Surviving
59-475: Destroyed or barely existing The Natukhaj are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag . Their areas historically extended along the Black Sea coast from Anapa in the north to Tsemes Bay (now Novorossiysk ) in the south and from the north side of the mountains to the lower Kuban River . Currently, Natukhai families live in
118-506: A federal subject of Russia , where they are indigenous and were about 12% of the population in 2010. In English, it still refers to all Circassians. The origin of the term "Circassian" is disputed. One view is that its root stems from Turkic languages, and means "head choppers" or "warrior killers", because of the Circassians' battle practices. Other sources argue that the term comes from Mongolian Jerkes , meaning "one who blocks
177-421: A few languages lack a voiceless velar plosive, e.g. Tahitian and Mongolian . Some languages have the voiceless pre-velar plosive , which is articulated slightly more front compared with the place of articulation of the prototypical velar plosive, though not as front as the prototypical palatal plosive . Conversely, some languages have the voiceless post-velar plosive , which is articulated slightly behind
236-714: A major part of the Natukhai were massacred and the remaining forced to leave Circassia , like the other Adyghe tribes, to the Ottoman Empire due to the Russian army occupation of Circassia, beside the standard tsars' policy during the era of the Russian Empire to cleanse the Circassian coast of Circassians (mainly physically then by expelling the remaining to the Ottoman Empire . The Natukhai people speak
295-484: A path". Some believe it comes from the ancient Greek name of the region, Siraces . According to another view, its origin is Persian and combines two parts, kar ("mountain") and kās ("region", in Pahlavi ), meaning "mountainous region". The spelling Cherkess may be an abbreviation of Persian Chahār-kas ("four people"), denoting four tribes. Ali ibn al-Athir (died c. 1232/3) and Ibn Khaldun (died 1406) used
354-555: A plan to occupy the Caucasus. Although he was unable to implement this plan, he laid the political and ideological foundation for the occupation to take place. Catherine II started putting this plan into action. The Russian army was deployed on the banks of the Terek River . The Russian military tried to impose authority by building a series of forts, but these forts in turn became the new targets of raids and indeed sometimes
413-594: A smaller number were resettled into the Empire's major cities. In January 1922, the Soviet government created an autonomous oblast which was the predecessor of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic . The actions of the Russian military in acquiring Circassian land through expulsion and massacres have given rise to a movement among descendants of the expelled ethnicities for international recognition of
472-531: Is an accepted version of this page Surviving Destroyed or barely existing The Circassians or Circassian people , also called Cherkess or Adyghe ( Adyghe and Kabardian : Адыгэхэр , romanized: Adygekher ) are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia , a region and former country in the North Caucasus . As a consequence of
531-496: Is known today as Krasnaya Polyana. "Krasnaya Polyana" means red meadow. It takes its name from the Circassian blood flowing from the hill into the river. The proposal to deport the Circassians was ratified by the Russian government, and a flood of refugee movements began as Russian troops advanced in their final campaign. Circassians prepared to resist and hold their last stand against Russian military advances and troops. With
590-801: The Circassian genocide , which was perpetrated by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War in the 19th century, most of the Circassian people were exiled from their ancestral homeland and consequently began living in what was then the Ottoman Empire —that is, modern-day Turkey and the rest of the Middle East . In the early 1990s, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization estimated that there are as many as 3.7 million Circassians in diaspora in over 50 countries. The two Circassian languages —western Adyghe and eastern Kabardian —are natively spoken by
649-497: The International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ k ⟩, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is k . The [k] sound is a very common sound cross-linguistically. Most languages have at least a plain [k] , and some distinguish more than one variety. Most Indo-Aryan languages , such as Hindi and Bengali , have a two-way contrast between aspirated and plain [k] . Only
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#1732771896227708-681: The Kingdom of Alania . Between the 10th and 13th centuries Georgia had influence on the Adyghe Circassian peoples. In the medieval era there was a Circassian kingdom called Zichia ( Adyghe : Адзыгъэй ; Greek : Ζιχία ) or Zekchia. In 1382, Circassian slaves took the Mamluk throne, the Burji dynasty took over and the Mamluks became a Circassian state. The Mongols, who started invading
767-635: The Yegeruqway and the Zhaney . Circassians have played major roles in areas where they settled: in Turkey , those of Circassian origin have had massive influence, being instrumental in the Turkish War of Independence and among the elites of Turkey's intelligence agency. In Jordan , they founded the capital city Amman , and continue to play a major role in the country. In Syria , they served as
826-649: The 17th century, under the influence of the Crimean Tatars and of the Ottoman Empire , large numbers of Circassians converted to Islam from Christianity. In 1708, Circassians paid tribute to the Ottoman sultan in order to prevent Tatar raids, but the sultan did not fulfill the obligation and the Tatars raided all the way to the center of Circassia, robbing everything they could. For this reason, Kabardian Circassians announced that they would never pay tribute to
885-591: The 18th century stereotype of the Circassian beauty . Feudalism began to emerge among Circassians by the 4th century. As a result of Armenian, Greek and Byzantine influence, Christianity spread throughout the Caucasus between the 3rd and 5th centuries. During that period, Circassians (known at the time as Kassogs ) began to accept Christianity as a national religion, but did not abandon all elements of their indigenous religious beliefs . Circassians established many states, but could not achieve political unity. From around 400, wave after wave of outsiders began to invade
944-576: The Adyghe warriors as courageous and well-experienced. It encouraged them to settle in various near-border settlements of the Ottoman Empire in order to strengthen the empire's borders. According to Walter Richmond , Circassia was a small independent nation on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. For no reason other than ethnic hatred, over the course of hundreds of raids the Russians drove
1003-621: The Caucasus in 1223, destroyed some of the Circassians and most of the Alans. The Circassians lost most of their lands during the ensuing Golden Horde attacks and had to retreat to the back of the Kuban River. In 1395 Circassians fought violent wars against Tamerlane , and although they won the wars, Tamerlane plundered Circassia. Prince Inal , who owned land in the Taman peninsula during the 1400s, established an army and declared that his goal
1062-448: The Circassian army of 20,000 Circassian horsemen and a fully equipped Russian army of 100,000 men. Circassian warriors attacked the Russian army and tried to break through the line, but most were shot down by Russian artillery and infantry. The remaining fighters continued to fight as guerillas and were soon defeated. All 20,000 Circassian horsemen died in the war. The war ended officially on May 21, 1864. The place where this war took place
1121-493: The Circassian people have lived in and near the mountains for thousands of years. The word Circassian ( / s ər ˈ k æ s i ə n z / sər- KASS -ee-ənz ) is an exonym , Latinized from Russian Cherkess ( Russian : Черкес ; Adyghe : Чэркэс/Шэрджэс ), which is of debated origin. The term, in Russian, was traditionally applied to all Circassians before Soviet times, but it has since usually referred only to Circassians living in northern Karachay-Cherkessia ,
1180-464: The Circassian people. Khabzeism is their ethnic religion , which was historically practiced in Circassia since ancient times, but Sunni Islam became the dominant religion among them around the 17th century, following a long period of Islamization . Circassia has been repeatedly invaded since ancient times; its isolated terrain coupled with the strategic value external societies have placed on
1239-523: The Circassians are of Turkic origin, but no scientific evidence supports this claim and it has been strongly denied by ethnic Circassians, impartial research, linguists, and historians around the world. The Circassian language does not share notable similarities to the Turkish language, except for borrowed words. According to various historians, the Circassian origin of the Sind-Meot tribes refutes
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#17327718962271298-401: The Circassians from their homeland and deported them to the Ottoman Empire. At least 600,000 people lost their lives to massacre, starvation, and the elements while hundreds of thousands more were forced to leave their homeland. By 1864, three-fourths of the population was annihilated, and the Circassians had become one of the first stateless peoples in modern history. As of 2020, Georgia was
1357-699: The Crimean Khan and the Ottoman Sultan again. The Ottomans sent their army of at least 20,000 men to Kabardia under the leadership of the Crimean Khan Kaplan-Girey to conquer the Circassians and ordered that he collect the tribute. The Ottomans expected an easy victory against the Kabardinians, but the Circassians won because of the strategy set up by Kazaniko Jabagh during the battle of Kanzhal . The Crimean army
1416-676: The G2-YY1215 haplogroup is larger on the Western Caucasus and decreases to the east, while G2-YY9632 has the opposite tendency. R1a-M198* is shared with Balkars , Karachays and Kuban Cossacks . The Circassian language , also known as Cherkess, is in the Northwest Caucasian language family . Archaeological findings, mainly of dolmens in Northwest Caucasus region , indicate a megalithic culture in
