In 1862, as the Circassian resistance faced mounting military pressure from the advancing Russian Empire, the Great and Free Assembly—established in June 1861 by representatives of the Shapsugh, Abzakh, and Ubykh communities following a national congress in Sochi to reorganize the civil administration and military command, and composed of fifteen elders—dispatched a diplomatic delegation to England in a final effort to secure international support for the Circassian cause. Upon their arrival, the envoys submitted the following petition to Queen Victoria, who was reigning over the United Kingdom at the time.

The petition provides a detailed account of the political and military circumstances surrounding Circassia during the final phase of the Russo–Circassian War. Beyond documenting the deteriorating strategic position of the Circassian resistance, it describes the humanitarian consequences of the Russian campaign, including systematic violence directed against the Circassian population.

TO THE QUEEN FROM THE CIRCASSIAN DEPUTIES.

August 26, 1862.

As your Majesty is aware, since the world existed, no nation has attempted to conquer our country. Russia only some time ago, under the pretence that she got our country by treaty from the Ottoman Government, invaded us with an overwhelming force, and began against us a war of extermination, which she has waged for forty years, and which she is still waging, at the cost of many thousand human lives.

The Ottoman Government, never having possessed our country, had no right whatever to give us over to the Russians. There is no other affinity between us and the Ottomans than the similarity of creed and faith which makes us look upon the Sultan as the successor of our Prophet.

While we were quietly dwelling in our homes, which we inherited from our ancestors, and anxious to keep the integrity of our territory, Russia overstepped our boundaries and actually tried to subdue our country. This statement needs no proof, as this system of encroachment has been Russia's policy towards many other nations weaker than herself. During the Crimean war we were accused by the Allied Powers of want of sincerity, not having participated with them against our common foe. This is true, but it was not the fault of our nation, as it proceeded from want of union and energy between our leaders.

Russia, in order to deceive the world, conceals the very object of her con-tinual warfare against us and ours. She diffuses the report amongst the civilised world that she is fighting the Circassians simply because they are a savage, uneducated, and unruly people; that, if left alone, would destroy the property belonging to her subjects in our immediate neighbourhood.

It is now to show that their allegations are untrue, and to implore your Majesty's protection, that we come to this country. About two years ago, desiring to enter into the family of constituted nations, the Circassians and Abasians elected a kind of Parliament, which is now ruling our joint nation, numbering about a million souls.

In consequence of this arrangement, not only is there a constituted Go-vernment in our country, but all the surrounding nations, as well as those who come to us for trading purposes, are not submitted to any kind of vexation.

Should any dishonest person attempt any wrong, the injured receives re-dress and restitution of property, and the malefactor is severely and lawfully punished; if the property is lost, in that case compensation is given from the public money.

To increase the security as well as the well-being of the inhabitants, we lately framed many well-calculated laws, which are put into execution by the constituted authorities in each province.

Russia being invidious of all the reforms we introduced into our country, made a great effort to crush our improvements. She invaded us, as before stated, with an overwhelming force, destroyed some of our townships, burnt our dwellings and temples, confiscated all our goods, butchered our men, and captured our women and children; in short, she began that work of destruction against us, to enumerate the atrocity of which would baffle description.

Our elected chiefs, foreseeing the dreadful consequences of this on set, and the misery which was threatening both the invader and invaded, adopted well-calculated means to prevent bloodshed among both parties; they selected some plenipotentiaries whom they sent to Tiflis to come to an understanding with Russia. Our claims consisted as follows:-

"This territory is ours; we have inherited it from our ancestors, and to keep it in our power is the reason why we have been so long at enmity with each other. We have now adopted a new constitution, and our intention is to govern our territory with strict justice and humanity, without injuring any one. A people that are endowed with such good feelings ought to inspire sympathy to a great Power like yourself; it is not becoming, there-fore, to its honour to destroy such an innocent neighbour. You have shown, on many occasions, sympathies towards people who claimed their inde-pendence; why should you not now show the same towards us? We are exerting our utmost in order to rule our country according to justice, and the new laws which we have framed; we will treat with justice our fellow-citizens, and respect the lives and property of those foreigners who come among us. Is it, then, the duty of a great Power like you to destroy us and our small nation, or to help us to carry out our reforms? We are resolved to submit our case to all the great Powers; you are one of them, and we place our cause in its true light before you. Do us justice, and do not destroy our property and temples; do not shed our blood when you have had no provocation. It is a stigma on all great Powers to destroy human life when there is no necessity; and it is at variance with everything that is just and right to capture helpless women and children in the prosecution of the unjust war you have been carrying on against us for a very long time. You have been deluding the world that we are a savage tribe, and under this pretence you have been waging war against us; we are human beings like yourselves. Pray do not shed our blood, as we are resolved to defend our country to the last."

The above memorial has been presented, not only to the Governor of Tiflis, but to the Emperor himself, when he came there. Still we had no justice, and the Russian sword has remained unsheathed against us. In fact, their tyranny was not confined to capturing our cattle, burning our dwellings, and temples, and other unheard-of atrocities, but in order to starve us on the mountains they destroyed all our growing crops in the plain, and captured our land. In fact, they have treated us in an unbear-able and barbarous manner, unprecedented in the annals of war. Driven to despair, we resolved to make a last firm stand against our enemies, with all the energy we possessed, and the war was carried on with fresh vigour, eight months ago, causing the sacrifice of twenty-five thousand human lives, on both sides, and an immense destruction of property. While we are on one side repelling our enemies, and on the other trying to improve the government of our country, Russia, by brute force, is trying to conquer us; on the neutral Black Sea she is capturing, whenever she can, every ship carrying any of our countrymen, so that we have no home on land, no means of travelling or refuge by sea. Still we would rather die than submit to the yoke of Russia. If we were to emigrate, abandoning our homes, for ages protected by our forefathers, who shed their blood for them, our poverty would prove a great obstacle to our doing so; in fact, how could we take away our own wives and children, and the widows, orphans, and helpless relations of those slain in this war? Such an undertaking would decimate the emigrants, and blot out for ever our Circassian name from the face of the earth. In presence of these insurmountable difficulties, we have resolved unanimously to submit our case to every great Power, with an intimate con-viction that they would highly disapprove of the conduct of our foe, and stigmatise it as it deserves. Our eyes are most particularly turned towards your Most Gracious Majesty, as well as the people of your country, whose freedom, love of justice, and sympathy for the oppressed are known even in our unhappy land. We implore, therefore, your protection, with a con-viction that you ou will help us in our trial. To attain this desirable object, we have been sent here on behalf of the Circassian and Abasian communities, in order to lay most humbly our case before your powerful throne, that you may know our sad condition, and interfere to prevent the utter extermination of a nation numbering a million of souls, and who are the same flesh and blood as the rest of the world. This is the case we have to submit to your Most Gracious Majesty on behalf of the Circassian and Abasian people, and they have no doubt your powerful assistance will enable them to attain the object of their desires, namely, to protect their name, homes, and honour, and to rule their country peaceably and lawfully.

HADJI HAYDER HASSAN

KUSTAN OGLI ISMAEL.