Transcaucasia is a geopolitical region with an incredibly motley ethnolinguistic structure. According to scientists, at least 50 different peoples and nationalities live here. Talysh is one of the most interesting ethnic groups in this region. About it just will be discussed in our article.
So, Talysh - who are they and where did they come from? What is the size of this people and where do its representatives live? What is the story of the Talysh and how do they look? What language do they speak and who do they believe in? You will find the answers to all these questions below.
General information about the people
Probably everyone knows the meme: “Who are you? Come on, goodbye! ”, Which has become especially popular in the Russian-language segment of the Internet. Its authors, it turns out, are ethnic Talysh. The people who live compactly in southeastern Azerbaijan and northern Iran are also known for producing large-leaf black tea of the Azerchay brand, which is successfully sold in Russia, Ukraine and some other countries.
Talyshs are a proud and self-sufficient nation. These people demand autonomy from the Azerbaijani authorities, and some of them require complete independence. In the 90s, the conflict between the Talysh and Azerbaijanis almost escalated into a bloody war. Fortunately, nothing happened.
Who are they - Talysh? We invite you to get to know this unusual people better.
A few words about the ethnonym
The origin of the nationality name “talysh” (self-name - tolișon / “tolyson”) has not been fully clarified by scientists. In the same way as the question of the origin of this ethnic group.
This ethnonym was first found in the book “The History of Alexander the Great”, translated into Armenian in the 16th century. According to a number of researchers, the word "Talysh" should look for a reference to some tribe that lived in these places earlier. However, the Iranian historian and linguist Ahmed Kesravi assures that there are no references to Talysh either in ancient Roman, nor in ancient Greek, nor in Iranian sources. The Soviet orientalist Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold speaks exactly of the same thing.
Abundance and geography
Nationality Talysh is an ethnic group of Iranian origin, which was formed on the Caucasian geographical and cultural substrate. This is the fifth largest ethnic group in Azerbaijan. For several decades, Azerbaijani Talysh have been fighting to preserve their culture and their language, which is radically different from the language of the state in which they live. It should be noted that the number of representatives of this community in Azerbaijan is steadily increasing every year.
Data on the total number of Talysh vary: from 267 to 619 thousand people. At the same time, 112 thousand representatives of this nationality live in Azerbaijan, and almost 500 thousand live in Iran.
Where do the Talysh live? Nationality is widely represented in four regions of southern Azerbaijan - Lankaran, Astara, Lerik and Masalli. The secret "capital" of the Talysh people can be considered the city of Lankaran (Lankaran). It was he who became the core of the formation of the Talysh Khanate in the middle of the XVIII century.
Where do Talysh live in Iran? Here they are dispersed over the territories of three stops in the north-west of the country (Gilan, Ardabil and Zanjan). The highest concentration of Iranian Talysh is characteristic of several villages in the vicinity of the city of Ardabil, as well as of the five Gilyan charistans (Asalem, Kerganrud, Masal, Shandermin and Talesh-Dolyab).
In addition, Talysh live in some other post-Soviet states. For example, in the Russian Federation (about 2500 people), Ukraine (133 people), Kazakhstan (132), Belarus (11) and Estonia (6).
History of Talysh
So, who are the Talyshs? According to some scholars, they are direct descendants of the Cadusians, an ancient tribe that once inhabited the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea and is mentioned in the works of many ancient authors. At one point, they, united with the Albanians, Medes, Tatami, formed such a nation as the Caspian.
But in general, there are many open questions in the history of the origin of the Talysh nation. Discussions on this issue are still ongoing, although the deep autochthonous nature of the people in relation to the Caucasus region is not disputed by anyone.
The history of Iranian Talysh and Talyshs of Azerbaijan is common. At least until the beginning of the twentieth century. The ancient history of the Talysh refers us to the beginning of the first millennium BC. Then, on the territory of modern Talysh, the Median state appears, which, after five hundred years, is replaced by the Achaemenid empire. After the fall of Achaemenid, this area is under the rule of a number of different state entities - Atropatena, Great Armenia, Parthian Kingdom.
In the early Middle Ages, the entire local population (including Talysh) was gradually irranized. It is interesting to note that in the Arab sources of that time, this territory was referred to as Talishan. The Talysh have long resisted Islamization, preserving their cultural and linguistic identity. Many people from Talysh of the Middle Ages wrote in Persian. Nevertheless, there were poets who worked in their native dialect. One of the most prominent representatives of early Talysh literature is Seyyed Sharafshah Dulai, who lived in the 15th century.
