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Flag of Circassia

Circassia (Adyghe: Адыгэ Хэку,^[1] Russian: Черке́сия, Arabic: شيركاسيا‎^[2]) is a mountainous region located in the Caucasus of Eurasia. It consisted of various mountain tribes that were at some points allied with each other. Differentiations were made between eastern and western Circassians.

Geography[link]

Map of Circassia, during the Russian-Circassian War (1840)

Circassia is located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Before the Russian conquest of the Caucasus (1763–1864) covered the entire and the whole fertile plateau and the steppe of the Northwestern region of the Caucasus, and its estimated population was between 3-4 million.

Circassia’s historical great range began from Anapa, a town in today’s Krasnodar Krai and extended southwards towards Mount Elbrus of the Caucasus Mountains and Mozdok, a town in today’s North Ossetia–Alania. Historically, Circassia covered today’s Southern half of Krasnodar Krai bounded by the Kuban River which separated it from the Russian Empire, the Beshtau, or the "Land of Five Mountains," an isolated mountainous region in Stavropol Krai, the republics of Adygea, Karachay–Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Mozdok, a town in North Ossetia–Alania.

Sochi is considered by some Circassian as the traditional capital city.^[3]

Name[link]

Another historical name for the country was Zygii or Zygoi. The Zygii has been described by the ancient Greek intellectual Strabo as a nation to the north of Colchis. At the end of the 15th century a detailed description of Circassia and of its inhabitants was made by Genoese traveler and ethnographer Giorgio Interiano.

Circassia is also known by the name Cherkessia or the native term Adygea. Consequently, the ethnic group is also referred to as Circassian, Cherkessian or Adyghe.

The kings[link]

Arrian said «Stachemfak - king Zichia».

1237 year - in the Persian Chronicles, a historian Rashid-ad-Din pointed out that the Circassian king Toocar, was killed in battle against the Mongols^[4].

1333 year - in his letter, the Pope John XXII, to be given to the king Zichia(Circassia) Verzacht, Rome (Avignon) Pontiff thanks of the Governor of Circassians, for the assistance in the implementation of the Christian faith among the Adygs (Circassians)^[5]. Power and status Верзахта was so high, that by his example was followed by the rest of the Circassian princes took the Roman Catholic Church.

1471 year - preserved contract between ruler Circassia and ruler of Caffa, making the name of another ruler Zichia - «Petrezok, the paramount lord of Zichia»^[6]. Under the contract Zichia supplied in the Cаffа large quantities of grain.

History[link]

A Circassian strike on a Russian military fort built over a Shapsugian village that aimed to free the coast from the occupiers during the Russian-Circassian War (1840)

The region was famed for its Circassian beauties, many of whom were married to the Ottoman sultan and had influential positions in the Imperial Harem.

Most of the population was expelled from its historical country in the late 19th century after the Russian–Circassian War in what amounted to ethnic cleansing of Circassians. Today, the Circassians are found in various areas of the old Ottoman Empire, including Turkey, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Kosovo,^[7] Egypt, and Israel (in the villages of Kfar Kama and Rehaniya, since 1880), and even as far afield as New Jersey and California in the United States, Germany, Australia,^[8] and the Netherlands.^[9]

Circassian nationalism has only recently developed and calls for a restoration of the native homelands.

Population[link]

There is an effort among the people from different tribes to use only the term "Circassian" (Adyghe) in Russian Census (2010) to reflect and revive the unity of the Circassian nation. At the moment, they are spread out as Adyghes in Adyghea, Kabardians in Kabardino-Balkaria, Cherkess (Adyghe: Шэрджэс or Šărdžăs) in Karachay–Cherkessia, and Shapsugs in the southern part of Krasnodar Krai, as well as small Adyghe groups in Stavropol Krai and North Ossetia. The majority of the diaspora already tends to call itself "Circassian".

Notes[link]

• Journal of a residence in Circassia during the years 1837, 1838, and 1839 - Bell, James Stanislaus (English)

References[link]

• Bullough, Oliver. Let Our Fame Be Great: Journeys Among the Defiant People of the Caucasus. Allen Lane, 2010. ISBN 978-1846141416
• Jaimoukha, Amjad. The Circassians: A Handbook, London: Routledge, New York: Routledge & Palgrave, 2001. ISBN 978-0700706440
• Jaimoukha, Amjad. Circassian Culture and Folklore: Hospitality, Traditions, Cuisine, Festivals and Music. Bennett & Bloom, 2010. ISBN 978-1898948407
• Caucasian highlanders (Повседневная жизнь горцев Cеверного Кавказа в XIX в.). Everyday life of the Caucasian highlanders. 19-th century (In the co-authorship with I. Karpeev). Moscow: Molodaya Gvardiy, 2003. ISBN 5-235-02585-7

External links[link]

Media related to Circassia at Wikimedia Commons