Neutralization of the Opposition

In 1838-1840 the empire eliminated leaders of the Chechen resistance by contract killings and arrests. General Golovin, commander of the Separate Caucasus Corps (head of the empire's troops and administration in the Caucasus), by a secret instruction of 17 November 1838 ordered general Pullo, who commanded the left flank of the Caucasus Line (the chain of imperial fortifications on the land of the Nokhchi), to arrange the assassination of Shamil (Shamil - the imam, leader of the resistance of the highlanders of Dagestan and Chechnya to the Russian conquest): "Among the highlanders devoted to us there will doubtless be daring men who, for a good monetary reward, will undertake to deliver the head of the instigator. I charge you to try this measure, secretly offering to kill Shamil... promising a reward of up to 1,000 chervonets" (chervonets - a gold coin of the empire)^[1]. In autumn 1839, after the rout of Akhulgo (Shamil's mountain stronghold in Dagestan), Ullu-bey of Erpeli - a highlander in the empire's service, installed as pristav (superintendent appointed by the empire) over the Koysubu community - twice sent poisoners to Shamil in the Chechen village of Vedeno: Shamil's chronicler Muhammad Tahir al-Qarakhi recorded that "Ullubiy sent Shamil's nephew Ibrahim, son of Bartikhan, with poison, together with two companions... while the latter was in the village of Vedeno of the Chechen vilayat" (vilayat - an administrative province of the Imamate)^[2]. During the winter expeditions of December 1839 - January 1840 Pullo's troops took from the auls people whom the empire had outlawed: historians Ya. Z. Akhmadov and E. Kh. Khasmagomadov write - "In December 1839 major-general Pullo passed through 28 villages without a single shot, collected 4 thousand rubles in silver from the Chechens, confiscated 455 rifles and seized 97 abreks" (abrek - the empire's label for an outlawed highlander)^[3]; in the January march along the Michik the troops took 30 more people^[4].