Lezgins () are the largest ethnic minority in Azerbaijan historically living in some northern regions of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

. For most

Lezgins Lezgins ( or ) are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native to southern Dagestan, a republic of Russia, and northern Azerbaijan, who speak the Lezgin language. Their social structure is firmly based on equality and deference to individuality ...

, the mother tongue is

Lezgin Lezgin, Lezgi, Lezgian, Lezghian or Lek can refer to: * Lezgins, a people from southern Dagestan and northern Azerbaijan * Lezgin language Lezgian, also called Lezgi or Lezgin , is a Northeast Caucasian language. It is spoken by the Lezgins, wh ...

, and minorities have Azerbaijani and Russian as the mother language.

History

The appearance of many Lezgian villages in Azerbaijan is associated with the relocation of part of the

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...

Lezgins to the south its territory. At the beginning of the 18th century, a movement was launched among the ethnic groups of this part of the Caucasus against Persian rule in the region. During the first Russo-Persian war in 1806, the

Quba Khanate The Quba Khanate (also spelled Qobbeh; ) was one of the most significant semi-independent khanates that existed from 1747 to 1806, under Iranian suzerainty. It bordered the Caspian Sea to the east, Derbent Khanate to the north, Shaki Khanate to ...

became part of the Russian Empire.

Settlement

Ilham Aliyev and Mehriban Aliyeva attended opening of Kharibulbul Festival in Shusha 16

The territory of compact settlement of Lezgin occupies

Qusar District Qusar District (; ) is one of the 66 Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan, districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the northeast of the country, in the Guba-Khachmaz Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Quba District (Azerba ...

, parts of Quba District and

Khachmaz District Khachmaz District (; ) is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the northeast of the country and belongs to the Guba-Khachmaz Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qusar, Quba, Shabran, and the Russian Repub ...

. Several Lezgi settlements are located behind the Main Caucasian Range in

Qabala District Qabala District () is one of the 66 Administrative divisions of Azerbaijan, districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country in the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Oghuz District, Oghuz ...

Ismailli District Ismayilli District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country, in the Mountainous Shirvan Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qabala, Quba, Goychay, Kurdamir, Agsu, Shamakhi, an ...

Oghuz District Oghuz District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the north of the country in the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Shaki, Qabala, Agdash, and the Russian Republic of Dagestan. It ...

and

Shaki District Shaki District () is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. Located in the north of the country, it belongs to the Shaki-Zagatala Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Qakh, Oghuz, Agdash, Yevlakh, and the Russian Republic o ...

. There are also mixed settlements where Lezgins live with representatives of other nations. The Lezgin population is represented in large cities such as Baku and

Sumqayit Sumqayit (or Sumgait; ; , ) is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, on the Absheron Peninsula, about away from the capital Baku. The city had a population of 427,000 at the beginning of 2024, making it the List of cities in Azerb ...

. According to the 2009 census, Baku itself ranks second among the country's regions in terms of the number of Lezghins living here.Ethnic composition of Azerbaijan 2009
/ref>

Quotes

According to the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland: According to Thomas de Waal:de Waal, Thomas (2003). Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War. New York: New York University Press. . pg 122

References

{{Ethnic groups in Azerbaijan Ethnic groups in Azerbaijan Lezgian diaspora