113-780: Azari may refer to: Āzari , anything related to Iranian Azerbaijan Azerbaijani people A person from the Iranian Azarbaijan Old Azeri language , a now extinct Iranian language previously spoken in the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan Azerbaijani language , a Turkic language Āzari , a Persian surname meaning related to Āzar ( fire in Persian) Azari Tusi Azari Rural District , an administrative subdivision of North Khorasan Province, Iran
226-471: A disciple of Zahed Gilani (died 1301), who was of probable Talysh descent. Two out of the four Sufi teachers of the first Safavid monarch Shah Ismail I ( r. 1501–1524 ) carried the epithet "Talishi". Other figures with the same epithet served as governmental officials under the Safavids and their successors. Several Talysh chieftains were one of the first supporters of the Safavids, who gave them
339-521: A distinctive Iranian identity, its importance in Azerbaijan is considerably bigger. Their identity in Azerbaijan is built on the conflict between Iranians and Turks. They have developed a strong sense of self-identity as a result of consistently receiving unfaithful treatment on behalf of Azerbaijan. One of the main drivers of the growing Iranian identity of the Talyshis in Azerbaijan was the rise of
452-517: A high birth rate and nowadays they are the ethnic group experiencing the highest growth rate in modern Azerbaijan. In addition, Talyshis are famous for their longevity and centenarianism . The Talyshis have traditionally inhabited the Talish district in the southwestern part of the Caspian Sea , which is usually considered to extend more than 150 km. Today, the northern part of Talish
565-634: A hostage to his court. Due to his dark complexion, Jamal al-Din earned the nickname Qara ("the Black") Beg. He rose to important posts in Nader Shah's army and was assigned the task of putting down Kalb Hoseyn Beg's uprising in southern Talish in 1744. The murder of Nader Shah in 1747 led to the fragment of his empire; in the same fashion as the other rulers in the Southern Caucasus, Jamal al-Din (who had succeeded his father) established himself as
678-754: A result, Jamal al-Din was sent to a prison in Shiraz , the Zand capital. Karim Khan soon reversed his decision after he had discovered that Zohrab Beg had made an agreement with his rival Hedayat-Allah Khan , who ruled Gilan. Jamal al-Din was thus reinstated in Talish as its governor, being given the title of khan. After destroying Zohrab's army and seizing control of Uluf and Dashtvand, Jamal al-Din now directed his attention towards Astara. He captured and killed its ruler Shoja al-Din, but failed to establish his rule in Astara, as
791-548: A semi-independent ruler, marking the start of the Talysh Khanate , which used Lankaran as its capital. A khanate was a type of administrative unit governed by a hereditary or appointed ruler subject to Iranian rule. The title of the ruler was either beglarbegi or khan , which was identical to the Ottoman rank of pasha . The khanates were still seen as Iranian dependencies even when the shahs in mainland Iran lacked
904-503: A separate ethnic group because they were considered part of the Azeris (Azerbaijani Turks). In her book, Krista Goff provides interviews with some Talyshes: "During these censuses [from 1959 to 1979] no one asked us about our nationality or self-identification. The census workers sat in the regional or village office and filled in the national composition of the population ahead of time based on orders from above. Then they asked us to fill in
1017-739: A substantial number of the Talyshis in Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic are adherents of Sunni Islam . The majority of the Talyshis in the Iranian portion of Talish are Sunnis and adherents of the Naqshbandi order. On the other hand, the majority of Talyshis in the Azerbaijani portion of Talish are Shi'ites, with the exception of around twenty-four mountain villages. Despite the fact that the Talyshis in both Iran and Azerbaijan have
1130-515: A transition between Northern to Central Talyshi is spoken. Linguist Donald Stilo argues that Northern and Southern Talyshi should be regarded as individual languages in the same manner as the Kurdish languages , due to the low intelligibility between the two. The Old Azeri quatrains of Safi-ad-din Ardabili are considered to be a variant of Talysh. There are two other collections of poetry from
1243-532: A varying altitude from 256 m (840 ft) in the vicinity of the Aras River to 2,896 m (9,501 ft) and covers an area of 78,560 hectares (194,100 acres; 303.3 sq mi). The biosphere is also home to some 23,500 nomads . Arasbaran is confined to Aras River in the north, Meshgin Shahr County and Moghan in the east, Sarab County in the south, and Tabriz and Marand counties in
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#17327732119411356-495: A very short-lived autonomous, Soviet-supported state from November 1945 to November 1946, which was dissolved after the reunification of Iranian Azerbaijan with Iran in November of the same year. The period roughly from the last major Russo-Persian War up to this date is so-called the period of high Russian influences in Iran. All of Northern Iran, including Iranian Azerbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran, Qazvin, and many other places all
1469-520: Is a historical region in northwestern Iran that borders Iraq and Turkey to the west and Armenia , Azerbaijan , and the Azerbaijani exclave of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to the north. Iranian Azerbaijan includes three northwestern Iranian provinces: West Azerbaijan , East Azerbaijan and Ardabil . Some authors also include Zanjan in this list, some in a geographical sense, others only culturally (due to
1582-767: Is bounded in the north by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and in the West by Lake Urmia and Kurdish-inhabited areas of Iran, and in the East by Gilan . Most of the biggest rivers in Azerbaijan flow into either Urmia Lake or the Caspian Sea (both of which are endorheic ). Some of the major rivers are: Arasbārān , in the former Qaradagh , is a UNESCO registered biosphere reserve (since 1976) and an Iranian Dept. of Environment designated "Protected Area" in East Azarbaijan Province , Iran , with
