Besleney
The Besleney ( Circassian: Bеслъэней, ; ) are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. By character, culture and language, the Besleney are closest to Kabardians. The noble families of the Besleney were Kanoko and Shaloho, ancestors of Kabardian Prince Beslan, (the son of legendary Prince Inal), who established his own tribe of the same name. Population The majority of the Besleney live in the valley of Bolshaya and Malaya Laba Rivers and on the bank of Urup in the Russian Republics of Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar Krai and Adygea. They also extend to the valleys of Chetem, Fars, Psefir, Kuban (Western Circassia). Language The Besleney people speak the Besleney sub-dialect () of the Kabardian Adyghe dialect (East Circassian). However, because the Besleney tribe lived at the center of Circassia, the Besleney dialect also shares a large number of features with dialects of the W ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Besleney Kabardian Dialect
The Besleney Kabardian dialect (, ''Besłæneibzæ'' ejsɬanejəbza is one of the East Circassian dialects and usually considered a dialect of Kabardian. However, because the Besleney tribe lived at the center of Circassia, the Besleney dialect also shares a large number of features with dialects of Western Circassian. Phonology Palatalized velar stops Like some other Kabardian dialects, the Besleney dialect has a palatalized voiced velar stop , a palatalized voiceless velar stop and a palatalized velar ejective that were merged with дж , ч and кӏ in most Circassian dialects. * Besleney гь became дж in other dialects: * Besleney кь became ч in other dialects: * Besleney кӏь became кӏ in other dialects: Palato-alveolar affricates The palato-alveolar affricate consonants дж , ч and кӏ and the retroflex affricate consonants чъ and чӏ became palato-alveolar дж , дж , кӏ , дж and кӏ in Besleney while in Kabardi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Circassians
The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe language, Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in the North Caucasus. As a consequence of the Circassian genocide, which was perpetrated by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War in the 19th century, most of the Circassian people were exiled from their ancestral homeland and consequently began living in what was then the Ottoman Empire—that is, modern-day Turkey and the rest of the Middle East. In the early 1990s, the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization estimated that there are as many as 3.7 million Circassian diaspora, Circassians in diaspora in over 50 countries. The two Circassian languages—western Adyghe language, Adyghe and eastern Kabardian language, Kabardian—are natively spoken by the Circassian people. After the Russian Empire's war crimes and forced ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kabardians
The Kabardians (Kabardian language, Kabardian: Къэбэрдей адыгэхэр; Adyghe language, Adyghe: Къэбэртай адыгэхэр; ) or Kabardinians are one of the twelve major Circassians, Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Flag of Adygea, Circassian flag. They are also commonly known by the plural terms Kabardin, Kebertei, or Kabarday. Along with the Besleney tribe, they speak a distinctive dialect of Circassian languages, Circassian. Historically the Kabardians lived in Kabardia, a region of the north Caucasus. In modern times the Kabardians live mostly in the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, which partly corresponds to the historic region. Despite the Soviet-era, Soviet administrative divisions that placed Circassians under four different designations and political units, namely ''Adygeans'' (Circassians in Adygea), ''Cherkessians'' (Circassians in Karachay-Cherkessia), ''Kabardians'' (Circassians in Kabard ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Circassian Language
Circassian (; ), also known as Cherkess ( ), is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassian people. There are two main variants of the Circassian language, defined by their literary standards, Adyghe (; also known as West Circassian) and Kabardian (; also known as East Circassian). The languages are highly mutually intelligible with one another, but differ to a degree where they would be considered clear-cut dialects. The earliest extant written records of the Circassian language are in the Arabic script, recorded by the Turkish traveller Evliya Çelebi in the 17th century,Papşu, Murat (2006)Çerkes-Adığe yazısının tarihçesi". ''Nart, İki Aylık Düşün ve Kültür Dergisi'', Sayı 51, Eylül-Ekim 2006. although the Greek and Georgian alphabets were adapted for them in ancient and medieval times. There is consensus among the linguistic community about the fact that Adyghe and Kabardian are typologically distinct languages. How ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Abzakh
The Abzakh (Adyghe language, Circassian: Абдзэх, ''Abdzekh''; Russian language, Russian: абадзехи) also known as Abdzakhs or Abadzekhs are one of the twelve major Circassians, Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Flag of Adygea, Circassian flag. Historically, they lived in the mountainous part of the modern Russian republics of Republic of Adygea, Adygea and Krasnodar Krai. Major settlements or villages were located in the river valleys Kurdzhips River, Kurdzhips, Psheha, Pshish River, Pshish, and Psekups River, Psekups. However, today the vast majority of them live in diaspora in Turkey — about 500,000 people, which are the descendants of those expelled from their homeland as a result of the Russian–Circassian War. After Kabardians, the Abzakh are the second-largest Adyghe tribe in Turkey, other diaspora countries, and in the world in general. They are also the second-largest Adyghe tribe in Israel (after Shapsugs), la ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zhaney
The Zhaney (; ), or Jane, were one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Modern descendants live in Adygea. History The Zhaney were a very powerful Circassian tribe in the past. They lived the north of the Natukhai tribe's land on the coast of the Black Sea and Azov Sea in Eastern Europe. A map of the 17th century also shows they lived right by the coast of the lower flow of Kubans, beyond Taman and Atchu. As a result of the bloody Russian–Circassian War and the subsequent genocide, the Zhaney tribe was almost wholly destroyed, as only 3 families survived, those being Zhane, Zhanov, and Zhenetl'. See also * Other Circassian tribes: * Abzakh * Besleney * Bzhedug * Hatuqwai * Kabardian * Mamkhegh * Natukhai * Shapsug The Shapsug ( , , , , ) (also known as the Shapsugh or Shapsogh) are one of the twelve major Circassians, Circassian tribes. Historically, the Shapsug tribe comprised one of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ubykh People
