Suggest reading "Sabers of Paradise" by Leslie Blanch. It is a history of Russo-Caucasian wars. Marvelous book!
There is quite a lot there about Victorian British reactions to that war. Their sympathy toward Shamil was boundless, just as their hatred of the "Russian Bear". There were some unofficial channels between the Brits and Shamil but overall, the Brits did very little, if anything, to assist him.
He even wrote to Queen Victoria, offering his assistance in the Crimean war, but got no answer.
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