VOLUME TWO

The Wartime Generation

Written by
Osman Çelik

English Translation by
Yunus Buğra

THE WARTIME GENERATION

            The Basti family had been all very happy when Genar returned to the Psifabe valley at the end of 1782. Their joy, however,  didn't last long. The young Basti died within a month after his return.

            Genar had stayed in western Caucasia for twelve years. Over the first few years he lived there a secluded life like a hermit. He wandered aimlessly, accompanied by  his vassal Pşılı Jıbğe¹ , who followed him like his shadow.

            In fact those early few years hadn’t been wasted. He had discovered the realities underlying the events, and  gotten to know the leading persons and forces in the area.

            He visited the Taman Region and the whole of the coast; and went all the way to Bahçesaray by crossing the Strait of  Kerç. He witnessed the Russians occupation of Crimea.

            In the aftermath of the war²  the Russians started to settle down in the Taman Regio, along the northern bank of the River Kuban. As they advanced  they not only set up military garrisons, but also established colonies in the territories they had occupied. Behind them followed a mass of impoverished peasants and the  plunderous Cossacks of Russia.

            Genar went crazy at the sight of the shameless onslaught. Like the fellow patriots, he too didn’t accept what had been going on, and revolted against it. On his own he set up a guerrilla group, and over a period of more than five years he had been organizing raids at the Russian colonies.

            He  finally returned home sick and wounded. He was exhausted. Despite the best nursing given to him by his family, he soon died.

            Following Genar’s death the great Basti Family led an isolated life for several years;  in effect  voluntarily giving up their influential and  dominant position in the Psifabe valley. It was as if the period of passionate dynamism ushered by the grand Basti Dadu had suddenly come to an end.

            Basti Psıçe, the last representative of the celebrated Basti generation, had also died.. The next elder generation of the Basti family, including, Genar's father Bram; and  Şorkan, Sereg and Kansav, had grown old.  The latter three always stayed in the back-stage because of their quiet nature.

            Şorkan's son Lasmar, Sereg's son Aslan, Kansav's son Hamit, Tubal's son Berduk, and Kasey's son Smayl were now mature men. Their age varied between thirty and forty.

            The Bastis, though withdrawn into a self-imposed isolation and lethargy, in fact had been a highly dynamic people.

            The stagnation wasn't only due to the depressive condition  brought about by the war. The family was no longer controlled by one person. It had been split up into five, and the family assetes  had been divided accordingly.  Decentralization was the major factor responsible for the lethargy and hesitation that had plagued the Bastis.

            However, the stagnation in the family had not weakened the binding force of  the traditions. The mandate of the elders,  their unquestionable authority persisted. Lasmar, Aslan, Smayl, Berduk and Hamit, who by now formed the middle-age group in the family, were strictly bound by the traditions.

            They never did anything on their own, without the concent of Bram and Şorkan.

            The same applied in the case of the female members of the family also. Gigi was the eldest of the  Basti women. She was held in high esteem by every one in the family.

            Gigi, was the only one not to be interrupted while speaking. She was the supreme authority on topics relevant to the Family’s background. Commenting about the past, calling to mind the ones who're not alive anymore, were almost her monopoly. The grand-mother was conscious  of her obligations. She did everything according to the rules of tradition.

            Gigi was never let by herself whenever she appeared at the neighboring Basti courtyards.  The children would be running to her once they saw her. Young girls and boys would follow the children to be with Gigi.

            The grand-mother would affectionately smile at them, and caress the blown hair of some of them. And then she would proudly gaze at the young Bastis one by one.

            On such occasions she would reflect whatever emotion she was effected by at that particular moment. Once in a while she would mentally wander into the space above, and stay like that, starring at the same spot as if she was in deep contemplation. At other times she would smile. The light in her heart would reflect on her face.

            Generally, she would prefer obliging her audience by talking rather than disappointing them by keeping silent. While talking, she would reinforce the authority in her voice by her severe stares. She would gesticulate by her hands and facial lines while talking; thus enhancing her power of expression. She would very often repeat such remarks as  "Bastis is a big family!".

            She would talk about late Basti brothers, Dadu and Sutar. She would  also talk about Aze, who had died in an accident, and Sermet the holy man. She would take the younger generation to the misty world of the past.

            When it came to Takir and Genar, the two Basti victims of the war, she couldn't help tears rolling down her eyes. She would candidly narrate how Takir’s remains,  though medically treated, rotted and stunk when it was brought back from Anapa battleground. On such occasions she would perfusively cry; as if  she were living those moments once again.When narrating stories about Genar, she would present him as the common spirit of the family.  She would remark,- He represented the Bastis by himself, at places far away. He fought very bravely against the enemy!

