History of the origin of the Avars. History, traditions and customs of the Avars - the largest nation in Dagestan

Of interest is information about the origin of the name of the highlanders (maarulal) - Avars. Highlanders (maIarulal) is the self-name of the Avars. The modern name - Avaral, Avars - became widespread thanks to the literary tradition.

The term Avar is first found in a message by Ibn Rust (10th century), where it is said that the king of Serir was called Avar. It should be taken into account that, according to academician N. Ya. Marr, among N. S. Trubetskoy, I. Bekhter and others, the old name of the Avars, which they and neighboring peoples were called, was found as halbi, comparable to the Caucasian alban of Greek origin.

From written sources it is known that the Avars began to be called by a similar name in quite late time, almost since the 19th century. According to some researchers, the appearance of the term Avars may be associated with the nomadic tribes of the Avars, who appeared from the depths of Asia in the steppes of the North Caucasus in 558. One of the Avar leaders, Kandikh, at the head of the embassy, ​​arrived, as sources note, in the capital of Byzantium, Constantinople, and reported to the emperor: “The Avar people have come to you - the largest, most powerful of the peoples. He can easily repel and destroy the enemy, so it is beneficial for you to enter into an alliance with the Avars: in them you will find reliable defenders” (Artamonov M.I., 1962).

In the difficult political situation that developed on the eastern border of the Byzantine Empire with the penetration of various nomadic peoples, the Avars were beneficial allies for Byzantium, and it concluded an agreement with them, allowing them to settle on its territory. So they ended up on the territory of present-day Hungary, where they created a new state formation - the Avar Khaganate, the first ruler of which was their leader - a kagan named Bayan. In their new homeland, the Avar Kaganate grew stronger and achieved enormous power, extending its power to the southern Russian steppes, subjugating many Slavic and other tribes. The Avar Khaganate grew so strong that it competed with Byzantium; its troops, led by Bayan, reached Constantinople, a city protected by powerful fortress walls. Two centuries later, the Avar Khaganate loses its power. The final blows to the Kaganate were dealt in 796 by the Frankish king Charlemagne.

According to the Byzantine chronicle, the last Avars were seen back in 828 at the imperial state meeting, where they represented the conquered Avar people. Of interest is the response of the captive Avar to the question of the Bulgarian Khan Krum: “Why were your cities and your people devastated?” He replied: “At the beginning, due to a quarrel that deprived the Kagan of his faithful and truthful advisers, power fell into the hands of wicked people. Then the judges were corrupted, who should have defended the truth before the people, but instead fraternized with hypocritical thieves; the abundance of wine gave rise to drunkenness, and the Avars, having weakened physically, also lost their minds. Finally, a passion for trade began: the Avars became traders, one deceived the other, brother sold brother. This, our lord, was the cause of our shameful misfortune.”

After the fall of the Avar Kaganate, the Russian chronicle (12th century) says: “The Yaks who died were obre (Avars), but they have no descendants.” Researchers, not without reason, note the possibility of a chronicler’s mistake, saying that this people disappeared without a trace. Maybe the Dagestan Avars are their descendants, especially since Dagestan is located near the route of movement of the Avars from Asia to Europe in the 6th century? And perhaps that is why they have the same names. The famous Russian historian of the 18th century wrote about the probable connection of the Dagestan Avars with the remnants of the nomadic Avars. V. N. Tatishchev.

M.V. Lomonosov also admitted a similar possibility. This version is popular in Eastern historiography. In this regard, the statements of Muhammad Murad ar-Ramzi (19th century) are noteworthy: “Small remnants of those nomadic Avars still exist in Dagestan. They are known for their courage and sincerity and retain the old name Avar."

This topic was touched upon by the famous orientalists J. Marquart and V.F. Minorsky, who believed that part of the nomadic Avars, passing near Dagestan around 600 during their advance from Asia to Europe, infiltrated the mountains of Dagestan, dissolved in the local environment and gave Their name is Avars. The Hungarian researcher I. Erdeli also admits that the nomadic Avars, moving west, temporarily stopped in the steppes of Northern Dagestan and politically subjugated or made the kingdom of Serir their ally. Another Hungarian researcher, academician Károly Csegledi, denies any connection between the Avars and the Dagestan Avars, since they spoke languages ​​that were extremely distant from each other.

The famous researcher M.A. Aglarov, who summarized all existing versions about the Avars, reasonably believes that it is impossible to talk about the Dagestan Avars as direct remnants of the nomadic Avars, because the dissolution of the aliens in the local ethnic environment only means the participation of the nomadic Avars in the ethnogenesis of the Dagestan peoples. It would be another matter if the local peoples were dissolved among the nomadic Avars, who would give them not only their name, but also their language. Then one could say that remnants of those nomadic Avars were preserved in Dagestan. The question arises whether the nomadic Avars gave their name to the Dagestan highlanders in the literal sense, since the highlanders (maarulal) had never called themselves Avars before. There are often examples in history when people call themselves differently than their neighbors. For example, Hungarians are known in history and to their neighbors as Hungarians, but they call themselves Magyars. Likewise, the mountaineers - not only themselves, but also their neighbors did not call them Avars, the Georgians called them Leks, the Laks - Yarussal, the Andians - Khyindalal, the Akhvakhs - Gyai-bulu (Albi), the Kumyks - Tavlu, etc., but Avars nobody. All this suggests that the nomadic Avars apparently did not give their name to the local people (Aglarov M. A., 2002). At the same time, today the maarulal (highlanders) are officially called Avars, and this fact requires explanation. A new original interpretation of this is offered by M.A. Aglarov, who notes that, according to the authoritative testimony of the Arab historian Ibn-Rust, the king of Serir was called Avar. Therefore, in the literary tradition, this name is increasingly used to designate the people who were once subordinate to King Avar. Since then, books rarely write leks, they don’t write maarulal at all, and more and more often they are called Avars (Avars). Such a transfer of a person’s name to an entire nation happens quite often: from the name of Khan Uzbek comes the name Uzbeks, Khan Nogai - Nogais, from the Qajar dynasty - the name of the Persians in Dagestan - Qajars, etc. So the name of King Serir Avar was used to designate the inhabitants Serira. It is reliably known that the people of Maarulal were called Avars by the historian of the 14th century. Muhammad Rafi in his essay “Tarihi Dagestan”, which was popular in the region as the official history of Dagestan.

Since then, the name of the Avars has wandered from book to book, ending up in archives, official documents, scientific publications, etc. Thus, the artificially formed name took the place of an ethnonym, more popular than the name maarulal, used only among the Avars (self-name). In this regard, it remains a mystery: why was King Serir named Avar? Is this name related to the name of those nomadic Avars or is it a coincidence? Probably not, because the border of the Serir state was in contact with the region inhabited by the nomadic Avars in the 6th century, and the very name Avars is alien to the Caucasian languages. And yet the reason why the name of the nomads became own name King Serir continues to remain a mystery, allowing various hypotheses to be put forward.

Most researchers do not exclude the possibility that some of the Avar nomads entered the mountains and established their own dynasty, and the ruler of Serir was named Avar or the king of Serir was called by the famous name of the warlike neighbors of the Avars. There are frequent examples when among the mountaineers a person is called by the name of neighboring peoples, for example Cherkess (Circassians), Oruskhan (Russian Khan), etc.

Thus, we can conclude that the modern name of the Dagestan maarulal (highlanders) - Avars - is one of the traces of a once powerful people that disappeared from the historical arena.

