The Adyghe or Adygs are a people of the northwest Caucasus region, principally inhabiting Adygeya (23 %) (now a constituent republic of the Russian Federation) and Karachay-Cherkessia (11 %) (where they are named as "Cherkes"). Shapsug National District, an autonomous district founded for Shapsigh (or Shapsugh) tribe living on the Black Sea coast was abolished in 1943. Kabardin of Kabardino-Balkaria (along with Besleney tribe) who speak the Kabardian language are often conceived as the eastern branch of Adyghe. While Adyghe is the name this people apply to themselves, in the West they are often known as the Circassians, a term which can also apply to a broader group of peoples in the North Caucasus. Their language is also referred to as Adyghe or Adygeyan. Besleney speak a dialect of Kabardian. Western Europe is distinguished from Central Europe and Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... Adyghe (адыгэбзэ adygebze, adÉ™găbză) is one of the two official languages of the Federal Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... A shaman doctor of Kyzyl. ... The Russian Orthodox Church (Русская Православная церковь) is that body of Christians who are united under the Patriarch of Moscow, who in turn is in communion with... Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... The term Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess (Çerkes), and is not the self-designation of any people. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Caucasus Mountains. ... The Republic of Adygea (Russian: Респу́блика Адыге́я; Adyghe: Адыгэ Республик) is a Russian Federation (a republic) enclaved within Krasnodar Krai. ... Karachay-Cherkess Republic (Russian: , or, less formal, Karachay-Cherkessia ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). ... Cherkes (also Cherkess) are an ethnic group of the northwest Caucasus region, principally inhabiting northern Karachay-Cherkessia (11 %) and four villages of Adygeya: Khodz, Blechepsin, Koshekhabl, Ulyap. ... An autonomous region or autonomous district is a subnational region with special powers of self-rule. ... NASA satelite image of the Black Sea Map of the Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and Anatolia that is actually a distant arm of the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Mediterranean Sea. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... Capital Nalchik Area - total - % water Ranked 83rd - 12,500 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 60th - est. ... The Kabardian language is closely related to the Adyghe language (see Adyghe), both members of the Northwest Caucasian language family, mainly spoken in Kabardino-Balkar Republic and Karachay-Cherkess Republic of Russia (the native territories) and in Turkey and the Middle East (the residence of the extensive post-war diaspora). ... The term Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess (Çerkes), and is not the self-designation of any people. ... Adyghe (адыгэбзэ adygebze, adÉ™găbză) is one of the two official languages of the Federal Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian. ... The Kabardian language is closely related to the Adyghe language (see Adyghe), both members of the Northwest Caucasian language family, mainly spoken in Kabardino-Balkar Republic and Karachay-Cherkess Republic of Russia (the native territories) and in Turkey and the Middle East (the residence of the extensive post-war diaspora). ...

History

The Adyghe first emerged as a coherent entity somewhere around the tenth century A.D., although references to them exist much earlier. They were never politically united, a fact which reduced their influence in the area and their ability to withstand periodic invasions from groups like the Mongols, Avars, Pechenegs, Huns, and Khazars. Mongols (Mongolian: Монгол Mongol, Turkish: MoÄŸollar) are an ethnic group that originated in what is now Mongolia, Russia, and China or more specifically on the Central Asian plateau north of the Gobi desert and south of Siberia. ... Map showing the location of Avar Khaganate, c. ... Pechenegs or Patzinaks, also known as Besenyők, were a semi-nomadic steppes people of Central Asia that spoke a Turkic language. ... The Huns were a Turkic confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads. ... The Khazars (Hebrew Kuzari כוזרי Kuzarim כוזרים; Turkish Hazar Hazarlar; Russian Хазары; Tatar sing Xäzär Xäzärlär; Crimean Tatar: ; Greek Χαζάροι/Χάζαροι; Arabic خزر; Persianخزر ; Latin Gazari or Cosri) were a semi-nomadic Turkic people from Central Asia, many of whom converted to Judaism. ...