            She woul skip the story of kidnapping of Gubate, Genar's fiancee.  She considered, as many other Bastis did, that the incident had been a disgrace to the Basti Fami.  She would swear and curse by herself  at those responsible of her kidnap and  eventual death.Gigi heavily missed the life of thirty or forty years ago. She longed for those days when  the Basti world lived under the severe authority of Dadu. She regretted  the family’s  split up  into five.  By narrating about the old days, she meant to help the family regain its erstwhile cohesion.

            Bram wasn't as authoritarian as his father Dadu had been. Nevertheless he rationally ruled the family for many years. He surpassed his father in  terms of knowledge, experience, politeness and vision. He had been to Taman and Crimea to trade the goods produced by the family.  It was through those trips that he discovered a different world beyond the confines of the Psıfabe Valley.

            With the passage of time, however,  things changed.   War destroyed the established order, adversely effecting the entire northern  Caucasia³ .  As a result, the Bastis' also got their share of the misfortune. Takir, Bram’s brother; and his son Genar;  and Bace, one of the ablest men of the family,  fell as victims of the war.

            After the death of his uncle Psıçe, the younger generation Bastis began demanding a change  in the family management.  He couldn't resist the trend, and divided the family's property on the  based of the family tree.

            Bram’s determination never dampened, despite adverse developments.  He always made everybody feel that he still was the family elder to be reckoned with.  He warned those who committed mistakes.  Whenever the family was to took a crucial decision, his was the final word.

            Bram reconciled himself with the fact that he had grown old. He believed that the future belonged to the youth. With this impulse he  watched them in silence from a distance.

            His wife Libe also showed a high degree of maturity. When she lost her only son Genar she had thought that her whole world had collapsed . She sat in silence, her eyes filled with tears. But after a while she began thinking more logical.  She reconciled that Genar was only a small part of the big Basti family, and that there were quite a few other boys in the family who could fill the gape. She fucused her love and affection towards the Basti children, who called her "Nan!"⁴

            Libe, by virtue of her conduct, proved herself as being one of the elders and the family.  She was  held in high esteem.

O0O
 
 

            Lasmar, the budding leader of the Basti World, run the  Çemko Farm⁵ , which was the only common property of the family which had not been divided. This situation gave him a distinct privilege. He lived at the farm-house and managed the farm production to the best interests of the whole of the Basti family.

            He was well built, with large bones and a strong body structure. He was as harsh as Dadu, and as daring as Aze and Takir. However, he carried a childish, naive personality behind his imposing appearance:

            Lasmar was liable to commit mistakes not only in important situations but also in simple matters of  daily life. He was, however, lucky enough to have an intelligent and prudent wife.

            In his early youth, he had been to Psikuy on a number of occasions, accompanied with  Genar and some  other Basti boys. He had visited  the Nathos, and had been fascinated by Kodan, a daughter of Natho Hanbeş. He could not, however, sustain his interest in her by force of circumstances that subsequently developed.

            Goşemıd,  later attracted his attention. He eventually married her. The affair was rather a coincidence than  deliberate.

            Goşemıd, a daughter of the Koce family of the Çığızaç village, resembled Gigi  in that she too possessed an intelligent, thoughtful and bossy disposition. She knew well how to maintain low profile as a housewife; and  yet she tactfully controlled her husband.

            At the start Lasmar protested  his wife for meddling with his conduct.  He used to get offended like a child; sometimes left the house or yelled at her; and even  threatened her. Yet each time, he had to yield, for eventually she was proved right. In due course of time he learned to listen to her.

            The Çemko Farm expanded and assumed the size of a village by itself. It was grand Basti Dadu who had discovered the plot of land on which  he got  built the  Çemko Farm consisting of  several stables and  sheepfolds. Later on weaving looms were set up, and the trees were uprooted  to open up space for cultivation. The Pşılı families⁶  from Çığızaç were moved to Çemko to form a producers’ colony there.

            Before Lasmar no one from the  Basti family had been on permanent residence at the Çemko Farm. Then the farm used to be  managed either from Çığızaç directly or  by the single Basti boys, including Takir, before his marriage, and later Genar on temporary basis.

