The Kryts (self-designated хърыцӏаь) or Gryz ( az, qrızlar) are a people of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...

who reside in several villages in the Quba, Khachmaz, Ismayilli and Gabala regions, as well as in the cities of

Baku Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world an ...

and Sumgait. They are one of the peoples that have traditionally been called Shahdagh (along with the

Budukh people The Budukhs ( Budukh: Будад, ''Budad'') are an ethnic group primarily from the mountainous village of Buduq in northeastern Azerbaijan, one of the Shahdagh peoples. They speak the Budukh language, which is a Northeast Caucasian language o ...

and

Khinalug people The Khinalugs ( az, Xınalıqlılar, Khinalug: , ) are an indigenous people of Azerbaijan and speak the Khinalug language, a Northeast Caucasian language. The Khinalugs are indigenous to the Quba District and have been named after their main ...

). In 2005, the number of Kryts was between 10,000 and 15,000. They speak the

Kryts language Kryts (Kryc) is a Samur language of the Northeast Caucasian language family spoken in parts of the Quba Rayon of Azerbaijan by 6,000 people in 1975. Its dialects are Kryts, Jek, Khaput, Yergyudzh, and Alyk, which are all quite distinct to the p ...

, which belongs to the Lezgic branch of the Nakh-Dagestan language family. In addition, all speak the

Azerbaijani language Azerbaijani () or Azeri (), also referred to as Azeri Turkic or Azeri Turkish, is a Turkic language from the Oghuz sub-branch spoken primarily by the Azerbaijani people, who live mainly in the Republic of Azerbaijan where the North Azerbai ...

Demographics

The number Kryts according to H. Seidlitz, extracted from family lists in 1886, was 7,767 people. In "The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Kryts in Azerbaijan" it was reported that the number of Kryts was between 10,000 and 15,000.

History

The area the Kryts inhabit was once part of the

Shirvan Khanate Shirvan Khanate ( fa, خانات شیروان, Khānāt-e Shirvan) was a Caucasian khanate under Iranian suzerainty, which controlled the Shirvan region from 1761 to 1820. Background Under the Safavid dynasty of Iran, Shirvan was a leading silk ...

during the 18th century but then became part of the

Kuba Khanate The Quba Khanate (also spelled Qobbeh; fa, خانات قبه, Khānāt-e Qobbeh) was one of the most significant semi-independent Khanates of the Caucasus, khanates that existed from 1747 to 1806, under Afsharid dynasty, Iranian suzerainty. It bo ...

by the end of the century. The region was annexed into the Russian empire in 1806. During Soviet rule, the authorities imposed themselves into Kryt society, fully eliminating the autonomy the Kryt have historically enjoyed. Traditional beliefs and lifestyles valued by the Kryts underwent rapid change during this period as well.

Lifestyle and culture

Their main occupation is raising

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...

;

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

and

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

are of secondary importance. In the development of crafts, they manufacture of carpets, rugs and woollen patterned socks. The Kryts are predominantly

Sunni Muslims Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a dis ...

References

{{Ethnic groups in Azerbaijan Lezgins Kryts * Ethnic groups in Azerbaijan Peoples of the Caucasus