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Tabasaranar | |
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Total population | |
c. 190,000 | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Russia | 151, 466 [1] |
Canada | 1245 [2] |
Ukraine | 900 |
Israel | 6 |
Languages | |
Tabasaran | |
Religion | |
Sunni Islam | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other
Lezgic-speaking peoples Especially Aghuls, Lezgins, and Udis |
Tabasarans are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native predominantly to southern part of the North Caucasian republic of Dagestan. Their population in World is about 190,000. They speak the Tabasaran language.
The first state formation of Tabasaran was the state of Caucasian Albania, which arose at the end of the II century BC. The word Tabasaran, as a designation of the territory where Tabasarans live, came from the ancient name of this land "Tavaspark", and the name of the Tabasaran people came from the ancient ethnonym of the Tavaspars tribe. After the Arab invasion of the lands of Tabasaran, a huge number of Tabasarans died, many objects of their culture and history were destroyed, statehood was lost, and the innocent Tabasarans who lived in the coastal zone were forced to flee to the mountains. The only people who came to the aid of the Tabasarans in the fight against the nomads were the Lezgins.
Caucasian Albania (agvan 𐔰𐔾𐔱𐔰𐕎𐔼𐔰 , Ancient Greek name Ἀλβανία and Latin Albanía, parf. 𐫀𐫡𐫅𐫀𐫗 [Ardan], grabar Աղուանք [Aluank]pehl. 𐭭𐭠𐭫𐭫𐭠/𐫀𐫡𐫡𐫀𐫗 [Arran], cargo. რაიი [Rani], sir. ܐܪܐܢ [Aran], Persian: رن [Ras]) was an ancient state formed at the end of the II century in Eastern Transcaucasia and occupied part of the territory of modern Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia (Dagestan).
The main language of the Tabasaran people is the Tabasaran language (табасаран чIал, tabasaran ҫ̇al), [3] which belongs to the Lezgic branch of Northeast Caucasian language family. It is closely related to neighbouring Lezgian and Aghul languages. [4] UNESCO classifies Tabasaran language as " vulnerable". [5] According to 2002 Russian census 97% of the Tabasaran can speak their ancestral language and a further 87% of them know Russian. [6]
Under Soviet control Tabasaran has become one of the official languages of Dagestan.
The vast majority of Tabasarans profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Shafi'i school. Some elements originated from pre-Islamic Tabasaran beliefs, such as deity names and annual spring celebration known as Elbetsan (Lezgin Yaran-Suvar) have been preserved in the contemporary Tabasaran society. [6] [7]
Tabasaran traditional economy has been based on agriculture and animal husbandry, as the regions inhabited by the group have a mild and warm climate with abundant water sources. Agriculturally grain farming, orchards and viticulture is common among the people. Carpet weaving, leatherworking, woolen clothes, woodworking and beekeeping form the domestic industries. [6]