- Tsakhur people
Ethnic group|
group=Tsakhur
йихъбы (Yiqby)
poptime=45,000 (est.)
popplace=Azerbaijan 16,000,Russia 29,000
langs=Tsakhur, Azerbaijani, Russian, Lezgian
rels=Sunni Islam The Tsakhur (or Caxur, inromanization ) people are an ethnic group of northernAzerbaijan and southernDagestan (Russia ). They number about 45,000 and call themselves "yiqy" (pl. "yiqby"), but are generally known by the name "Tsakhur", which derives from the name of a Dagestani village, where they make up the majority.History
Tsakhurs are first mentioned in the 7th century
Armenia n and Georgian sources where they are named "Tsakhaik". After the conquest ofCaucasian Albania byArabs , Tsakhurs formed a semi-independent state (later asultanate ) ofTsuketi in what is nowZagatala and southwestern Dagestan. By the 11th century, Tsakhurs who had mostly beenChristian , converted toIslam . In the 18th century the capital of the state changed from Tsakhur toIlisu .ru icon [http://etheo.h10.ru/tsax01.htm The Tsakhur language] . The "ETHEO" Project. Last updated11 October 2005 . Retrieved26 December 2006 ] The sultanate was in the sphere of influence of theShaki Khanate . It became part of theRussian Empire by the beginning of the 19th century.Geography
Tsakhurs live in Azerbaijan's
Zagatala region, where they make up 14% of the population, and inGakh , where they constitute less than 2%. In Dagestan, they live in the mountainous parts of the Rutul district. According toWolfgang Schulze , there are 9 villages in Azerbaijan, where Tsakhurs make up the majority of the population, all of them in Zagatala. 13 more villages in Zagatala and Gakh have a significant Tsakhur minority. [http://www.sil.org/silesr/2005/silesr2005-016.pdf The Sociolinguistic Situation of the Tsakhur in Azerbaijan] by John M. Clifton et al. "SIL International", 2005]Language
Most Tsakhurs speak the
Tsakhur language as a mothertongue. The rate of bilingualism in Tsakhur and Azeri is high. Other languages popular among Tsakhurs include Russian and Lezgian.References
External links
* [http://geo.ya.com/travelimages/az-tsakhur.html http://geo.ya.com/travelimages/az-tsakhur.html]
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