            Since Lasmar moved to Çemko along with his wife and children certain changes were effected there in succession. A larger house was built next to the existing smaller one. As the population in the farm increased, additional houses were constructed. The forest was further cleared of trees to reclaim land to meet the growing demand for expansion of cultivation. The reclaimed fertile land was divided into smaller plots, which were then surrounded by fences for protection against the wild life; fruit trees and vine were planted around each of  the plots.

            Pşılı Şavay, son of  Pşılı Şarda, was the new warden of the farm. Şavay and his helpers were well trained persons, who knew new their job. Lasmar was left with only supervising the farm activities and inspecting the production.

            Pşılı Zaruk and Pşılı Zavur, who had grown up in the farm, were excellent hunters. The two brothers, now  young men,  were kids when Basti Takir had moved to the farm.  They used to appreciatively  watch him from a distance. Whenever Takir departed the farm for hunting, the two brothers  used to follow him for a while, and in the evening they would wait on his way back to welcome him. And now they were old enough to keep company with Lasmar in  hunting. Whenever they got a chance, they would prove how expert they were in hunting.

            Even though  Lasmar stayed permanently at the farm, he never neglected Çığızaç. Every Friday he invariably went down to the village to see his father Şorkan and his uncle Bram.

            Whenever Lasmar visited Çığızaç, the middle aged male Basti generation would get together for meals. And sometimes the elders of the family also would join them.

            The Basti males usually ate their meal in one of the guest-houses, generally the one where Ahmet Sena stayed once.

            During the long winter nights they would recall Ahmet Sena⁷ , Takir and Genar. The awful end of the family's faithful vassals, Pşılıs Bace and Jıbğe were narrated in details.  When it came to the story of Bace's aged father Zako, a different sadness overwhelmed the gathering.

            In the absence of any of the family elders, it was Lasmar who  would be talking most of the time.  The younger Basti generation, such as Aslan, Smayl and Hamit, had to listen to him even though they were much more gifted and logical than him. They honored the privilege he enjoyed by virtue of his seniority by age.

            Lasmar never reconciled with the passivity  on the part of the Bastis relevant to the kidnapping of Genar’s fiancee Gubate.  He considered it as a disgrace for the family. He did not pardon Genar and Bram for what he called “timidity”.

            He would bring up the issue whenever he got a chance,  particularly at the family gatherings, where the elders were not present.

            According to Lasmar, The Basti pride and the Basti prestige were of supreme importance. He was very much like the grand Basti Dadu on that account.  He considered that Genar’s  struggle against the Russians across the River Kuban, while the Basti pride molested in the Psıfabe Valley, did not carry much weight; and that  the proud and brave Basti, in the first place, should have had punished those who had kidnapped his fiancee. He wanted the younger Basti generation, especially the children, to look at the affair in that light.

            Such remarks of Lasmar did not received  much of attention in the family, and everyone tended not to let these come to the notice of the elders. For they knew that Genar's mother Libe, in particular,  would be highly offended in case she heard what he'd been saying.
 
 
 

 O0O
 
 

            When the family's assets were being divided, Bram Didn’t claim any share. He did so not because of the distress he suffered on the death of his only son; but because he had no heart to preside over breaking up of the family through apportionment of the common property. No doubt, his stance stimulated further esteem towards him on the part of the Bastis.

            All of his cousins, without exception, held him in leading position.  Sutar’s son Şorkan temperamentally had been a  quiet person.  Aze’s son Şereg, and Ale's son Kansav were highly capable persons. Yet they never even considered to precede Bram. Sermet's son Tubal and Psıçe's son Kasay were too young for leadership. By the mandate of the traditions they had to follow their elders.

            Bram's authority over the family members was rather spritual  than material, characterized by the moral values dictated by the traditions.

            Since his son Genar died, he seemed as if he was scared of involving himself in  any active movements. Unlike his earlier practice he didn’t interfere in or comment on matters unless essential.  He preferred staying non-committal most of the time. His features were usually still. The lines on this forehead were indicative of  constant courteousness rather than sorrow.

            He had persuaded his family and the rest of the population of the valley to plunge into the earlier war. When he remembered the ones who had been killed in the war, sorrow squeezed his heart. Yet his logic and his conscience consoled him that he had done the right thing.  Sometimes he said by himself,

            - There was no other way out. If necessary we have to act the same way all over again!

            Despite the calm life he led, his ears have always been turned to what had been taking place far away to the west and to the east. The news from the east worried him, while those from the west  elated him, made him feel proud.

            The Russians had settled down in the Terek Basin,  in the east. They had reached Georgia beyond  the Caucasus mountains, through the Daryal Pass. They had built a formidable fortress the called Fort Viladikafkas at the skirts of the mountains, and had stationed a garinson there to safeguard the Pass.

