Lakia (Lak: Lakral kanu, Lakkuy, Lakku bilayat[1]) — the name of ethnic territory of Laks in the mountainous Dagestan. The administrative center of Lakia is Kumukh – the political center of Laks over a thousand-year history of their state.[2] Lakia consists of Lakskiy and Kulinskiy districts.[3]
Contents |
Lak people have a long history of relations with the Persians. This is seen in one of the ancient historical chronicles of Dagestan "Derbent-neme". "He (Anushirvan son of Qubad) built a city in Kumuk (i.e. Kumukh) and appointed a ruler there from his family" — informs the chronicle.[4] In the 6th century Kumukh was the seat of Persian viceroy in Lakia.
It is impossible to consider the traditional self-definition of Laks — "Lak" — to be a random coincidence with the ancient Greek "Leg" and Georgian "Lek", referred to by a number of chroniclers as a name for Dagestani people, and it can be argued that the ethnic group referred to is the ancestor of the mountainous peoples of Dagestan, moreover of present-day Laks, as it was noted by P. Uslar.[5]
An important milestone in the history of Lak people is the coming of Arabs to Dagestan and the establishment of Islam. In 733 as a result of prolonged Arab invasions, the political authority in Lakia passes to the viceroy of Caliph, which gives rise to the institution of Shamkhalate, a form of feudal rule. Kumukh becomes one of political centers of Arab influence in Dagestan.
In 777 Islam in Lakia takes a firm base and a cathedral mosque is constructed in the metropolitan Kumukh. Bahadur Gamzatovich Malachihanov writes: "In the great ancient route of the nations (i.e. the Caspian passage), Kumukh was the biggest stage and as such drawing attention to itself must have had become, at the very early period of Arab conquests in the Caucasus, the subject of fierce Islamist expansion directed to the north".
In the 10th century Kumukh is named by Arab historians as "Al-Lak and Gumik" where unapproachable fortress of influential king is. In the middle of 11th century Shirvan becomes the largest Islamic state of Eastern Caucasus which receives a significant number of Islamic worriers, or gazies. Derbent serves as their stronghold. Amir Kalantar, the leader gazies, arrives in Kumukh. Activities of gazies subsequently lead to the dominance of Islam in Dagestan.
At the end of 11th century Lakia established itself as a Muslim state with the capital in Kazi-Kumukh, which serves as the center of gazies in the mountainous Dagestan. Islamic campaigns of Shamkhals, the rulers of Kazi-Kumukh, assert the authority of Lakia in parts of southern and northern Dagestan.
In 1240 Lakia suffers the blow of Tatar-Mongol invaders. The main political center of Dagestan, Kazi-Kumukh, was captured and destroyed. In 1396 Tamerlane undertook an invasion of Kazi-Kumukh. Tamerlane takes heavy fighting in Lakia at the forts of Kuli and Taus. Rulers of Lakia enter into an agreement with Tamerlane "to wage a holy war against the infidels".
At the beginning of 15th century the political influence of Lakia resumes. Shamkhals of Kazi-Kumukh begin a new wave of Islamic campaigns that lead to the Islamization of some mountainous areas of Dagestan. With the decline of influence of the Golden Horde in the northern Caucasus, Shamkhal of Kazi-Kumukh asserts his political supremacy in the northern plains of Dagestan.
In 1430 Kazi-Kumukh was an important center of Muslim scholarship in Dagestan. Shamkhal of Kazi-Kumukh and other rulers of Dagestan carry out frequent Islamic campaigns outside Dagestan. Shamkhals lead a policy of Islamization of the North Caucasus. Shamkhal of Kazi-Kumukh is named "Padishah" and "a senior ruler of Dagestan".
In old times Kazi-Kumukh was a major trading center. Here on Thursdays arrived merchants not only from Derbent, Sheki and Shemakha, but also from Bukhara, Istanbul and Hindustan. Kazi-Kumukh was famous for its craftsmen as well as scientists who have received an excellent education in the countries of the Middle East. Six everyday mosques and the seventh celebratory — "Juma Mosque" — rose over the houses of Laks.
In 1556 diplomatic links were established with the Moscow government. Peaceful embassy of Shamkhal brought Ivan the Terrible unseen in Moscow live elephant, among a number of other rich gifts.