One of the names of the capital of the Avar kingdom of Khunzakh - Khunz, can be translated as “kingdom of the wolf”, khumur - wolf * (Avar.dial - see Ruler of the country Gum in the Nart epic.), and it is no coincidence that for centuries it was depicted on the standard of the Khunzakh khans totemic wolf with the symbol of mountain monotheism of Sverdero, the eternal circle of Life. The linguistic component of the ancient Avar ethnos is connected by common roots with the Hurrian and Urartian languages ​​(in the presence of a significant number of Avar-Indo-European isoglosses), which is confirmed by various researchers of this issue. But, despite some guesses, thoughts and facts on this matter, the question remains, where did the name come from, carrying the Avar root, which was transformed into the name of an entire people and united several related tribes on the territory of modern Dakhistan *? There is direct historical evidence dating back to the 10th century, in the reports of the Arab geographer and traveler Ibn Rusta that the king of Sarir was called Auhar. In the Avar language, the root "Avar" is important, it forms the word "Avarag", meaning prophet, messiah, king, which indicates that the source of this word is the name of the ruler of Serir Avar (Auhar) and, presumably, an entire dynasty of kings. It is also possible otherwise: in the ancient language of the Albanians and Hunzians, the word “avarag” existed earlier, and this same king, about whom historical information is sparse, was named so from birth or received this name due to his activities. Be that as it may, the reason that the people acquired the name Auhar is the Will of Allah Almighty. The Avar people were and are forming Dagestan, which is its core, for the sake of whose unity the forces of its (the people) brought into life such figures as: Imam Shamil, Kazi-Magomed, Hadji-Murat, Sheikh Uzun-Hadji Saltinsky, Amin Gonodinsky, Imam Gotsinsky , Qadi Pir-Muhammad, Mufti Said-Hadji Abubakarov, Rasul Gamzatov, Maksud Sidikov, Surkhay, Ummahan Avarsky, Ummahan the Just, Bukht Yisho*, Surakat, Auhar... If the Avars are related to the Hurrians, then are the Dagestan Avars related to them? While searching for information on this topic, I found an interesting article in English about the Avars and a short post about it on the Internet. The author of the article claims that Eurasian Avars and Caucasian Avars are one and the same. We are talking about the Hurrians of Khorezm. In his opinion, the ethnic core of the Avars were the Hurrians (Huer, Hwer, Hwar). According to scientists, in particular A. Tolstov, Khorezm (=Ariana) is translated as “Land of the Hurrians - Land of the People of the Sun.” On the island of Hvar in Croatia, descendants of the Eurasian Avars have survived to this day. In addition, the Avar language is directly related to the Sino-Tibetan and Yenisei languages. Originally, Avar (arr.) is a Hurrian. The generally accepted data of scientists about the belonging of the Nakh-Dagestan peoples, and specifically the Avars, to the Sino-Caucasian language family, to which the Hurrians belonged, confirm the above information and draw a direct genealogical and linguistic parallel between the two movements of the Avars. Both Avars included and include substrata of other ethnic groups. It is no coincidence that in the Avars haplogroup a connection was revealed with the Semitic branch, to which the Arabs also belong, and the Eurasian Avars were an embodied synthesis of tribes and races, in which the Hurrian ethno-linguistic substrate, among others, played a pivotal role. “The Avar horde in Europe, presumably, identified itself with the Rouran statehood, as data from archaeological excavations show that 80% of the discovered Avar skulls belong to the Caucasoid race, among which are the long-headed Nordics (tall blondes with protruding noses and chins - Atlanto-Baltic people) and Mediterraneans make up 38%, broad-faced proto-Europeans of the Sarmatian type (conditional “Cro-Magnons”) - 22.6%, round-headed Pamir-Alpines (Balkan-Caucasians, including the so-called “Celtic type”, tall Dinarics, depigmented Caucasians with partly Sarmatian features and the people “ di" Chinese chronicles) together with the Armenoid Western Asians (that is, physical Hurrians) - 17.1%. There is clear information where the Avars are ranked among the Semites-Hurrians, who mixed with each other as a result of the interpenetration of these tribes and the subjugation of the Amorite-Akkadian states by the Hurrians. Those Semites, as stated, did not belong to the Arabs, or to the Jews, or to the Pelasgians, but were an independent ethno-formation of the Semitic branch of peoples, however, they carried common features, genes, cultural and religious characteristics of this race, the race of the descendants of the Patriarch Shem , son of Noah. I think these data allow us to recognize as proven a certain ethnic connection between Avars and Avars and answer the question of where in the Avars haplogroup J1 comes from - 67% and where these origins should initially be looked for (J1 belongs to the family of Abraham, Ibrahim - peace be upon him!). However, the very fact of a change in the name of the center of Nagorno-Dagestan, Khozonikheti, Khun on Khunzakh (among the Huns, Varhuns; Avar-Khunzakh or Khunarakert - the city of the Khons, Armenian), speaks of possible contacts of the Huno-Avars with the highlanders - the Khunzas, Silbs, Andaks and others - in the future, a single people under a common name - Avaral (Avars). This version is also confirmed by the fact of reconstruction by S. L. Nikolaev and S. A. Starostin (Nikolajev S. L., Starostin S. A. A North Caucasian Ethymological Dictionary. - Moscow, 1994), the modern Avar designation of the concept “people of the BO - armed people, army, militia” (* Awar>WE ARE FROM THE 90s! Hands Up Bar Petersburg>bo, - related to the Hurrito-Urartian xurrade. (approx. Avar village of Khurada). With all the significance of the search for the ethnic identity of various peoples of the Earth, one thing is important to remember from the history of the Eurasian Avars for all of us living in the 21st century - this is what befell the Kaganate at the end of its glory, from which their state fell before the eyes of the whole world: “In one Byzantine source of the 9th century, curious details have been preserved about the reasons for the decomposition of the late Avar society; these are stories old Avar warriors who were in Bulgarian captivity under Khan Krum. The khan asked them: “What do you think, why were your masters and your people ruined?” They answered: “First, because of a quarrel that deprived the kagan of faithful and truthful advisers, power fell into the hands of wicked people. Then the judges, who were supposed to defend the truth before the people, were corrupted, but instead fraternized with hypocrites and thieves; the abundance of wine gave rise to drunkenness, and the Avars, having weakened physically, also lost their minds. Finally, a passion for trade began: the Avars became traders, one deceived the other, brother sold brother. This became the source of our shameful misfortune.” Therefore, the best that the Avar people have is the religion of Monotheism (Islam), history, multi-religious culture, the deeds of their great ancestors, as well as the centuries-old daily spiritual and material work and prayer of the simple mountain people, who are the guardian of the hearths of the Caucasus, the spirit, flesh and blood of Dagestan and Accidents.

The Avars are a brave and independent mountain people who have maintained their independence throughout their history: no one has been able to conquer them. In ancient times, their totem animals were wolves, bears and eagles - strong in spirit and body, free, but devoted to their native lands.

Name

The exact origin of the name of the people is unknown. According to one version, it is associated with the ancient nomadic Avars people from Central Asia, who in the 6th century migrated to Central Europe and then to the Caucasus. This version is supported by archaeological finds on the territory of modern Dagestan: rich burials of people of the Asian type.

Another version is associated with the ruler of the early medieval state of Sarir named Avar. Some researchers agree that the ancestors of the kings of Sarir were the same Avar tribes. During the period of settlement throughout Europe, they traveled to the Caucasus, where they founded Sarir or, at least, had a significant influence on its formation.

According to the third version, the name of the nationality was given by Turkic tribes, who brought it to the Russians. In the Turkic language, the words “avar” and “avarala” mean “restless”, “anxious”, “warlike”, “bold”. The definitions correspond to the Avar character, but in the Turkic language these words were common nouns and could refer to any people, objects or groups.
The first reliable mention of the name dates back to 1404. Diplomat, writer and traveler John de Galonifontibus in his notes included the “Avars” among the peoples of Mountainous Dagestan, along with the Alans, Circassians and Lezgins.
The Avars themselves called themselves Maarulal (in the Avar language MagIarulal). The origin of the word is unknown, and most researchers consider it an untranslatable ethnonym. However, there is a version that the word is translated as “highlander” or “supreme”.
It’s interesting that the Avars themselves never called themselves that. They either used a common one for everyone Caucasian peoples the word “magIarulal”, or were represented by the name of the area or community in which they lived.

Where live

The vast majority of Avars live in the Republic of Dagestan, which is a subject Russian Federation and is part of the North Caucasus federal district. They occupy most of mountainous Dagestan, where they lived historically. Some Avars live on the plains in the Kizilyurt, Buynak and Khasavyurt regions. 28% of the population lives in cities, but the main settlement area can be considered the basins of the Avar Koisu, Kara-Koisu and Andean Koisu rivers.
A significant part of the Avars live in other regions of Russia and foreign countries. Among them:

• Kalmykia
• Chechnya
• Azerbaijan
• Georgia
• Kazakhstan

The descendants of the Avars, who have significantly assimilated, but retained their national identification, live in Jordan, Turkey and Syria.

