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84-521: The city is mostly populated by the Talysh people , and serves as the main urban centre of this people and its ethnic homeland, Talish (Talyshstan). Historically, the city was the capital of the Iranian province of Talish , of Talysh Khanate , of Russian Lenkoran uezd , of Provisional Military Dictatorship of Mughan , of Mughan Soviet Republic and of Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic . The origin of

168-471: 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

252-521: 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

336-517: 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

420-634: 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

504-510: A long time and is not easily extinguished. The Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolous) subspecies of the leopard , lives in the national park as well. In 1937, members of the Opilio lepidus species of harvestman were sighted in the area. Lankaran has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa ), with cool, wet winters and very warm, highly humid summers, albeit with infrequent rain. Dominating spheres in

588-701: A marker associated with Eastern Indo-European , which includes Indo-Iranian peoples of Central / South Eurasia , only reaches to under 5%, along with haplogroup G . Более того, власти проводили откровенную политику принудительной ассимиляции нетюркских национальных меньшинств: лезгин, курдов, аварцев, цахуров, лакцев, талышей . В годы советской власти талыши подвергались усиленной азербайджанизации , что создавало у них сепаратистские настроения. «В СССР Т. почти слились с азербайджанцами, которым очень близки по материальной и духовной культуре, поэтому не выделены в переписи 1970». Hirkan National Park Hirkan National Park ( Azerbaijani : Hirkan Milli Parkı )

672-754: 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

756-548: 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

840-503: 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

924-684: 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

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1008-627: A surface area of 29,760 hectares (297.6 km ), it was enlarged in 2008 to 40,358 hectares (403.58 km ). The plain part of the Hirkan National Park ("Moscow Forest") lies within the Lankaran Lowland. The Moscow Forest is the only preserved part of the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests which covered most of the lowland, that was later cleared for agriculture. However, there is a reforestation program of

1092-515: 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

1176-579: Is 99% covered by forests in a primarily mountainous region, and is strictly protected. It constitutes one of the largest contiguous forests in Azerbaijan, which is not interrupted by any settlement or pasture. The Hirkan National Park protects the humid subtropical and humid temperate forests in the area of the Lenkoran Lowland and the Talysh Mountains , sheltering many endemic plant and animal species . The ecosystem of

1260-592: Is a national park in Azerbaijan , in the Talysh region . It was established in an area in Lankaran Rayon and Astara Rayon administrative districts on February 9, 2004 on the basis of the former "Hirkan State Reserve" which it superseded, on a surface area of 29,760 hectares (297.6 km ). It was enlarged by presidential decree on April 23, 2008 from 29,760 hectares (297.6 km ) to 40,358 hectares (403.58 km ). The area of Hirkan National Park

1344-550: Is covered by national parks, where a variety of fauna and flora are preserved. Gizil-Agach State Reserve hosts over 250 kinds of plants, 30 species of fish and more than 220 kinds of birds. Lankaran is also known for Parrotia , or ironwood. It is naturally grown in the region and could be seen in Hirkan National Park . Local myth has it that it is the only wood that sinks in water, hence the name (ironwood). Historically it has been used for heating since it burns for

1428-542: Is home to several national folk performers, including the Bacılar (The Sisters) national Talysh folk and dance collective. The regional channel Janub TV and newspaper Lankaran are headquartered in the city. The city used to have a professional football team competing in the top-flight of Azerbaijani football - Khazar Lankaran , which played in the Azerbaijan Premier League . Sporting venues in

1512-574: 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

1596-511: Is now extinct. Other large mammals here are the Caucasian leopard ( Panthera pardus tulliana ), lynx ( Lynx lynx ), brown bear ( Ursus arctos ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), wolf ( Canis lupus ), golden jackal ( Canis aureus ), jungle cat ( Felis chaus ), red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ), roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ), badger ( Meles meles ), otter ( Lutra lutra ), etc. The Caucasian leopard ( Panthera pardus tulliana ) subspecies of

1680-480: Is reforested, it will become an additional part of the Hirkan National Park in the lowland. For the purpose of including the Hirkan National Park and the Caspian Hyrcanian (Girkan) forests respectively into UNESCO 's World Heritage Site list of cultural and natural heritage and Biosphere Reserves Programme, documents substantiated from the scientific point of view have been prepared and introduced to

1764-535: 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

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1848-474: Is the capital of the Talysh region (Talyshistan), the ethnic homeland of the Talysh people , and the main urban and cultural center of this people. The vast majority of the population of Lankaran is Talysh , and the rest are Azerbaijanis and other nationalities. The religion with the largest community of followers is Islam. The majority of the Muslims are Shia Muslims , and the Republic of Azerbaijan has

1932-455: 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

2016-550: 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 ,

2100-515: 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,

2184-609: 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

2268-550: The Treaty of Resht . During the Russo-Persian War of 1804–1813 , General Kotlyarevsky , heading the southernmost Russian contingent during the war, stormed and captured Lankaran's fortress . Following the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813, it was ceded to Russia. Qajar Iran would later retake the city during the Russo-Persian War of 1826–1828 , but was forced to return it following the Treaty of Turkmenchay (1828), which saw

2352-633: The leopard , lives in the southern regions in Azerbaijan, primarily in the Talysh Mountains, Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhichevan . Despite occasional sightings, it was not clear whether leopards had been extinct in Azerbaijan by the late 1990s until a species was caught on camera in March, 2007 in the Hirkan National Park. The Hirkan National Park was established in 2004 on the basis of the Hirkan State Reserve which it superseded, on

2436-500: The sovietization of Azerbaijan . In 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union , it became a part of independent Azerbaijan. There are sandy beaches near Lankaran. Thermal sulphide , chloride , sodium - calcium waters of Andjin (Upper and Lower) mineral springs are situated 12 km west of the town. Also to the west are the ruins of Ballabur castle , near the village with the same name. Vast area of this region

2520-453: 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

2604-538: 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

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2688-689: 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

2772-455: The Hirkan National Park, belongs to the Caspian Hyrcanian (Girkan) mixed forests ecoregion , an area of lush deciduous broadleaved lowland and montane forests ( subtropical and temperate rainforests ) that completely cover the Talysh Mountains and partially cover the Lankaran Lowland. The Hirkan National Park normally has very high humidity and precipitation throughout the year, averaging from 1,400 mm to 1,600 mm per year in

2856-601: The Iranian Safavid dynasty , and had moved into the Talish region in the 1720s during a turbulent period in Iranian history. From the founding of the khanate until 1828, it was under the suzerainty of the Iranian Zand and Qajar dynasties. In the first half of the 18th century, the Russians gained control over it for a few years during the Russo-Persian War of 1722–1723 ; in 1732 it was ceded back to Iran by

2940-769: 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”

3024-476: 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

3108-500: 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,

3192-543: 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

3276-538: 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

3360-494: 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

3444-527: 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

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3528-510: 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

3612-421: 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

3696-497: The Talysh word lankran ("cane house"). It is unknown when the town of Lankaran was actually established. The French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan (died 1924) discovered extremely ancient remains in Lankaran, such as dolmens, graves, and instances of bodies seemingly exposed in a Zoroastrian manner. With the death of Nader Shah (r. 1736–1747), the Talysh Khanate was founded by Seyyed Abbas, whose ancestors were members of

3780-566: 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),

3864-583: The area include the poet's laurel ( Danae racemosa ), Hyrcanian holly ( Ilex hyrcana ), greenbrier ( Smilax excelsa ), common ivy ( Hedera helix ), etc. There are several endemic subspecies of birds, of which the Caspian tit ( Poecile hyrcanus ) and the Caucasus pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus colchicus ) subspecies of the common pheasant of the Talysh Mountains are common. The Caspian tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris ) once roamed these mountains, but

3948-543: 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

4032-621: 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

4116-624: 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

4200-608: 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

4284-405: 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

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4368-556: The city include the Lankaran City Stadium and Lankaran Olympic Sports Complex. The stadium was one of the venues for the group stages of the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup . In 2012, the city won to host European Masters Weightlifting Championship. The Lankaran International Airport 's international terminal was opened in September 2008. The city has rail service from historic terminals in downtown to Baku in

4452-581: 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

4536-467: 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

4620-652: The definite end of Persian influence in the South Caucasus. Under Russian rule, Lankaran, known as Lenkoran ( Ленкорань ) in Russian , was the center of the Lenkoran Uyezd of the Baku Governorate . Following the collapse of the Russian Empire, it was a part of the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920), then became a part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic following

