Персым ис Адыгэхэр چرکس های ایران | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| Roughly estimated 50,000 Precise population unknown due to heavy assimilation and lack of censuses based on ethnicity.[1][2][3] Second largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation.[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tehran,Gilan province,Mazandaran province,Rasht,East Azerbaijan province,Fars province,[4]Isfahan,Aspas | |
| Languages | |
| MainlyPersian, as well asCircassian in small amounts | |
| Religion | |
| Islam |
| Part ofa series on the |
| Circassians Адыгэхэр |
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 List of notable Circassians Circassian genocide |
| Circassian diaspora |
| Circassian tribes |
Surviving Destroyed or barely existing |
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| Religion in Circassia |
| Languages and dialects |
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| History |
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TheCircassians in Iran[a] are an ethnic minority inIran. Circassians in Iran differ somewhat from other Circassian diasporas, in that most in the former stem from theSafavid andQajar era, although a number migratedas muhajirs in the late 19th century as well. The Circassians in Iran were very influential during periods in the last few centuries. The vast majority of them have assimilated to speak the Persian language, and no significant number speak their nativeCircassian languages anymore.[1] Once a very large minority in Iran, nowadays due to being heavily assimilated over the course of time and the lack of censuses based on ethnicity, population estimates vary significantly. They are, however, after theGeorgians, known to be the largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation.
In Persian, the wordCherkes (چرکس/tʃeɾˈkes/) is sometimes applied generally toCaucasian peoples living beyondDerbent inDagestan,[4] which was the northernmost principal city of Iran prior to its ceding toRussia in the first half of the 19th century following theTreaty of Gulistan.
Circassians in Iran have a long history. To a certain good extent, they shared the same role as their brethren who lived in neighbouringOttoman Turkey; many were importees, deportees, slaves, but also made up many of the notablenoble families in the empire, while many others were kingmakers, military commanders, soldiers, craftsmen, peasants, while they also composed many of the kings' wives and women in theharem. Under the various kings of theSafavid andQajar dynasty, many Circassians would eventually happen to live in Iran.[5]
The first Circassian presence in Iran dates to the earlySafavid era, during whichShaykh Junayd raided various regions ofCircassia and carried back prisoners.[6] From the time of king (shah)Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576), the Circassians started to play an important role in Iranian society,[6] and began to appear as a large ethnic group in the successive empires based in Iran.
In order to make acounterbalance to the tribal, ethnic, and favoured interests, theQizilbash gave which make a system imbalanced, Tahmasp I had already been making the first steps of creating a new layer in Iranian society.[7] The kings before Tahmasp and he himself often found themselves incapable of ruling effectively due to the extremely strong influence the Qizilbash expressed in all spheres of the empire. The Qizilbash had formed the backbone of theSafaviyya from the earliest days, and they had always provided substantial military as well, on which the Safavids relied for a long period of time. In order to break this system, a counterbalance was needed, and a new layer in society was the medium through which this could be reached.[7] This new layer in society, was called the "third force", as they were a new ethnic class, or "force", alongside the Turkomans and Persians. This new layer, initiated by Tahmasp I, would be composed of many hundreds of thousands ofChristian andpagan Caucasian, mostly ethnically Circassian and Georgian, deportees, importees, slaves, and migrants. This new society layer was to be eventually fully accomplished and implemented by kingAbbas I (r. 1588–1629).[8] Out of this new layer, a new military force was established as well; a force that would directly contest thehegemony of the Qizilbash everywhere in the empire, replace them from all their positions, thereby firmly securing the kings' grip over the kingdom. Thesegholams, or "military slaves", were part of this newly created layer in society. Thegholam slave system, although initiated by Tahmasp I, was perfectioned and fully implemented by king Abbas I, and its rank and file were drawn from these massive amounts of ethnic Circassians, Georgians, Armenians and otherpeoples of the Caucasus, such asLezgins. Eventually, these large amounts of Circassians and other Caucasians, only loyal to the shah, replaced the Qizilbash and vied through the system with them for political hegemony and supremacy, and were to be victorious,[4] although sometimes they would vy against each other as well.[9]
Circassians made up a good bulk of these elite armies (the so-calledgholams), and played therefore a pivotal role. This elite [slave system] army was similar to theJanissaries of neighbouringOttoman Turkey, in its implementation and formation.[10] The ones in the armies received, after advanced education, conversion toIslam, and upbringing by Muslim families, the best military training and equipment, and were the strongest force and class of the empire. Other large amounts of Circassians were, like the Georgians, employed and deployed in all other possible aspects and positions that the empires offered, such as theharem, civil administration, military administration, peasantry, and crafts, amongst others, while other large numbers were initially settled in various regions in mainland Iran, includingGilan,Mazandaran, andFars.
According toThomas Herbert, who was inSafavid Iran in the first half of the 17th century, Aspas was inhabited by some 40,000 transplantedChristianCircassians andGeorgians.[11] By the time of kingSuleiman I's reign (r. 1666–1694), an estimated 20,000 Circassians,Dagestanis, and Georgians were living in the Safavid capital of Isfahan alone.[12]
Many of the shahs, princes, and princesses descended from noble Circassian lines. Many of the Safavid nobility at the court were Circassian.[13] In fact, the Safavids' heavily mixed ancestry includes several Circassian lines.[14][15] KingAbbas II (r. 1642–1666) and ShahSuleiman I (r. 1666–1694) are just some of the examples amongst the highest nobility that were born by Circassian mothers.
Followingthe mass expulsion of the native Circassians of the Northwest Caucasus in 1864 mainly towards the Ottoman Empire, some also fled to neighboringQajar Iran, which bordered the Ottoman Empire and Imperial Russia. In Iran, the government followed an assimilation policy, starting the gradual absorption of the Caucasian refugees into the population. Some of these deportees from after 1864 rose to various high ranks such as in thePersian Cossack Brigade, where every member of the army was either Circassian or any other type of ethnos from theCaucasus.[16]
Despite heavy assimilation over the centuries, Circassian settlements have lasted into the 20th century.[4] However, theCircassian languages, once widely used by the large Circassian minority, has no significant number of speakers in Iran anymore.[2][17][18][19] After the Georgians, the Circassians are the second largest Caucasus-derived group in Iran, comprising significant numbers.[2]
Notable Iranians of either partial or full Circassian descent include:
