Circassia

Circassia lay along the northeastern Black Sea coast and the northern slopes of the western Caucasus. Its principalities and tribes were largely autonomous; Circassian tradition recalls Prince Inal as a unifier and ancestor of several princely houses.

The 1739 Treaty of Belgrade recognized the independence of Kabardia in eastern Circassia. Russian expansion brought war from 1763, and in 1837 Circassian leaders sought diplomatic recognition from European states.