Circassia | |||||||||
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c. 7th century–1864 | |||||||||
Motto: Псэм ипэ напэ (Adyghe) Psem ipe nape ("Honour before life") | |||||||||
Residence of leader (Capital) |
43°35′07″N 39°43′13″E / 43.58528°N 39.72028°E | ||||||||
Largest town | Shache (Sochi) | ||||||||
Official languages | Circassian languages | ||||||||
Other languages | |||||||||
Religion |
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Demonym(s) | Circassian | ||||||||
Government | Union of Regional Councils[1][2] | ||||||||
• Leader of Western Circassia c. 100s c. 400s c. 500s 668–960 c. 960s–1000s c. 1000s–1022 c. 1200s c. 1200s–1237 1237–1239 c. 1330s c. late 1300s c. 1427–1453 c. 1453-c. 1470s c. 1470s-? c. 1530s–1542 1807–1827 1827–1839 1839–1846 1849–1859 1859–1860 1861–1864 | List: Stakhemfaqu (Stachemfak) Dawiy Bakhsan Dawiqo Khazar rule Hapach Rededya Abdunkhan Tukar Tukbash Verzacht Berezok Inal the Great Belzebuk Petrezok Kansavuk Shuwpagwe Qalawebateqo Ismail Berzeg Hawduqo Mansur Muhammad Amin Sefer Bey Zanuqo Qerandiqo Berzeg | ||||||||
• Prince of Eastern Circassia c. 1427–1453 1453–c. 1490 c. 1490–c. 1500 c. 1500–c. 1525 c. 1525–c. 1540 c. 1540–1554 1554–1571 1571–1578 1578–1589 1589–1609 1609–1616 1616–1624 1624–1654 1654–1672 1672–1695 1695–1710 1710–1721 1721–1732 1732–1737 1737–1746 1746–1749 1749–1762 1762–1773 1773–1785 1785–1788 1788–1809 1809 1810–1822 | List: Inal the Great Tabulda Inarmas Beslan Idar Kaytuk I Temruk Shiapshuk Kambulat Kaytuk II Sholokh Kudenet Aleguko Atajuq I Misost Atajuq II Kurgoqo Atajuq III Misewestiqo Islambek Tatarkhan Qeytuqo Aslanbech Batoko Bamat Muhammad Qasey Atajuq Jankhot Misost II Bematiqwa Atajuq III Atajuq IV Jankhot II Qushuq | ||||||||
Confederation Leaders | |||||||||
Legislature | Lepq Zefes Parliament of Independence (1860-1864) | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
• Established | c. 7th century | ||||||||
1763–1864 | |||||||||
• Disestablished | 1864 | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
• Total | 82,000 km2 (32,000 sq mi) | ||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• Estimate | 1,625,000 (pre-Circassian genocide)[clarification needed] 86,655 (post-Circassian genocide)[clarification needed][3][4][5][6][7] | ||||||||
Currency | No official currency. Ottoman coins served as de facto currency | ||||||||
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Today part of | Russia Georgia [a] |
Part of a series on the |
Circassians Адыгэхэр |
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List of notable Circassians Circassian genocide |
Circassian diaspora |
Circassian tribes |
Surviving Destroyed or barely existing |
Religion |
Religion in Circassia |
Languages and dialects |
|
History |
Show |
Culture |
Circassia[b] (/sɜːrˈkæʃə/ sir-KASH-ə), also known as Zichia,[8][9] was a country and a historical region in Eastern Europe. It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea.[10][11] Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Circassian War (1763–1864), after which approximately 99.5-99.8% of the Circassian people were either exiled or massacred in the Circassian genocide.[12][13][14][15][16]
In the medieval era, Circassia was nominally ruled by an elected Grand Prince, but individual principalities and tribes were autonomous. In the 18th–19th centuries, a central government began to form. The Circassians also dominated the northern end of the Kuban River, but were eventually pushed back to the south of the Kuban after suffering losses to military raids conducted by the Mongol Empire, the Golden Horde, and the Crimean Khanate. Their reduced borders then stretched from the Taman Peninsula to North Ossetia. Circassian lords subjugated and vassalized the neighbouring Karachays and Balkars and the Ossetians.[17] The term Circassia is also used as the collective name of various Circassian states that were established within historical Circassian territory, such as Zichia.[8][9][18]
Legally and internationally, the Treaty of Belgrade, which was signed between Austria and the Ottoman Empire in 1739, provided for the recognition of the independence of Eastern Circassia. Both the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire recognized it under witness from the other great powers of the time. The Congress of Vienna also stipulated the recognition of the independence of Circassia. In 1837, Circassian leaders sent letters to a number of European states requesting diplomatic recognition. Following this, the United Kingdom recognized Circassia.[19][20] However, following the outbreak of the Russo-Circassian War, the Russian Empire did not recognize Circassia as an independent nation and instead treated it as Russian land under rebel occupation, despite having no control or ownership over the region.[21] Russian generals often referred to the Circassians as "mountaineers", "bandits", and "mountain scum" rather than by their ethnonym.[21][22]
The Russian conquest of Circassia created the Circassian diaspora; the overwhelming majority of Circassians today live outside of their ancestral homeland, mostly in Turkey and other parts of the Middle East.[23][24][25][26] Only about 14% of the global Circassian population lives in the modern-day Russian Federation.
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