Although the Avars considered themselves a single people, they distinguished smaller ethnic groups within the community, called by the name of their place of residence. Those that have survived to this day include:

• Bagulals, Khvarshins and Chamalins - live in the villages of the Tsumadinsky district;
• Botlikhs and Andians - live in the Botlikh region;
• Akhvakhians - live in the Akhvakh region;
• Bezhta and Gunzib residents - villages of the Bezhta section.

Number

There are more than 1 million representatives of the Avar nation in the world. Most of the nation is located on the territory of the Russian Federation: 912,000 people. 850,000 of them live in their historical homeland - Dagestan.
About 50,000 people live in Azerbaijan - this is one of the largest foreign diasporas. The Avars diaspora in Turkey numbers about 50,000 people, but it is difficult to document this, since the laws of the country do not require indicating nationality.

Language

The language of the Avars belongs to the North Caucasian superfamily, distinguished within it by the Nakh-Dagestan family. There are pronounced dialect differences in different areas, but all Avars easily understand each other. 98% of the population speaks the national language.
Avar writing began to take shape during the Islamization of the region. It was based on the Arabic script, which was taught by educated church ministers to the children of wealthy Avars. Since 1927, the letters were changed to Latin, and at the same time they began to improve the level of education. The alphabet was finally formed only in 1938: it was created on the basis of the Cyrillic alphabet.
Today the Avar language is taught in primary schools mountainous regions of Dagestan. From the fifth grade, teaching is conducted in Russian, and Avar is studied as an additional subject. Along with other national languages, it is one of the state languages ​​of the Republic of Dagestan.

Story

The first people appeared on the territory of modern Dagestan as early as 8 thousand years BC. in the Upper Paleolithic-Mesolithic era. In the Neolithic era, they already had stone dwellings, and cattle breeding, animal husbandry and agriculture were actively developing. It is believed that the ancestors of the Avars were the tribes of Albanians, Legs and Gels, who were part of the most ancient state in the Eastern Caucasus - Caucasian Albania.

The first stage, which laid the foundation for the national identity of the Avars, dates back to the 6th century new era. During this period, the state of Sarir (also Serir) was born, which existed until the 13th century and was considered the largest and most powerful in early medieval Dagestan. Crafts and agriculture flourished here, and trade routes passed through. Neighboring states paid tribute to the rulers of Sarir in gold, silver, fabrics, furs, food, and weapons. The unification of the Avars during this period also occurred along religious lines: Orthodoxy replaced pagan mythology.
Starting from the 12th-13th centuries, Islamic preachers began to have an increasing influence on Sarir, who soon converted almost the entire population to the new faith. At the same time, Sarir is split into small feudal settlements, living independently and uniting only in case of war.
The Mongols repeatedly tried to capture the Avar lands, but they met serious resistance and changed their tactics. In 1242, during the Golden Horde's campaign against Dagestan, an alliance was concluded, supported by dynastic marriages. As a result, the Avars retained their own independence, but under the influence of their allies they formed a new Avar Khanate, which lasted for more than five centuries.

Period of wars

In the 18th century, a new threat loomed over the Avars: the invasion of Nadir Shah, the ruler of the powerful Persian empire, which occupied territories from Iraq to India. The Persian army quickly captured all of Dagestan, but the Avars' resistance could not be broken for several years. The result of the confrontation was a battle in the fall of 1741, which lasted 5 days and ended in victory for the Avars. Nadir Shah's losses were enormous: out of 52 thousand, only 27 thousand soldiers remained alive. The battle was widely described in folk epics. It is also striking that the Persian army used the entire arsenal of weapons of those years, while the Avars used only muskets and sabers.

In 1803, the Avar Khanate ceased to exist, and part of the Avar territories became part of the Russian State. However, the Russians did not take into account the freedom-loving mentality of the people: they sharply taxed them, began to cut down forests and develop lands. As a result, a national liberation revolution took place, as a result of which the people regained independence. The Avars and other peoples of the Caucasus rallied under the banner of Sharia, and the supreme imams took on the role of leaders. One of the national heroes who started the holy war against the Russians was Shamil, who led the movement for 25 years.
Over time, his popularity began to decline, and the Avars again became part of Russia. Remembering past unsuccessful experiences, Russian rulers did their best to encourage the people and soften taxes for them. And a special Avar unit was even part of the elite guard guarding the chambers of the royal family.
After the revolution, part of the Caucasian peoples was united into the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Representatives of the republic bravely showed themselves on the battlefields of the Second World War and made a significant contribution to the development of industry and culture of the republic.

Appearance

Avars are classified as the Caucasian anthropological type, which belongs to the Balkan-Caucasian race. To the main external signs this group includes:

• white skin;
• eyes green, brown or blue color, as well as transitional shades, for example, green-brown;
• “eagle” or even high nose;
• red, dark brown, dark brown or black hair;
• narrow and protruding jaw;
• large head, wide forehead and middle part of the face;
• high growth;
• large or athletic build.

Many Avars to this day have retained an appearance that is not similar to the appearance of other Caucasian peoples. However, the influence of neighboring Alans, Chechens, and Lezgins could not but affect the appearance of the Avars. Haplogroups I, J1 and J2 classify the ancestors of the Avars as Semitic peoples and “northern barbarians”, who later had a significant influence on the formation of the Croatian and Montenegrin nations.

Cloth

The clothing of Avar men is similar to the costumes of other Dagestan peoples. Everyday attire consisted of a simple undershirt with a stand-up collar and loose pants. The look was necessarily complemented by a beshmet - a quilted national fitted semi-caftan. The Circassian coat was also widely used - a longer, fitted caftan with a cutout on the chest. Burkas and sheep's coats served as winter clothing; in the off-season, a lining was attached to the beshmet. The look was complemented by a papakha - a tall fur headdress.

Women's clothing varied significantly depending on the region: it could be used to determine not only the place of residence, but also social and family status. Most often, the outfit consisted of a long, loose shirt, cut from straight pieces of fabric, with gathered sleeves and a round neckline.
In some areas, it was belted with a bright sash, the length of which reached 3 m. Rich Avarks used a leather belt with silver clasps for this, and wore flared silk capes over their shirts. Young girls preferred fabrics in green, blue, and red shades, while older and married women chose black and brown colors. The traditional headdress is chukta: a cap with bags for braids, over which a scarf was tied.

Men

The man occupied a dominant position and decided all social and financial issues. He fully provided for the family and was responsible for the children, including their upbringing, choosing a bride and future profession. Only men had the right to vote, and the age of majority was 15.

Women

Despite the patriarchal structure, the Avars did not have the tyranny of women; they were revered and incredibly respected. Even touching a stranger was considered a disgrace for her, and rape meant blood feud, so it almost never happened.
A woman’s kingdom is the home, here she was in charge and decided all household issues without asking her husband’s opinion. Avar women were valued for hard work, submissive character, decency, honesty, cleanliness, and cheerful disposition. Avarks were distinguished by their slender figure and attractive appearance, which was noted more than once by foreigners who saw them.

Family life

The life of the Avars was based on veneration and respect for the older generation. Thus, the daughter-in-law, coming to her husband’s house, did not have the right to be the first to speak to her father-in-law. Usually the mother-in-law started a conversation the very next day, and the father-in-law's silence could last for years. However, more often the young people lived alone: ​​according to tradition, the husband’s parents built for their son new house and after the wedding they sent him to live there.
There has always been a clear gender division in Avar families. Boys and girls were not allowed to be alone, touch each other, or communicate closely. There was always a male and a female half in the house, and even after the wedding, the woman slept and lived in the same room with the children, and not with her husband. When the boys turned 15, they went to live in their father's bedroom. Children were loved, but from childhood they were taught to work and morality, they were taught military affairs, since the Avars themselves considered themselves a warrior people.