This lack of unity eventually cost the Adyghe their independence, as they were slowly conquered by Russia in a series of wars and campaigns in the late 18th and early to mid-19th centuries. During this period, the Adyghe plight achieved a certain celebrity status in the West, but pledges of assistance were never fulfilled. After the Crimean War, Russia turned her attention to the Caucasus in earnest, starting with the peoples of Chechnya and Dagestan. In 1859, the Russians had finished defeating Imam Shamil in the eastern Caucasus, and turned their attention westward, finally subjugating the Adyghe in 1864. Combatants Allies: Second French Empire United Kingdom Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,050 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease 256,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1854–1856) was fought... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... Imam Shamil Imam Shamil (1797 - March 1871) was an Avar political and religious leader of the Muslim tribes of the Northern Caucasus. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...

Like other ethnic minorities under Russian rule, the Adyghe were subjected to policies of mass resettlement. Collectivization under the Communists also took its toll. Collective farming is an organizational unit in agriculture in which peasants are not paid wages, but rather receive a share of the farms net output. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ...

Culture

The Adyghe were a warlike people. Grown men were expected to carry arms, and boys trained to be warriors. Familial ties were not strongly encouraged; parents fostered their children to other adults rather than raising them themselves.^{[citation needed]} The Adyghe society was once matriarchal^{[citation needed]}. Women fought in war alongside their husbands^{[citation needed]}. Although the society is no longer matriarchal, women still have a high place of respect and dignity. A matriarchy is a tradition (and by extension a form of government) in which community power lies with the eldest mother of a community. ...

Adyghe society prior to the Russian invasion was highly stratified. While a few tribes in the mountainous regions of Adygeya were fairly egalitarian, most were broken into strict castes. The highest was the caste of the "princes", followed by a caste of lesser nobility, and then commoners, serfs, and slaves. In the decades before Russian rule, two tribes overthrew their traditional rulers and set up democratic processes, but this social experiment was cut short by the end of Adyghe independence. Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification, enforced by law or common practice, based on classifications such as occupation, race, ethnicity, etc. ...

Today most Adyghe speak Russian and/or the original Adyghe language, a member of the Northwest Caucasian (Circassian) language family. Both languages are written with the Cyrillic alphabet. Adyghe (адыгэбзэ adygebze, adəgăbză) is one of the two official languages of the Federal Republic of Adygea in the Russian Federation, the other being Russian. ... The Northwest Caucasian languages, also called Pontic or Abkhaz-Adyg/Circassian, are a group of languages spoken in Caucasian Russia, Turkey, Jordan, Kabardino-Balkaria (an autonomous republic in Russia) and Abkhazia ( de facto independent formally an autonomous republic in Georgia). ... The Cyrillic alphabet (pronounced , also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages—Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian—and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ...

The primary religion among modern Adyghe is Sunni Islam. Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ...

The main Adyghe tribes are: Abzekh, Adamey, Bzhedugh; Hatukuay, Kabardey, Kemirgoy, Makhosh; Natekuay, Shapsigh; Zhane, Yegerikuay, Besleney. Most Adyghe living in Caucasia are Bzhedugh and Kemirgoy, while the majority in diaspora are Abzekh and Shapsigh. Standard Adyghe language is based on Kemirgoy dialect. The term: diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά – a scattering or sowing of seeds) is used (without capitalization) to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands; being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture. ...