In 1569 in Kazi-Kumukh prince Chopan, son of Budai-Shamkhal, is crowned as Shamkhal. Chopan-Shamkhal becomes the last bright political figure of Shamkhalate era which marked Dagestan as a strong unified state. During this period the political influence of Lakia stretched from Kazi-Kumukh to Shirvan in the south, to Astrakhan in the north, and to Kabarda in the west.
In 1582 the Turkish army led by Jafar-Pasha set out from Derbent to Kazi-Kumukh. "Kazi-Kumukh was subjected to a terrible devastation by the Turks". 1589-1607 pass in wars of Shamkhalate with the Moscow State.
In 1615 the Iranian Shah-Abbas I settled in Derbent and conducted a policy of feudal fragmentation of Shamkhalate. Kazi-Kumukh becomes the center of political controversy. The anti-Shamkhalate coalition which included Russia, Persia and Georgia, eventually led to the disintegration of Shamkhalate.
In 1642 the title "Shamkhal" passed from Kazi-Kumukh to the princes of Shamkhalate branch in Tarki. Alibek II, one of the heirs of Shamkhals of Kazi-Kumukh, established the Khanate of Kazi-Kumukh which subsequently played an important role in the defence of Dagestan against invaders. The whole territory inhabited by Laks was divided into six districts, or magals: "Machaimi", "Vitskhi", "Gumuchial", "Qullal", "Uri-Mukarki" and "Bartkial". The supreme authority in Kazi-Kumukh was "Qat", however in the second half of 18th century a decisive role in all internal and external affairs belonged to the Khan.
In 1700 Surkhay-Khan I, the ruler of Kazi-Kumukh, consolidated Lakia into a unified state and formed a regular army. As a result of political alliances, Lakia incorporates many territories of southern Dagestan and in 1725 the territories of Shirvan. From 1734 to 1743 Lakia, just as Dagestan in general, endures the Persian invasion headed by the general and the Shah of Persia, Nader.
The last page in the history of independent Lakia was a 25-year war of Surkhay-Khan II with Russia. From incorporated territories Lak Khan recruited soldiers. As a result of long and interminable wars, Lakia was in ruins.
In 1820 the population of Lakia refuses to participate in wars and accepts to be part of Russia. During the wars Kazi-Kumukh was given a great importance as a strategic point that connected south-east Russia with Transcaucasia by a bypass route. During the continued Caucasian War, Laks acted on the Russian side. Extensive plateau of Turchi-Dag rising on the border of Lakia and Avaria, served as a summer camp for Tsar’s troops and rallying point for troops of the two districts. In 1860 the territory of Lakia is named as Kazi-Kumukh District.
Lakia is bordered to the West by Avaria, to the Northeast by the Dargin territories, (occasionally called Darginstan or Darganstan), to the Northwest by Kumykia, to the Southwest by the regions of the Tabassarans and Lezgins, and to the South by the mighty Greater Caucasus Mountains. On the other side of the Caucasus lie Georgia and Azerbaijan (including the historical kingdom of the Tsakhurs).
Lakia represents itself as a triangle with slightly rounded sides, facing its apex to the north and the base to the south. Apex of this triangle is the gorge of Tsudakhar. The sides of this triangle are the so-called cross-ridges of the Caucasian mountains. The east side includes the Karinsko-Kundi mountains ("Kun zunttu" - big mountain, or "Kimizu" in Lak), Ali mountain ("Ali zunttu"), Shunudag ("Schunu"), and Kulinsko-Khosrekh ridge. Western side of the plateau includes Turchidag ("Tturchayna zunttu"), Shali ridge ("Shallal zuntturdu"), and Archavarsky ridge. Base of the triangle includes Dultidag ("Dulttiyal zuntturdu") and Kukminski ("Kukma") mountains.