Housing

The Avars lived in houses made of processed stone, located crowded together, which was due to the lack of space in the mountains and for defensive purposes. The houses were quadrangular, one-, two- or three-story with a gallery-terrace equipped for relaxation.

In some villages, the house consisted of one room with an area of ​​80-100 m2, in the center of which there was a hearth and a pillar decorated with carvings, around which they ate and received guests. In multi-room houses, they had to equip a room with a fireplace, carpets and a carved sofa: this is where they rested and received guests.
The Avars settled in related communities - tukhums. They, in turn, united into large settlements - from 30-60 households in the highlands to 120-400 in the foothills and mountains. Each village was headed by an elder, decisions were made jointly in the council. All men took part in it; the heads of the tukhums had the decisive votes.
Most of the villages were fenced with walls and fortified with defensive towers. In the center of the village there was a central square where general meetings and celebrations were held.

Life

Since the Neolithic era, the ancestors of the Avars were actively engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Most of the herds were sheep, about 20% were cattle. For auxiliary needs they kept horses, goats, and poultry.
Farming was terraced and arable. In the highlands it was much more difficult to cultivate the land than in the plains, and due to the limited territory it was more valuable. The main crops grown were wheat, barley, rye, millet, and pumpkin. Plums, cherry plums, peaches, apricots, corn, beans, lentils, and beans were planted in gardens and orchards.

Crafts flourished, among which blacksmithing, jewelry, weapons, pottery, and weaving stood out. The exquisite silver jewelry and handicrafts of Avar craftswomen were especially famous:

• warm wool socks
• shawls and scarves
• felt saddle bags
• clothmaking
• embroidery with gold threads
• woven carpets

Military training played a special role in the life of the Avars. From early childhood, boys were trained in stick and saber fighting, close combat, and tactics. Later, all types of training moved into the direction of freestyle wrestling, popular throughout Dagestan.

Culture

Avar folklore is represented by legends, fairy tales, proverbs and sayings, as well as songs:

• love
• military
• crying
• heroic
• historical
• lyroepic
• lullabies

All songs, except love songs and lullabies, were sung by men in one voice, melodiously and soulfully. To accompany singers and dancers it was used big number traditional musical instruments. Among them:

1. String instruments: chagur and komuz.
2. Reed: zurna and balaban yasty.
3. Percussion: tambourine and drum.
4. Bowed: chagana.
5. Pipe type: lalu.

The art of chasing silver jewelry and weaving patterns was widely developed. Traditional ornaments and symbols were images of wolves and eagles, spiral swastikas, labyrinths, Maltese crosses, and solar signs.

Religion

Before the adoption of Christianity, Avars believed in white and black spirits. They asked the former for mercy, recovery, good luck, and from the latter they wore amulets. The totem animals of different ethnic groups were wolves, bears and eagles. The wolf was called “God's watchman” and was respected for his courage, independence and desire to live by his own rules. Eagles were revered for their strength and love of freedom, and they said that, just as eagles do not fly away to winter in warm regions, so the Avars will never leave their homeland.
During the reign of Christianity, the people adhered to the Orthodox faith. The ruins of temples and Orthodox burials have survived to this day: one of the well-preserved ones is located near the village of Datuna and dates back to the 10th century. Today, most of the Avars profess Sunni and Shafi'i Islam.

Traditions

Avars' weddings were always held on a grand scale and lasted from three to five days. There were the following options for choosing a bride:

1. By agreement of the parents. They practiced “cradle marriages,” but more often they wooed cousins, preferring to marry within the tukhum.
2. By the young man's choice. To do this, he came to the house of his chosen one and left his things in it: a knife, a hat, a belt. If the girl agreed, matchmaking began.
3. Against the will of the parents. If the young people fell in love with each other, but their parents did not approve of the choice, the bride and groom ran away and got married. I had to pray for parental blessings after the fact: although such a wedding was considered a shame, forgiveness new family received.
4. At the insistence of society. Those who had spent too much time as girls and widows were taken to the central square and asked to name the free man she liked. The chosen one had to marry if he was not in cahoots with anyone else.

On the first day of the wedding, a noisy feast was held at the groom's friend's place, and only on the second day - in the house of the hero of the occasion. The bride was brought to the evening, wrapped in a carpet, and taken to another room, where she spent the evening with her friends. On the third day, the husband's relatives honored the newlyweds and gave them gifts.

The bride had a special rite of entry into a new family and was called the “rite of the first water.” On the morning of the 3-5th day, the groom's sisters and daughter-in-law gave the daughter-in-law a jug and, singing, went with her to fetch water. After that, she was obliged to get involved in everyday household affairs.

The Avars had a special attitude towards guests: they were received with honor, even if they did not know the purpose of the visit. Any stranger who came to an Avar village was assigned by the elder to stay. In the house he was placed in the best room, festive dishes were prepared, and he was not pestered with questions. The guest, in turn, was not supposed to speak negatively about the food or the host, get up from the table without asking and go to the women's half of the house.

Food

It is a mistake to believe that the main diet of the Avars was meat: it was only an addition to other dishes. The main one is khinkal, which is in no way similar to Georgian khinkali. The dish consisted of large pieces of dough cooked in meat broth with herbs and vegetables. In many villages, instead of khinkal, soups were cooked, the main of which was churpa based on sorrel, beans or lentils.
Every house had flatbread made from thin dough - botishalas. The fillings were meat, cottage cheese with herbs, and cheese with seasonings. The Avars also have an analogue of dumplings: kurze. They are distinguished by their drop-shaped shape, large size and the obligatory pigtail tuck, which allows the filling not to leak out.

Famous Avars

A famous Avar is the poet and prose writer Rasul Gamzatov, who composed a unique Avar hymn: “Song of the Avars.” His works have been translated into dozens of languages; for his special contribution to culture, in 1999 he was awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, III degree.

The Avars have always been famous for their excellent physical fitness and mastery of martial arts. These titles are confirmed by fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, the current UFC lightweight champion in mixed martial arts.

Video

The Avars are the most numerous people of modern Dagestan. They inhabit most of the mountainous territory of Dagestan, and partly the plains (Buinaksky, Khasavyurtovsky, Kizilyurtovsky and other regions). In addition to Dagestan, they live in Chechnya, Kalmykia and other constituent entities of the Russian Federation (814.5 thousand people). The main area of ​​settlement of Avars in Dagestan is the basins of the Avar-or (Avar Koisu), Andi-or (Andean Koisu) and Cheer-or rivers (Kara-Koisu). 28% of Avars live in cities (2001).

Avars also live in Azerbaijan, mainly in the Belokan and Zagatala regions, where according to the 1999 census their number was 50.9 thousand people. “The question of the size of the Avar diaspora outside Russia is very complex and contradictory today,” the Dagestan scientist B.M. Ataev was forced to state with annoyance in 2005. This is primarily due to the fact that in their countries of residence, for political and other reasons, population censuses indicating nationality are not conducted. Therefore, the data given in various sources on the number of descendants of the Avars are very approximate, in particular, in the Republic of Turkey.

Thus, the largest Avar diaspora outside the borders of the former USSR and, probably, outside the Russian Federation in general, is represented in Turkey. At the same time, it should be taken into account that small islands of descendants of the Avar “Muhajirs” of the former Ottoman Empire were also recorded in Syria and Jordan, where, due to their small numbers, they experienced a strong cultural and linguistic influence of both the local Arab population and other North Caucasians, mainly Circassians and Chechens.

Avar crosses and spiral swastika. Stone carving.

Areas of historical residence of Avars

Akhvakhsky, Botlikhsky, Gunibsky, Gumbetovsky, Khunzakhsky, Bezhtinsky, Tsuntinsky, Tsumadinsky, Charodinsky, Shamilsky, Gergebilsky, Untsukulsky, Tlyaratinsky.

Anthropology

According to A.G. Gadzhiev, most of the Avaro-Ando-Tsez are characterized by the Western version of the Caucasian anthropological type of the Balkan-Caucasian race. Distinctive Features Western Caucasian variant are: long length body, the face is wide, high and medium profile, the height of the nose is large with a small width, predominate convex shapes the profile of the back of the nose, the tip of the nose and the base are represented predominantly by a lowered version. The hair is predominantly dark brown, with a small admixture of dark brown and red hair. The color of the iris is dominated by mixed shades. There is a significant percentage of light eyes. The skin is very light compared to other Caucasian populations. Data from age-related anthropology record the presence of a higher percentage of chestnut, red and light brown hair in the Avar-Ando-Tsez population in childhood than in adolescence.

