Gotsinsky, Najmutdin

Politician, one of the Muslim movement leaders in Dagestan in 1917-1921.

Born 1859 (according to different data, 1865) in the village of Gotso, Avar County, Dagestani Region. His father was a naib (a senior) of imam Shamil's administration and was promoted to Guard Senior Captain of Horse and awarded with land for the services he rendered to the czarist government in suppressing the revolt of Chechnya's and Dagestan's highlanders. Gotsinsky inherited a large fortune from his father and his brother, was a significant squire, scientist for Arab studies, member of Dagestani people's court, later naib of the Koysubulinsky part of Avar County. Participated in the events of 1905, secretly sympathizing with the Socialists.

After the February Revolution of 1917, was a member of the Interim Regional Executive Committee of the Soviets (besides workers and soldiers, it was represented by national intelligentsia, squires, and entrepreneurs) created on March 9 in Dagestan's administrative center Temir-Khan-Shura. At the First Congress of the Highland Peoples in Vladikavkaz (May 1917), was elected mufti (head of the Muslim Cleric Administration) of the Northern Caucasus and joined the Central Committee of the Caucasian Highlanders' Union, the so-called highlander government which was located in Terek Region along with the Cossack government. Due to the Socialists' victory at the Regional Executive Committee elections during the First Dagestani Regional Congress of the Soviets (August 1917), Gotsinsky was not elected its member. At the Second Congress of the Highland Peoples (August) in the village of Andi, Highland Dagestan, Gotsinsky was proclaimed imam (laic and cleric head of a Muslim community) of the Northern Caucasus. After the Congress, addressed the people in his To the Nations of the Caucasus (published in Dagestan newspaper), in which he proved that his imam appointment was connected with the protection of the religion. Was a member of Dagestani Muslim National Committee created in Temir-Khan-Shura in early September.

After the October Revolution, on October 26, Dagestani Regional Executive Committee affirmed the decision of the Third Congress of the Highland Peoples (Vladikavkaz, September 20-29, 1917) that Gotsinsky was the mufti but not imam. Ran for the Constituent Assembly membership in Terek-Dagestan constituency, but was not elected. At the Second Dagestani Regional Congress (November), was elected a member of the Regional Executive Committee and confirmed a mufti for the second time and in this quality joined the government of the Highland Republic created by the Caucasian Highlanders' Union in November. Continuing to claim his imam title, tried to create a Muslim theocracy in the Northern Caucasus relying on Turkey's support.

In January 1918, national troops (about 10,000 men) headed by Gotsinsky occupied Temir-Khan-Shura before the opening of the Third Dagestani Regional Congress of the Soviets convoked to discuss the government form issue. The Congress sent Gotsinsky an ultimatum: to immediately remove the troops from the city, present himself at the Congress, acknowledge the Congress a supreme legislative body, and other. Gotsinsky soon was present at the Congress. By the Congress's decision, Gotsinsky was re-announced mufti but not imam, after which Gotsinsky departed for the Highlands. In March, Gotsinsky's detachments ousted the Soviet power in Port-Petrovsk; retreated to the Highlands upon its reinstatement in April. Gotsinsky's troops along with German and Turkish interventionists fought against the Red Army. In September 1920 ? May 1921, an anti-Soviet insurgency was raised in the Dagestani mountains with Gotsinsky's support; upon its suppression Gotsinsky escaped to Chechnya. He was arrested there and later shot in Rostov-on-Don by the decree of the Plenipotentiary Representation of the North-Caucasian Region OGPU of September 28, 1925.