The Karachays (Къарачайлыла, Qaraçaylıla) are a Turkic people of the Ciscaucasus, mostly situated in the Russian Karachay-Cherkess Republic. They refer to themselves as Alans (аланла, alanla). Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The Karachay-Balkar language (Къарачай-Малкъар /Qarachay-Malqar/) is a Turkic language of the Karachays and Balkars. ... Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... Kipchaks (also Kypchaks, Qipchaqs) are an ancient Turkic people, first mentioned in the historical chronicles of Central Asia in the 1st millennium BC. Their language was also known as Kipchak. ... This article is about the various peoples speaking one of the Turkic languages. ... North Caucasus in Russia The North Caucasus (sometimes referred to as Ciscaucasia or Ciscaucasus) is the northern part of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. ... Karachay-Cherkess Republic (Russian: , or, less formal, Karachay-Cherkessia ) is a federal subject of Russia (a republic). ... The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ...

History

The Karachays are one of the few direct descendants of the Alans.^[1] The state of 'Alania' established in the Middle Ages had its capital in Maghas, which some authors locate in the mountains currently inhabited by the Karachay (others place it in modern Ingushetia or North Ossetia). In the 14th century, Alania was destroyed by Timur and the decimated population dispersed in the mountains. Timur's intervention to the North Caucasus introduced the local nations to Islam. The Alans, Alani, Alauni or Halani were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people, warlike nomadic pastoralists of varied backgrounds, who spoke an Iranian language and to a large extent shared a common culture. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... The capital city of Alania, located in the northern Caucasus Mountains near the modern Ossetian city of Vladikavkaz. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Republic of North Ossetia-Alania (Russian: Респу́блика Се́верная Осе́тия-Ала́ния; Ossetic: Цæгат Иры&#1089... Statue of Timur in Shahrisabz, Uzbekistan TÄ«mÅ«r bin Taraghay Barlas (Chagatai Turkic: تیمور - TÄ“mōr, iron) (1336 – February 1405) was a 14th-century warlord of Turco-Mongol descent[1][2][3][4], conqueror of much of Western and central Asia, and founder of the Timurid Empire (1370–1405... North Caucasus in Russia The North Caucasus (sometimes referred to as Ciscaucasia or Ciscaucasus) is the northern part of the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

In 1828, the Russian army broke into the Karachay's territory and, after the series of battles with numerically insignificant military forces of mountain men, formally annexed the Karachay territories. In 1831 - 1860, Karachays joined the bloody anti-Russian struggles carried out by Caucasian peoples. In 1861 - 1880, to escape repression by the Russian army, large numbers of Karachays migrated to Turkey. Between Jan 1, 1921 - Dec 12, 1930 (early Soviet period), Bolshevik authorities quelled resistance to Soviet rule in Karachay region and other territories of the Caucasus. In 1942, the invading German army occupied the Karachay region.

Elbrus - the glory of nation, photo by M. Chagarov, Feb. 2005

In November 1943, the Karachay people were forcibly resettled to the desert areas of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The population of the nation at that time was nearly 80,000 people, primarily children, women and old men. Most of the male population were fighting with Nazis on the fronts of the World War II. With mass starvation, cholera, typhoid fever and other diseases, approximately 35% of the population died in 2 years (mainly the children). Out of 28,000 children, 22,000 died (approx. 78%)^[2] Nowadays old men say: "That time in the Middle Asia was terrible for Karachay people: hunger, expulsion, and military violence; and Karachays preferred to die than to ask alms of others or blemish his or her honour or honour of the clan". Image File history File linksMetadata Mingi_tay. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Mingi_tay. ... For the Soviet-era computer, see Elbrus (computer). ... Not by Their Own Will. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

After 14 years, during the Khrushchev era in 1957, the chance to return to their historical lands was given to Karachay people . The first group of people returned on May 3, 1957 Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: , Nikita Sergeevič Chruščiov; IPA: , in English, , or , occasionally ); surname more accurately romanized as Khrushchyov[1]; April 17 [O.S. April 5] 1894[2]–September 11, 1971) was the chief director of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin. ...

Karachays now celebrate this day and consider it their Revival Day.

Geography

The Karachay nation, as well as its brother nation, the Balkars, took the valleys and foothills of the Central Caucasus in the water gaps of the Kuban, Zelenchuk, Malka, Baksan, Cherek and others. The Balkar (малкъар /malqar/balqar) people are a Turkic people of the Caucasus region, the titular population of Kabardino-Balkaria. ... Kuban (Russian: ) is a river in Russia, in the Northern Caucasus region. ...

