The Leader of the Circassian Confederation refers to the figures who held supreme authority over the Circassian tribes in Circassia, ranging from the nominal suzerainty to the centralized military and parliamentary leadership of the 19th century. This role evolved from a symbolic feudal title into a formal executive office established to coordinate national defense during the Russo-Circassian War.
The influential tribes of Circassia regularly met to elect a Grand Prince (ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàþ) among them. The existence of such an institute is confirmed by foreign sources. In the eyes of foreign observers, the Grand Prince was considered the king of the Circassians. However, the individual tribes were greatly autonomous and the title was mostly symbolic. In 1237, the Dominican monks Richard and Julian, as part of the Hungarian embassy, visited Circassia and the main city of this country Matrega, located on the Taman Peninsula. In Matrega, the embassy received a good reception from the Grand Prince.
In the 14th and 15th centuries Italian documents concerning the relationship between the consul of Kafa and Circassia clearly indicate the absolutely special status of the ruler of Circassia. This status allowed the senior prince of Circassia to correspond with the Pope. The letter of Pope John XXII, addressed to the Grand Prince of Zichia (Circassia) Verzacht, dates back to 1333, in which the Roman pontiff thanked the ruler for his diligence in introducing the Catholic faith among his subjects. Verzacht's power status was so high that following his example some other Circassian princes adopted Catholicism.
In Circassian legends, Inal the Blind managed to unite all Circassians and declared himself the "Princes of Princes". The title has passed to Inal's eldest son Chemrug. Chemrug's son Boletuqo has founded the House of Boletuqo, which was the princely dynasty of the Principality of Chemguy. Thus, Chemguy Grand Princes was considered as the "true owners" of the most of West Circassia. In some versions, Boletuqo's brothers, along with their subjects, broke away from the principality and formed their own principalities. This separation process resulted in the formation of the Hatuqay, Jane, and Hegayk tribes.
In the first half of the 16th century, the Bzhedug people migrated from the Black Sea coast to settle in the Chemguy lands in the Kuban region. According to legend, the Chemguy prince agreed to allow the Bzhedug people to settle in his lands on the condition that the Bzhedug princes become his vassal nobles. The Bzhedug princes wanted to preserve their princely rank and independence. The Bzhedug won the ensuing war and acquired vast territories around the Psekups basin. Makhosh tribe, who broke away from the Bzhedug tribe, also went east and settled in the Chemguy lands. In the late 16th century, the Abzakh and Shapsug-Natukhaj tribes appeared, in that order, in central West Circassia and along the Black Sea coast. According to historian F. A. Shcherbina, during the Russo-Circassian War, when General Zass suggested defining borders with the Principality of Chemguy, Grand Prince Jembulat Boletuqo replied:<blockquote>"What has this Russian general, born of a woman without trousers, devised? What border could I have? I am a son of the sun and the moon, meaning I descend from parental blood so pure that my parents can only be likened to the sun and the moon, and my ancestors' domains stretched along the Kuban, from the Laba River to the Black Sea. There is but one border for these lands: the Kuban. On one side are my lands, on the other are the Russians. Everyone should know this."</blockquote>The Chemguy Grand Prince held a nominal vassal authority over all the principalities believed to be descended from the Inal; including Kabardians and Besleney. By the early 19th century, the confederative structure of the Principality of Chemguy included the territories of Makhosh, Yejeruqay, Ademiy and Mamkhegh. They had previously established dominance over the Abazin regions as well.
Circassia traditionally consisted of more than a dozen principalities. Some of these principalities were divided into large feudal estates, characterized by the stability of political status. Within these territories there were numerous feudal possessions of princes (pshi). The Circassian state was a federal state consisting of four levels of government: Village council (ÃÂÃÂûààðÃÂÃÂ, made up of village elders and nobles), district council (made up of representatives from 7 neighboring village councils), regional council (ÃÂÃÂþûÃÂÃÂààðÃÂÃÂ, made up from neighboring district councils), people's council (ûÃÂÃÂÿúà÷ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ, where every council had a representative). A central government emerged during the mid to late 1800s. Prior to that, the institute of grand prince was mostly symbolic.
In 1807, Qalebatuqo Hatuqay Shupago self-proclaimed himself as the leader of the Circassian confederation, and divided Circassia into 12 major regions. In 1827, Ismail Berzeg officially declared the military confederation of the Circassian tribes and by 1839 united a significant part of Circassia under his control. In 1839, the Circassians declared Bighurqal (Anapa) as their new capital and Hawduqo Mansur was declared the new leader of the Circassian Confederation. He kept this title until his death. In 1848, Muhammad Amin was the leader of Circassia. After learning that a warriorly scholar has arrived, thousands of families moved to the Abdzakh region to accept his rule. Seferbiy Zaneqo assumed power after Amin's departure, but died the next year.
In June 1860, at a congress of representatives of Circassians, a parliament was formed as the highest legislative body of Circassia. Being a political resistance council and the legislature of Circassia, the parliament was established in the capital of Sochi () on June 13, 1860, and Gerandiqo Berzeg was elected as the head of the parliament and the nation.