Some scientists consider the Caucasian type to be the end result of the transformation of the Caspian type in conditions of high mountain isolation. In their opinion, the formation of the Caucasian type in Dagestan dates back to the 14th century BC. e. It should be emphasized that in Dagestan, starting from the Soviet period, the official ideological position (reminiscent of the Dagestan version of “Yugoslavism”) reigns supreme, which boils down to the active propaganda of the “exceptional closeness” (in a deliberately exaggerated form) of all Dagestanis to each other, which often serves as a convenient justification for suppression of national identity and the associated desire for the revival of lost ethno-statehood. The same Alekseev V.P., for example, testified in 1974: “The Caspian combination of characteristics is not expressed in its pure form in any of the Dagestan peoples; we can only talk about its more or less noticeable admixture, mainly among the peoples of the Lezgin group and the Kumyks " In his opinion, the territory of Dagestan was not included in the formation zone of the Caspian population group; Apparently it spread from the south along the Caspian coast through the plains and foothills of Dagestan, and only along the Samur and Chirakh-Chay valleys did representatives of this group penetrate high into the mountains.

G. F. Debets testified to the similarity of the Caucasian anthropological type with the ancient population of the East European Plain and further up to Scandinavia, while expressing the idea of ​​the penetration of the ancestors of the Caucasian type into the areas of their modern settlement from the north.

Despite all its originality, outside the Caucasus, the Caucasians are closest to the Dinaric anthropological type of the Balkan-Caucasian race, characteristic primarily of Croats and Montenegrins and genetically closely related to haplogroup I - the so-called. "genome of northern barbarians".

The anthropological type that is closest to the “classical” Cro-Magnon is usually associated with the spread of the Corded Ware culture. The latter is often regarded as the original Indo-European. In the Late Neolithic and Bronze Ages, Corded Ware cultures were localized over large areas of the north-west of the European coast and the Baltic States, in Nadporozhye and the Azov region, as well as in some areas of Central Europe, where it came into contact with the Band Ware culture. In the 2nd millennium BC. e. a branch of this culture spreads to the Upper Volga (Fatyanovo culture). On this occasion, Kuzmin A.G. writes the following: “It was the main anthropological type of population associated with the Corded Ware cultures that puzzled anthropologists with the extremely wide geography of its distribution, especially since the Caucasus (Caucasian population group) and the Balkans must be added to the above-mentioned areas (Dinaric type in the region of Albania and Montenegro). There are different variants explanations for the observed similarities. One of the pillars of German nationalist archeology, G. Kossin, wrote about the “German” expansion from the north all the way to the Caucasus. In addition to German archaeologists, this point of view was supported by the Swedish scientist N. Oberg and the Finnish A.M. Thalgren.

Language

Language - Avar belongs to the Nakh-Dagestan group of the North Caucasian family, has dialects divided into northern and southern groups (adverbs), which partly reflects the former division of Ava into the Khunzakh Khanate and “Free Societies”. The first includes Salatav, Khunzakh and Eastern, the second - Gidatli, Antsukh, Zaqatal, Karakh, Andalal, Kakhib and Kusur; the Batlukh dialect occupies an intermediate position. There are phonetic, morphological and lexical differences between individual dialects and dialect groups as a whole. The Avar language is related to the Ando-Tsez languages. In Russian linguistics, there is an established point of view, shared by some foreign scientists, according to which the North Caucasian family is related to the Yenisei and Sino-Tibetan languages. Avar (together with other languages ​​of the Nakh-Dagestan group), according to I.M. Dyakonov, is a living continuation of the ancient Alarodian linguistic world, which included such now dead languages ​​as Caucasian-Albanian (Agvan), Hurrian, Urartian, and Kutian.

Within Russia, the Russian language is widely spoken among Avars (by the beginning of the 21st century, more than 60% of Dagestan Avars spoke Russian). The Avars of the Khasavyurt and Buinaksky regions of Dagestan, as a rule, speak fluently the Kumyk language. The ability to speak and understand Turkic among the Avars can be traced, in part, beyond these regions, since the Turkic language in lowland Dagestan for many centuries acted as a macro-intermediary language. Ethnic Avars living in Turkey and Azerbaijan speak Turkish and Azerbaijani at the native level, respectively.

Writing until 1927 was based on Arabic script, from 1927 to 1938 - Latin, from 1938 - Cyrillic. On the territory of Dagestan schooling Among the Avars, education is taught in their native language up to the third grade, then in Russian. But this applies only to rural schools with a monoethnic population, while in cities the teaching of native languages ​​is de facto prohibited. The Avar language acquired the status of “official” in 2007, meanwhile Russian was declared the only “state” language in Dagestan, even in the original Avar territory with an exclusively Avar population.

In the 50-60s of the 20th century, there were national schools in the cities of Dagestan. From 1938 to 1955, education in schools in Western Dagestan up to grade 5 was conducted in the Avar language, and in high school in Russian. From the 6th grade, the Avar (“native”) language and literature were studied as separate subjects. In the 1955-56 academic year, teaching in Avaria schools from grade 1 was translated into Russian. Since the 1964-65 school year, all urban national schools in the republic have been closed.

Religion

Carved stone from the village. Hotoda. (Gidatl)

The vast majority of Avarian believers are Sunni Muslims of the Shafi'i persuasion. However, as is known from numerous sources, the Avar state of Sarir (VI-XIII centuries) was predominantly Christian (Orthodox). In the mountains of Avaria, the ruins of Christian churches and chapels are still preserved. The most famous Christian landmark is the temple near the village of Datuna (Shamilsky district), built in the 10th century. Near the villages of Urada, Tidib, Khunzakh, Galla, Tindi, Kvanada, Rugudzha and others, archaeologists discovered typically Christian burial grounds of the 8th-10th centuries. Starting in the middle of the 7th century. first steps on the territory of Dagestan, in the Derbent region, the Islamic religion slowly but systematically expanded its area of ​​influence, covering one possession after another, until it penetrated into the 15th century. to the most remote areas of Dagestan.

According to historical legends, some small part of the Avars professed Judaism before converting to Islam. A certain Žuhut-khan (that is, “Jewish khan”), who supposedly ruled in Andi, is also mentioned. Dagestan scientists regard this vague and fragmentary information as echoes of memories of long-term contacts with the Khazars. Among the samples of stone carving in Avaria one can occasionally find “stars of David”, which, however, cannot serve as evidence in favor of the fact that the mentioned images were made by Judaizers.

Origin and history

Hunz - Caucasian Huns of the “Land of the Throne”

A wolf with a standard is a symbol of the Avar khans

One of the ancestors of the Avars were the Silvi and Andak tribes who lived in ancient times on the territory of modern Dagestan (including where Avaria was located in the medieval period). At least, these ethnonyms most correctly convey the names of the later Avar tribal groups and political associations. In the literature there is also an opinion that the Avars descended from the Legs, Gels and Caspians, but these statements are speculative. Neither the Avar language nor the Avar toponymy contain any lexemes that could be associated with the Legs, Gels or Caspians, and the Avars themselves never identified themselves with the listed tribes. Moreover, the Legs have direct descendants - the Lezgins. According to ancient sources, the Caspians lived on the plain, not in the mountains. In the 6th century, Avars (“Varhuns”) invaded Europe through the North Caucasus - a nomadic people from Central Asia, probably of proto-Mongol-Eastern Iranian origin, who at an early stage absorbed a certain number of so-called “Sino-Caucasians”, (and later Ugrians, Turks), although complete unity on the issue of their ethnogenesis does not exist. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Eurasian Avars are a people of unknown origin. Apparently, some of them, having settled in Dagestan, gave rise to the Sarir state or made a significant contribution to its strengthening. Supporters of this “infiltration” point of view on Avar ethnogenesis and the formation of statehood include: J. Markvart, O. Pritsak, V. F. Minorsky, V. M. Beilis, M. G. Magomedov, A. K. Alikberov, T. M. Aitberov, . The latter believes that the alien ethnic element contributed to the reorganization and consolidation of the Avar people not only by force of arms: “There is reason to believe that the rulers of the pre-Islamic “Avar”, located in the Dagestan mountains, apparently relying on their knowledge coming from Asia, understood the importance of a single a language within a state entity that claims to have existed for centuries, and, moreover, a specific language, quite isolated from the speech of its neighbors. Spending certain and considerable funds, the rulers contributed to its formation and development - at least within the Sulak basin. It is not without interest in this regard that the early medieval Christian propaganda in this territory, successfully carried out by the apparatus of the Catholicos of Georgia, was also carried out in a common language for all Avars. Later, in the 12th century, the Arab-Muslim intelligence officer al-Gardizi noted that in southern Dagestan and in the traditionally Dargin zone, contemporary culture was developing in several closely related languages, and in the Avar-Ando-Tsez mountains, where local dialects were and are - in only Avar. In this circumstance, we see a direct result of the purposeful language policy of the Avar rulers.”

