In 1865, as captain, he took up service with the
Karachai, where he learned the local language, the local customs, abolished serfdom, organized schools for gifted children, and even helped Muslims make their pilgrimage. On the other hand, he also criticized the Russian Army for barbarism and cruelty, writing... {{quote | text="...[the Russian Army was ordered to] tie the captives to the city walls and begin shooting them at a distance of 300 paces. It should be clear enough that the regular infantry... could not manage to hit the targets... subjecting the unfortunate Turkmens to the torments of hell." == References ==