The Chamalals are an indigenous people of
Dagestan,
North Caucasia living in a few villages in the
Tsumadinsky District on the left bank of the
Andi-Koysu river. They have their own language,
Chamalal, and primarily follow
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...
, which reached the Chamalal people around the 8th or 9th century. There are about 5,000 ethnic Chamalals (1999, Kubrik).
They are culturally similar to the
Avars.
Neighboring peoples are the
Godoberi, Avars,
Bagvalals, and
Tindis.
References
The peoples of the Red Book: Chamalals
Ethnic groups in Dagestan
Muslim communities of Russia
Peoples of the Caucasus
Muslim communities of the Caucasus
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