4704-402: The east and Astara in the south. Lankaran State University is located in the city. It was founded in 1991 and it was Lankaran's first university to start courses. Lankaran is twinned with: Talysh people The Talysh people ( Talysh : Tolışon , تالشان ) or Talyshis , Talyshes , Talyshs , Talishis , Talishes , Talishs , Talesh are an Iranian ethnic group , with

4788-470: The economy of Lankaran are vegetable-growing, tea-growing , paddy cultivating, cattle-breeding, citrus plants, beekeeping , fishing , and grain farming. Favourable humid subtropical climate, availability of good arable land, water and sufficient labour resources of the city provides a good basis for agricultural activities as well as the development of agro-processing enterprises. The city is also home to Azerbaijan's first tea plant, built in 1937. Lankaran

4872-415: 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 ,

4956-548: 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

5040-527: 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,

5124-418: 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

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5208-648: 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

5292-399: The lowland, on a designated non-forested lot which is the only non-cultivated land on the plain, in order to (partially because the Lankaran Lowland is far too valuable for its agricultural productivity for Azerbaijan, to be given up for reforestation) restore the ecology to its previous forested state. This lot will become the second forest in the lowland after the Moscow Forest and once it

5376-410: The lowlands to 1,800 mm per year in the mountains. The maximum annual precipitation is the highest precipitation in Azerbaijan. The Hirkan National Park has a humid subtropical climate in the lowlands, an oceanic climate in the middle elevations and a humid continental climate on the mountain peaks. The variety of elevations, the abundant rainfall, and the presence of old growth forests give

5460-495: 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

5544-427: The name "Lankaran" is uncertain. One theory consider it to derive from one of the Persian words, Langarkunān ("the place for dropping the anchor(s)") or Langarkanān ("the place for weighing anchor(s)"). Both meanings simply translate as "sea port." The pronunciation shifted through the years, and Langarkunān became Lankarān or, in the even more simple Talysh pronunciation, Lankon . The other theory links it to

5628-463: 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

5712-509: 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

5796-399: 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

5880-473: 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

5964-1534: The park an unusual richness of biota . This area preserves many endemic plants species, relicts of the Tertiary period which were not affected by Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations . The Caspian Hyrcanian (Girkan) forests account for 150 endemic species of trees and bushes out of 435 species of trees and bushes. Some endemic tree species are, the Hyrcanian box tree ( Buxus hyrcana ), Caucasian pear ( Pyrus communis subsp. caucasica ), Lenkoran acacia ( Albizia julibrissin ), chestnut-leaved oak ( Quercus castaneifolia ), Caucasian oak ( Quercus macranthera ), Caucasian ash ( Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa ), European ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), European hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus ), Oriental hornbeam ( Carpinus orientalis ), Oriental beech ( Fagus orientalis ), Caucasian persimmon ( Diospyros lotus ), Caspian locust tree ( Gleditsia caspica ), Caucasian alder ( Alnus subcordata ), black alder ( Alnus glutinosa subsp. barbata ), white poplar ( Populus alba ) Caucasian wingnut ( Pterocarya fraxinifolia ), Persian ironwood ( Parrotia persica ), Caucasian zelkova ( Zelkova carpinifolia ), butcher's broom ( Ruscus aculeatus ), velvet maple ( Acer velutinum ), Cappadocian maple ( Acer cappadocicum ), wych elm ( Ulmus glabra ), Caucasian lime tree ( Tilia dasystyla subsp. caucasica ), wild cherry ( Prunus avium ), wild service tree ( Sorbus torminalis ), sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa ), among many others. Shrub species occurring in

6048-413: 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

6132-416: 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

6216-518: 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

6300-493: 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

6384-404: 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,

6468-463: 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

6552-581: The second-highest Shia population percentage in the world after Iran . The city's notable mosques include Kichik Bazar Mosque and Boyuk Bazar Mosque . As of 2012, the city along with Baku and Ganja participated in Earth Hour movement. Lankaran's cuisine has largely been affected by its multicultural history, hence the large variety of food originating during Talysh Khanate . Lankaran's signature cuisine includes lavangi, Lankaran kulcha, marji plov, white plov, pumpkin plov and turshu kebab. Lankaran

6636-409: 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

6720-626: 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

6804-477: 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

6888-557: 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

6972-553: 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

7056-611: 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

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