Imamate of Dagestan

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The Imamate of Dagestan was the state established by the imams of Dagestan during the early and middle of the nineteenth century in the Eastern Caucasus, especially in Chechnya and Dagestan, to fight against the Russian Empire during the Caucasian War.

The imamate was founded in 1828 by Ghazi Mohammed, who was succeeded by Gamzat-bek four years later. Under Shamil, the third imam of Dagestan since 1834, the Imamate was strengthened the most and incuded Dagestan, Chechnya and some regions of Ingushetia. The adygs of Western Caucasus also were considered under the supreme rule of Imam and ruled by a Shamil's naib. Shamil led the Imamate until his capture by the Russians in 1859.

The supreme government organ of the Imamate was the State Council (divan) which consisted of muftis, naibs and murids.

[edit] Fourth Imamate

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, an attempt to reestablish the Imamate was made by a son of one of Shamil's naibs, Najm ad-Din (Russified name: Najmuddin Gotsinsky; he got this name after the Dagestan settlement of Gotso, when he was awarded nobility by Tsar), with the help of Turkey, during March-April 1918. He was pronounced the fourth Imam of North Caucasus, deposed the Soviet power, but was soon defeated by Soviets and continued guerilla war in mountains of Dagestan and Chechnya.