НатIхъуадж (Adyghe) | |
|---|---|
 Natukhaj flag | |
| Total population | |
| c. 3,030? | |
| Languages | |
| Adyghe Turkish andRussian | |
| Religion | |
| Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| OtherCircassian tribes |
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| Circassians Адыгэхэр |
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TheNatukhaj[a] are one of the twelve majorCircassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-goldCircassian flag.[1] Their areas historically extended along the Black Sea coast fromAnapa in the north toTsemes Bay (nowNovorossiysk) in the south and from the north side of the mountains to the lowerKuban River.
Currently, Natukhaj families live in the diaspora and were assimilated in other Adyghe tribes, more precisely, theShapsug due to their close relations with them. In Russia, a few may be found in theRepublic of Adyghea (mainly in theTakhtamukaysky District, in the rural locality ofNatukhay (Russian:Аул Натухай)[2] and theTeuchezhsky District).
The Natukhai tribe consisted of 10aristocratic families and 44 free clans (Adyghe:ЛъфэкъулӀ) and classified as an Adyghedemocratic tribe.[3][4]Because their coast was not backed by high mountains and opened northward to the steppe the Natukhai were very active in trading with theOttoman Empire andCrimean Khanate, which afforded for them better life than many others.
By culture, language and character they find themselves closest to the Lesser Shapsug and even call themselves by the same nameAguchips. (The Lesser Shapsug lived on the coast south of the Natukhai while the Greater Shapsug lived north of the mountains.) Also Natukhai people include the tribe ofGuaye which, according to legend, is one of the most ancient Circassian tribes. They also include the disappearing remnants of theZhaney tribe. The noblest families included Chakh, Dedy, Eryku, Kaz, Megu,Shupago, and Zan. The tribe Guaye had following noble names: Birdzh, Cherch, Kerzedzh, Khatirame, and Kuytsuk.
The Natukhai, like the Shapsug and Abadzekh, managed to limit the power of noble men of their tribe. Their villages were also administered by elected villagers. The Natukhai were one of the tribes most inclined to a peaceful sort of labor. They established trade connections with Turkey which gave the Natukhai the opportunities of material improvements. The Natukhai were one of the last to convert to Islam. They steadily adhered to Christianity, even though religious differences were often the cause of quarrels with the neighbouring Shapsug. Only by the beginning of the 19th century, whether by promises or by threats, did Turkish pasha manage to talk them into converting to Islam. In spite of that, the Natukhai showed a bitter resistance to the expansion of Russia into the Northern Caucasus. They fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Shapsug and Abadzekh who by that time were on their own against the forces of Russian empire. As a result of the war, only 175 Natukhai people remained on their motherland.
In late 1860, a Circassian Parliament (Adyghe:Хасэ,romanized: Hasè) was assembled, which would unite theShapsug,Ubykh, and Natukhai and consideredSochi (Lowland Adyghe: Шъачэ;Ubykh Adyghe: Шуа-чӀа, lit. "seaside") the lastcapital of theCircassian resistance.
In 1864, a major part of the Natukhai were massacred and the remaining forced to leaveCircassia, like the other Adyghe tribes, to theOttoman Empire due to the Russian army occupation of Circassia,[5] beside the standard tsars' policy during the era of theRussian Empire to cleanse theCircassian coast of Circassians (mainly physically then by expelling the remaining to theOttoman Empire.[6]
The Natukhai people speak the Natukhai sub-dialect (Adyghe:НатIхъуаджэбзэ), a dialect which is very similar to the Shapsug sub-dialect. The Natukhai sub-dialect shares a large number of features with other Shapsug varieties like having the consonants гь[ɡʲ], кь[kʲ], кӏь[kʲʼ] and чъу[t͡ɕʷ] that correspond to дж[d͡ʒ], ч[t͡ʃ], кӏ[t͡ʃʼ] and цу[t͡sʷ] in other Adyghe sub-dialects (e.g.Abzakh,Bzhedug, andTemirgoy).[7][8][9][10]
| Meaning | Natukhai and Shapsug sub-dialect | Other sub-dialects | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrillic | IPA | Cyrillic | IPA | |
| shirt | гьанэ | [ɡʲaːna] | джанэ | [d͡ʒaːna] |
| chicken | кьэт | [kʲat] | чэты | [t͡ʃatə] |
| rope | кӏьапсэ | [kʲʼaːpsa] | кӏапсэ | [t͡ʃʼaːpsa] |
| shoe | чъуакъэ | [t͡ʃʷaːqa] | цуакъэ | [t͡sʷaːqa] |
The 12 Circassian tribes: Abadzeh Besleney Bzhedug Yegeruqay Zhaney Kabarday Mamheg Natuhay Temirgoy Ubyh Shapsug Hatukay. The twelve stars on the Adyghe Flag also refers to the twelve tribes.
Other Adyghe tribes:
