Social Stratification and Slavery in Circassian Community Inhabited in Ottoman Empire in the Second Half of XIXth Century

Russia completed the occupation of the Caucasus with the end of the last of Circassian resistance in Kbaa region, on May 21, 1864 and Sheikh Shamil’s delivery to Russia in 1859. Russia compelled the people of the Caucaus to mandotary and mass migration because of the applied Russian politics. Circassian communities who left their homeland as a result of the Russian invasion, used to live in “fedual” layout system in pre-invasion period. In feudal system which administrated Circassian communities had a social stratification. The Kitty, Vork, Lekoltaş, Thollkotl, Pışıll, Vineut are included in this social class. Circassian immigrants who had to migrate in a mandatory way from the Caucasus to Ottoman Empire continued their social classes in their inhabited places in the Ottoman territory. After the migration, as Circassian tribes continued their social classes in the Ottoman territories, this caused some disorder/unrest. It was also effective in immigrants’ settlements. Therefore, in our study, we will deal with “slavery” in the Circassian social classes settled in the Ottoman Empire.