1695-696: Is derived from Atropates , the Persian Satrap (governor) of Medea in the Achaemenid Empire , who ruled a region found in modern Iranian Azerbaijan called Atropatene . Atropates's name is believed to be derived from the Old Persian roots meaning "protected by fire." The name is also mentioned in the Avestan Frawardin Yasht: âterepâtahe ashaonô fravashîm ýazamaide which translates literally to: "We worship
1808-530: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Language and nationality disambiguation pages Iranian Azerbaijan 37°36′N 47°00′E / 37.6°N 47.0°E / 37.6; 47.0 Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan ( Persian / Azerbaijani : آذربایجان , romanized : Āzarbāyjān , Persian pronunciation: [ɒːzæɾbɒːjˈdʒɒːn] , Azerbaijani pronunciation: [ɑːzæɾbɑjˈdʒɑn] ), also known as Iranian Azerbaijan ,
1921-519: Is located in the Republic of Azerbaijan , encompassing the districts of Lankaran , Astara , Lerik , Masally , and Yardimli . Within these five districts there are over 350 Talysh villages and towns. The southern part of Talish encompasses the western part of the Gilan province of Iran , extending to the village of Kapurchal . The most important center of the Talysh people and their ethnic homeland
2034-565: Is partly the product of Azerbaijani intellectuals. Azerbaijani provinces have played a major in the cultural and economic life of Iran in both the Pahlavi era as well as the Iranian Constitutional and Islamic revolution. The Iranian provinces of Azerbaijan, both West and East, possess a large number of monuments from all periods of history. Iranian Azerbaijan is generally considered the north-west portion of Iran comprising
2147-645: Is relatively better than many other parts of the country because of comparatively higher precipitation. Handicrafts are mostly a seasonal industry mostly in rural areas during wintertime when the agriculture season is finished. There are 500 important production and industrial unit in this area. in October 2016, 500 Regional economic giant was introduced in 5 areas and 19 groups. Industries include machine tools, vehicle factories, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, food processing, cement, textiles, electric equipment, and sugar milling. Oil and gas pipelines run through
2260-479: Is substantially higher than the official statistics. According to unofficial statistics, between 200,000 and 300,000 Talysh citizens live in Azerbaijan. Some claim that the population of the Talysh inhabiting the southern regions of Azerbaijan is 600,000. The number of Talysh speakers in 2003 was estimated to be at least 400,000 in the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to Swedish scholar on Eurasia Svante E. Cornell Azerbaijani government denies Lezgins claim that
2373-455: Is the city of Lankaran , the majority of the population of which is ethnically Talysh. It is challenging to determine the Talyshis origin because so little is known about them prior to the modern era. Like other ethnonyms, the name Tāliš cannot be established with certainty. It appears in early Arabic sources as al-Țaylasān . According to Al-Tabari (died 923); "In the mountains surrounding Azarbaijan there used to live such peoples as
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#17327732119412486-681: The Avarayr Plain , at what is modern-day Churs (modern-day West Azerbaijan Province ), the Armenian Army under Vardan Mamikonian clashed with Sassanid Persia. Although the Persians were victorious on the battlefield itself, the battle proved to be a major strategic victory for Armenians, as Avarayr paved the way to the Nvarsak Treaty (484 AD), which affirmed Armenia's right to practice Christianity freely. Heraclius ,
2599-708: The Byzantine emperor , briefly held the region in the 7th century until peace was made with the Sassanids. After the Islamic Conquest of Iran , Arab invaders converted most of its people to Islam and made it part of the caliphate . During the Arab invasion of Iran , the Spahbed of Iran was Rostam Farrokhzad , the son of Farrukh Hormizd , who was the son of Vinduyih , the uncle of Khosrau I and brother of
2712-624: The Fravashi of the holy Atare-pata." According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam : "In Middle Persian the name of the province was called Āturpātākān, older new-Persian Ādharbādhagān (آذربادگان/آذرآبادگان), Ādharbāyagān, at present Āzerbāydjān/Āzarbāydjān, Greek Atropatēnḗ (Ἀτροπατηνή), Byzantine Greek Adravigánon (᾿Αδραβιγάνων), Armenian Atrpatakan (Ատրպատական), Syriac Adhorbāyghān ." The name Atropat in Middle Persian
2825-550: The Kura River in the Bilasuvar , Neftchala , and Jalilabad districts. Large numbers of Talysh have also moved to the urban surroundings of the capital, Baku . In particular, the cities of Bina and Sumqayıt have seen an influx of Talysh. The Talysh language is a Northwestern Iranian language , being part of Tatic language family. Despite the absence of older Talysh texts, it is considered to be descended from Old Azeri ,
2938-620: The Medes were an: Indo-European people, related to the Persians, who entered northeastern Iran probably as early as the 17th century BC and settled in the plateau land that came to be known as Media. After Alexander the Great conquered Persia , he appointed (328 BC) as governor the Persian general Atropates , who eventually established an independent dynasty. The region, which came to be known as Atropatene or Media Atropatene (after Atropates),
3051-515: The Middle Ages , which are typically regarded as Gilaki , though also occasionally as Talysh; the quatrains by the 13th-century writer Sayyed Sharif al-Din, also known as Sharafshah of Dula or Dulab (i.e. Talishdula[b]); and the poems of Qasim-i Anvar , who lived in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Safavids' campaign of Shi'ite proselytism in Talish remained unfinished because of the district's mountainous, remote location. Because of this,
3164-609: The Pan-Turkist ideology in the country after the Soviet era. The Talyshi identity in Azerbaijan has grown significantly during the past few decades. Even after the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic was abolished, Talyshis in Azerbaijan and Russia's diaspora firmly believe in the possibility of an independent Talysh state. Meanwhile, among the Talyshis of Iran, the search for Iranian forebears among
