Daghestan
covers the whole eastern Caucasia. Some Turanian tribes such as the Avars, Lezghis,
Ghazi-Kumukhs and Darghins who are called as the native Caucasians, live generally in the
mountainous lands. There live Turkish origin tribes (Kumukhs, Azeri Turks, Turkmens
and even Noghays) on the plain area through the Caspian Sea and down the Sulak and Terek
rivers in the northeast, where it is almost a steppeland in the north.
Due to geographical obstacles such as sharp
mountains, deep valleys etc., some differences also appeared among these highlander tribes
even if not as much as those in the west. Turkish is a common language for communication
in the east Caucasia where the member of lowlender tribes (settled through the north, east
or southeast) can also speak Turkish because of their close relations with the Turkish
tribes.
The Daghestans are warrior, activee and freedom-lover people
in terms of policy and military like all other highlanders. So, lowlanders in this area
(that is all over the Daghestan) have always been dependant to the highlanders. Seikh
Shamil was supported in Daghestan mostly by Turanian tribest such as the Lezghis and
Avars..
A. Cevdet Pasha (a Turkish historian) writes the
population of Daghestan as 270.000 home in 1878. But Allen-Muratoff states the population
of east Caucasian tribes approximately as 500.000 during “the Guerilla Warfare”.
On the other hand, Major Nazmi informs Binbaşı Nazmi establishes the Muslim
population in Daghestan as 1.450.000 in 1956.
The Avars (Andelals) (incl. Andis) : They live around the Andi, Avar and Khara
sources of the Koysu river in the northwest of Daghestan. They are also settled in the
north on the plain land through the Kumukh area until the Chir-Land, and in south near the
Zakatali Area. On the east of their land, there live Kumukhs, Darghins and Ghazi-Kumukhs
(Lakhs) in order from north to south; and Lezghis on their southeast; Chechens on the
northwest; Georgians on their southwest. The Avars are the most crowded tribe after the
Lezghis in Daghestan.
They are consist of three groups in terms of language;
1- Avar,
2- Andi,
3- Dido (Tsez).
Among them, the real Avars are the most crowded group. They
live on the area from the Sulak river in the north and through the Zakatali Zone in the
south. The Andis consist of sub-groups such as Bottlih, Godoberi, Kharatin, Bagvalal,
Chamalal, Tindi and Achvachis. On the other hand, the Hinuks, Chvarsin ve Khapuchins are
consisted of Dido group. The population of these groups in 1939 cencus, were given as
170.000 for Avars, 30.000 for Andis and 10.000 for Didos. In fact, the Avar were dependent
to the Avar Khanate in history. They are the major support for Hamzat Bek ve later for
Sheikh Shamil.
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