Linguist Harald Haarmann, who also links the Dagestan ethnonym “Avar” with the heritage of the Eurasian Avars~Varkhonites, does not see any serious reasons to doubt the correctness of supporters of the infiltration point of view. The Hungarian archaeologist and historian Istvan Erdelyi, although he approaches this topic with extreme caution, still does not deny the possibility of a connection between the Eurasian Avars and the Caucasian Avars: “...According to ancient authors, among the rulers of the Avars of Serir (the ancient name of Dagestan) there was one named after Avar. Perhaps the nomadic Avars, moving west, temporarily stopped in the steppes of Northern Dagestan and politically subjugated or made Serir, whose capital until the 9th century, their ally. was in the village. Tanusi (near the modern village of Khunzakh).” A similar position is taken by the Dagestan historian Mamaikhan Aglarov. The outstanding German researcher Karl Menges considered the Avars to be proto-Mongols, “whose traces” are allegedly “found in Dagestan.”

Perhaps the situation with the existence of different “Avars” is somewhat clarified by the statement of G.V. Haussig, who believed that the “Uar” and “Huni” tribes should still be considered real Avars; as for the name “Avar” among other peoples, in this In this case, we are apparently dealing with something like a formidable nickname: “The word“ Avars ”was, first of all, not the name of a specific people, but was a designation of mythical creatures with superhuman abilities. The Slavic designation for giants “obry” - Avars also suggests this old meaning. The myths related to the Avars are most fully presented in Herodotus. So, it talks about one Avar (the Greek form in Herodotus sounds like Abaris) who, with an arrow in his hand, rushed through the countries of the world...

The Avars have not been sufficiently studied by geneticists to judge how genetically related they may be to the Eurasian Avars. No one has yet carried out any special archaeological research aimed at searching for the Avar (Varhun) heritage in Dagestan, although archaeologists have still found rich military burials of representatives of the Iranian-speaking nomadic world in the high-mountain Avar village. Bezhta, dated to the 8th-10th centuries. and conditionally classified as “Sarmatians”. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that all artifacts from excavations of burial grounds left by Iranian-speaking nomads on the territory of Avaria receive only a vague definition of “Scythian-Sarmatian”. Such sliding characteristics are devoid of specifics and do not in any way contribute to highlighting the actual Avar (Varhun) contribution to the ethnogenesis and culture of the Avars, if, of course, there was one. Data from genetic molecular analysis of the maternal line of descent (mtDNA) prove that the genetic distance between the Avars and the Iranians of Tehran and the Iranians of Isfahan is much less significant than between the former and almost all this moment studied by both Dagestan and Caucasian populations (the only exception is the Rutulians). The results of mtDNA analyzes of Avars confirm that Russians, Poles (and even Slavs in general) are genetically closer to Avars than Karachais, Balkars, Azerbaijanis, Ingush, Adyghe, Kabardians, Chechens, Circassians, Abkhaz, Georgians, Armenians, Lezgins of Dagestan. At the same time, relatively close kinship is demonstrated by the indicators of Ossetians, Kurds, Dargins, Spaniards, and Abazas. In terms of degree of kinship, Russians are second only to the Rutulians, the Iranians of Tehran, and the Iranians of Isfahan, and the Lezgins of Dagestan turn out to be a population less related to the Avars than the territorially distant British. Following the Russians (with a slight difference in distance) are again not Caucasian-speaking populations, but Poles and Ossetians-Ardonians.

State entities

Remains of the castle in the village. Khotoda (Gidatl)

The territory inhabited by the Avars was called Sarir (Serir). The first mention of this property dates back to the 6th century. In the north and northwest, Sarir bordered with the Alans and Khazars. The presence of a common border between Sarir and Alanya is also emphasized by al-Masudi. Sarir reached its peak in the 10th-11th centuries, being a major political entity in the North-Eastern Caucasus. Its rulers and the bulk of the population during this period professed Christianity. The Arab geographer and traveler Ibn Ruste (10th century) reports that the king of Sarir is called “Avar” (Auhar). From the 10th century close contacts between Sarir and Alania can be traced, which probably developed on anti-Khazar grounds. An agreement was concluded between the rulers of the two countries, and they mutually gave their sisters to each other. From the point of view of Muslim geography, Sarir, as a Christian state, was in the orbit of the Byzantine Empire. Al-Istakhri reports: “...The state of Rum includes the borders of... Rus, Sarir, Alan, Arman and all others who profess Christianity.” Sarir's relations with the neighboring Islamic emirates of Derbent and Shirvan were tense and rife with frequent conflicts on both sides. However, ultimately, Sarir managed to neutralize the danger emanating from there and even interfere in the internal affairs of Derbent, providing support, at his own discretion, to one or another opposition. By the beginning of the 12th century, Sarir, as a result of internal strife, as well as the formation of a broad anti-Christian front in Dagestan, which entailed an economic blockade, collapsed, and Christianity was gradually supplanted by Islam. The names of the kings of Sarir that have come down to us, as a rule, are of Syrian-Iranian origin.

The territory of Avaria, unlike the rest of Dagestan, was not affected by the Mongol invasion of the 13th century. During the first campaign of the Mongol troops led by Jebe and Subudai to Dagestan (1222), the Saririans took an active part in the fight against the enemy of the Mongols, Khorezmshah Jalal ad-Din and his allies - the Kipchaks. The events associated with the second campaign took place as follows: in the spring of 1239, a strong detachment under the command of Bukday separated from the huge army that was besieging the Alan capital Magas in the foothills of the Central Caucasus. Having passed through Northern and Primorsky Dagestan, he turned into the mountains near Derbent and by autumn reached the Agul village of Richa. It was taken and destroyed, as evidenced by the epigraphic monuments of this village. Then the Mongols entered the lands of the Laks and in the spring of 1240 captured their main stronghold - the village of Kumukh. Muhammad Rafi notes “that the inhabitants of Kumukh fought with great courage, and the last defenders of the fortress - 70 young men - died in the Kikuli quarter. Saratan and Kautar devastated Kumukh... and all the princes of Kumukh, descended from Hamza, scattered throughout different parts Sveta". Further, according to Rashid ad-Din, it is known that the Mongols reached the “Avir region” - this is the Avar land. However, there is no information about the hostile actions of Bukday’s Mongols towards the Avars. Muhammad Rafi writes about the concluded alliance between the Mongols and Avars - “such an alliance was based on friendship, harmony and brotherhood” - also reinforced by the bonds of dynastic marriages. According to modern researcher Murad Magomedov, the rulers of the Golden Horde contributed to the expansion of the borders of Avaria, entrusting it with the role of collecting tribute from numerous peoples conquered in the Caucasus: “The initially established peaceful relationship between the Mongols and Avaria can also be associated with the historical memory of the Mongols. They obviously had information about the warlike Avar Khaganate, which formed in the 4th century. on ancient territory Mongolia... Perhaps the consciousness of the unity of the ancestral homeland of the two peoples determined the loyal attitude of the Mongols towards the Avars, whom they could perceive as ancient fellow tribesmen who found themselves in the Caucasus long before them... Obviously, the sharp expansion of the borders of the state and development noted in the sources should also be associated with the patronage of the Mongols economic activity in the Avaria... This can also be judged from the reports of Hamdulla Qazvini, who notes the rather extensive extent of the Avaria at the beginning of the 14th century. (allegedly a one-month journey), uniting flat and mountainous regions.”