1475-611: The Natukhai sub-dialect ( Adyghe : НатIхъуаджэбзэ ), a dialect which is very similar to the Shapsug sub-dialect. The Natukhai sub-dialect shares a large number of features with other Shapsug varieties like having the consonants гь [ ɡʲ ] , кь [ kʲ ] , кӏь [ kʲʼ ] and чъу [ t͡ɕʷ ] that correspond to дж [ d͡ʒ ] , ч [ t͡ʃ ] , кӏ [ t͡ʃʼ ] and цу [ t͡sʷ ] in other Adyghe sub-dialects (e.g. Abzakh , Bzhedug , and Temirgoy ). Other Adyghe tribes: Circassians This
1534-518: The Natukhai while the Greater Shapsug lived north of the mountains.) Also Natukhai people include the tribe of Guaye which, according to legend, is one of the most ancient Circassian tribes. They also include the disappearing remnants of the Zhaney tribe. The noblest families included Chakh, Dedy, Eryku, Kaz, Megu, Syupako, and Zan. The tribe Guaye had following noble names: Birdzh, Cherch, Kerzedzh, Khatirame, and Kuytsuk. The Natukhai, like
1593-763: The Northwest Caucasus. The ancestors of present-day Circassians are known as the Sinti - Maeotian tribes. Archaeological research shows that these tribes were the indigenous people of the Caucasus. Some researchers have claimed there may be links between Circassians and Indo-European-speaking communities, and some have argued that there are connections between Circassians and Hatti , who are from ancient Anatolian peoples, but these theories are not widely accepted. According to genetic tests performed on Circassians, their closest relatives are Ingush , Chechens , Georgians and Abkhazians . Turkish nationalist groups and proponents of modern-day Pan-Turkism have claimed that
1652-554: The Ottoman Empire or still languished on the Circassian coast awaiting transit, even as far greater numbers arrived following the Russo-Circassian War's conclusion. What was intended to be an orderly, gradual expulsion quickly eroded over the following months, as the Ottomans overcrowded boats and neglected previously enforced safety regulations. Numerous boats sank, unable to safely accommodate these larger loads, while
1711-437: The Ottomans had anticipated, easily reaching tens of thousands at a time. Conditions on the beaches were dismal, as those waiting for Ottoman-chartered ships contended with insufficient supplies of food and shelter, occasional raids from Russian soldiers, and outbreaks of typhus and smallpox that were only exacerbated by the cramped and unsanitary conditions. By 1864, hundreds of thousands of Circassians had either already entered
1770-405: The Russian military also systematically destroyed crops and livestock and killed Circassian civilians. Circassians responded by creating a tribal federation encompassing all tribes of the area. In 1840 Karl Friedrich Neumann estimated the Circassian casualties at around one and a half million. Some sources state that hundreds of thousands of others died during the exodus. Several historians use
1829-474: The Shapsug and Abadzekh, managed to limit the power of noble men of their tribe. Their villages were also administered by elected villagers. The Natukhai were one of the tribes most inclined to a peaceful sort of labor. They established trade connections with Turkey which gave the Natukhai the opportunities of material improvements. The Natukhai were one of the last to convert to Islam. They steadily adhered to Christianity, even though religious differences were often
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1888-403: The capital city of Shashe (Sochi) on June 25, 1861. Haji Qerandiqo Berzedj was appointed as the head of the assembly. This assembly asked for help from Europe, arguing that they would be forced into exile soon. However, before the result was achieved, Russian General Kolyobakin invaded Sochi and destroyed the parliament and no country opposed this. In May 1864, a final battle took place between
1947-481: The cause of quarrels with the neighbouring Shapsug. Only by the beginning of the 19th century, whether by promises or by threats, did Turkish pasha manage to talk them into converting to Islam. In spite of that, the Natukhai showed a bitter resistance to the expansion of Russia into the Northern Caucasus. They fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Shapsug and Abadzekh who by that time were on their own against
2006-401: The claim that the Circassians are of Turkic ethnic origin. German racial theorists, after comparing skull shapes, declared that Europeans, North Africans, and Caucasians were of a common race, termed "Caucasian" or later " Caucasoid ". Scientific racism emphasized the so-called "superior beauty" of the Circassian people, referring to them as "how God intended the human race to be", leading to
2065-750: The diaspora and were assimilated in other Adyghe tribes, more precisely, the Shapsug due to their close relations with them. In Russia, a few may be found in the Republic of Adyghea (mainly in the Takhtamukaysky District , in the rural locality of Natukhay ( Russian : Аул Натухай ) and the Teuchezhsky District ). The Natukhai tribe consisted of 10 aristocratic families and 44 free clans ( Adyghe : ЛъфэкъулӀ ) and classified as an Adyghe democratic tribe. Because their coast
