Circassian flag
The Circassian flag is the national flag of the Circassians. It consists of a green field charged with twelve gold stars, nine forming an arc resembling a bow and three horizontal, also charged with three crossed arrows in the center. Seferbiy Zaneqo, a Circassian diplomat, is the designer of the flag. Every year, April 25 is celebrated as the Circassian flag day by Circassians. Another version of the flag is currently officially used by the Republic of Adygea of the Russian Federation as its national flag.
Description
Symbolism and meaning
The green represents the nature and Islam. The golden colour represents a bright future in peace and the plentiful harvest of grain and wheat. There are twelve stars, representing the twelve provinces of Circassia. There are three arrows, a reference to Adyghe Xabze in which they would mean "peace if you are my friend, war if you attack me".History and usage
Creation of the flag
An invasion of Circassia by Russia started in 1763, and since then, the Circassians have been fighting the Russo-Circassian War in defense of their territory. The Treaty of Adrianople was signed on 14 September 1829, which stated that the Ottoman Empire recognized Circassia as Russian territory. Most Circassian leaders believed the treaty was a hoax, a strategy of the Russians, as they believed that the Ottoman Empire would never abandon the Circassians. It was decided to send a delegation to the Ottoman sultan to examine the accuracy of the news.Seferbiy Zaneqo was chosen as one of the delegates. Their mission was to meet with Mahmud II to clarify the matter and receive a blessing. However, the Russian ambassador Butenev started pressuring the sultan to arrest them, and following this, the other delegates returned the Circassia while Zaneqo stayed, because he had Ottoman citizenship.
The Russian ambassador, in a letter he wrote to Baron Rosen, the commander of the Caucasian Corps, stated that Zaneqo had written authorization signed by 200 Circassian nobles. James Bell also writes that Zaneqo was in Istanbul as the representative of the 12 Circassian regions.
There are no written sources that describe details about Zaneqo’s flag design process. However, according to Circassian folk stories, during the time, Zaneqo was injured during a demonstration against Russian Imperialism, and was hospitalised. According to oral sources, a Circassian named Muhammad Selkhur visited him and Zaneqo presented a folded paper, and clarified that it is a prototype for a Circassian unity flag, and that during his long hospitalization, he thought considerably about a symbol for the Circassian unity and he concluded on the contents of the paper. He explained that he took inspiration from previous Circassian symbols, and that each of the twelve stars represents a Circassian tribe and they are all equally represented without prejudice. As to the crossed arrows they represent that the Circassians do not seek war, but will defend themselves when attacked. A Circassian woman from the Ottoman harem knitted the flag and sent it to Circassia.File:PikiWiki Israel 11821 decorated house in kfar kama.jpg|thumb|168x168px|A house wall in Kfar Kama, Israel, decorated with the Circassian flag design, 2011David Urquhart self-proclaimed to be the designer of the flag, but there is no discovered evidence for his claims. Seferbiy's father's cousin was related to Prince Hatokhshoqo Hamirza, relative to Kabardian Grandprince Jankhot Kushuk, and thus knew the arrow and star design from the Kabardian coat of arms. The flag's origin traces back to the coat of arms, indicating its design stemmed from local efforts rather than external influences. In a speech in Britain, Urquhart described the flag's elements independently of Circassian culture, revealing his lack of knowledge about their origin and meaning.
Adoption and usage of the flag
In 1836, the flag was brought to Circassia by a young man named Hatajuq, a friend of Qerzech Shirikhuqo, and it was first kept in the village of Mehmet Efendi, the chief judge of the Natukhaj region. Then it was received by Nour Muhammad Haghur and taken to the banks of the Ubin River in Shapsugia. There, the leaders of all Circassian provinces gathered and accepted the flag, and commander Khirtsizhiko Ale raised the flag on Circassian soil for the first time. The flag was given the nickname Sanjak-Sherif.According to the claim of the English traveler who witnessed the event, Edmund Spencer described it as follows:
On discharging our fire-arms, which always announces the arrival of a chief, numbers of gallant warriors galloped forth from the tents and thickets, and, in a few seconds, we found ourselves surrounded by hundreds of the noblest patriots in Circassia; some dressed in the simple costume of the country, and others in glittering chain armour. It was then that the valiant chief, Hirsis, Sultoune Oglou, unfurled the splendid national banner he had just received from Stamboul, wrought by the beautiful hands of a Circassian princess, occupying a high station in the Turkish empire.Spencer also describes the meeting that followed:
At the sight of the long expected national flag, thousands of swords flew in the air, and one universal long-continued shout of joy burst from the immense multitude. Never was there a greater display of enthusiasm, nor a fiercer determination exhibited by a people to defend their fatherland. Their common danger having awakened in their breasts, for the first time, a sense of the necessity of union, as the first and most necessary element to ensure success, every male throughout the whole country has sworn never to submit to the Russians, nor to enter into any commercial relation, nor hold any communication with them, under any pretence. The eternal feuds which had heretofore subsisted between chief and chief, tribe and tribe, have ceased; and those Circassians which had hitherto ravaged each other's territories, are now to be seen hand in hand, united by the closest bonds of fellowship.
