The concept of Muridism in studies of Caucasian history

The Russian Empire sought to control the Caucasus from the eighteenth century as part of its expansionist policy in Asia and Europe. However, this effort resulted in significant human, economic and temporal losses, delaying Russia's expansion. Scholars have since examined the prolonged war and heavy casualties in the region. The Caucasian struggle for independence has generally been portrayed in the literature as the Muridism movement or a mystical-fanatical ideology, a characterization that has persisted to the present day. However, this approach overshadows the military and political achievements of the Caucasians. Moreover, this widely accepted yet scientifically unsubstantiated notion has led to research being built on a weak and unfounded basis. This study examines primary sources chronologically and comparatively using document and content analysis. As a result, no evidence was found to support the claim that a radical or fanatical movement emerged during the nineteenth-century Caucasian struggle against the Russian Empire. © 2026 Global South Ltd.