3277-643: The Russian Empire , Qajar Persia ceded all of its territories in the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia to Russia via the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 and the Treaty of Turkmenchay of 1828. The territories south of the Aras River , which comprised the region historically known as Azerbaijan, became the new north-west frontier of the Persian Empire and later Iran. The territories north of
3390-579: The Sallarid Marzuban , the latter united it with Arran , Shirvan , and most of Eastern Armenia . After confrontations with the local Dailamite and Kurdish populations who had already established their own dynasties and emirates in different parts of Azerbaijan, the Seljuks dominated the region in the 11th and early 12th centuries, at which point the linguistic Turkification of the native Iranian populations began. In 1136, Azerbaijan fell to
3503-577: The harsh re-subjugation of Georgia in 1795, Iran would eventually irrevocably lose all of the Caucasus region to neighbouring Imperial Russia during the course of the 19th century, which had a crucial impact on the region of modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan. Shortly after the reconquest of Georgia, Agha Mohammad Shah was assassinated while preparing a second expedition in 1797 in Shusha . The reassertion of Iranian hegemony over Georgia did not last long; in 1799
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3616-453: The 1937 Soviet census, the Talysh population had increased to 99,200. However, the Soviet census in 1939 claims that the Talysh population had decreased to 87,500. The Soviet census in 1959 claims that the Talysh population had decreased even more, now numbering eighty five. The Talyshis are not included in any Soviet population census from 1970 and 1979. However, during the Glasnost era of
3729-538: The 1959 census, but this category was excluded during the process of collecting and reporting the census in Azerbaijan itself. The leadership of the Azerbaijan SSR used the manipulated census data in Soviet ethnography, creating a narrative about the “voluntary and complete assimilation” of the Talysh people, and that it occurred “naturally over time rather than from artificial manipulations of minority communities and identifications". Subsequently, there followed
3842-610: The 19th century. Through the course of the 19th century Iran lost to Russia regions which had been part Iran for centuries. By the end of the 19th century, the border between Iran and Russia was set more southwards, at the Aras River , which is currently the border between Iran and Armenia – Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the Russians were very influential in Northern Iran including Azerbaijan (as Northern Iran fell into Russia's sphere of influence for decades). After 1905,
3955-411: The 20th century. Historic Azerbaijan was called Atropatene in antiquity and Aturpatakan ( Adurbadagan ) in the pre-Islamic Middle Ages. Some people refer to Iranian Azerbaijan as South (or Southern) Azerbaijan and the Republic of Azerbaijan as Northern Azerbaijan, although others believe that these terms are irredentist and politically motivated. Following military defeats at the hands of
4068-637: The Afghan invasion (1722–8) the Ottomans recaptured Azerbaijan and other western provinces of Iran, until Nader Shah expelled them. At the beginning of the reign of Karim Khan Zand , the Azad Khan Afghan unsuccessfully revolted in Azerbaijan and later the Dumbuli Kurds of Khoy and other tribal chiefs ruled various parts of the territory. Azad Khan was defeated however by Erekle II . With
4181-814: The Aras River, which were not known by the name Azerbaijan at the time of their capture by Russia, were absorbed into the Russian Empire, renamed the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic during the country's short-lived independence from 1918 to 1920, incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , and finally became the independent Republic of Azerbaijan when the Soviet Union dissolved . The name Azerbaijan itself
4294-895: The Atabakan-e-Azerbaijan and Atabakan-e-Maragheh. It was later invaded by the Khwarizm Shah Jalal ad-din who held Azerbaijan until the advent of the Mongol invasions. In the early years of the 13th century, large parts of Azerbaijan were conquered by the Kingdom of Georgia , at the time led by Tamar the Great . Under the command of the brothers Zakaria and Ivane Mkhargrdzeli , the Georgians conquered Ardabil and Tabriz in 1208, and Qazvin and Khoy in 1210. The Mongols under Hulagu Khan established their capital at Maragheh . The book Safina-yi Tabriz describes
4407-480: The Caucasus ), and Persians also inhabit the region. The majority of Azerbaijanis in Azerbaijan are followers of Twelver Shia Islam . Azerbaijanis commemorate Shia holy days (ten first days of the holy month of Muharram ) minority Sunni Azerbaijani Turks ( Shafi and Hanafi ) who live in the Ardabil Province ( Hashatjin and villages of Bileh Savar County ) and West Azerbaijan province (near
4520-689: The Gels and the al-Taylasan, who did not obey the Arabs and mastered their freedom and independence". In Persian, they are called Țālišān and Țavāliš , both plural versions of Tāliš . The native transliteration of Tāliš first appears in the 16th-century, in the Armenian version of the Alexander Romance ; "And he related that he is a refugee from the Caspian gates, near the country of Talish, in
4633-632: The Iranian province of Azerbaijan. The oldest kingdom known in Iranian Azerbaijan is that of the Mannea who ruled a region south-east of Lake Urmia centered around modern Saqqez . The Manneans were a confederation of Iranian and non-Iranian groups. According to Professor Zadok: it is unlikely that there was any ethnolinguistic unity in Mannea. Like other peoples of the Iranian plateau ,
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4746-769: The Iranian-speaking Talysh by the Turkic-speaking Azerbaijanis as an “impressive achievement” of the Soviet state, “ethnohistorical progress.” So, for example, the Great Soviet Encyclopedia began to say that “in the USSR, the Talysh almost merged with the Azerbaijanis, who are very close in material and spiritual culture, and therefore were not identified in the 1970 census”. According to researchers, “erasing”
4859-442: The Manneans were subjected to an ever-increasing Iranian (i.e., Indo-European) penetration. The Mannaeans were conquered and absorbed by an Iranian people called Matieni, and the country was called Matiene , with Lake Urmia called Lake Matianus. Matiene was later conquered by the Medes and became a satrapy of the Median empire and then a sub-satrapy of the Median satrapy of the Persian Empire. According to Encyclopædia Britannica ,