In conformity with the great respect paid to age, the principal chiefs, with the elders, approached, and reverently kissed his robe, when he slowly arose from his couch, supported in the manly arms of his son, a young man of most Herculean proportions, and, after blessing the multitude, with uplifted hands, commenced his oration; an oration, however, which I do not pretend to give verbatim, as it was translated by my interpreter into German, yet, for the sake of its curiosity, I have endeavoured to preserve the outline, as far as these disadvantages would permit...According to James Bell, the flag continued to be kept in Judge Mehmet Efendi's house. Seferbiy viewed the Circassian flag as a symbol suited to the Circassians' historical context and distributed copies to his allies. In one case, his twin-masted ship was destroyed by a Russian detachment in January 1838, however the Circassians successfully transported the flag and gunpowder to the village of Wostighay, where lived.
..."Where," cried the old warrior, "is my country; where are the hundreds of tents that sheltered the heads of my people; where are their flocks and herds; where their wives and little ones; and where are my people themselves? Ah, the Moscov! the fana Moscov! have scattered their dust to the four winds of heaven; and such will be your fate, oh children of Adyghei, if you sheathe your swords against the invader!"Behold your brethren the Ingush, the Ossets, the Goudamakaris, the Avars, and the Chechens, once brave and powerful, whose swords leaped from their scabbards at the bare mention of bending their neck to a foreign yoke, what are they now? Slaves! Oh, Adyghei, the consequence of having permitted the fana Moscov a free passage through their territories. They first built houses of stone for their armed men, then robbed the deluded natives of their lands, stripped them of their weapons, and, last of all, obliged them to swell the hosts of their oppressors.
"I hear," said he, "that the great Padischah of all the seas, and the Indies, the terror of the fana Moscov, has tendered to you the hand of alliance. Such a mighty monarch is indeed worthy of being united with the heroic sons of the mountains; but remember your independence, and never allow a foreigner to place a yoke upon your neck. You already permitted the Osmanli to build strong houses on your coasts: what did they give you in return? War and pestilence to mow down your children; and, in the hour of peril, they fled, leaving you single-handed, to stem the torrent that flowed against you...
...Thus saying, he fell back on his couch exhausted with excitement, and was borne from the grove in deep silence, interrupted only by the smothered sobs of those whose emotions would not be controlled. Many a hardy, weather-beaten warrior strove in vain to prevent the tears from chasing each other down his sun-burnt cheeks; while others knit their brows, clenched their teeth, half-drew their sabres, and exhibited every symptom of suppressed rage and indignation...
The Scottish diplomat, defender of Turkish culture in the West, and Circassian supporter David Urquhart attended this meeting with a letter of reference he received from Zaneqo. David Urquhart writes in his memoirs that he was involved in the design process of the flag. At that time, Zaneqo was the only person who had the authority to approve a national flag in Circassia, therefore Urquhart presented the flag at the meeting on behalf of Seferbiy. All of Urquhart’s presence in Circassia was guaranteed by Zaneqo, and Urquhart could only act under the authorization given by Zaneqo. Without permission from Zaneqo, the Circassian representative in the Ottoman Empire, it was not possible to design a flag. According to another version, David Urquhart and Zaneqo designed the flag together. Thus, Seferbiy Zaneqo, through David Urquhart, ensured both the publication of the Circassian declaration of independence and the establishment of the Circassian flag.
According to Spencer, Urquhart’s design featured three golden crossed arrows and several white stars on a green field. Spencer states that the stars symbolized the tribes of the confederation.