by his bravest Murides aud among
them Shamyl. The Russians following speed
lily the footsteps of their retreating enemies,
and finding them prepared to defend Himry,
surrounded and attacked thai village. The
struggle which now ensuod is mentioned os
one of the most terrible that ever occurred be.
tween the CircssIans and the troops Of the
Car. The Russians, though tie victory re-
manned with them, acknowledge themselves
| that, in thsir attack upon Himry, on the 18Th
October, 1881, they suffered proportiOnaly
far greater loss than did tho mountainesrs.
But, Kasi Mullah and all the Murides, who
had participated in the contest, covered with
their bodies the bloody ground, and were look
ed upon by the vicsors ss dead or dying
and so they were all, except Shamyl. His body
was lying OF the feet Of the murschid and,
penetrated By two balls, presented lf5iess
appeerance-still, life remained within. Hence
it happened, that when the Russians began to
inter tho bodies CT their claim enemies, they
found that one Of their number was wanting
and when the remaining Marbles held their
fret meeting after the death Of Kesi Mullah,
Shamyl made his appearance in the midst Of
them.
1t Is alleged that he was restored to life by
miracle, after being killed in the struggle at
Himry. The disciples and adhcrents Of Shamyl
affirm that Allah infused himself new life in
the dead body; and as an evidence of the real
ity Of the death and subsequent resurrection OF
Shamyl, they relate that at the meeting of the
Murides, above alluded to, Sbamyl showed
them two deep and wide-open breast wounds,
from which no drop of blood issued, and which
thus served as tokens that God had restored
his servant from death TO life, 10 order that he
should rule over the living disciples of Suf.
Bot, unfortunately, the Mcrides did rot then
place full reliance on the reality Of the alleged
miracle, or ON the veracity Of Shamyl. There
fore, notwithstanding the manifest proofs, which
he had presented before their eyes, Of his di-
vine mission, they did not elect Shamyl the
successor of Kasi Muiiab, but conferred that
distinction upon Hamfad Bey.
Allah performed, however, new miracle.
When forty conspirstors, united by the CON-
mon obligation Of blood revenge against Ham
fad Bey, IN the Mosque of Chunfack, attacked
and killed him and the Murides present there,
one Of these remained unipjured, and that one
was Shamyl This second miracle had the de-
sired result. Shsmyl was elected Murschid
but only by portion Of the religious fraterni.
ty. The rest viewed and honored certain
Taschaw Hadschi as the true successor of Ham.
fad Bey.