Battle of Tatartup

The Battle of Tatartup took place on the 21st of November, 1785 between the Russian Empire and several North Caucasian nations led by Sheikh Mansur and ended in a second major defeat for the latter, which led to most of his soldiers leaving him, after which he took refuge in Anapa.

Battle of Tatartup
Part of Sheikh Mansur Movement
Date 30th October–2nd November, 1785 Location Tatartup fortress, North Caucasus Line, Russian Empire Result Russian victory Decline of Mansur's insurgency
Belligerents
Sheikh Mansur Movement Chechens File:Banner of the Kabardian Union.svg Kabardia Kumyks Dagestanis	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Sheikh Mansur	Larion Nagel
Strength
20,000	4,000 2 Moscow regiments 1 rifle battalion 2 Kabardia and Selenga squadrons 300 Don and Greben Cossacks
Casualties and losses
Heavy	Unknown

History

After the defeat at Malka, the Russian Empire planned the complete destruction of the resistance movement Sheikh Mansur caused across the North Caucasus. A special unit was organized under the command of Colonel Nagel. This unit was composed of two regiments from Moscow, a rifle battalion, two squadrons from Kabardia and Selenga, and 300 Don and Greben Cossacks. On November 21st, 1785, Colonel Nagel invaded Small Kabardia.
Having heard of the approach of the Russian army, Sheikh Mansur organized a small unit of Chechens, Kabardians, Kumyks and Dagestanis. The two sides met at the Tatartup fortress near the Malka River. During the fierce fighting that ensued, both sides suffered heavy casualties, and both Mansur and Nagel planned to withdraw their troops from the battle. Mansur first gave the order of retreat, and his troops returned home, while he took refuge in Anapa.
The result of this defeat was heavy for Mansur, because many of his supporters, amongst Kabardins, Kumyks and Daghestanis, lost their confidence in him, left Mansur and asked for forgiveness from the Tsarina of Russia. At the beginning of 1786, Dol Mudarov, Psheh of Small Kabardia and faithful supporter of Mansur was captured by the Russian army.
Although most of his men left him, Sheikh Mansur continued waging Guerrilla warfare against Russian soldiers, numbering an army of 600.

See also

• Sheikh Mansur
• Battle of the Malka

Sources

• Oztas, Ahmet (2013) (in English). A Page from the History of the North Caucasus: Imam Mansur Ushurma. EHESS. pp. 1-14. https://www.academia.edu/3694558/A_Page_from_the_History_of_the_North_Caucasus_Imam_Mansur_Ushurma. 
• Kutlu, Tarık (2005) (in Turkish). Tarihte Kafkasya. Istanbul. 
• Berkok, İsmail (1958) (in Turkish). Çeçen Direniş Tarihi. Istanbul.