The first reliable mention of the population of Mountainous Dagestan under the name “Avars” dates back to 1404; it belongs to John de Galonifontibus, who wrote that in the Caucasus there live “Circassians, Leks, Yasses, Alans, Avars, Kazikumukhs.” In the will of the nutsalkhan (that is, “ruler”) of Avar, Andunik, dated 1485, the latter also uses this term, calling himself “emir of the Avar vilayat.”

In the subsequent period, the ancestors of modern Avars were recorded as part of the Avar and Mehtulin khanates; some united rural communities (the so-called “free societies”) retained a democratic system of government (like the ancient Greek city-states) and independence. The most influential “free societies” are Andalal (‘Ẅandalal) and Gidatl (Hid). At the same time, the Avars had a unified legal system. The fighting spirit and military training of representatives of the “free societies” of Avaria were traditionally very high. So, for example, in September 1741, on the territory of Andalal, they, despite the significant numerical and technical superiority of the enemy, managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Iranian conqueror Nadirshah Afshar, who, before the collision with the Avar “jamaats” (that is, “societies”), did not know one military failure and was at the zenith of his power. After the battles in the Aimakin Gorge, as well as near the villages of Sogratl, Chokh and Obokh, the army of more than 100 thousand people of Nadir - Russia’s ally in the anti-Turkish coalition - thinned out to 25-27 thousand, with whom the Persian autocrat first retreated to Derbent, and in February 1743 and generally left the borders of Dagestan. According to a contemporary, Russian resident at the Persian court I. Kalushkin: “But even ten Persians against one Lezgin (that is, Dagestani) are unable to stand.”

Expansion of the XVI-XVII centuries.

XVI-XVII centuries are characterized by processes of strengthening feudal relations in the Avar Nutsalstvo. Territorially, it was quite extensive: the southern border ran along the Avar Koisu River, and the northern border reached the Argun River. Taking advantage of the favorable moment of weakening, and then the collapse of the Shamkhalate, the Avar khans subjugated to their power the neighboring rural communities of Bagvalians, Chamalins, Tindins and others, due to which they significantly expanded their territory. The greatest success in this was achieved by Umma Khan of Avar (nicknamed “The Great”), who ruled in 1774-1801. Under him, the Nutsaldom expanded its borders both through the subjugation of the Avar “free societies” and at the expense of the neighboring Chechen territory (primarily the Cheberloy society). During the reign of Umma Khan, the Avar Khanate was paid tribute by the Georgian king Heraclius II, the Derbent, Cuban, Sheki, Baku, Shirvan khans, as well as the Turkish vassal Pasha of Akhaltsikhe. During hostilities, societies allied with the Khunzakh Khan were obliged to supply troops and provide them with everything necessary. Speaking about Umma Khan, Kovalevsky S.S. notes that he is a man of great enterprise, courage and bravery. His own possessions were small, but his influence on the surrounding peoples was “very strong, so that he represents, as it were, the ruler of Dagestan.” According to the testimony of Y. Kostenetsky, “Avaria not only owned many societies that were now dependent on her, but she was also the only ruler in this part of the mountains, and all her neighbors were in awe of her khans.”

Joining Russia

In 1803, the Avar Khanate voluntarily became part of the Russian Empire. However, initially, the tsarist administration made a number of serious mistakes and miscalculations. Heavy extortions and taxes, expropriation of lands, deforestation, construction of fortresses, widespread oppression aroused the discontent of the people, first of all, their most freedom-loving and warlike part - the “uzdenstvo” (that is, “free community members”), who had never before lived under such conditions. kind of government. They declared all supporters of Russia “atheists” and “traitors,” and the tsarist administration “conductors of a slave system, humiliating and insulting to true Muslims.” On this socio-religious basis in the early 20s of the XIX century. The anti-tsarist movement of the mountaineers began under the slogans of Sharia and Muridism. Its leader was an Avar, Mullah Gazi-Muhammad from the village of Gimry. He, with a small detachment of his followers, introduced Sharia law in Avar villages, often by force of arms. Having organized the fortified camp of Chumgesgen at the beginning of 1831, Gazi-Muhammad made a series of campaigns against the Russians. In 1832, he carried out a successful raid towards Chechnya, as a result of which most of the region came over to his side. Soon, during a battle in his native village, Gazi-Muhammad died.

Gamzat-bek from the village of Gotsatl was elected as the second imam, who for two years continued the work of Ghazi-Muhammad - “gazavat” (“holy war”). In 1834, he exterminated the Khan dynasty, which caused anger among the Khunzakh people. After they killed Gamzat-bek, Shamil, a student and associate of Gazi-Muhammad, who led the national liberation movement of the mountaineers for 25 years, was elected imam. All these years, Shamil remained the sole political, military and spiritual leader not only of Avaria, but also of Chechnya. He bore the official title - Imam. In 1842-1845. on the territory of the entire Avaria and Chechnya, Shamil created a military-theocratic state - the Imamate, with its own hierarchy, internal and foreign policy. The entire territory of the Imamate was divided into 50 naibs - military-administrative units, headed by naibs appointed by Shamil. Based on the experience of the war, Shamil conducted military reform. Mobilization was carried out among the male population aged 15 to 50 years, the army was divided into “thousands”, “hundreds”, “tens”. The core of the armed forces was the cavalry, which included the “Murtazek” guard. The production of artillery pieces, bullets, and gunpowder was established. He held the rank of Marshal of the Ottoman Empire, and in July 1854 he was officially promoted to the rank of Generalissimo. Long War destroyed the economy, brought huge human and material losses, many villages were destroyed and burned. No real help Shamil did not have from the Ottoman Empire. It got to the point that, in secret agreement with Russia, those who were ready to go to the Caucasus with Shamil as volunteers were arrested in Turkey. In this regard, Shamil repeatedly spoke extremely negatively about the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and his subjects. He, due to the relative small number of the Avar and Chechen peoples, tried to find as many allies as possible among fellow Muslims, but was not at all eager to join Turkey. But not only Avars and Chechens took part in the war, but also Tabasarans, Kumyks, Laks, Lezgins, Dargins, and other peoples of Dagestan.

End of the Holy War

Imam Shamil

Tsarism did not fail to learn from its mistakes and failures and radically changed its tactics, temporarily abandoning the policy of harsh colonial oppression. In such conditions, Muridist slogans about the need to wage a “holy war” with Russia until the last teenager capable of holding a weapon in his hands, without taking into account any victims or losses, began to be perceived by the mountaineers as extravagant and disastrous. The authority of Shamil and his leaders began to fade. Shamil often had to fight not only with the Russians, but also with his “Frontiers”. Thus, part of the Avars (primarily the Khunzakhs and Chokhs) fought on the side of Russia in units of the mountain militia and the Dagestan cavalry regiment. After Shamil's capitulation, all Avar lands were included in the Dagestan region. In 1864, the Avar Khanate was liquidated, and the Avar District was formed on its territory. In fairness, it should be noted that despite the cruel, inhuman methods of the tsarist command, which they used in the course of suppressing the national liberation movement of the highlanders of Dagestan and Chechnya, tsarist Russia, nevertheless, as far as possible, in general, did not touch national-religious traditions of these peoples. In relation to the Avars in Dagestan, there are numerous facts indicating that they are endowed with such benefits and privileges that even the overwhelming majority of the Russians themselves were deprived of. In particular, this concerns the rapid provision of high military awards, noble titles, and officer ranks. The captured Shamil was given maximum honors by the Tsar. The tsarist administration and Russian military leaders spoke very highly of Shamil as a courageous and decent person, emphasizing his extraordinary talent as a commander and politician. Avars under Emperor Alexander II were part of the Life Guards units of the royal convoy, including serving as guards in the palace chambers of the royal family.

