Before the Russian troops, there were sent advance guards of thousands soldiers in order to cut trees and build large roads. Imam Shamils forces fired on these Russian advance guards in order to prevent these actions. Then, Russian commander decided to burn the whole Caucasian forest. They could not succeed although they brought enormous amount of pitch from Odessia. It was not possible to burn huge beech trees. Imam Shamil conquered Muslim Kabartay country in order both to cut Russians Vladicaucasia Tiflis road and to join with Chechens. But he could not stay here. During Crimean War, he had two Georgian princes kidnapped from Tiflis and change them with his son, Cemaleddin, and some ransom. Little Giant Country Daghestan were fighting against a great country for half a century. Russia could not defeat until the Crimean War (1853-56) when they lost against alliance Turk, French and English armies. Paris Agreement, signed after this war, was not interested in the campaigns of such countries as Daghestan fighting for their freedom. On the other hand, Russia were in a weak position after they lost against Turk, French and English alliance in the Crimean War, and the alliance English Admiral J.W.D. Dundas prevented Ottoman Navy in the Black Sea to bring aid to Daghestan people. This was a miss of a historical opportunity for Imam Shamil. This missed opportunity because of English Admiral was an important case which meant an end for Daghestan people. After this danger, Tzar Alexander II decided to move his armies from Crimea to Caucasia and also to solve Shamil problem for ever. Due to his deep experience in Caucasia, Baryatinsky were assigned as the commander of Caucasian Army which consisted of 240 thousand soldiers. Being serious in his duty, Baryatinsky believed that he could only sole Shamil problem if he could finish Islam fundamental movement which was the most effective support for Shamil.
So he decided to blockade the region and cut their relations with Iran and Turkey. Enormous number of Russian soldiers surrounded the whole Caucasia. Baryatinski got the control of armory transport by this way. Because he had an authority to spend limitless money, he controlled many tribes by bribes. The first attack from north was over Chechens who were defending their freedom with zealous effort in North Caucasia. Despite their superiority in both number of soldiers and armory Chechen resistance could only be broken after more than two years in 1859. Shamil fought himself in these combat. But after Chechen country was invaded, Shamil campaign also got closer to an end. The main collapse started with the loss Vadeno fort in april 1859. Some tribes lost their hope in Shamil and submitted Baryatinsky. Meanwhile, Shamil was exhausted with sly and unmerciful raids and arrived in Gunip in North Daghestan. With his family including his son Ghazi Mohammad, there were 400 loyal soldiers in the fort.
On 30 August 1859 Russians under Baryatinskys command arrived at the fort. Shamil and his loyal men did not submitted for two months. But under the heavy artillery attacks of Russians of 14 battalions, Shamil did not see any possibility to escape with his 100 loyal men after two months and he accepted to yield with the condition that he and his men would be allowed to go to Turkey. While treating well, Russians did not keep their promise and brought Imam Shamil to Tzar and forced him to stay in Kaluga near Moscov for ten years. Imam Shamil could not reach his final target. But he could set a common aim for Independent North Caucasia around which all Highlander tribes unified after endless conflicts and wars for ages.
Later on, he was allowed to pilgrimage while his sons Ghazi Mohammad and Mohammad Shafi were kept as hostages. He went to Arabia over Turkey where he was an honorable guest of Sultan Abdulaziz. Sultan ordered to furnish a palace for Imam to stay on his way back to home. There were made preparations and spent lots of money for hosting him but Imam Shamil died in Medine in March 1871. His son Ghazi Mohammad got permission to visit his ill father in Arabia, and then he came to Turkey and served the Ottoman Empire and supported his people revolt in Daghestan. Being a sybol of Muslim Caucasia, Imam Shamil is still remembered with sympathy today as a common hero of more than thirty different ethnical groups of which have no other common characteristic but faith.
After Imam Shamil yielded, his last Northwest Caucacia representative Mohammad Emin and his men continued fighting here for 5 years until 1864. But this last resisting group had to seize fire in 1864.
There can be counted som reasons for unsuccessful campaign of Imam Shamil. Some of them are superior enemy forces in respect of both number and armory, insufficient outer support from naturally alliance countries, aristocrat and classified structure of some of the Circassian tribes who did not give full support to Muridism movement which does not accept slavery and social classe, and so on. It should be a great case that a couple of freedom lover having just their faith but nothing more defended their country against a great and insisting enemy who has every possibility and rich sources and determined to invade Caucasia whatever it may cost.
The basic factor is that the world conditions were developing against this campaign. 19th century was a period in which materialistic philosophy was strengthening and on the contrary, Islam was loosing its power. In such a time, Imam Shamil could succeeed in gathering many different ethnical groups around religious based aim, but he could not reach his final target while Ottoman Empire, protector of all Muslims all over the world, were in a regression process.
After Imam Shamil, Daghestan and Chechen countries were generally under Russian control. But some of his successors and assistants continued resistance campaign in Chechen country. In Ottoman documents and newspapers there were seen some news telling about a revolt in Dahgestan after Russian officer harassed a Muslim woman, or about revolts in Chechen country because of tax and soldier collection disputes. After controlling East Caucasia, Russia turned to West Caucasia and after a chain of wars lasted in many years they reached their aim by destroying Circassians who did not prefer yield but to die for their land.
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