4972-450: The Muslims at Nahavand , which was a gateway to the provinces of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Caucasian Albania . The battle was fierce, but the Sasanian troops lost during the battle. This opened the gateway for the Muslims to enter Azerbaijan. The Muslims then invaded Azerbaijan and captured Isfandiyar , the son of Farrukhzad . Isfandiyar then promised, in return for his life, that he would agree to surrender his estates in Azerbaijan and aid
5085-423: The Muslims in defeating his brother, Bahram. Bahram was then defeated and sued for peace. A pact was drawn up according to which Azerbaijan was surrendered to Caliph Umar on usual terms of paying the annual Jizya . Muslims settled in Azerbaijan as they did in many parts of Iran. According to the Iranian Azerbaijani historian Ahmad Kasravi , more Muslims settled in Azerbaijan compared to other provinces due to
5198-407: The Ottoman Empire and the successive Iranian kingdoms. Agha Mohammad Khan's death and the Russian troops entering the Iranian possession of Tbilisi in 1799, led directly to the Russo-Persian War (1804–1813) , the first of a number of Russo-Persian wars during the 19th century, and the most devastating and humiliating one. By the end of the war in 1813 and the resulting Treaty of Gulistan , Qajar Iran
5311-421: The Russian government helped to create and spread a new Turkic identity that, in contrast to the previous one, was founded on secular principles, particularly the shared language. As a result, many Iranian-speaking residents of the future Azerbaijan Republic at the time either started hiding their Iranian ancestry or underwent progressive assimilation. In the 19th century, there was a migration of Talyshis towards
5424-419: The Russians marched into Tbilisi , which would mark the beginning of the end of the Iranian-ruled domains in the Caucasus, comprising modern-day Georgia , Armenia , the Republic of Azerbaijan , and Dagestan thanks to the 19th century Russo-Persian Wars . Since the late 17th/early 18th century, the Russians were actively pursuing an expansionist policy towards its neighbouring empires to its south, namely
5537-444: The Russians, who gave them hope that they could defeat the Iranian forces. Heraclius also contacted the Russians, asking them for assistance against the impending invasion. Agha Mohammad Khan first directed his attention towards Talish; 10,000 soldiers led by Mostafa Khan Qajar was sent to Talish, which quickly submitted. Russia more or less openly pursued a policy to free their newly conquered land from Iran's influence. By doing this,
5650-425: The Safavid administration was unable to terminate the local autonomy in the South Caucasus . Officially, the local chiefs were not hereditary lords, but officials whose rank were acknowledged by a royal farman (edict) which in reality was an acceptance of their local autonomy. The familial succession of the chiefs gave rise to dynasties that dominated local affairs and sought to consolidate their influence whenever
5763-432: The Safavids. It was the chief province from which the various Iranian empires would control their Caucasian provinces, all the way up to Dagestan in the early 19th century. In the meantime, between 1514 and 1603, the Ottomans sometimes occupied Tabriz and other parts of the province during their numerous wars with their Safavid ideological and political archrivals. The Safavid control was restored by Shah Abbas but during
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#17327732119415876-401: The Sasanian usurper Vistahm . Rustam himself was born in Azerbaijan and led the Sasanian army into battle. He is also mentioned in the Shahnameh . The Sasanian army was defeated at the battle of al-Qādisiyyah and Rostam Farrokhzad , along with many other Sasanian veterans, was killed. In 642, Piruz Khosrow , one of the Sasanian survivors during the battle of al-Qādisiyyah, fought against
5989-420: The South Caspian indigenous peoples is an essential sign of their Iranianness. The topic of the Talyshis' population size is among the most difficult areas of research. For various reasons, precise statistics for the Talyshi population in Iran and the Azerbaijan Republic are unavailable. This is demonstrated in the official data on the Talyshis and other ethnic minorities in the Azerbaijan Republic. According to
6102-414: The Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev , the Talyshis reappear abruptly again in the amount of 21,200 in the 1989 census of the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic, the final census of the Soviet era. According to the official 1999 census of the Republic of Azerbaijan the number of Talysh people in the Republic of Azerbaijan was 76,000. Talysh nationalists have always asserted that the number of Talysh in Azerbaijan
6215-468: The Talysh communities in Azerbaijan and Iran and to run Azerbaijan into a monoethnic state.” The National Talysh Movement (NTM) was formally created in 2007 by Talysh leaders exiled in the Netherlands . The members of the organization include those who were in support of the Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic such as Alikram Hummatov , the self-proclaimed president of Talysh-Mughan. The movement favors an autonomous region within Azerbaijan. It also demands
6328-510: The Talysh from censuses, like some other peoples, was one of the main ways to increase the “titular” Azerbaijani majority in the republic and homogenize it. This assimilation policy put great social, political and economic pressure on the Talysh and on their daily life, encouraging them to “merge” with the titular Azerbaijani nation. For example, Talysh could not register as representatives of Talysh nationality in official documents, and parents could not enroll their children in schools teaching in
6441-421: The Talysh language. Some Talysh petitioned the authorities for their rights to be identified as Talysh in government documents, but all these requests were rejected by the authorities until 1989. Others, finding no other way out, accepted Azerbaijani identification in order to avoid discrimination in everyday life, for example, when applying for a job. Krista Goff also cites stories of Talysh who admitted that due to
