Are Iranians Circassians?

The 50,000 Circassians from Russia in Iran (East Circassian and West Circassian: Адыгэхэр Къажэрей, Adyghexer Kŭazhéreĭ; Persian: چرکس های ایران‎) are an ethnic minority in Iran. The vast majority of them have assimilated to Persian language, and no sizeable number speaks their native Circassian languages anymore.

What race are Circassians?

The Circassians, Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe: Адыгэхэр, romanized: Adıgəxər; Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: Adıgəxər) are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group native to Circassia, who share a common ancestry, culture, and history.

Was Caucasus part of Iran?

Throughout its history, the Caucasus was usually incorporated into the Iranian world. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian Empire conquered the territory from Qajar Iran.

What religion are the Circassians?

Sunni Muslim
It’s an area in the southwest of Russia. They’re predominantly Sunni Muslim. The majority of Circassians were forced to flee their homeland in 1864, and have never been able to return.

Are Circassian white?

Circassians, who were white, primeval, and supposedly close to God’s image for humankind, were cast as the most beautiful racial type. Yet Circassians were so decimated during the Caucasian War (1817-1864)—Russia’s battle to obtain access to the Black Sea—that few people today have even heard of them.

When was the Circassian genocide?

1864
Circassian genocide/Start dates
The Circassian Genocide of 1864 is now remembered all over the world as one of the most gruesome genocides of the 19th century. The campaign utilized tactics, such as deportation, resource deprivation and mass murder.

Are Circassians white?

Where do Circassian people come from?

The Circassians are an ethnic group from the North Caucasus, an area in southwest Russia between the Black and Caspian seas.

Do Circassians still exist?

Today, about 700,000 Circassians remain in historical Circassia in today’s Russia. The 2010 Russian Census recorded 718,727 Circassians, of which 516,826 are Kabardians, 124,835 are Adyghe proper, 73,184 are Cherkess and 3,882 Shapsugs. The largest Circassian population resides in Turkey (pop.

Where is modern day Circassia?

Eastern Europe
Circassia was located in Eastern Europe, north of Western Asia, near the northeastern Black Sea coast. Before the Russian conquest of the Caucasus (1763–1864), it covered the entire fertile plateau and the steppe of the northwestern region of the Caucasus, with an estimated population of 1 million.

Where are the Circassian people in the world?

Circassian communities also exist in Anatolian Turkey (150,000) and Syria (35,000), with smaller groups in Jordan, Iraq, and Iran. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content.

How are the Abazins and the Circassians related?

Although related, Abazgi and Circassian are mutually unintelligible. Abazgi is spoken by the Abkhazians and the Abazins.The Abkhazians lived on the coast between the Circassians and the Georgians, were organized as the Principality of Abkhazia and were involved with the Georgians to some degree.

When did the Circassians convert to Islam from Christianity?

Early modern period. In the 17th century, under the influence of the Crimean Tatars and of the Ottoman Empire, large numbers of Circassians converted to Islam from Christianity. In 1708, Qaplan I Giray (ru), a Crimean khan, ordered to have 4,000 Kabardian slaves while ascending to the throne.

Where does the last name Circassian come from?

The word “Circassian” ( / sərˈkæsiənz / sər-KASS-ee-ənz) is an exonym, Latinized from Russian “Cherkesy”, which is of unknown/debated origin. The Russians referred to all Circassian tribes as Cherkesy, which may be derived from Kerkety, the name of one of the Adyghe tribes native to the northwestern Caucasus.

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