Battle of Endirey

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Endirey

| place = Aktash River near Endirey, Endirey Khanate

| image = File:Старый Эндирей (карта 1823 г.).png

| caption = Old Endirey (map of 1823)

| width = 330px

| partof = 1722 Insurgency in Chechnya

| date = 23 July 1722

| result = Kumyk–Chechen victory

Defeat and retreat of the Veterani corps
Destruction of Endirey

| combatant1 = Endirey Khanate
Chechen militias

| combatant2 = {{flag|Russian Empire}}
Including:

| commander1 = Aidemir Bardykhanov
Musal Chopalov

| commander2 = {{flagicon|Russian Empire}} Andrei Veterani
{{flagicon|Russian Empire}} Colonel Naumov
Elmurza Cherkassky
Mutsal Cherkassky
Aslambek Kommetov

| units2 = 3 Dragoon Regiments
Don Cossacks

| units1 = Kumyks and Chechens from Endirey
Militias from Chechnya

| strength1 = 5,000–6,000

| strength2 = 2,400 or 6,400

{{flagicon|Russian Empire}} 2,000 or 6,000
400 Cossacks

| casualties1 = Unknown

Several captured

| casualties2 = 204

89 KIA
115 WIA

}}

The Battle of Endirey was a major confrontation between the Russian Empire and its allies with the Chechens and Kumyks and took place in a gorge on the Aktash River near Endirey. An army sent led by Brigadier Andrei Veterani was encircled by a combined Chechen–Kumyk force, as a result of which the corps was defeated and forced to retreat. Another detachment under Colonel Naumov broke into Endirey and destroyed it.

History

In 1718, a large mountaineer force led by Aidemir Bardykhanov attacked Russian Terek fortifications and Cossack villages in retaliation for recent Cossack raids on Chechen villages. In February 1721, he conducted a major attack on the Terki fortress but was repelled with heavy losses.[https://runivers.ru/conflicts/actions/oborona_terskoy_kreposti/ Defense of the Terek Fortress (in Russian)] Together with a series of other Chechen and Kumyk raids on Russian territory, this led to the 2 punitive campaigns against the mountaineers in 1722.

The people of Endirey began preparing for a potential Russian campaign by fortifying the town and setting up defences, including defensive ditches, while non–combatants were evacuated to the mountains.{{sfn|Ибрагимов|2006|page=300}} Chechen fighters also came to help the Endireyans.{{sfn|Anchabadze|2009|page=52}}

In July 1722, an army under the command of Brigadier Andrei Veterani was sent to punish the rebels and occupy the town Endirey, the capital of the Endirey Khanate.{{efn|Often known as the Andreevskaya town in Russian sources}} On his way, he was joined by the princes of Greater Kabardia—Elmurza Cherkassky and Mutsal Cherkassky, who were lieutenants in the Russian army, and a prince of Lesser Kabardia—Aslambek Kommetov. Some sources say the army counted 2,400 men, while other sources say it was 6,400 strong.{{sfn|Хожаев|1998|page=19}}

In a gorge on the Aktash River near Endirey, the army was encircled by a combined Chechen–Kumyk force, between 5,000 and 6,000, led by the two princes. The rebels, armed with sabers, daggers, arrows and guns, ran out from the forest, attacked the Russian detachment and quickly retreated back into the forest. Taken by surprise, the panicking Russian army could not offer any serious resistance and was forced to retreat, with 89 soldiers killed and 115 wounded. The Chechens and Kumyks also suffered considerable losses, with many being captured.{{sfn|Ибрагимов|2006|page=300–301}}{{sfn|Ахмадов|2002|page=352}}

Reinforcements under Colonel Naumov soon arrived and left a part of his troops to hold their position and distract the rebels, while he and the main army directly attacked Endirey. Under fierce rebel resistance, the army of Naumov broke through the Endireyan defences and destroyed the entire town, leaving "nothing but ashes" behind.{{sfn|Ахмадов|2002|page=352}}

As a result of the failure of the campaign, Peter the Great sent a 15,000 strong army to Chechnya and the Endirey Khanate, which devastated destroyed several villages. As a result, the Khanate went into decline.{{sfn|Хожаев|1998|page=19–20}}

References

= Notes =

= Citations =

= Sources =

{{Cite book |ref={{harvid|Ибрагимов|2006}} |last=Хасбулатов |first=А.И. |url=https://www.elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=21678449 |title=История Чечни с древнейших времён до наших дней |last2=Гапуров |first2=Ш.А. |last3=Ахмадов |first3=Ш.Б. |last4=Багаев |first4=М.Х. |last5=Хизриев |first5=Х.А. |last6=Ахмадов |first6=Я.З. |last7=Исаев |first7=С.А. |last8=Бадаев |first8=С.Э.С. |last9=Ибрагимова |first9=З.Х. |publisher=Книжное издательство |year=2006 |isbn=978-5-98896-103-1 |editor-last=Ибрагимов |editor-first=М.М. |location=Grozny |pages=300–301 |language=Russian |trans-title=History of Chechnya from the ancient times to the present day}}
{{Cite book |last=Anchabadze |first=George |title=THE VAINAKHS (The Chechen and Ingush) |publisher=Caucasian House |year=2009 |location=Tbilisi |pages=52}}
{{Cite book |last=Хожаев |first=Д.А. |url=http://zhaina.com/history/283-chechency-v-russko-kavkazskoj-vojne.html |title=Чеченцы в Русско-Кавказской войне |publisher=Седа |year=1998 |isbn=5-85973-012-8 |editor-last=Мазаева |editor-first=Тамара |location=Грозный-Санкт-Петербург |pages=19 |language=ru |trans-title=Chechens in the Russian-Caucasian War |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222204526/http://zhaina.com/history/283-chechency-v-russko-kavkazskoj-vojne.html |archive-date=2014-12-22}}
{{Cite book |last=Ахмадов |first=Ш.Б. |url=https://dzurdzuki.com/download/ahmadov-sh-b-chechnya-i-ingushetiya-v-hush-nachale-xix-veka-2002-god/ |title=Чечня и Ингушетия в XIII – начале XIX века |year=2002 |pages=352 |language=Russian |trans-title=Chechnya and Ingushetia in the 18th – early 19th centuries}}

Endirey