Imam Shamil was born in 1797 in what is now Dagestan, Russia. He joined a Sufi order and became a respected leader among Muslims in the Caucasus region. Following Russian invasion, Shamil led resistance against harsh Tsarist rule for over 20 years until surrendering in 1859. After his capture, Shamil was exiled to cities in the Russian Empire and eventually allowed to take a pilgrimage to Mecca, where he died in 1871.