            Besides the fortresses of  Kızlar, Terek and Mozdok had been reinforced, and the Cossacks had been settled around them. Of course they weren't satisfied by all that. They ` constantly labored to set up a chain of  fortresses or strongholds all the way through the Caucasian territories they had occupied.  Their aim was to place the entire Caucasian under a military cordon.

            Most importantly,  the Russians have been engaged in conspiracies of all sorts to deceive and trap the people of Caucasia, who put up resistance to preserve their independence. For example to catch the attention of the masses,  they organized fairs and bazaars  to exhibit their industrial products around the fort cities, that is, the military garrisons, every summer.  Thereby they attempted to win the favor of the local people.

            They followed a policy of duplicity in the  Kaberdey Region. While they forced the nobility or the aristocrats to sue for peace, on the one hand; they instigated the  lower class to rise against their masters, on the other.

            In the meantime, through an efficient network of intelligence, the Russians had very well ascertained the vital characteristics of the people of Caucasia.

            The social structure of  Kaberdey was highly vulnerable to outside provocation. The lower class wanted to escape from the repression of the aristocrats. Some of the vassals had ran away to north of  the River Terek, in the hope that they would find peace and comfort. They had  set up several villages  in the Mezdegü region. Most of those who had accepted Russian protection, were converted to Christianity under the influence of propaganda and enticement.

            Basti Bram was disappointed and sorry on hearing whatever news reached to Çığızaç regarding the development in the east.

            In contrast,  he was satisfied, though a little,  with the news he got from the west. Ferah Ali Paşa had reinforced Fort Soğucak in the Bay of Tsemez, and had reconstructed Fort Anapa, which had been in ruins.

            With the relentless work conducted under the auspices of the Paşa,  people in the hinterland had began converting to Islam. The representatives of the Şapsığ, Abzehs,  Ubih and Abazin tribes visited the Turkish fort cities in an attempt to learn the principles of the new religion.

            Notwithstanding the fact that Basti Bram failed to explain some of the complex  developments, yet he understood that those were of vital importance.

            He believed that the Ottoman forces, holding up  at a number of forts along the coast, would protect western Caucasia, and would throw out the Russians from Caucasia when time comes.

            To him, the most significant development was fast propagation of Islam in western Caucasia.  Once himself had been involved in preaching Islam in Çığızaç and in the Psıfabe Valley. For years he had been dreaming  about its further expansion. His dreams seemed to be realized.

            Bram hadn't been able to go out of the Psıfabe Valley over the past fifteen years,  even though he very much wished to. Basti Bram, once a traveler far and wide, and frequently visiting the Taman region, now seemed stuck home for ever.

            During  the last war he had undertaken home defense responsibility ensuring  for the safety of his village and the Valley.  The developments that enfolded following the war had rendered him inactive.

            The hear-say did not  satisfy him. He tried dependable  ways to satiate  his thirst for information. He sent the Basti youth to the coast several times to dispose of  the products of Çemko Farm, as well as to let them observe the changes that had been taking place there.

            Lasmar went to the coast three years in succession, So he came to know the coast and the people there. He visited the towns of Tsemez and Anapa.

            Since the lose of Crimea and Taman region to Russia recently, the density of commercial activities had shifted to the south. The communities in north-western Caucasia frequented to the bazaars of Tsemez and Anapa to sell their goods and buy what they needed. Each of the towns had rapidly developed and gained the semblance of major cities.

            Basti Lasmar was very much impressed by the situation at the coast. He was very astonished when he first saw the Bazaar of Anapa. Thousands of people from different regions, and the quantity and the variety of the goods amazed him. He walked around the bazaar for hours, his mouth wide open.

            He was further astonished at the sight of the high ramparts of Fort Anapa, the sea and the ships for the first time. Everything that he came to beheld highly impressed him. He pondered for quite a long time on  the power beyond the walls of the fort  and the Caliph in Istanbul.

            On his return home from the trips, Lasmar would narrate his experience of  the coast in details to Bram and other Basti elders, without giving a chance to Aslan and Smayl, who most of the time accompanied him on his trip to the coast, to talk. As he talked, his eyes enlarged and his tongue stammered out of excitement.

            Bram assessed each incoming news according to his own logic.  Generally he was optimistic.  He therefore positively assessed  the news from the west.

            On such joyous occasions he would look and smile at the children of his daughter Bramhan.