6554-449: The Talyshis are possibly descended from the Cadusii. Talish has traditionally been associated with either Gilan or Mughan , especially with Ardabil , the center of the latter, which appears to have shared a similar linguistic and ethnic bond with Talish prior to the Turkicization of Iranian Azerbaijan . This connection was still apparent during the time of the early Safavids , who were descended from Safi-ad-Din Ardabili (died 1334),
6667-436: The advent of the Qajars, Azerbaijan became the traditional residence of the heirs-apparent. Even until then Azerbaijan remained the main area from where the high-ranked governors would control the various territories and Khanates of the Caucasus while the main power stayed in Tehran . Though the first Qajar Iranian ruler, Agha Mohammad Khan , had reconquered the Caucasus and all of Iran in several swift campaigns, such as
6780-593: The ancient name of the Catalan village of Vilassar de Dalt See also [ edit ] Azeri (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Azari . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Azari&oldid=1033321987 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
6893-408: The arrest of Novruzali Mamedov , Chairman of the Talysh Cultural Centre and editor-in-chief of the Tolyshi Sado newspaper. According to a U.S. government interview with Khilal Mamedov, a Talysh rights activist, Mr. Mamedov: “Accused the Azerbaijani leadership of Turkic nationalism and of seeking to suppress non-Turkic minorities…. He said the Azerbaijani leadership seeks to minimize contacts between
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#17327732119417006-568: The border districts. In 1791, Agha Mohammad Khan plundered Talish, but did not succeed in subjugating it. Agha Mohammad Khan was prepared to reinstate Iranian rule in the southeastern Caucasus by the summer of 1795. His 60,000 soldiers, which was primarily made up of cavalry , advanced into the area in the summer of that year. The first few months were spent by Agha Mohammad Khan winning the Muslim rulers' compliance. Mir-Mostafa and two other khans ( Ibrahim Khalil Khan of Karabakh and Mohammad Khan Qajar of Erivan ) entered into correspondence with
7119-501: The border with Iran, was among the largest in the Caucasus. In the early Soviet period, there were Talysh high schools, a newspaper called "Red Talysh", and several Talysh language books published, but by end of the 1930s these schools were closed and the Talysh identity was not acknowledged in official statistics, with the Talysh being classified as "Azerbaijani". Talyshis with their identity and language experienced strong suppression in Soviet Azerbaijan . Like many other peoples of
7232-452: The census conducted by the Russian Empire in 1894, there were 88,499 Talyshis in the area that corresponds to the southwestern part of the later Azerbaijan Republic. However, the number of Talyshis became downplayed during the Soviet era due to the "title nations enlargement" plan. Data from the Soviet census conducted in 1926 state that there were 77,300 Talyshis residing in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic at that time. According to
7345-405: The census data, claiming that the Azerbaijani census authorities artificially assimilated the Talysh in order to "portray their region as more ethnically homogeneous" and Azeris to be "more consolidated", than in reality. According to Goff, in order to justify the assimilation policy regarding non-titular minorities, Azerbaijani officials and scholars increasingly began to talk from the 1950s about
7458-624: The cities of Urmia , Khoy and Salmas ) and have population about 200,000 people in this area. Azerbaijani people mostly live in northwest parts of Iran, but large Azerbaijani populations can be found in Khorasan , mostly in Mashhad , as well as central Iran , due to internal migration to Tehran , Karaj , and Qum . Where they have settled, they have become prominent – not only among urban and industrial working classes – but also in commercial, administrative, political, religious, and intellectual circles. Azerbaijanis make up 25%–33% of Tehran and of Tehran Province 's population. They are
7571-529: The city was given to Shoja al-Din's son by Karim Khan in an attempt to restrict Jamal al-Din's authority. The latter, however, was able to conquer a number of towns in Talish and gain control over most of the region. After having made peace with Hedayat-Allah Khan in 1767, Karim Khan confirmed the latter as the ruler of Gilan. The following year, Hedayat-Allah Khan launched an attack into Talish, where he defeated and captured Jamal al-Din, imprisoning him in Rasht. He then installed Jamal al-Din's son Mir-Askar Beg as
7684-416: The death of Fath-Ali Khan in 1789, Mir-Mostafa was able to rule more autonomously. However, a new threat soon emerged. Since the death of Karim Khan in 1779, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar of the Qajar dynasty was attempting to reestablish the Iranian empire under his own rule. He issued threatening letters to the khans who had established connections with Russia in an effort to reestablish Iranian dominance over
7797-422: The early 19th century, Qajar Iran was forced to cede to Imperial Russia its Caucasian territories north of the Aras River (modern-day Dagestan , Georgia , Armenia , and the Republic of Azerbaijan ), through the treaties of Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828). Following the disintegration of the Russian Empire in 1917, as well as the short-lived Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic , in 1918,
7910-417: The eastern side of Turkish border. Of the 86 members of Assembly of Experts , 11 are representative of the Azerbaijan region. Ali Meshkini from Meshgin Shahr in the Ardabil Province was Chairmen of the Assembly of Experts since 1983 to 2007. Of the 290 members of Islamic Consultative Assembly , 44 are representative of Azerbaijan region. in the Azerbaijan region 40/44 Azerbaijani are in parliament
8023-415: The ethnic group experiencing the highest growth rate in modern Azerbaijan. With regards to their NRY - Y-DNA haplogroups , the Talysh show salient Near-Eastern affinities, with haplogroup J2 , associated with the advent and diffusion of agriculture in the neolithic Near East , found in over 25% of the sample. Another patriline, haplogroup R1 , is also seen to range from 1/4 to up to 1/2, while R1a1 ,