By the beginning of the Caucasian War, about 200 thousand Avars lived in Dagestan, and more than 150 thousand Chechens lived in Chechnya. The wars with the Russian Empire led to the fact that by the end of the Caucasian War less than half of the Avars and Chechens remained. In 1897, 18 years after the end of the war, the number of Avars reached only 158.6 thousand people. In 1926, there were 184.7 thousand Avars in Dagestan. One of the consequences of the Caucasian War was also the emigration of Dagestanis to the Ottoman Empire. At first, the tsarist administration even encouraged this phenomenon, but after emigration began to take on the character of a massive and even complete exodus of the Avar people to Turkey from year to year, they quickly began to prevent it. Tsarism, on the one hand, could not populate the Avar mountains with Cossacks, and on the other hand, it witnessed the use of the North Caucasian ethnic element by the Ottoman Empire as shock military formations against its internal and external enemies.

As part of the USSR

In 1921, the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed. At the end of the 1920s, collectivization and industrialization began in the lands inhabited by Avars.

In 1928, the Avar alphabet was created on a Latin basis (translated into Cyrillic in 1938). Numerous Avar schools were opened, the language began to be taught in universities, and a national secular intelligentsia emerged.

In the 1940s-1960s, many Avars moved from the mountainous areas to the plains.

Culture and customs

Traditional way of life

At the core social organization people there was a rural community, consisting of consanguineous associations - tukhums; community members were private owners, but at the same time co-owners of community property (pastures, forests, etc.). The average community included 110-120 households. The head of the community was an elder (from the end of the 19th century - elder), elected at a village gathering (jamaat) by the entire male population over 15 years of age. By the end of the 19th century, the role of rural communities in the life of the Avars had noticeably decreased; the foremen were under strong pressure from the Russian authorities.

The traditional settlement of the Avars is a fortress, consisting of houses tightly adjacent to each other (stone, with a flat roof, usually two or three stories high) and battle towers. All settlements are oriented to the south. In the center of settlements there was usually a square, which was a public gathering place; Here, as a rule, a mosque was located. The life of an Avar family almost always took place in one room, which had a significant big sizes compared to other rooms. The most important element of the room was the hearth, located in its center. The decoration of the room was also a pillar with an ornament. Currently, the interior of Avars’ homes is close to city apartments.

Avar complex spiral swastika. Stone carving

The most popular and typically Avar symbols in Dagestan are swastikas, primarily spiral-shaped and with rounded curved edges, as well as Maltese crosses, labyrinths found in large numbers on carved stones, antique carpets and women's jewelry. It is also worthy of mention that the Khunzakh khans often used the image of a “wolf with a standard” as a state emblem (including on banners), and the Andians used an “eagle with a saber”.

Avars are engaged in animal husbandry (on the plains - cattle breeding, in the mountains - sheep breeding), field farming (terrace farming is developed in the mountains; rye, wheat, barley, oats, millet, pumpkin, etc. are grown), gardening (apricots, peaches, plums, cherry plums and etc.) and viticulture; Carpet weaving, cloth making, leather processing, copper minting, stone and wood carving have long been developed. By the end of the 20th century, zonal specialization of agriculture increased; Thus, the importance of agriculture fell in the mountains. Avars are also employed in industry and the service sector.

Sometimes some of us hear about such a nationality as the Avar. What kind of nation are the Avars?

It is indigenous to eastern Georgia. Today, this nationality has grown so much that it is the main population in Dagestan.

Origin

It still remains very vague. According to the Georgian chronicle, their family descends from Khozonikhos, a descendant of the progenitor of the Dagestan people. In the past, the Avar Khanate - Khunzakh - was named after him.

There is an opinion that in fact the Avars descended from the Caspians, Legs and Gels, but this is not supported by any evidence, including the people themselves do not consider themselves to be any of the above tribes. Currently, research is being conducted to find a connection between the Avars and the Avars who founded the Kanagat, however, so far these attempts have not brought the desired result. But thanks to genetic analyzes (maternal line only), we can say that this nationality (Avar) is closest to the Slavs than to other peoples of Georgia.

Other versions of the origin of the Avars also do not clarify, but only confuse due to the existence of two different tribes with almost the same name. The only thing that historians mention is the likelihood that the name of this nationality was given by the Kumyks, to whom they caused a lot of trouble. The word "Avar" is translated from Turkic as "anxious" or "warlike", in some legends this name was given to mythical creatures gifted with superhuman strength.

Those whose nationality is Avar often call themselves as they see fit: maarulals, mountaineers and even “supreme”.

History of the people

Land occupied by Avars from the 5th to the 6th centuries. BC e., was named Sarir. This kingdom extended to the north and bordered the settlements of the Alans and Khazars. Despite all the circumstances playing in Sarir’s favor, it became a major political state only in the 10th century.

Although this was the period of the early Middle Ages, the society and culture of the country were at a very high level, various crafts and cattle breeding flourished here. The capital of Sarir was the city of Humraj. The king who especially distinguished himself by his successful reign was called Avar. The history of the Avars mentions him as an extremely brave ruler, and some scientists even believe that the name of the people came from his name.

Two centuries later, on the site of Sarir, the Avar Khanate arose - one of the most powerful settlements, and independent “free communities” emerged among other lands. Representatives of the latter were distinguished by their ferocity and strong fighting spirit.

The period of existence of the Khanate was a turbulent time: wars constantly raged, the consequences of which were devastation and stagnation. However, in times of trouble he united, and his unity only grew stronger. An example of this was the Battle of Andalal, which did not stop day or night. However, the mountaineers achieved success thanks to their knowledge of the area and various tricks. This people was so united that even women, driven by the desire to preserve their home, took part in hostilities. Thus, we can say that this nationality (Avar) really received the correct name, well deserved by the belligerence of the inhabitants of the Khanate.

In the 18th century, many khanates of the Caucasus and Dagestan became part of Russia. Those who did not want to live under the yoke of tsarist power organized an uprising that grew into a rebellion that lasted for 30 years. Despite all the disagreements, in the second half of the next century, Dagestan became part of Russia.

Language

The Avars developed their own language and writing back in the days. Since this tribe was considered the strongest in the mountains, its dialect quickly spread across the adjacent lands, becoming dominant. Today, the language is native to more than 700 thousand people.

Avar dialects are very different and are divided into northern and southern groups, so native speakers speaking different dialects are unlikely to understand each other. However, the dialect of the northerners is closer to the literary norm, and it is easier to grasp the essence of the conversation.

Writing

Despite the early penetration, the inhabitants of Avaria began to use it only a couple of centuries ago. Before this, an alphabet based on the Cyrillic alphabet was in use, but at the beginning of the 19th century. it was decided to replace it with the Latin alphabet.

Today, the official writing is graphically similar to the Russian alphabet, but containing 46 characters instead of 33.

Customs of the Avars

The culture of this people is quite specific. For example, when communicating between people, a distance must be maintained: men are prohibited from approaching women closer than two meters, while the latter must maintain half that distance. The same rule applies to conversations between young people and old people.

Avars, like other peoples of Dagestan, are taught from childhood not only by age, but also by social status. The one who is “more important” always goes to the right, and the husband goes ahead of his wife.

The customs of Avar hospitality break all records of friendliness. According to tradition, the visitor rises above the owner, regardless of his rank and age, and can come at any time of the day without notifying him in advance. The owner of the house assumes full responsibility for the health and safety of visitors. But the guest is also obliged to observe certain rules of etiquette that prohibit performing a number of actions that are not accepted in local society.

IN family relationships the power of the head of the house was not despotic; the woman had a leading role in resolving many issues, but at the same time there was some forced alienation between husband and wife. For example, according to the rules, they should not sleep in bed together or live in the same room if there are several rooms in the house.

There was also a ban on communication between girls and boys, so the Avar (what kind of nation was told earlier) visited the house of the chosen one to leave in it a certain thing, regarded as a marriage proposal.

Nationality Avar

Thus, we can say that the Avars are an extremely interesting people with a rich centuries-old history and fascinating customs, which are far from being fully described in this article. These are very open people who do not know irony, but love farce. They are extremely emotional, so in personal communication you should not make an Avar angry by hurting his sense of patriotism or hinting at physical weakness.