The Ubykh ( ; ; ; ) are an ethnic group of the Circassian nation, represented by one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Along with the Circassian tribes of Natukhai and Shapsug, the Ubykh formed the Circassian Assembly ( Adyghe: Адыгэ Хасэ) in 1860. Historically, they spoke a distinct Ubykh language, which never existed in written form and went extinct in 1992 when Tevfik Esenç, the last speaker, died. History The Ubykh used to inhabit the capital of Circassia, Sache (Circassian: ''Шъачэ'', lit. seaside) — present-day Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The province of the Ubykh tribe was situated between the Shapsug tribe near Tuapse and the Sadz (Dzhigets) in the north of Gagra. The Ubykh tribe were mentioned in book IV of Procopius' '' De Bello Gothico'' (''The Gothic War''), under the name βροῦχοι (''Bruchi''), a corruption of the native term tʷaχ. In the 1667 book of Evliya Çelebi, the Ubykh were mentioned as Ubúr without ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Temirgoy
The Chemirgoy or Temirgoy are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. They lived between the lower flows of the Belaya and Laba Rivers and their lands extended north to the Kuban. After the end of the Caucasian War, most Temirgoys resettled in other Circassian villages (e.g. Bzhedugii, Kabarda, Urupskiy), as well as in Turkey and in other parts of the Middle East. In Turkey, the majority of the population of the village Hadzhimukohabl (now Dondukovskaya) are Temirgoy. The Temirgoy live mainly in Adygea. The Temirgoy dialect of Adyghe (), as well as the Bzhedug dialect, are the main languages of the Circassians in the Republic of Adygea. History The Temirgoys were one of the strongest and most powerful Circassian tribes. Sources note that Temirgoy tribe was richer than its neighbors. They cultivated cattle breeding and agriculture: millet, corn, wheat, rye and sunflower. Class differentiation ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Natukhai
The Natukhaj are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Their areas historically extended along the Black Sea coast from Anapa in the north to Tsemes Bay (now Novorossiysk) in the south and from the north side of the mountains to the lower Kuban River. Currently, Natukhaj families live in the diaspora and were assimilated in other Adyghe tribes, more precisely, the Shapsug due to their close relations with them. In Russia, a few may be found in the Republic of Adyghea (mainly in the Takhtamukaysky District, in the rural locality of Natukhay () and the Teuchezhsky District). History The Natukhai tribe consisted of 10 aristocratic families and 44 free clans () and classified as an Adyghe democratic tribe. Because their coast was not backed by high mountains and opened northward to the steppe the Natukhai were very active in trading with the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate, which afforded f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hatuqwai
The Hatuqway are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. They were known for their art of war as a warrior tribe. Their presence in the Caucasus was destroyed during the Circassian genocide following the Russo-Circassian War; their number was significantly reduced and today they exist only in small communities in various diasporas, and their names are not mentioned anymore in Circassian dialectology. History The Hatuqway were a western Circassian tribal princedom whose homeland lay along the banks of the Kuban River. The Hatuqway people lived mostly in the mountains between the lower valleys of the Pshish River and the Belaya River. Due to their small size and closeness to Temirgoy tribe, they were considered as one of the subgroups of Temirgoy. Their neighbours were Bzhedug (West), Abadzekhs (South) and, naturally, Temirgoys (East). In the time before the Russian invasion, the Hatuqway ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mamkhegh
The Mamkhegh or Mamheg ( or ; ) were one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. Originally, the Mamkhegs lived in the territory between the Belaja and Kurdžips Rivers, in the territory of modern Majkop and environs in the Russian republics of Adygea and Krasnodar Krai. Due to the Caucasian War, the Mamkheghs were forced to leave their territories in the expulsion of the Circassians. Most of the survivors left for the Ottoman Empire. Those who remained took Russian citizenship and founded a village called Mamxeg, which survives today in the Shovgenovsky District of modern Adygea. History Legends say that they moved from the Black Sea coast to the upper reaches of the . At first, Mamkhegs were just three big families: Shnah, Mami, and Tlizhho. When the population significantly increased (naturally and after immigration from Abadzeh lands) they moved to a territory between the Belaja and K ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Prince Inal
Inal Nekhu (; ; also known as Inal the Great in Georgian sources) was the Supreme Prince (King) of Circassia from 1427 to 1453 who unified all Circassians (then divided into several princedoms) into one state. He led campaigns into several countries and expanded borders on all directions. He was the founder of several Circassian tribes, mainly Kabardia, Besleney, Temirgoy, Zhaney, and Hatuqwai. Although the origin of Inal's nickname (Nef/Nekhu) is not known, sources claim that he had one eye blind, therefore it came from the word "Нэф" meaning "blind" in Circassian, and some claim that it came from the word "Нэху" meaning "enlightened" in Circassian. Biography Before the rise of Inal, the established lords in Circassia had separate territorial administration and an organized structure was not developed. Although the Circassians resisted Timurid forces in the Timur-Circassian wars, the Circassian region suffered great destruction as a result of this war. Early life He ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |