Life of Schamyl: And Narrative of the Circassian War of Independence Against RussiaMackie, J. Milton (John Milton)
History
Life of Schamyl: And Narrative of the Circassian War of Independence Against Russia
Mackie, J. Milton (John Milton)
Caucasus -- History; Shamil, Imam, 1798?-1871
"The first great law of our prophet," said he to the people, "is a law
of freedom. No Moslem shall be a slave, much less shall he acknowledge
the rule of the foreigner and the unbeliever. And the second law is like
unto the first. The Moslem shall be a soldier of Allah and his prophet,
an enemy in arms of all infidels. For whosoever will not leave house,
wife, and child, yea all that he hath or hopeth for to draw the sword
for his faith, he shall not pass over the bridge El-Sirat into paradise.
The Moslem shall keep the scharyat; but all his giving of alms to the
poor, all his prayers and ablutions, all his pilgrimages to Mecca are
nothing so long as the eye of a Muscovite looks upon them. Yea, your
marriages are unlawful and your children bastards while there is a
Muscovite in your midst. For who can serve both Allah and the Russian!"
XXVI.
KHASI-MOLLAH.
Among the murids of Mahomet-Mollah the foremost was Khasi-Mahomet,
better known as Khasi-Mollah. After having spent much time sitting at
the feet of the patriotic and fanatical murschid, he returned to his
native aoul of Himri, and began his career as leader of the popular
movement against Russia by sending to the neighboring tribes missives
full of such reproof and exhortation as he had been in the habit of
hearing at Jarach. This he continued to do until it became manifest that
the time for decisive action had arrived, when accompanied by a
considerable body of disciples, among whom was Schamyl, he sallied forth
on an expedition of proselytism, and made his way first to the powerful
aoul of Tcherkei, situated lower down on the Koissu, and in the
territory of the Tchetchenians.
Assembling the warriors in a council ring, Khasi-Mollah said sharply to
them, "Ye men of Tcherkei, ye are too much inclined to evil doing. Ye
are guilty of idleness, of lying, of deceit, even as are others. The
Christians have their gospel, the Jews their talmud, and we the koran;
but in what are we better than others while we keep not the holy
scharyat? There is but one path for us to paradise--it is the war path.
Death to the Muscovites, and to all who are with them! Hate and war
against the red-haired dogs, the unbelievers!"
Thereupon rose up an aged man of Tcherkei and said in reply, "Preach to
us the scharyat; and we will obey it. We will cease from hating and
robbing, and from all the sins you truly lay to our charge. But the
Russians hold our chief men as hostages in Andrejewa; our herds are
pastured in valleys subject to them; we are hemmed in on all sides by
their strong places; every attempt we make to shake off their yoke only
brings down on our heads retribution; and we cannot fight."
"Bide your time," rejoined Khasi-Mollah; "only be ready when I call; the
day of your deliverance is at hand."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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