Most of the Lak villages are located within the specified triangle, representing a pool of Kazi-Kumukh Koisu ("Gumuchiyal Kun-Neh" - big river of Kumukh) and its tributary Kulinka river (Laks call it differently: "Kusral neh", "Qullal neh ", "Khuvkhiyal neh", "Khunaynnal neh", "Machaynnal neh"). This basin is cut by various tributaries of these major rivers, over which rise the mountains and ridges of smaller sizes. Rivers tend to fill the entire bottom of the bed and steep slopes, hanging over them, allow to lay only narrow footpaths to them. Between the ranges of the mountains stretch alpine plateaus, whose average level is 1400-2000 meters. There are little forests in Lakia. Most likely they were cut down to increase the area of grazing land for livestock.[6]
Development of school education in Lakia was slow. In 1861 a secular school was opened in Kumukh, which tought Russian language and basic arithmetic. Education of children in Lak literacy in Kumukh was made possible by the tireless work of P. K. Uslar on compiling the Lak ABC, released in 1865. The first lecturer of Lak language was a student and a friend of P. K. Uslar, a native of the Kurkli village Abdullah Omar. P. Uslar wrote that A. Omar — "is a young man, very talented and hardworking, with whom I could freely communicate in Russian. Now he writes in his own language without the slightest difficulty and learned grammatical understanding of it. On him rests the hope for distribution of literature among Laks".
In October 1912, two male rural schools in Unchukatl and Kaya were opened, where 27 and 50 students studied respectively. A year later one-class male school in Tsovkra and Kurkli were opened. The school in Kumukh was transformed into a higher primary school.
The most prominent representative of educational trends in Dagestan in the early 19th century was Sayed Gabiev of Kumukh who later became one of the leaders of Dagestan. Madrasa schools developed parallel to the secular schools. In 1913 there were about 40 of them in Kazi-Kumukh District.
In 28.10.1922 Kazi-Kumukh District was renamed Lak District. In 29/03/1935 it was divided into Lak and Kuli districts.
In the thirties, small sewing, knitting, shoe, furniture and cloth-weaving factories were built in Lakia. At the river Kazikumukhskoe Koisu seven small hydropower plants were built: Kumukhskaya, Unchukatlinskaya, Bagiklinskaya, Kubinskaya, Khuninskaya, Kukninskaya and Kuminskaya.
In the postwar years graduating from high school in the mountains, Laks have been migrating to the cities in lowlands for further education, working in factories, becoming professionals and eventually settled in the cities.
In general "planned" resettlement of Lak people, that bore a chaotic nature as well as "spontaneous" migration of people, has led to a drastic reduction of the population and the weakening of economy in Lakia. Large migration of people from the mountains to the plains of Dagestan was also observed with other mountainous nationalities in the postwar years.
The culture of the Lak people is rich in folklore and handicrafts that originate in the mists of time, as well as modern traditions. First people's amateur drama society appeared in Kumukh in 1912, almost a hundred years ago, and from it started the Lak State Music and Drama Theatre named after E. Kapiev, which today successfully stages performances in the capital of Dagestan.[7]
Among popular shows in Lakia are the old Lak song "Shaza of Kurkli", amateur art dedicated to Part Patima, and festival of "Shunudag". All activities are recorded on video and shown on local television channel "Lakia" and sometimes on the Dagestani television.[8] In the National Library named after R. Gamzatov, there was presentation of the book "Lakia" by Musanip Uvaysov. The presentation was attended by intellectuals, scholars and prominent figures of culture, art, science and education of Dagestan.[9]
Lak District celebrated its 80-year anniversary. The celebration was attended by First Deputy Prime Minister of RD Mukhtar Majidov, pilot-cosmonaut, Hero of the Soviet Union and the State Duma deputy Musa Manarov, Chairman of the NBRD Bank of Russia Sirazhudinov Ilyasov, heads of administrations of cities and districts of Dagestan and many others, famous singers of Lak songs were also invited. To give congratulations on the anniversary came a delegation of Agul District, headed by Yuri Ismailov. Head of MO "Lak District" Yusup Magomedov said: "Lakia — a unique formation in the central part of mountainous Dagestan".[10]
Krinski and Vareyski rock paintings, ruins of ancient settlements, old stone buildings. In total Lak district has 114 monuments of history, culture and architecture. Among them 40 monuments are of architecture and 1 of monumental art. In Kumukh there is an ancient underground water conveyance system, Shamkhal and Yemeni cemetery, tombstone stele of Murtazali-Khan. In the village of Chukna there is old house of Suleyman Chupalov who at the beginning of 19th century was the chief judge of Dagestan, and in his time met with Tsar Nicholas II in the town of Derbent, a house of poet Shazy Kurklinskaya from Kurkli village.
Among the fortresses that exist in the capital of Lakia, the bastion built on a hill of Kumukh named Gurd ("Gurd-bakIu") attracts the attention. In this bastion lived the rulers of Kazi-Kumukh. From the name "Gurd" the old Lak knives "Gurda Tur" takes its name.