Caucasian People Famous for Beauty: Circassians – International Symposium Held in Azerbaijan, a Turkic-speaking Nation, to Discuss the Infamous "Circassian Genocide" Perpetrated by the Russian Empire in History

According to Central Asia Times, an international conference was held in Shusha (known as Shushi by Armenians; regained by Azerbaijan during the 2020 Karabakh War, with many Armenians still regarding it as occupied) in the South Caucasus region—home to the Turkic-speaking nation of Azerbaijan—to discuss what attendees described as Russia’s “colonial policies,” the “Circassian genocide,” and the situation of non-Russian ethnic groups within the Russian Federation.

What is the "Circassian Genocide"?

The Circassian ethnic cleansing refers to the forced deportation of the indigenous Circassian people from the northwestern Black Sea coast region of Circassia following the Caucasian War in the late 19th century. The expulsion began before the war ended in 1864 and was completed by 1867.

The exact number of people involved remains unknown, possibly numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Russian forces rounded up Circassians, marched them from villages to the Black Sea coast, and transported them to the Ottoman Empire. The reason was land acquisition—the vast majority of Circassians refused resettlement under the Russian Empire. As a result, Circassians were dispersed in various ways, or in some cases executed en masse. According to official Russian figures released later, about 90% of affected people were expelled.

Most went to the Ottoman Empire. However, Turkish authorities provided no support to these newcomers. They settled in barren mountainous areas of Anatolia, often working as slaves or laborers. Others migrated to Iran under the Qajar dynasty.

Most sources indicate that only about 3% of the Circassian population survived after the genocide. Up to 1.5 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes, but only around half survived. Ottoman archives show that by 1879, over one million immigrants had arrived from the Caucasus into the Ottoman Empire, nearly half dying from disease along the Black Sea coast. Assuming these statistics are accurate, Russia's military actions in Circassia constitute the largest genocide of the 19th century. Russian records align with Ottoman archives, documenting only 106,798 Circassians remaining in the Caucasus by the early 20th century. Other estimates by Russian historians are even lower, ranging between 40,400 and 65,900. The 1897 Russian Empire census reported 150,000 Circassians in the conquered territories.

The Russian Federation classifies the Circassian event as large-scale migration and denies it constituted genocide. May 21st each year is observed as Circassian Mourning Day, marked by ceremonies, parades, and sometimes protests against the Russian government. Today, Circassians are primarily concentrated in Turkey and Jordan, with approximately 750,000 living in Russia’s North Caucasus Economic Region.

The Circassians are a Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, a branch of the Adyghe people. They mainly reside in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic and four villages in the Adyghe Republic: Khodz, Blechepsin, Koshekhabl, and Ulyap. They speak the Kabardian dialect of Circassian. Their economy is based on agriculture and animal husbandry, supplemented by horticulture. Originally Christian, they converted to Sunni Islam around the 17th century.

Between 1780 and 1825, Circassians migrated from Kabarda to the Circassian region. During the 19th century, the Russian Empire collaborated with the Ottoman Turks to carry out ethnic cleansing in the Northwest Caucasus, resulting in large numbers of Circassians being relocated or expelled into Ottoman territory. Some moved further south to settle in Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon. They adhere to Sunni Islam. Some also served as Mamluks in Egypt. They are considered ancestors of the Crimean Tatars; known for their tall stature and striking appearance, they were highly favored in the Ottoman imperial harem.

Sources: Central Asia Times, Wikipedia, etc.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1870236485100548/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.