Aghul people

Aghuls
агулар

Total population
34,200 (est.)
Regions with significant populations
Russia  Dagestan 23,314[1]	34,160[2]
Ukraine	108[3]
Languages
Aghul language
Religion
Sunni Muslims, non-denominational Muslims, Muwahhid Muslims
Related ethnic groups
Lezgins

Aghuls (Aghul: агулар/agular, Russian: агулы/aguly or агульцы/aguljcy) are a people in Dagestan, Russia. According to the 2010 census, there were 34,160 Aghuls in Russia (7,000 in 1959).^[4] The Aghul language belongs to the Lezgian language family, a group of the Northeast Caucasian family. Ethnically, the Aghuls are close to the Lezgins. There are four groups of the Aghul people, who live in four different gorges: Aguldere, Kurakhdere, Khushandere, and Khpyukdere. Like their neighbors the Kaitaks, the Aghuls were converted to Islam at a fairly early date, subsequent to the Arab conquest of the eighth century. Their oral traditions claim Jewish descent.^[5]

Culture

Each Aghul village had a village council, on which each of the three or four tukhums were represented. The council was headed by an elder. The village mullah and qadi also played an important role in local affairs. In some cases the wealthier tukhums exerted a disproportionate strong influence on village government. As elsewhere in Daghestan, the Aghuls were divided into tukhums (clans), comprising twenty to forty households. Each tukhum had its own cemetery, pastures, and hay fields, and the members were bound by obligations of mutual support and defense.

The Aghuls tended to practice endogamy within the tukhum—marriages with outsiders were very rare. In the past the Aghuls lived in extended family households, though not especially large ones (fifteen to twenty members, on average). A senior male, father or eldest brother, functioned as chief, with fairly broad authority over the affairs of the household and its members. Should the extended family split up, sisters—even those who had already married and left the household—received a portion of the land as well as the movable property. They were each apportioned one-half of the land share given to each of their brothers, a practice that was unusually generous by Daghestanian standards.

References

Peoples of the Caucasus
Caucasian	Caspian Avar–Andic Andi Akhvakh Bagvalals–Tindis Botlix–Godoberi Chamalals Karata Avars Didoic Bezhta Hinukh Hunzibs Khwarshi Tsez Lezgic Aguls Archin Budukh Jek Kryts Lezgians Rutuls Tabasarans Tsakhurs Udin Nakh Bats Chechens including Kists Ingush Other Dargin Khinalug Laks Kartvelian Georgians including Lazs Pontic Abkhaz–Abaza Circassians
Indo-European	Armenian Armenians Germanic Caucasus Germans Hellenic Caucasus Greeks including Urums Pontic Greeks Iranic Northern Ossetians Western Talysh Tats Kurds Slavic Cossacks Kuban Cossacks Terek Cossacks Russians Ukrainians
Semitic	Georgian Jews Mountain Jews
Mongolic	Kalmyks
Turkic	Kipchak–Cuman Karachay–Balkars Kumyks Kipchak–Nogai Nogai Oghuz Azerbaijanis Meskhetian Turks Turkmens
Ethnic minorities in Armenia  Ethnic minorities in Azerbaijan  Ethnic minorities in Georgia  Ethnic minorities in Russia

Ethnic groups in Russia
Titular Nationalities	Adyghe Cherkess Kabardians Altay Balkars Bashkirs Belarusians Buryats Chechens Chuvash Ingush Kalmyks Karachays Karelians Khakas Komi Mari Mordvins Mokshas Ossetians Russians Tatars Tuvans Udmurts Ukrainians Yakuts
Other indigenous peoples	Far North Ainus Aleuts Alyutors Chukchis Chuvans Dolgans Enets Itelmens Kereks Koryaks Nenets Nganasans Sami Siberian Yupik Naukan Sirenik Veps Yukaghir Far East Nanai Negidals Nivkh Oroch Orok Tazs Udege Ulchs Siberia Central Chulyms Evenks Evens Kets Očets Khanty Mansi Selkups Teleuts Southern Chelkans Kumandins Shors Soyots Telengits Tofalars Tubalar Tozhu Tuvans Dagestan Aghuls Avars Azerbaijanis Dargins Kumyks Laks Lezgins Nogais Rutuls Tabasarans Tats Tsakhurs others Other Abaza–Abkhaz Besermyan Izhorians Jews Nagaybaks Setos Votes

Further reading

• The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire entry on Aguls