Scientific Journal of KubSAU

The purpose of this article is to study the role and the place of the Bolotokovs, the temirgoy princes’ name, in the military-political events that took place in the Kuban region in the late XVIII - early XIX centuries. The question of the origin and the status of the prince surname Bolotokov is studied, which the legendary Prince Dzhambulat Bolotokov belonged to, "the last one of the old knight generation of the Circassian princes. " Besides him, the most famous temirgoi princes are noted, including his cousin - "senior temirgoi Prince" Misheost Bolotokov. An important place is given to their predecessors - Prince Bezruko Bolotokov, who was trying to create a powerful military and political unification, joining all the "aristocratic" Circassian tribes "in one piece to secure their land and rights against external enemies: Abadzekhs, Shapsugs and Natukhais, but with the preservation of internal control of each tribe on the original terms". The causes of the fact are determined, that despite the periodical participation in hostilities against Russia, the main part or the Temirgoy people under the jurisdiction of the Prince Misheost Bolotokov hold to the solid pro-Russian orientation, which was mentioned by the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Caucasus General A. P. Ermolov, who called Misheost Bolotokov "the most committed to Russia"