Dombai, photo by I. Bogatyryov, Feb. 2004

The Karachays and Balkars are very proud of the symbol of the nations, Mount Elbrus, the highest double-headed mountain in Europe with an altitude 5,642 meters. Image File history File linksMetadata Dfgdfgdf. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dfgdfgdf. ... Mount Elbrus (Russian: Эльбрус) is a peak located in the western Caucasus mountains, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia, near the border of Georgia. ...

Locations with dominant Karachay populations: Uchkulan, Huzruk, Kart Dzhurt, Arhyz, Dombai, Teberda, Karachaevsk, Ust-Dzheguta, Uchkeken, Novaya Dzheguta, Staraya Dzheguta, Kuzul Kala, Eltarkach.

Language and religion

The Karachay dialect of Karachay-Balkar language is of the Northwestern branch of Turkic languages. The Karachay are predominantly Sunni Muslim. They often fuse pre-Islamic pagan traditions with those of Islam. The Karachay-Balkar language (Къарачай-Малкъар /Qarachay-Malqar/) is a Turkic language of the Karachays and Balkars. ... The Turkic languages constitute a language family of some thirty languages, spoken across a vast area from Eastern Europe to Siberia and Western China with an estimated 140 million native speakers and tens of millions of second-language speakers. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ...

Diaspora

Czarist Russian annexation of the Karachay nation led to mass migration to Turkey in the early 20th century. Karachays were also displaced en masse to the then Soviet controlled Central Asian states of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan after Stalin's relocation campaign in 1944. Since the Khrushchev era in the Soviet Union, many Karachays have been repatriated to their homeland from Central Asia. Karachays residing in Turkey have also migrated to numerous Western countries in search of economic opportunity. Today, there are sizable Karachay communities in Turkey (centered around Eskisehir), Uzbekistan, America (centered around Paterson, New Jersey), and Germany. Soviet redirects here. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვი&#4314... Nikita Khrushchev in 1962 Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (Russian: Ники́та Серге́евич Хрущёв) (nih-KEE-tah khroo-SHCHYOFF) (April 17, 1894 – September 11, 1971) was the leader of the Soviet Union... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... EskiÅŸehir (eskÄ“shehÄ“r, Latin: Dorylaeum, Greek: Δορύλαιον, Dorylaion) is a city in northwest Turkey and the capital of EskiÅŸehir Province. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... View of Paterson New Jersey 1880. ...

Character of the nation

The isolated lifestyle among the Caucasus Mountains was one of the reasons of the establishment of the Karachay's unique character. Karachay people live in communities that are divided into clans and families: Uidegi – Ataul - Tukum – Tiire. The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas in the Caucasus region, usually considered the southeastern limit of Europe. ...

Prominent tukums include: Aci, Bici, Batcha (Batca), Baychora, Bayrimuk (Bayramuk) Bostan, Catto, Hubey (Hubi), Karabash, Laypan, Lepshok, Ozden, Silpagar, Teke, Toturkul,

and many others. There are roughly 32 Karachay tukums. A tukum is basically a family's clan-based lineage. The Chechen tukkhum was a form of military-economic or military-political union of a group of teips or tribal clans, combined together for joint decision making or defense from enemy attacks, trade and economic bartering. ... A clan is a group of people united by kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. ...

Karachay people are very independent in their behavior and adherence to their freedom. They have strong historically developed traditions and customs which regulate their lives: the wedding, the funeral, the pronouncement of family decisions, etc. They will never offend a guest and harbor a distinct attitude towards woman. An offense made towards a Karachay man's parents is fatal for the offender. Cowardice is the most serious shame for the male. The blood feud takes place to this very day.

Quotations

Karachay national dance

“The Karachay is a neutral nation, which lives at the root of Elbrus, and excelling by its loyalty, goodliness and bravery”'.
— Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist and philosopher,
Omnibus Edition (anniversary edition),
Moscow, Volume 46, page 184. Image File history File links Karachay_national_dance. ... Image File history File links Karachay_national_dance. ... Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , IPA:  ), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy (September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) was a Russian novelist, writer, essayist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, moral thinker, and an influential member of the Tolstoy family. ...

See also

• Lake Karachay

Lake Karachay (Russian: ), sometimes spelled Karachai is a small lake in the southern Ural mountains in eastern Russia. ...

References