Battle of Ghunib
| Siege of Ghunib | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Murid War | |||||||
Assault on the fortifications of Gunib. Painting by T. Gorschelt. 1867 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Russian Empire | Caucasian Imamate | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Aleksandr Baryatinsky |
Imam Shamil Ibrahim Haji al-Cherkessi † | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
16,000 18 guns |
400 4 cannons | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
about 350-360 killed and wounded, 40-50 prisoners | |||||||
The Siege and Storming of Ghunib was a decisive encounter at the mountain stronghold of Ghunib, conducted by Russian forces in August 1859. After 25 years of leading fierce resistance against Russian expansion, Imam Shamil, the leader of the Caucasian Imamate, was captured and forced to surrender, marking the effective end of the Murid War.