2124-722: The ethnic Circassian population are affected. Considering these rates, calculations including those taking into account the Russian government's own archival figures, have estimated a loss 600,000–1,500,000. Ivan Drozdov , a Russian officer who witnessed the scene at Qbaada in May 1864 as the other Russians were celebrating their victory remarked: On the road, our eyes were met with a staggering image: corpses of women, children, elderly persons, torn to pieces and half-eaten by dogs; deportees emaciated by hunger and disease, almost too weak to move their legs, collapsing from exhaustion and becoming prey to dogs while still alive. The Ottoman Empire regarded
2183-420: The forces of Russian empire. As a result of the war, only 175 Natukhai people remained on their motherland. In late 1860, a Circassian Parliament ( Adyghe : Хасэ , romanized: Hasè ) was assembled, which would unite the Shapsug , Ubykh , and Natukhai and considered Sochi ( Lowland Adyghe : Шъачэ; Ubykh Adyghe : Шуа-чӀа, lit. "seaside") the last capital of the Circassian resistance . In 1864,
2242-413: The highlanders actually captured and held the forts. Under Yermolov, the Russian military began using a strategy of disproportionate retribution for raids . Russian troops retaliated by destroying villages where resistance fighters were thought to hide, as well as employing assassinations, kidnappings, and the execution of whole families. Because the resistance was relying on sympathetic villages for food,
2301-460: The historic lands of Circassia: Genetically, the Adyghe have shared ancestry partially with neighboring peoples of the Caucasus , with some influence from other regions. The most prevalent SNP haplotypes among all Circassian tribes is G2 -YY1215 (43%); others are R1a -M198* (13%), G2-YY9632 (9%), J2-M172* (7%), sharing a single common ancestor 3,000 years ago, with the largest demographic growth between 2,000 and 1,500 years ago. Prevalence of
2360-738: The lands of the Adyghe people , who were also known as the Kasogi (or Kassogs) at the time. They were conquered first by the Bulgars (who originated on the Central Asian steppes ). Outsiders sometimes confused the Adyghe people with the similarly named Utigurs (a branch of the Bulgars). After the Khazar state dissolved, the Adyghe people were integrated around the end of the 1st millennium AD into
2419-969: The modern day: the Abaza family . In Israel , Bibras Natcho is the captain of the Israeli national soccer team . In Imperial Russia and the Soviet Union , historical Circassia was divided into the republics of Adygea , Kabardino-Balkaria , Karachay-Cherkessia , and Krasnodar Krai , and southwestern parts of Stavropol Krai . Accordingly, Circassians have been designated as Adygeans in Adygea, Kabardians in Kabardino-Balkaria, Cherkess in Karachay-Cherkessia, and Shapsug in Krasnodar Krai; all four are essentially
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2478-431: The name Cherkess/Circassians. In Persian sources, Charkas/Cherkes is used to refer to the "actual" Circassians of the northwest Caucasus, and in some occasions as a general designation for Caucasians who live beyond Derbent (Darband). Despite a common self-designation and a common Russian name, Soviet authorities divided the nation into four different peoples and applied four designations to Circassians remaining in
2537-484: The name has been settled as Cherkess . It is the same or similar in many world languages that cite these languages. The Encyclopaedia Islamica adds: "The Cherkess: the Kabardians and the western Adyghe people share a common language, which is spoken by the north-western Caucasian people, and belongs to the family known as Abkhazian-Adyghe". In Medieval Oriental and European texts, the Adyghe people were known by
2596-409: The only country to classify the events as genocide, while Russia actively denies the Circassian genocide, and classifies the events as a simple migration of "undeveloped barbaric peoples". As early as 1859, the Russian government had sought potential avenues for expelling the native Circassian population, and found a solution in the Ottoman Empire. Despite their numerous historical and ongoing disputes,
2655-623: The overcrowded conditions helped disease spread even further among both the Circassian migrants and the Ottoman crews. Upon their arrival, the Emigrant Commission attempted to relocate most of the new arrivals as quickly as possible to alleviate the strain on Ottoman port cities, and began to settle the Circassians throughout the Ottoman Empire. The exiled Circassians were resettled in the Empire's remaining Balkan territories, in Ottoman Syria and Transjordan, and Anatolia, while
2714-465: The perpetration of genocide. On 20 May 2011 the Georgian parliament voted in a 95 to 0 declaration that Russia had committed genocide when it engaged in massacres against Circassians in the 19th century. 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
2773-610: The phrase "Circassian massacres" for the consequences of Russian actions in the region. In a series of sweeping military campaigns lasting from 1860 to 1864... the northwest Caucasus and the Black Sea coast were virtually emptied of Muslim villagers. Columns of the displaced were marched either to the Kuban [River] plains or toward the coast for transport to the Ottoman Empire... One after another, entire Circassian tribal groups were dispersed, resettled, or killed en masse. Circassians established an assembly called "Great Freedom Assembly" in
