LONGWORTH'S MISSION TO
CIRCASSIA IN 1855
Doç. Dr. Musa ŞAŞMAZ*
The politieal history of the Circassian tribes was for a long
time intimately eonneeted with that of the Crimea prior to the annexation of the latter to the Russian Empire. The sovereignty of the
Sublime Porte was aeknowledged by both though never established
in Cireassia, as in the Crimea, by eonquest. It partook rather of the
eharaeter of religious than temporal supremaey; the Sultan as Caliph bearing the supreme head of Islamism.
In the treaty of Kaynarca', 21 July 1774, by whieh the Crimea
was eonstituted independent, it is deelared in artiele III "Toutes les
nations Tartares de la Crimee, du Budziach, du Kuban, d'Yedistan,
de Geambouilak, de Sedikul, sans aucune exception quelconque,
seront respectivement, par les deux Empires, reconnues libres et
entierement independantes de toute Puissance etrangere et comme
etant sous la puissance immediate de leur propre Khan de la race
de Cengiz Khan, elu et etabli de l'accord et avec le consentement
unanime des ...
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