Hadji Murad

Hadji Murad (Russian: Хаджи-Мурат, Avar: XӀажи Мурад; late 1790s – April 23, N.S. May 5, 1852) was an important Avar leader during the resistance of the peoples of Dagestan and Chechnya in 1811–1864 against the incorporation of the region into the Russian Empire.

Hadji Murad was an Avar commander who lived in the Caucasus. He was foster-brother to Omar, Pakkou-Bekkhe, the Khanum of Khunzak's son. Hadji Murad was involved in the murder of Gamzat-bek during a Friday prayer in 1834, in revenge for Gamzat's murdering of the Khanum and her sons. Murad's brother, Osman, was slain in the fight with Gamzat-bek's Murids.

Hadji Murad supported the Russians for a while, to counter what he saw as the threat of Muridism. His rival, Akhmet Khan, set about undermining Russian confidence in Murad, until they ordered his arrest, which was carried out by Akhmet Khan. General Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov demanded that he be brought into general headquarters. Hadji Murad contrived to escape, by flinging himself over the ledge of a narrow mountain-pass. The Russians gave him up for dead. The snow, however, had broken his fall and he lay in hiding for the winter. Because of the Russian's bad faith, he decided to throw his lot in with Imam Shamil, who bestowed upon him the rank of naib. Many tribes followed Hadji Murad, defecting from the Russians.

His exploits and red dress earned him the nickname of the 'red devil' from the Russians. After an ineffectual raid on Russian headquarters at Temir-Khan-Shura, a rumour spread that he had slaughtered all the Russians in the hospital and cut them up into shashliks, which he left behind for the Russian troops to eat unawares. Though false, this rumour gained much credence among the Russians and vilified Hadji Murad's reputation.

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