Lezgins Information
Azerbaijan: 178,000 (1999 Azerbaijani government census).[2] 364,000 Lezgins in Azerbaijan. 600,000-900,000 (Political organizations)[3]
Sunni Islam, Shi'a minority
Tabasarans, Aghuls, Rutuls, Budukhs, Kryts, Tsakhurs, Jeks, Archi, Udi, and other Northeast Caucasian peoples
The Lezgians (alternatively Lezgins, Lezgi, Lezgis, Lezgs, and Lezgin) (Lezgian: лезгияр, North Azerbaijani: ləzgilər, Russian: лезгины) are an ethnic group living predominantly in southern Dagestan and northeastern Azerbaijan and who speak the Lezgian language.
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History
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Historical concept
While ancient Greek historians, including Herodotus, Strabo, and Pliny the Elder, referred to Legoi people who inhabited Caucasian Albania, Arab historians of 9-10th centuries mention the kingdom of Lakz in present-day southern Dagestan.[5] Al Masoudi referred to inhabitants of this area as Lakzams (Lezgins),[6] who defended Shirvan against invaders from the north.[7]
Modern times
Prior to the Russian Revolution, "Lezgin" was a term applied to all ethnic groups inhabiting the present-day Russian Republic of Dagestan.[8]
In the 19th century, the term was used more broadly for all ethnic groups speaking non-Nakh Northeast Caucasian languages, including Caucasian Avars, Laks, and many others (although the Vainakh peoples, who were Northeast Caucasian language speakers were referred to as "Circassians").
Today, the Lezgins are predominately Sunni Muslims, with a Shi'a minority living in Miskindja village in Daghestan.
Lezgins live mainly in Azerbaijan and in the Russian Federation (Dagestan). The total population is believed to be around 700,000, with 412,000 living in Russian Federation. In the republic of Azerbaijan, the government census counts 178,000.[2] However, Lezgin national organizations mention 600,000 to 900,000, the disparity being that many Lezgins claim Azeri nationality to escape job and education discrimination in Azerbaijan.[3] Despite the assimulationist policy of the Azeri government, the Lezgin population is undoubtedly greater than it appears.[9]
Lezgins also live in Central Asia.[10]
Situation in Azerbaijan
See also
References
- ^ "Всероссийская перепись населения 2002 года". Perepis2002.ru. http://www.perepis2002.ru/content.html?id=11&docid=10715289081463. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
- ^ a b The State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Population by ethnic groups
- ^ a b [1] James Minahan,"Encyclopaedia of stateless nations: L-R by James Mihanan", Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002. pp 1084: "Lezgin national organizations estimate the actual Lezgin population in Azerbaijan at between 600,000 and 900,000, much higher than the official estimates. The disparity arises from the number of ethnic Lezgins registed as ethnic Azeris during the soviet period and continue to claim Azeri nationality to escape job and education discrimination in Azerbaijan"
- ^ "Ethnologue report for Lezgian". Ethnologue.com. http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=lez. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
- ^ Haspelmath, Martin (1993). A grammar of Lezgian. Walter de Gruyter. p. 17. ISBN 3110137356. http://books.google.com/books?id=jBC6fSMh6wYC&pg=PA17.
- ^ Yakut, IV, 364. According to al-Masoudi (Murudzh, II, 5)
- ^ VFMinorsky. History of Shirvan. M. 1963
- ^ Olson, James Stuart; Pappas, Nicholas Charles (1994). An Ethnohistorical dictionary of the Russian and Soviet empires. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 438. ISBN 0313274975. http://books.google.com/books?id=CquTz6ps5YgC&pg=PA438.
- ^ Robert Bruce Ware, Enver Kisriew, E.F. Kisriew, "Dagestan: Russian hegemony and Islamic resistance in the North Caucasus",M.E. Sharpe, 2009 "given the assimilationist policies of the Azeri authories, the Lezgin population of that state is undoubtedly greater than it appears" [2]
- ^ Yo'av Karny,"Highlanders: A Journey to the Caucasus in Quest of Memory",Macmillan, 2001. pp 112:"The last 1989 all Soviet census recorded 204,400 Lezgins in Daghestan and 171,395 Lezgins in Azerbaijan. Both figures reflected a relative, almost identical decline (5 percent) in Lezgin numbers in both "homelands". Roughtly 65,000 Lezgins were counted in other parts of the Soviet Union, mostly Russia, Kazakhistan and Turkmenistan"
External links
- QUSAR.net
- ZiVatan Lezgi site
- Sharvili Lezgi site
- Shax-dag Lezgi site
- Samurpress.com
- Samur.az
- suvar.az
- Lezgi net
- Lezgi site by Peter Kozlovsky
- Lezgi ch'al
- Lezgi mp3
- Lezgi in Azerbaijan
- Lezgi National Electronic Library - Ulub.info
- The Lezgin people on Azerb.com
- Article from the Centre for Russian Studies about the Lezgin
- News: The holiday of Lezghi national heroic epos "Sharvili" in the Akhty
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