Temryuk Idar
Temryuk Idar, Temroqwa Idar, or Kemirgoko Idarov was a East Circassian prince of the Princedom of Kabardia and its head of power for part of the sixteenth century. His fame was largely due to the association of his name with the alliance with Ivan IV and the marriage of his daughter, Maria Temryukovna. When Temryuk came to power, he put down the revolts of the disputing princes, and helped Circassia become a military power within the North Caucasus. he was noted as "one of the most noble Circassian rulers"
Reign and alliance with Ivan the Terrible
Temroqwa was skilled ruler and military leader. He noticed the increasing military support from the Ottomans to the Tatars and feared this would affect the Circassians' ability to thwart any possible assault. Temroqwa explored the possible allies, and settled his choice on the Tsarist Russia. In 1557, Temroqwa sent a delegation to Moscow to seek alliance with the Russians. The delegation included his sons Sultan Qul and Bulat Gery, who were welcomed by Ivan the Terrible. Ivan agreed to join the alliance with Kabardia.Based on the treaty of alliance between the Circassians and the Russians, Circassian cavalry forces participated in several battles with the Russian army in Poland and the Baltics. Ivan supported Temroqwa's goal to extend his power inside Circassia and to unify the lands of Circassians under his reign. Temroqwa established a fort in Mozdok that enabled the Circassian and Russian forces to perform joint training. Ossetian and Ingushetian lands, as well as the Turkic people, became subjects of the Kabardian raising power. Temroqwa's expansion extended towards the Georgian kingdoms in the south.
In 1560, Anastasia Romanovna, Ivan's first wife, died. It was proposed that Ivan would marry Catherine Jagiellon in order to strengthen diplomatic relations with Poland. However Ivan instead decided to marry Temroqwa's daughter, Gwashanay. A high-level delegation was sent to betroth Gwashanay. She was accompanied by her brother, Sultan Qul, on her way to Moscow. Gwashanay was later baptized and became known as Maria Temryukovna. Her brother married the daughter of a member of the tsar's entourage who handled the state treasury. He was later baptized and became known as Mikhael.
In several narratives, Temroqwa was described as a tyrant who only cared about his rule. However, after his death, many elegies were written for him. Temroqwa allied with Tsarist Russia under the belief of unity against shared enemies.
In 1556 Temroqwa led a military campaign against the Tatars. He managed to expel the Tatars from the Circassian lands and to chase the fleeing troops until Taman Peninsula. There, Temroqwa established the city which is now known as Temryuk. In 1569, in an attempt to push back the Russian forces, Tatar-Ottoman joint troops attacked the city of Astrakhan in the Khanate of Kazan. The joint troops were annihilated by a sudden attack from Temroqwa. Temroqwa kept his advance until north of the Don and established the city of known today as Novocherkassk near Rustov.
Death
Nogmov further states that Crimean Khan Devlet I Giray assembled an army with the aim of completely exterminating the Pyatigorsk Kabardians. Prince Temryuk Idar, having gathered a large force of Kabardians and other Adyghe tribes, advanced to the Akhupa River and, at its confluence with the Kuban, constructed a fortress where he awaited the enemy.Nogmov’s account contains inconsistencies, as he attributes command of the invading army to Devlet I Giray, while Russian sources identify Kalga Adil Giray as the commander. Estimates of the Crimean force vary widely: some sources place it at no fewer than 20,000 men, while higher estimates—including reinforcements from Astrakhan and Kazan Tatars—raise the figure to as many as 130,000. Even so, the force was relatively small compared to other Crimean campaigns during Devlet Giray’s reign, as Adil Giray was operating primarily with troops from his own appanage. The Circassians’ reliance on defensive tactics further suggests that they were numerically inferior.
The battle took place on the Afips River in July 1570; the earliest Russian ambassadorial reports date it to 30 July. According to Circassian folklore, the Tatar commander was enraged upon seeing that Temryuk Idar was aiding the Circassians. The same tradition emphasizes the brutality of the fighting, claiming that Tatar arrows “fell like snow” and struck with the force of cannon fire. During the battle, one such arrow pierced Temryuk, inflicting a mortal wound, while the fortress he had built was captured by the Tatars. Despite his injury, Temryuk continued to fight, and repeated Crimean attempts to cross the river were repelled. Nevertheless, two of his sons, Beberyuk and Mamstruk, were captured by the Tatars.
The following Circassian song was composed in connection with these events:
Seven days passed in anticipation of the enemy, and nothing was seen or heard in the steppe. Our army stood idle on the waters of the Akhunsa.
Thanks to the good king; he informed us of the enemy’s approach, and the valiant prince Temryuk is ready to strike the common enemy.
A cruel battle flared up and Crimean arrows flew at Temryuk, like winter frost whitening the fields and trees.
But one fatal arrow found a way to pierce the brave prince and the wound was so deep that it was difficult to remove it.
A formidable warrior with countless forces came to us from a distant land, from across the sea through the isthmus, and took our fortress.
The Crimeans tried hard to cross the Akhups and completely dislodge ours; it was bad without brave Temryuk, but ours held out.
And Kaidak Etlukhov with his golden mustache distinguished himself with courage; the hero of heroes Temryuk only sighed from a cruel wound.
Idar Tambiev, noticing our men's timidity, charged into the enemy's midst.
From the thickness of the bow came a sound like a gun, and from the fired arrow the bowstring rang.
Upon his recovery, Prince Temryuk immediately gathered the Kabardians and hastened to the aid of the Russian Tsar, with whom they joined forces near the Sea of Azov. The Tsar greatly thanked Prince Temryuk for his loyalty and generously rewarded the Kabardians.
In this way, Prince Temryuk helped Russia many times; upon his return to his homeland, this kind, brave, and best of all our princes died of an old wound that had relapsed. The people said of him: “There is no greater valiant hero, no more courageous knight of ours, Prince Temryuk.”