Arms and Armour

Battle of Bziyiqo

The Battle of Bziyiqo (Adyghe: Бзыикъо зау) took place on July 10, 1796, in the Bziyiqo River valley (northeast of modern Novodmitrievskaya) in Circassia, fought between the aristocratic coalition consisting of Bzhedug and Shapsug nobility supported by a Russian Cossack unit and a commoner militia composed of Shapsug commoners along with Natukhaj and Abzakh allies. In 1792, Shapsug commoners revolted against their nobility due to systematic economic pressures and the nobles' repeated violations of the Adyghe Khabze, the traditional ethical and legal code of the Circassians. Shapsug nobles, having lost their status, sought refuge in Bzhedug lands. A primary cause of the military escalation was a conflicting interpretation of the Adyghe Khabze: the Shapsug commoners demanded the extradition of the nobles as criminals, while the Bzhedug princes refused, arguing the sacred duty of hospitality within the same Khabze made it impossible for them to hand over their guests. The war began when these exiled nobles attempted to regain their former rank through the support of the Bzhedug aristocracy and the Russian Empire. The aristocratic forces fought against the commoner militia from the Shapsug, Natukhaj, Abzakh and Ubykh regions. Depite the victory of the aristocratic coalition, the result was a Pyrrhic victory. They suffered heavy casualties and lost their leadership and failed to restore their authority over the Shapsug commoners.

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See also

• ▸Catalan Company
• ▸Elder Smith Woolstore, Teneriffe
• ▸Cēsis

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