His teachings on Jihad ("Gazavat"[c]) and his idea of the unification of the North Caucasian tribes under a single Islamic state concerned the Russian administration, who, as a result, sent a 3,000 strong force under Nikolai de Pieri in order to capture him.

The Russians burnt the village down and began retreating to the Sunzha River, where, in the forest of Aldy, it was ambushed by Mansur's fighters, and as a result, the detachment was destroyed and dispersed.

Local traditions recount that in his youth, he studied the Quran and Arabic, but due to his family's lack of wealth, he could not pursue an Islamic education.

[1] In March 1785, Mansur delivered his first public speeches, calling on the Chechens to forsake their customs of raiding, robbing, and murdering, as well as to cease smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol.

[1] In late June 1785, following unsuccessful ultimatums issued to the North Caucasian peoples, Pavel Potemkin, the commander of Russian forces in the North Caucasus, resolved to deploy a military force under the command of Colonel Nikolai de Pieri to Aldy with the objective of crushing the insurgency and capturing Sheikh Mansur.

[2][1] The plan involved dispatching a Russian force under the command of Colonel de Pieri, who was tasked with penetrating the stronghold of the rebellious mountaineers in the village of Aldy.

From this position, the Russian troops would discreetly encircle the village, proceed to infiltrate it, and subsequently locate Mansur's residence.

[3][1] In case of strong unexpected Chechen resistance, Major general Nikolai Shemyakin, who would be stationed at Alkhan–Yurt, would go to Aldy to support Pieri.

Before entering the forest adjacent to the river, they established a defensive Wagon fort two versts from the crossing, leaving their supply train protected by 400 musketeers and two cannons under the command of Captain Shurinov.

[4][1] As the detachment approached the river, they were observed by inhabitants of Alkhan-Yurt, a Chechen village located on the right bank of the Sunzha, 3.2 versts upstream from Aldy.

Despite this encounter, Pieri's detachment, consisting of the Kabardian Jaeger Battalion, two grenadier companies from the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, and two cannons, proceeded towards the river crossing.

[4] Eventually, the Pieri detachment crossed the Sunzha River, but as the Russians advanced further into Chechnya, skirmishes with Chechen fighters intensified, soon escalating into a full-scale battle.

[4] While intense fighting was going on between the detachment of Tomara with the Chechen rebels at the Sunzha River, the main Russian forces advanced towards Aldy.

The engagement resulted in a Russian retreat as Chechen fighters inflicted heavy casualties, including 60 deaths and the capture of Captain Kugaevsky himself, who sustained injuries.

Following a fierce engagement with Chechen fighters that resulted in the death of Mansur's elder brother, the village fell under Russian control.

[5] Pieri issued an order to seize all livestock from the village, a decision opposed by Sergei Komarsky on the grounds that the troops were tired from a long march and intense battle.

[5] During the retreat, the Russian troops were organized as follows: leading the vanguard was the grenadier company of the Astrakhan regiment, accompanied by the first cannon.

Bringing up the rear was the 6th company of the Kabardian Jaeger Battalion, responsible for safeguarding the flanks of the retreating Russian army.

Using Guerrilla warfare, the Chechens emerged from behind trees, unleashing a relentless barrage of rifle fire on the retreating Russian forces, resulting in heavy casualties.

Before covering even a kilometer through the forest, the wounded Kugaevsky approached Ivan Kazin, commander of the Astrakhan Regiment, and urgently reported that most of the soldiers guarding the second cannon at the rear had been killed.

What ensued was a fierce and intense hand-to-hand combat, where Russian soldiers fought with bayonets and Chechen fighters countered with swords and daggers.

His Orderly, the young lieutenant Pyotr Bagration a future hero of the Napoleonic Wars, rallied a group troops to protect Pieri.

Komarsky, who was wounded in the leg, remained in line with a small number of rangers and continued to retreat to the crossing, fighting off the advancing Aldyns with bayonets.

A rumor later spread in Chechnya that after this battle, the Sunzha turned red with blood and was covered with the caps of Russian soldiers floating on its waves.

[6][1] Before setting off, the Russian troops beat their drums, hoping to signal any remaining soldiers in the forest to rejoin the main army.

[6] Gradually, the battle drew to a close as fighters from Aldy and Alkhan-Yurt consolidated under Mansur's leadership in front of the entrance of the forest.

He loaded the wounded onto carts, formed a square formation, and ascended the mountain, pursued relentlessly by 500 Chechens on foot and horseback.

[10] Potemkin, studying the orders, reports, dispatches and interrogations of the participants of the Aldy campaign makes an attempt of explaining the Russian defeat:[10] "it is easy to understand that Pieri, despising the Chechen people, did not wait for Brigadier Apraksin's detachment and wanted to accomplish everything alone.

If instead of this route from the village of Aldy he had gone through Khan-Kale, not only would the misfortune have been avoided, but there also would have been no bloodshed, as the Chechens, expecting Pieri's detachment at the same passage, would not have been able to hinder him.

Emerging from the forest, a group of Aldy fighters carrying a white flag approached, bearing the gravely wounded Pyotr Bagration.