Khurasan releases 15mm Circassians (AD)

[Khurasan Miniatures]

We are very pleased to release a fierce Caucasian horse army in 15mm, the Circassians and Georgians. Available now:
http://khurasanminiatures.tripod.com/circassian.html

The army fought the Russians, Persians and Tartars with great success, and the local Caucasian armies also fought each other of course.  The range includes noble cavalry with bows, later noble cavalry with pistols, Nogai Tartar settlers, various infantry, and even trick riders -- amazing riding skills that the Cossacks later copied. The Circassians would approach the enemy at breakneck speed, shooting themselves in with archery and/or pistolfire, then fall in with their dreaded shashka sabers. Their cavalry was invincible until the 19th century.

[WuZhuiQiu]

That's an interesting range; could you suggest some background reading on the Circassians of that period?

[frank xerox]

There's a good book called "sabres of paradise" if I remember right, by ernle Bradford,concentrates on the second half of the 19th century. Been a while since I read it but great flavour and background

[SJWi]

Just tried to find this. There is a book of the same name by Lesley Blanch which covers some 19th century Circassian history.

[Khurasan Miniatures]

Circassia was basically destroyed by the Russian conquest, most Circassians moving on to live in turkey, some being settled by the ottomans as military colonies in Palestine (where some continue to live to this day). So when they or their military history do show up, it tends to be in histories of Russia or Turkey or Iran.

Or Egypt! Because in the latter part of the Mamluk period, most of them were Circassians.

The best survey in English is probably “The Circassians: A Handbook,” by Amjad Jaimoukha.

[frank xerox]

SJWi - I'm probably mixing my authors, if it's about Hadji Mourad and the conquest of the Caucasus, then that's the one.

[pikeman]

Evidently the Circassian were considered a source of blood sport for the bored Russian nobility. Military service there and the opportunity to fight them was sought after. No surprise they migrated to Turkey!