8136-675: The food industry in the region is Tabriz which includes the Shirin Asal , Aydin, Shoniz, Anata, Baraka and Chichak manufacturers. Outside of Tabriz Minoo Industrial Group in Khorramdarreh is another nationally recognized food manufacturer. The principle crops of the region are grains, fruits, cotton, rice, nuts, and tobacco. Iranian Azerbaijanis , are a Turkic - speaking people, of which are largely of Iranian origin. They number between 16 and 24 percent and between 15 and 16 million of Iran's population , and comprise by far
8249-419: The four provinces of East Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,724,620), West Azerbaijan (2012 pop. 3,080,576), Zanjan (2012 pop. 1,015,734), and Ardabil (2012 pop. 1,248,488) have a combined population of 9 million people. Talysh people The Talysh people ( Talysh : Tolışon , تالشان ) or Talyshis , Talyshes , Talyshs , Talishis , Talishes , Talishs , Talesh are an Iranian ethnic group , with
8362-641: The general state of Tabriz during the Ilkhanid period. After being conquered by Timur in the 14th century, Tabriz became an important provincial capital of the Timurid empire . Later, Tabriz became the capital of the Kara Koyunlu empire. It was out of Ardabil (ancient Artavilla) that the Safavid dynasty arose to renew the state of Persia and establish Shi'ism as the official religion of Iran. Around
8475-548: The governor of Talish. In 1772, Jamal al-Din broke out of prison and went back to Talish. In 1784, the Talysh Khanate was attacked by Fath Ali Khan of Quba , the most dominant khan in the Caucasus. He made Jamal al-Din his vassal and also had him imprisoned in Baku . Due to pressure from Russia, however, Jamal al-Din was soon released. In 1786, Jamal al-Din died and was succeeded by his son Mir-Mostafa Khan . Following
8588-527: The governor of Talish. For instance, Mohammad Khan Torkman was given control over a number of fiefs in Talish and Mughan in 1586. Later in 1684, Safiqoli Khan was one of the officers in control of Lankaran , and Hoseyn was another. Meanwhile, the unnamed governor of Talish lived in Ardabil. The Safavid shahs (kings) of Iran attempted to control local Talysh chiefs by subordinating them to obedient officials. Nevertheless, despite their centralization strategy,
8701-418: The governorship of Astara , which was part of the province of Azerbaijan . The governor of Astara was also known as the hakem (governor) of Talish, which indicates that Astara was the capital of the district. From 1539 and onwards the governorship of Astara was held hereditarily by the family of Bayandor Khan Talesh. Talish was composed of various fiefs which would sometimes be granted to other emirs than
8814-648: The indigenous Iranian language of Iranian Azerbaijan. Talysh has three major dialects, Southern Talyshi (Masali, Masulei, Shandermani and others), Central Talyshi (Asalemi, Hashtpari and others) and Northern Talyshi (spoken in four closely linked dialect sections of Lerik, Masally, Lankaran, Astara in Azerbaijan Republic and in the dialects of Astara, Sayyadlar , Vizane, as well as Anbaran and neighbouring villages in Iran). A transitional stage of these dialects also exist, such as in Jow Kandan-e Bozorg , where
8927-868: The largest ethnic groups after Persians in Tehran and the Tehran Province. The governor of Tehran is Hossein Hashemi from Sarab ; he was born in East Azerbaijan; Ali Khamenei , the Supreme Leader of Iran , was born in Mashhad and is of Azeri origin. The journals Varliq and Azari are printed by the Azerbaijani people in Tehran . According to the population census of 2012,
9040-522: The leading Musavat government adopted the name "Azerbaijan" for the newly established Azerbaijan Democratic Republic , which was proclaimed on May 27, 1918, for political reasons, even though the name of "Azerbaijan" had always been used to refer to the adjacent region of contemporary northwestern Iran. Thus, until 1918, when the Musavat regime decided to name the newly independent state Azerbaijan, this designation had been used exclusively to identify
9153-727: The majority residing in Azerbaijan and a minority in Iran . They are the indigenous people of the Talish , a region on the western shore of the Caspian Sea shared between Azerbaijan and Iran. The main city of the Talysh people and their homeland is Lankaran , the majority of the population of which is ethnically Talysh. They speak the Talysh language , one of the Northwestern Iranian languages . The majority of Talyshis are Shiite Muslims . The Talysh people have
9266-587: The members of the Fraction of Turkic regions . Several Iranian Army and Sepah divisions and brigades are based in Azerbaijan, including: The economy in Iranian Azerbaijan is based on Heavy industries, food industries, agriculture, and handicraft. The biggest economic hub is Tabriz which contains the majority of heavy industries and food industries. Iranian Azerbaijan has two free trade zones designated to promote international trade: Aras Free Zone and Maku Free Zone. The agriculture industry in Iranian Azerbaijan
9379-572: The national government weakened. During the decline of Safavid rule in the early 18th-century, Talysh leaders attempted to establish autonomous principalities. During the Russian invasion of Iran , the people of Talish volunteered to fight for the Safavid monarch Tahmasp II ( r. 1722–1732 ). The latter was unable to provide them with military or material support; all he could do was give them an ineffective permit that allowed them to collect
9492-748: The north of modern Republic of Azerbaijan in search of work in the oil industry and fisheries. As a result, several Talysh-speaking settlements have been continued to exist since that time on the Absheron Peninsula , in particular in Baku , as well as a significant Talysh community in Sumgait . Talish was an economically important region for the Soviet Union, as it supplied a wide variety of products, including fruits, vegetables, tea, grains and meat. The military base in Lankaran, located near
9605-454: The number of Lezgins is many times higher than official numbers, but in private many Azeris acknowledge the fact that Lezgins – for that matter Talysh or the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan is far higher than the official figure. Obtaining accurate statistics is difficult, due to the unavailability of reliable sources, intermarriage, and the decline of the Talysh language. The Talysh are
