Adyghe people
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Adyghe |
|---|
| Total population |
|
600,000 - 700,000 |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Russia: 200,000 Turkey, Jordan, Israel, FYR Macedonia, Lebanon, Syria, United States, West Europe |
| Languages |
| Adyghe language, Russian, Turkish |
| Religions |
| Sunni Islam, Shamanism, Russian Orthodoxy |
| Related ethnic groups |
| Kabardin, other "Circassian" peoples |
The Adyghe or Adygs are a people of the northwest Caucasus region, principally inhabiting Adygeya (23%) (now a constituent republic of the Russian Federation) and Karachay-Cherkessia (11%) (where they are named as "Cherkes"). Shapsug National District, an autonomous district founded for Shapsigh (or Shapsugh) tribe living on the Black Sea coast was abolished in 1943. Kabardin of Kabardino-Balkaria (along with Besleney tribe) who speak the Kabardian language are often conceived as the eastern branch of Adyghe. While Adyghe is the name this people apply to themselves, in the West they are often known as the Circassians, a term which can also apply to a broader group of peoples in the North Caucasus. Their language is also referred to as Adyghe or Adygeyan. Besleney speak a dialect of Kabardian.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Adyghe first emerged as a coherent entity somewhere around the tenth century A.D., although references to them exist much earlier. They were never politically united, a fact which reduced their influence in the area and their ability to withstand periodic invasions from groups like the Mongols, Avars, Pechenegs, Huns, and Khazars.
This lack of unity eventually cost the Adyghe their independence, as they were slowly conquered by Russia in a series of wars and campaigns in the late 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. During this period, the Adyghe plight achieved a certain celebrity status in the West, but pledges of assistance were never fulfilled. After the Crimean War, Russia turned her attention to the Caucasus in earnest, starting with the peoples of Chechnya and Dagestan. In 1859, the Russians had finished defeating Imam Shamil in the eastern Caucasus, and turned their attention westward, finally subjugating the Adyghe in 1864.
Like other ethnic minorities under Russian rule, the Adyghe were subjected to policies of mass resettlement. Collectivization under the Communists also took its toll.
[edit] Culture
The Adyghe were a warlike people. Grown men were expected to carry arms, and boys trained to be warriors. Familial ties were not strongly encouraged; parents fostered their children to other adults rather than raising them themselves.[citation needed] The Adyghe society was once matriarchal[citation needed]. Women fought in war alongside their husbands[citation needed]. Although the society is no longer matriarchal, women still have a high place of respect and dignity.
Adyghe society prior to the Russian invasion was highly stratified. While a few tribes in the mountainous regions of Adygeya were fairly egalitarian, most were broken into strict castes. The highest was the caste of the "princes", followed by a caste of lesser nobility, and then commoners, serfs, and slaves. In the decades before Russian rule, two tribes overthrew their traditional rulers and set up democratic processes, but this social experiment was cut short by the end of Adyghe independence.
Today most Adyghe speak Russian and/or the original Adyghe language, a member of the Northwest Caucasian (Circassian) language family. Both languages are written with the Cyrillic alphabet.
The primary religion among modern Adyghe is Sunni Islam.
The main Adyghe tribes are: Abzekh, Adamey, Bzhedugh; Hatukuay, Kabardey, Kemirgoy, Makhosh; Natekuay, Shapsigh; Zhane, Yegerikuay, Besleney. Most Adyghe living in Caucasia are Bzhedugh and Kemirgoy, while the majority in diaspora are Abzekh and Shapsigh. Standard Adyghe language is based on Kemirgoy dialect.
[edit] The Diaspora
Adyghe have lived outside the Caucasus region since the Middle Ages. They formed a tradition of joining foreign armies, including those of Persia, Rome, Byzantium, and the Golden Horde. They were particularly well represented in the Mamluks of Turkey and Egypt. In fact, the Burji dynasty which ruled Egypt from 1382 to 1517 was founded by Adyghe Mamluks.
Much of Adyghe culture was disrupted after their conquest by Russia in 1864. This led to a diaspora of the peoples of the northwest Caucasus, known as Muhajirism, mostly to various parts of the Ottoman Empire. The largest Adyghe diaspora community today is in Turkey, especially in Samsun, Balıkesir, Sakarya, and Düzce. Significant communities live in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel (in the villages of Kfar Kama and Rikhaniya), Libya, FYR Macedonia, and the United States (Upstate New York and New Jersey). The small community in Kosovo expatriated to Adygea in 1998. [1] A number of Adyghe were introduced to Bulgaria in 1864-1865 but most fled after it became separate from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. Today, their number in Bulgaria is estimated at around 1,300.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Amjad Jaimoukha, The Circassians: A Handbook, New York: Palgrave, 2001; London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001. ISBN 0-312-23994-7
