The Abkhazians or Abkhazes[a] are a
Northwest Caucasianethnic group, mainly living in
Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the
Black Sea. A large Abkhaz
diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the
Caucasian War in the late 19th century. Many Abkhaz also live in other parts of the former
Soviet Union, particularly in Russia and Ukraine.[14]
Ethnology
The
Abkhaz language belongs to the isolate
Northwest Caucasian language family, also known as Abkhaz–Adyghe or North Pontic family, which groups the dialectic continuum spoken by the
Abaza–Abkhaz (Abazgi) and
Adyghe ("Circassians" in English).[15] Abkhazians are closely ethnically related to Circassians.[16] Classical sources speak of several tribes dwelling in the region, but their exact identity and location remain controversial due to Abkhaz–Georgian historiographical conflict.[citation needed]
Subgroups
There are also three subgroups of the Abkhaz people. The Bzyb (Бзыԥ, Bzyph) reside in the
Bzyb River region, and speak their
own dialect.[17] The Abzhui (Абжьыуа, Abzhwa) live in the
Kodori River region, and also speak their own dialect, which the Abkhaz literary language is based upon.[17] Finally, there are the
Samurzakan who reside in the southeast of Abkhazia.[17]
Lazica was a vassal kingdom of the
Byzantine Empire throughout most of its existence. Later the independent
Kingdom of Abkhazia was established and the region became a part of the Georgian cultural world. The local nobility, clergy and educated class used Georgian as a language of literacy and culture. From the early 11th to the 15th century, Abkhazia was a part of the all-
Georgian monarchy, but then became a separate
Principality of Abkhazia only to be conquered by the
Ottomans.[citation needed]
Towards the end of the 17th century, the region became a theatre of widespread
slave trade and piracy. According to a controversial theory developed by
Pavle Ingorokva in the 1950s, at that time a number of the
Northwest Caucasian pagan
Abaza tribes migrated from the north and blended with the local ethnic elements, significantly changing the region's demographic situation. These views were described as ethnocentric and having little historical support.[20][21]
The Russian conquest of Abkhazia from the 1810s to the 1860s was accompanied by a massive expulsion of
Muslim Abkhaz to the
Ottoman Empire and the introduction of a strong
Russification policy. As a result, the Abkhaz diaspora is currently estimated to measure at least twice the number of Abkhaz that reside in Abkhazia. The largest part of the diaspora now lives in
Turkey, with estimates ranging from 100,000 to 500,000, with smaller groups in
Syria (5,000 – 10,000) and
Jordan. In recent years, some of these have emigrated to the West, principally to
Germany (5,000),
Netherlands,
Switzerland,
Belgium,
France,
United Kingdom,
Austria and the
United States (mainly to
New Jersey).[22]
After the
Russian Revolution of 1917, Abkhazia was a part of the
Democratic Republic of Georgia, but was
conquered by the Red Army in 1921 and eventually entered the
Soviet Union as a
Soviet Socialist Republic associated with the
Georgian SSR. The status of Abkhazia was downgraded in 1931 when it became an
Autonomous SSR within the Georgian SSR. Under
Joseph Stalin, a forcible
collectivization was introduced and the native communist elite purged. The influx of Armenians, Russians and Georgians into the growing agricultural and tourism sectors was also encouraged, and Abkhaz schools were briefly closed. By 1989, the number of Abkhaz was about 93,000 (18% of the population of the autonomous republic), while the Georgian population numbered 240,000 (45%). The number of Armenians (15% of the entire population) and Russians (14%) grew substantially as well.[citation needed]
The
1992–1993 War in Abkhazia followed by the
ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia left the Abkhaz an ethnic plurality of ca. 45%, with Russians, Armenians, Georgians, Greeks, and Jews comprising most of the remainder of the population of Abkhazia. The 2003 census established the total number of Abkhaz in Abkhazia at 94,606.[2] However, the exact demographic figures for the region are disputed and alternative figures are available.[23] The de facto Abkhaz president
Sergey Bagapsh suggested, in 2005, that less than 70,000 ethnic Abkhaz lived in Abkhazia.[24]
At the time of the 2011 Census, 122,175 Abkhaz were living in Abkhazia. They were 50.8% of the total population of the republic.[25]
In the course of the
Syrian uprising, a number of Abkhaz living in Syria immigrated to Abkhazia.[13] By mid-April 2013, approximately 200 Syrians of Abkhaz descent had arrived in Abkhazia.[26][27] A further 150 were due to arrive by the end of April.[26] The Abkhazian leadership has stated that it would continue the repatriation of Abkhaz living abroad.[27] As of August 2013, 531 Abkhaz had arrived from Syria according to the Abkhazian government.[28]
Economy
The typical economy is strong on the breeding of cattle,
beekeeping,
viticulture, and agriculture.[17]
The Abkhaz people are principally divided into
Abkhazian Orthodox Christian (the Abkhazian Orthodox Church is not recognized by any of the world Orthodox churches, but the territory is recognized as the
Eparchy of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia of the
Georgian Orthodox Church) and
Sunni Muslim (Hanafi) communities,[17] (prevalent in Abkhazia and Turkey respectively) but the indigenous non-Abrahamic beliefs have always been strong.[29] Although Christianity made its first appearance in the realm of their Circassian neighbours in the first century AD via the travels and preaching of the
Saint Andrew,[30] and became the dominant religion of Circassians in the 3rd to 4th centuries, Christianity became the dominant religion of Abkhazians in the 6th century during the reign of
Byzantine emperorJustinian I, and continued to be followed under the kings of Georgia in the
High Middle Ages. The
Ottomans introduced
Islam in the 16th century and the region became largely Muslim gradually until the 1860s.[31]
Diaspora
Many Muslim Circassians, Abkhaz and Chechens migrated to the Ottoman Empire following revolts against Russian rule.[32] It is believed that the Abkhaz community in Turkey is larger than that of Abkhazia itself.[32] Some 250 Abkhaz-Abaza villages are estimated throughout Turkey.[32] According to
Andrew Dalby, Abkhazian-speakers might number more than 100,000 in Turkey,[33] however, the 1963 census only recorded 4,700 native speakers and 8,000 secondary speakers.[34] Of the 15,000 ethnic Abkhaz in Turkey, only 4,000 speak the language, the rest having assimilated into Turkish society.[35] As of 2006, it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 Abkhazians by descent live in
Turkey.[12]
^The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from
Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia
is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as
Russian-occupied territory.
^Johansons, Andrejs. (Feb. 1972) The Shamaness of the Abkhazians. History of Religions. Vol. 11, No. 3. pp. 251–256.
^Taylor, Jeremy (1613–1667). Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles: in two parts. p. 101.
Chirikba, Viacheslav (2003). Abkhaz. Languages of the World/Materials. Vol. 119.
Munich: LINCOM EUROPA.
ISBN3-89586-136-7.
Giunashvili, Dzh. (1982).
"ABḴĀZ". In
Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica, Volume I/2: ʿAbd-al-Hamīd–ʿAbd-al-Hamīd. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 222–224.
ISBN978-0-71009-091-1.