2832-441: The refusal to surrender, Circassian civilians were targeted one by one by the Russian military with thousands massacred and the Russians started to raid and burn Circassian villages, destroy the fields to make it impossible to return, cut trees down and drive the people towards the Black Sea coast. Although it is not known exactly how many people are affected, researchers have suggested that at least 75%, 90%, 94%, or 95–97% of
2891-952: The region have greatly shaped the Circassian national identity as a whole. The Circassian flag consists of a green field charged with 12 gold stars and, in the centre, three crossed black arrows. The stars represent the 12 Circassian tribes: the Abzakh , the Besleney , the Bzhedugh , the Hatuqway , the Kabardians , the Mamkhegh , the Natukhaj , the Shapsugh , the Chemirgoy , the Ubykh ,
2950-503: The retrieval and resettlement of the Circassians throughout the Ottoman Empire. The process of expulsion had already begun even before the end of the Russo-Circassian war; the first Circassians had begun to arrive in small numbers as early as 1859, mainly consisting of wealthier aristocrats. Even prior to the end of the Russo-Circassian War, expelled Circassians had begun to crowd the Circassian coast in far greater numbers than
3009-416: The same people. Today, approximately 800,000 Circassians remain in historical Circassia, while 4,500,000 live elsewhere. The Circassians refer to themselves as Adyghe (also transliterated as Adyga, Adiga, Adige, Adığe, Adyge , Adygei ). According to one view, the name derives from Atyghe ( Adyghe : Iатыгъэ , romanized: 'atığə ) meaning "high [in altitude]" to signify a mountaineer, as
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#17327718962273068-496: The term Jahārkas , but the Persian hypothesis remains uncertain. In early Russian sources, Circassians are called Kasogi , but one view holds that the modern term "Cherkes" derives from Kerket , the name of one of the ancient Circassian tribes. In languages spoken geographically close to the Caucasus, the native people originally had other names for the Circassians (such as Georgian : ჯიქი, Jiqi ), but with Russian influence,
3127-643: The two empires negotiated on the impending migrations and resettlements. The Russians promised a gradual process that would see the Ottomans ultimately receive fewer than 100,000 Circassians. The Circassians would first be moved, or coerced to move, to the Circassian Black Sea coast, from which Ottoman boats would take them to designated ports in Anatolia. The recently formed Ottoman Muhacirin Komisyonu , or Emigrant Commission, would coordinate both
3186-516: The volunteer guards of the Allies upon their entry into the country and still have high positions. In Libya , they serve in high military positions. In Egypt , they were part of the ruling class. The largest Circassian clan in the country also contributed to Egyptian and Arabic cultural literary, intellectual, and political life starting with the reign of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Egypt and continuing to
3245-562: The war in Abkhazia, officially conquered Northern Abkhazia and the Abkhaz people recognized his rule. One of the stars on the flag of Abkhazia represents Inal. He divided his lands between his sons and grandchildren in 1453 and died in 1458. After that, Circassian tribal principalities were established, including Chemguy , founded by Temruk; Besleney , founded by Beslan; Kabardia , founded by Qabard; and Shapsug , founded by Zanoko. In
3304-667: Was destroyed in one night on 17 September 1708. The Crimean Khan Kaplan-Giray barely managed to save his life, and was humiliated, all the way to his shoes taken, leaving his brother, son, field tools, tents and personal belongings. In 2013, the Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Sciences recognized that the Battle of Kinzhal Mountain with the paramount importance in the national history of Circassians, Balkarians and Ossetians. In 1714, Peter I established
3363-401: Was not backed by high mountains and opened northward to the steppe the Natukhai were very active in trading with the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate , which afforded for them better life than many others. By culture, language and character they find themselves closest to the Lesser Shapsug and even call themselves by the same name Aguchips . (The Lesser Shapsug lived on the coast south of
3422-477: 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. Kabardian Voiceless velar plosive The voiceless velar plosive or stop is a type of consonantal sound used in almost all spoken languages . The symbol in
3481-422: Was to unite the Circassians under a single state. They were divided into many states at that time, but after declaring his own princedom, Inal conquered all of Circassia one by one. Circassian nobles and princes tried to prevent Inal's rise, but Inal and his supporters defeated 30 Circassian lords. After successfully uniting the Circassians, Inal still wanted to include the closely related Abkhazians. Inal, who won
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