The Grand Principality of Great Kabarda, also known as East Circassia or Karbardia (Kabardian: Къэбэрдей), was a historical country in the North Caucasus corresponding partly to modern-day Kabardino-Balkaria.

The country's boundaries fluctuated, as did its political unity and degree of control over outlying areas.

Walter Richmond reports raids for the years : ‘no later than 1476’, 1491, 1498, circa 1500 ‘every spring’, 1521, 1518, a 10-year break after 1519, 1539, 1547, 1554, 1567, 1578, 1606-1635 "seven times’, 1670s, 1708, 1720, 1735, 1740s, 1760–61 and [4] 1777.

With the death of Temryuk and losses in the Livonian War Russia disengaged from the Caucasus for about 200 years.

Kabardia split into two factions, the pro-Russian Baksan and pro-Crimean Kashkatau (originally the alliances were opposite, but they switched sides some time after 1722.).

They moved west from the Terek country, southwest from Astrakhan and to a lesser degree southeast from Azov.

From 1779 a line of forts was run west along the Malka River, cutting off Kabardian pastures.

In 1779 von Shtrandman was sent to the north Caucasus and fought 1500 Kabardians at a place called Fort Pavolosk.

In 1785-91 Sheikh Mansur attempted to lead an anti-Russian holy war in the north Caucasus.

During the Russo-Turkish War (1787–92) Russian forces thrice crossed Circassian territory attempting to take the Black Sea fort of Anapa.

Late in this war Batal Pasha invaded the north Caucasus and was defeated.

In the early nineteenth century a plague struck the north Caucasus which lasted until the 1830s.

In the 1820s Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov led a campaign which is said to have completely depopulated Lesser Kabardia.