9718-526: The other lines." Respondents also shared with Goff stories about how census takers recorded them as “Azerbaijanis” when they presented themselves as Talysh, and denied the very existence of Talysh nationality; In addition, when collecting information for the census, workers avoided the categories of native language and nationality. During the preparation of materials for the 1970 population census, some ethnographers and cartographers in Moscow expressed doubts about
9831-468: The power to enforce their rule in the area. Jamal al-Din preserved his fathers correspondence with Russia, sending a letter to its empress Catherine II ( r. 1762–1796 ) that pledged his allegiance to her and offered the Russian troops access to his domains. The Zand ruler of Iran, Karim Khan Zand ( r. 1751–1779 ) was informed of this by Zohrab Beg, one of the grandees of Talish. As
9944-564: The predominance of the Azeri Turkic population there). The region is mostly populated by Azerbaijanis , with minority populations of Kurds , Armenians , Tats , Talysh , Assyrians and Persians . Iranian Azerbaijan is the land originally and historically called Azerbaijan; the Azerbaijani-populated Republic of Azerbaijan appropriated the name of the neighbouring Azerbaijani-populated region in Iran during
10057-416: The production of a large amount of encyclopedic, ethnographic, linguistic, historical-geographical and other material that developed and reproduced narratives designed to justify the national “erasure” of the Talysh and strengthen the official myth of their “voluntary assimilation.” Soviet ethnographers emphasized their common features in culture and life with the Azerbaijanis and presented the “assimilation” of
10170-518: The promotion of democratic, cultural, and linguistic rights of all minorities within Azerbaijan. According to some sources, the Azerbaijani government has also implemented a policy of forceful integration of all minorities, including Talysh, Tat , and Lezgins . Currently, the Talysh community in Azerbaijan is oppressed by poverty, unemployment and lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity. Talysh have also settled in other parts of Republic of Azerbaijan. Pockets of Talysh can be found south of
10283-493: The province of Gilan." Local Talysh experts commonly claim that the Talyshis are descended from the Cadusii , an ancient tribe which inhabited the district. According to Garnik Asatrian and Habib Borjian ; "this is one of the rare cases when a folk self-identification with an ancient people can be, at least tentatively, substantiated with historical and linguistic backgrounds." The Iranologist Richard N. Frye believed that
10396-665: The province's plentiful and fertile pastures. Local revolts against the Caliphate were common and the most famous of these revolts was the Persian Khurramite movement . After the revolt of Babak Khorramdin , who was a Zoroastrian of neo-Mazdakite background, the Abbasid caliphate's grip on Azerbaijan weakened, allowing native dynasties to rise in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was taken over by the Kurdish Daisam and
10509-419: The provinces of East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan , and Ardabil . It shares borders with the Republic of Azerbaijan , Armenia, Turkey, and Iraq. There are 17 rivers and two lakes in the region. Cotton, nuts, textiles, tea, machinery, and electrical equipment are the main industries. The northern, alpine region, which includes Lake Urmia , is mountainous, with deep valleys and fertile lowlands. The region
10622-434: The region made up part of historical Armenia . The parts of historical Armenia within what is modern-day Azerbaijan comprise; Nor Shirakan , Vaspurakan , and Paytakaran . Vaspurakan, of which large parts were located in what is modern-day Iranian Azerbaijan is described as the cradle of Armenian civilization. On 26 May 451 AD, a very important battle was fought that would prove immensely pivotal in Armenian history . On
10735-833: The region. The majority Azeris are followers of Shi'a Islam. The Iranian Azeris mainly reside in the northwest provinces, including the Iranian Azerbaijan provinces ( East Azerbaijan , West Azerbaijan and Ardabil ), Zanjan , as well as regions of the North to Hamadan County and Shara District in the East Hamadan Province , some regions Qazvin Province and also Azerbaijani minorities living in Markazi , Kordestan , Gilan , and Kermanshah . Smaller groups, such as Armenians , Assyrians , Kurds , Tats , Talyshs , Jews , Circassians , (and other Peoples of
10848-435: The region. Wool, carpets, and metalware are also produced. In some factories and major companies in Azerbaijan include: The Ardabil Carpet and Tabriz rug the best kind of Iranian carpet . Now 40 percent of Iranian carpet exports are carried through East Azarbaijan . Azerbaijani carpets and rugs are important: More than fifty percent of entire Iranian food exports are carried from Iranian Azerbaijan. The major hub for
10961-526: The representatives of Azerbaijan were very active in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution as a result to this Russian influence. The Russian (Tsarist) army occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1909 and again in 1912–1914 and 1915–1918, followed by Ottoman forces in 1914–1915 and 1918–1919; Bolshevik forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan and other parts of Iran in 1920–1921, and Soviet forces occupied Iranian Azerbaijan in 1941, creating
11074-404: The republic, such as Tats and Kurds , the Talysh were subjected to forced assimilation by the Azerbaijani authorities. The 1939 census stated that Talysh people constituted the fifth largest national community in Azerbaijan SSR, following Azeris, Russians, Armenians, and Lezgins, numbering 87,510 people. However, the Talysh population of the republic, according to the 1959 census,
11187-463: The result of forced assimilation, as some minorities claimed." It was only in 1989 that Talysh ethnicity was returned to the census, immediately counting 21,169 Talysh. Historical repression of identity and the inability to practice their culture and language has led the Talysh to an internalized self-repression. This makes it difficult to gauge support for any type of Talysh movement. According to Hema Kotecha, many Talysh fear being associated with