The Diaspora

Adyghe have lived outside the Caucasus region since the Middle Ages. They formed a tradition of joining foreign armies, including those of Persia, Rome, Byzantium, and the Golden Horde. They were particularly well represented in the Mamluks of Turkey and Egypt. In fact, the Burji dynasty which ruled Egypt from 1382 to 1517 was founded by Adyghe Mamluks. The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and at times extending into central and mid-east Asia. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... The Golden Horde (Turkish: Altın Ordu) was a Turkic state established in parts of present-day Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan after the break up of the Mongol Empire in the 1240s. ... An Ottoman Mamluk, from 1810 Mamluks (or Mameluks) (the Arabic word usually translates as owned, singular: مملوك plural: مماليك) comprised slave soldiers used by the Muslim Caliphs and the Ottoman Empire, and who on more than one occasion seized power for... The Burji dynasty ruled Egypt from 1382 until 1517. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Enyu of Japan, fifth and last of the Northern Ashikaga Pretenders Emperor Go-Komatsu ascends to the throne of Japan John Wyclifs teachings are condemned by the Synod of London. ... January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh: The Turkish forces of Selim I defeat the main Mamluk army in Egypt under Touman Bey. ...

Much of Adyghe culture was disrupted after their conquest by Russia in 1864. This led to a diaspora of the peoples of the northwest Caucasus, known as Muhajirism, mostly to various parts of the Ottoman Empire. The largest Adyghe diaspora community today is in Turkey, especially in Samsun, Balıkesir, Sakarya, and Düzce. Significant communities live in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Israel (in the villages of Kfar-Kama and Rikhaniya), Libya, FYR Macedonia, and the United States (Upstate New York and New Jersey). The small community in Kosovo expatriated to Adygea in 1998. [1] A number of Adyghe were introduced to Bulgaria in 1864-1865 but most fled after it became separate from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. Today, their number in Bulgaria is estimated at around 1,300. 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The term: diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά – a scattering or sowing of seeds) is used (without capitalization) to refer to any people or ethnic population forced or induced to leave their traditional ethnic homelands; being dispersed throughout other parts of the world, and the ensuing developments in their dispersal and culture. ... Muhajirism was the emigration of Muslim indigenous peoples of the Caucasus into the Ottoman Empire and Middle East following the Caucasian War. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... Shows the Location of the Province Samsun Samsun is a province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1,209,137 (2000). ... shows the Location of the Province Balıkesir Balıkesir is a province in midwestern Turkey, having shorelines on both Marmara and the Aegean seas. ... Sakarya is a province of Turkey and is located in the Marmara region. ... shows the Location of the Province Düzce Düzce is a province in northwestern Turkey. ... Kfar-Kama is located in the Galilee, Israel. ... The areas highlighted in YELLOW and GREEN are those which are considered to be a bona fide part of Upstate New York from the perspective of New York City. ... For the Bon Jovi album, see New Jersey (album) Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... Kosovo (Serbian: Косово и Метохија or Kosovo i Metohija, also Космет or Kosmet; Albanian: Kosovë or Kosova) is a province in southern Serbia which has been under United Nations administration since 1999. ... The Republic of Adygea (Russian: ; Adyghe: ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic) enclaved within Krasnodar Krai. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...

See also

• Circassians
• Kabard
• Cherkes
• Shapsugs
• Ubykh
• Hatuqwai
• Abkhaz

The term Circassians is a term derived from the Turkic Cherkess (Çerkes), and is not the self-designation of any people. ... Kabarda, Kabard or Kabarid are simply alternative ways of referring to the Kabar people of the northern Caucasus more commonly known by the plural term Kabardin (or Kebertei as they term themselves). ... Cherkes (also Cherkess) are an ethnic group of the northwest Caucasus region, principally inhabiting northern Karachay-Cherkessia (11 %) and four villages of Adygeya: Khodz, Blechepsin, Koshekhabl, Ulyap. ... Ubykh is a language of the Northwestern Caucasian group, spoken by the Ubykh people up until the early 1990s. ... Abkhaz is an agglutinative Georgia (in the autonomous republic of Abkhazia) and Turkey. ...

References

• Amjad Jaimoukha, The Circassians: A Handbook, New York: Palgrave, 2001; London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2001. ISBN 0-312-23994-7

External links

• Circassian World: Historical Publications and Articles on History and Culture
• Abridging Circassian World: articles, music scores, top links
• Map of the Diaspora
• Adyga.org - Internet Forum of adyga people
• Adiga.com