Highlander Culture   

       After Islam, and especially in Imam Shamil period, these bad habits were drawn away from highlander culture which has become a combination of humanitarian and moral virtues. In times when religious impact weakened, it was observed that those bad habits, especially vendetta,  came back. Traditions are rules for Daghestan people. Being loyal to their customs, highlander tribes always take decisions according to these traditions. After being Muslim, with a great effort by Imam Shamil, Islamic Rules (Sheria) replaced these traditions. At last, Daghestan people accepted Sheria and become loyal to Islamic rules. It was such a loyality that if one wanted to have an effect on Daghestan people in any subject, he sould be in compliance with Islam Sheria. Russian Tzar tried to change this phenomenon but could not succeed.

      Hospitality is one of the oldest traditions of Daghestan people. In a Daghestan proverb, it says, “You live such a day that no guest visit your home”. With tih proverb, it is meant that there is no day without a guest in Daghestan. You can visit them as a guest any time, day or night. Especially, at lunch and dinners, there is always an extra plate for a guest at the table even there is not a guest.

      When a stranger comes to the village, he is brought first the mosgue where he is introduced with others and talk about himself. If there is nobody that the stranger knows at the village, he is invited by one of the elders, and he is served with foods. Landlord feels ashamed if he is lack of food to serve. In such a case, neighbors run for help of the landlord. In a Kumukh proverb, it says “You could not give food to your guest, but you should treat him with a smiley face”. They start meal with a “Bismillah” (with God’s name”. And at the end of the meal, they also say “Elhamdulillah” and pray God for health and fruitfulness. When a stranger tradesman comes and if he has no friend at that village, the first villager should bring him home and inform the other inhabitants. Village people do not leave the tradesman alone unless he finishes his commodity.

      Highlanders treat well the other nationalities living at the same village. That man is forgiven even he make a fault for which his own people will not forgive him. For Chechens, hospitality is deemed as a holy duty. If a man whom a Chechen will not hesitate to kill, comes to his home as a guest, that Chechen may give his life for this guest. Respect to elders is the second important traditions after hospitality. It is believed that those nations will have no future if they do not respect elders. According to highlander culture, elders are always be considered as the live memories of public. It is said among people, “When an old person dies, home stays alone, when a young person dise, heart stays alone”. In highlander culture, elders are precious consultants. They deem themselves as orphants when they have not elder people at their villages. A committee cannot be considered without elder people and no conflict could be settled down without them. Likewise, family training is under the control of old members. It does not matter the elder people are native or stranger for the respect that should be shown.

      Respect to parents and other elders is an important porat of highlander culture. When an elder comes into the room, the young people stand immediately and show them a place to sit. They do not sit down unless elders allows them to do. It is the elders who starts the meal first. An elder can intervene any unsuitable behavior of a young person whomever he is. Young people connot argue, play and smoke before elders. In a highlander proverb, it says, “Show your respect, if you want to be respected”. People in Daghestan have strong devotion to their beliefs and worship. Before soviet regime, there were mosques in every village. In larger towns, there were bigger mosques for Friday namaz (weekly Islamic ritual worship). Namaz for five times a day have been fulfilled for ages. If there is no  water, ablution is done with clean soil. Alms is also an important tradition in Daghestan. Food is given as alms every Friday. Generally those who lost their relative, give alms on Fridays. Fuel is also distributed to poor people except food. People in neighborhood help the villages which has not sufficient produce. There was a fond of alms in every mosque for poor people. In past, some lands and books were also devoted for a foundation.

      Ramadan is a holy month in Daghestan. They feast during this month, give meals, read Koran, and give charities. After the feast, they pray Bayram Namaz. After the namaz they sing psalms and celebrates each other’s bayrams. In sacrifice bayrams, they sacrifice animals. Mosque imams have many students from different parts of Daghestan.  They stay at the mosque and live with the alms given by the village inhabitants. They get up early in the morning and sing psalms. In past Daghestan people brought foods and sticks when they went on a journey. If they were religious, they also brought chaplets. They traditionally stopped at watersides for ablution and namaz praying. They say “Esselâmualeyküm” and “Aleykümselâm” as greetings. This is traditionally accepted by all nations in the region. By these words, it is meant prosperity, friendship and peace for each other. In Daghestan, when two or more people meet, they greet each other with these words. There are also some other greetings such as goodmorning, hello etc. in different languages.

      After greeting, they shake hands if they do not meet often. There are some rules for greeting: rider greets first pedestrian, younger says to the elder, standing person to sitting person and sinle person to crowd. In past, neither man nor women greeted each other and men did not go into women. Today this tradition is about to disappear.

      War culture is also interesting tradition among Daghestan people. Highlanders preferred dying to yielding. They also preferred dying in prosperity to living in sslavery. In case of necessity, women and children helped their men during wartime. But, they killed themselves and their children when about to be seized by the enemy; or they were killed by their men for the same reason. In such cases, they commit suicide by jumping down an abyss. A wounded highlander continues to fight until he dies in order to kill as much enemy as he can.

     Some traces are seen alive in the everyday life of the region having the highlander culture of which some element we have told before, such as marriage, funeral, clothing in social life. A magazine, named as Agitator, also wrote this truth in its issues and claimed that these highlander national and religious traditions and customs all over the Caucasia were still alive and should be scraped wholly off the people’s lives.

      It is seen nowadays that especially religion based traditions have been weakened much in cities. Some customs, which are not based on religions rules such as new year, birthday, new spring, etc., are considered important but it connot be seen an exciting celebration during Ramadan and Sacrifice Bayrams. However, it is observed that people has become tented to religious matters since the beginning of 90s. Many mosques have been built and theological and Arabic schools have been founded. Hospitality did not lost its importance despite the economic crises.