Early life He was born in
Dundee in 1796. Russia aimed to expand along the Black Sea and reach warm water ports. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, wanted to block Russia. Russia wanted to isolate the Circassians from the international community, but trade with Circassia could not be prevented, and both the Ottoman Empire and the United Kingdom provided the Circassians with firearms and ammunition to fight the Russians. The United Kingdom also provided several advisors, while the Ottomans tried to persuade the Circassians to start a Holy War (Jihad) that would attract the support of other nations. James Bell arrived in Circassia in 1836, on board a ship carrying a large quantity of weapons under the guise of commercial activities. In November 1836, the Russian military brig "Ajax" detained Bell's ship at
Sujuk-Kale (). At the time of the detention, 8 guns, 28,800 pounds of gunpowder, and a significant amount of other weapons were unloaded. This was considered a provocation instigated by
David Urquhart, the first secretary of the British embassy in
Istanbul, who had long been trying to support the Circassians. Bell introduced himself as a diplomat and saved his life, but the ship and cargo were confiscated and incorporated into the Russian Black Sea fleet. Left without a ship, Bell remained in Circassia. He wasted no time and assisted the Circassians in military affairs. When it was revealed that someone introducing himself as a British diplomat was helping the Circassians, the crisis between Russia and Britain escalated. By 1840, with the support of Polish deserters trained by Bell, several attacks were organized against Russian fortifications on the Black Sea and Gelendzhik cordon lines. These attacks included the
Siege of Lazarevsky, the
Siege of Mikhailovsky, and the
Siege of Velyaminovsky. The Circassians used military tactics taught to them by Bell, such as using cannons, in later battles. In April 1837, Russian-British relations improved and Urquhart was recalled to London. == Personal life ==