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Adyghe
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{{ethnic group|
|group=Adyghe
|image=
|poptime=
|popplace=
Russia,
Turkey,
Jordan,
Israel,
Republic of Macedonia FYR Macedonia,
Lebanon,
United States
|rels=
Sunni Islam,
Shamanism,
Russian Orthodoxy
|langs=
Russian language Russian,
Adyghe language
|related=other "
Circassian" peoples
}}
The '''Adyghe''' or '''Adygs''' are a people of the northwest
Caucasus region, principally inhabiting
Adygeya (now a constituent republic of the
Russian Federation). Their language is also referred to as
Adyghe language Adyghe or Adygeyan. Within the Russian Federation, the main communities are in
Adygeya,
Kabardino-Balkaria and
Karachay-Cherkessia.
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.
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,
Eurasian Avars 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.
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. The Adyghe society was once
matriarchal. Women fought in war alongside their husbands. 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 languages 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, Besleney, Bzhedugh;, Hatukuay,
Kabardian Kabardey, Kemirgoey, Makhosh;, Natekuay, Shapsigh;, Zhane, Yegerikuay.
The Diaspora
Adyghe have lived outside the Caucasus region since the Middle Ages. They formed a tradition of joining foreign armies, including those of
Persian empire Persia,
Roman empire Rome,
Byzantine empire 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, mostly to various parts of the
Ottoman Empire. The largest Adyghe diaspora community today is in Turkey. Significant communities live in
Jordan,
Syria,
Lebanon,
Egypt,
Israel (in the villages of
Kfar-Kama and Rikhaniya),
Libya, and the
United States (
Upstate New York and
New Jersey). The small community in
Kosovo expatriated to
Adygea in
1998. [http://www.kosovo.com/testimonies13.html#6]
References
*Amjad Jaimoukha, ''The Circassians: A Handbook'', New York: Palgrave, 2001; London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001. ISBN 0-312-23994-7
External links
-
Circassian World
-
Adiga.com
-
Map of the Diaspora
Category:Ethnic groups in Russia
Category:Muslim communities
bg:Черкези
de:Tscherkessen
ko:아디게��
he:צ'רקסי×?
nl:Tsjerkessen
ru:Ð?дыги
tr:Çerkes
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