11300-405: The same time, the population of what is now Azerbaijan and Iran were converted to Shiism , and both nations remain the only nations in the world with a significantly Shia majority, with Iran having the largest Shia population by percentage, with the Republic of Azerbaijan having the second-largest Shia population by percentage. After 1502, Azerbaijan became the chief bulwark and military base of
11413-481: The second-largest ethnic group in the nation. In the Azerbaijan region, the population consists mainly of Azeris . Azeris are the largest group in Iranian Azerbaijan, while Kurds are the second largest group and a majority in many cities of West Azerbaijan Province . Iranian Azerbaijan is one of the richest and most densely populated regions of Iran. Many of these various linguistic, religious, and tribal minority groups, and Azeris themselves have settled widely outside
11526-409: The separatist Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic , with Russia, or with Armenia if they acknowledge or attempt to talk about their beliefs in the public sphere. The fear of the police is another factor to this silence, although support for secular democracy and shared Azerbaijani-Talysh feelings towards Nagorno-Karabakh contribute as well. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty voiced their concerns about
11639-626: The stigmatization of their nationality, the lack of schools, books and other resources for the Talysh of Azerbaijan, as well as the lack of any preferences for being Talysh, they preferred the Azerbaijani self-identification and the Azerbaijani language, even fearing that their children could face discrimination if they speak Azerbaijani with a Talysh accent. Representatives of the Talysh people often internalized these assimilation narratives about themselves that were told to them and which they found in encyclopedias, articles and other printed material. From 1960 to 1989, Talysh were not included in censuses as
11752-477: The taxes of Rasht . In 1723, Russians and Ottomans agreed to divide northern and western Iran between themselves. While the Caspian provinces were under Russian control, one of the local leaders Mir-Abbas Beg, who claimed to be a seyyed (descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad ), worked together with the Russian commander Mikhail Matyushkin . By the end of 1735, the reconquest of northern and western Iran
11865-515: The way up to Isfahan fell into the Russian sphere of influence. Russian armies were stationed in many regions of Iranian Azerbaijan, Russian schools were founded, and many Russians settled in the region, but less than in Gilan and Mazandaran . Also, Azerbaijan saw the large influx of the so-called White émigrées who fled to Iran following the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Iranian nationalism
11978-581: The west. The Mugan plain is a plain located between Iran and the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan . The highest density of irrigation canals is in the section of the Mugan plain which lies in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is located on the bank of the Aras river extending to Iran. The Urmia Plain is in the West Azerbaijan Province , situated on western side of Lake Urmia and
12091-557: The “purportedly ancient, local origins of the Azeri nation,” writing minorities, including the Talysh, into its history. Thus, emphasizing that the Talysh and other peoples of the Azerbaijan SSR “descended from the same ancient population” as the Azerbaijanis (Azerbaijani Turks), they tried to pass off "the formation of the Azeri-defined Soviet Azerbaijani people" as a "natural, centuries-long process rather than
12204-553: Was completed, being led by the Iranian military leader Nader . It was also during this period that he set his sights on the throne, as he believed his campaigns had stabilised the country and brought him enough fame. On 8 March 1736, he was crowned the new shah of Iran, marking the start of the Afsharid dynasty . Mir-Abbas Beg kept up his relations with the Russians even after they pulled out of Iran. In order to demonstrate his loyalty to Nader Shah, he sent his son Jamal al-Din as
12317-629: Was forced to cede Georgia, most of the modern-day Republic of Azerbaijan, and Dagestan to Russia. The only Caucasian territories remaining in Iranian hands were what is now Armenia , the Nakhichevan Khanate , and the Talysh Khanate . The next war, the Russo-Persian War (1826–1828) , resulted in an even more humiliating defeat, with Iran being forced to cede the remaining Caucasian regions, as well as having Russian troops temporarily occupying Tabriz and Iranian Azerbaijan. As Iran
12430-489: Was much disputed. In the 2nd century BC, it was liberated from Seleucid domination by Mithradates I of Arsacid dynasty , and was later made a province of the Sassanid Empire of Ardashir I . Under the Sassanids, Azerbaijan was ruled by a marzubān , and, towards the end of the period, belonged to the family of Farrokh Hormizd . Large parts of the region were conquered by the Kingdom of Armenia . Large parts of
12543-558: Was only 85 individuals. The official explanation of the authorities for the almost complete disappearance of thousands of the Talyshes in this census was that "Talyshes voluntarily and en masse self-identified as Azeri to census workers". In her book, Krista Goff shows through documentary evidence that the Central Statistical Administration in Moscow had plans to include a Talysh nationality category in
12656-404: Was transformed to Adharbad and is connected with Zoroastrianism. A famous Zoroastrian priest by the name Adarbad Mahraspandan is well known for his counsels. Azerbaijan, due to its numerous fire-temples has also been quoted in a variety of historic sources as being the birthplace of the prophet Zoroaster although modern scholars have not yet reached an agreement on the location of his birth. In
12769-514: Was unwilling to allow the Russians to gain possession over its Caucasian territories in the North Caucasus and South Caucasus , the millennia-old ancient ties between Iran and the Caucasus region were only severed by the superior Russian force of Russia through these 19th-century wars. The area to the north of the river Aras , which included the territory of the contemporary republic of Azerbaijan, eastern Georgia, Dagestan, and Armenia, were Iranian territory until they were occupied by Russia during
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