Talysh Khanate
The real flourishing of the Talysh nation occurred in the second half of the 18th century. It was during this period that the so-called Talysh Khanate arose - a feudal state that existed until 1813 on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital was the coastal city of Lankaran.
The territory of the khanate occupied an area of 12 thousand square kilometers between the Caspian, the Mugan steppe and the Talysh mountains. The inhabitants of this state were engaged in agriculture (rice cultivation), cattle breeding and beekeeping. The population of coastal areas fished. Talysh exported flour, cheese, butter, honey and other foodstuffs to the neighboring Baku Khanate. In exchange, oil and salt entered the country through Lankaran.
In the administrative-territorial plan, the Talysh Khanate was divided into six Magals. Mostly Azerbaijanis lived in the northern mahals, and the Talysh themselves lived in the southern and central ones. Most of the population belonged to Shiite Muslims.
During the Russo-Persian war (1804-1813), the Talysh khan Mir Mustafa Khan took the side of the Russian Empire. In December 1812, the Russian army, under the command of General Kotlyarovsky, recaptured the Lenkoran Citadel from the Persians. According to the results of the Gulistan Peace Treaty of 1813, the Talysh Khanate became part of the Caspian region of Russia. It is curious that until the beginning of the twentieth century the remains of tribal division still remained in Talysh society.
Talysh as part of the USSR
After the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Lankaran Soviet Republic was formed for a short time, refusing to submit to recreated Azerbaijan. But already in July 1919, it was liquidated as a result of the occupation by the Azerbaijani troops of the city of Lankaran. In 1922, the power of the Soviets was finally established here.
In the early 1920s, the Talyshs completely switched from a nomadic way of life to a settled one. According to the census conducted in 1926, the number of people within the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR amounted to over 77 thousand people.
Before the October Revolution of 1917, 99% of Talysh were illiterate. In the 1920s, as part of the fight against illiteracy of the local population, 18 so-called educational programs were created in the Lankaran region. By the end of 1923, 24 schools functioned here.
Initially, the Talysh language was taught in schools, books and newspapers were printed on it. A prominent cultural figure of that era was the poet Zulfugar Akhmedzoda, who, in addition to active creative and educational activities, translated a mass of works of Russian classical literature into Talysh. However, in 1937, politics in the USSR changed dramatically. Zulfugar Ahmedzoda was arrested, and the study of the Talysh language remained exclusively at universities. As a separate ethnic group, the Talyshs were not included in any censuses until 1989.
Talysh-Mugan Autonomous Republic
The 65 years of the existence of the Azerbaijan SSR and the policy of assimilation of the Talysh population conducted in it were not in vain. The economic, cultural and social development of this region was in every way limited and artificially inhibited. All Talysh were marked in the passports as Azerbaijanis. Of course, this could not but lead to the intensification of nationalist sentiments in the region.
On June 21, 1993, the Talysh-Mugan Autonomous Republic (TMAR) was organized within seven regions of southern Azerbaijan, led by Alakram Gummatov. She had her own army and her own state symbols. The republic, according to Gummatov, was formed in order to maintain public order and stability in the region in connection with the political crisis in Azerbaijan.
The self-proclaimed state did not last long. On August 24 of the same 1993, Heydar Aliyev abolished the republic, arresting Gummatov and several other Talysh activists. There were no casualties: as a result of the shootout, three people died, five more were injured. Subsequently, all Talysh activists came under severe repression, and the central authorities continued the assimilation policy launched in the USSR against the Talysh.
The fate of the leader of the failed ТМАР Alakram Gummatov is interesting. At first, he was hiding from the Azerbaijani authorities. In August 1995, he was detained and sentenced to death. Two years later, the sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. In conclusion, Gummatov actively wrote letters to the Council of Europe. Under pressure from European structures, in 2004, politics was pardoned, deprived of Azerbaijani citizenship and sent to the Netherlands. There he lives to this day, overseeing the activities of the Talysh national movement. The members of this organization not only dream of autonomy for the Talysh nationality, but also set themselves the goal of transforming present-day Azerbaijan on the principles of democracy and freedom.
Anthropology and Genetics
Talysh is an ethnic group of Iranian origin, belonging to the Balkan-Caucasian branch of the large Caucasian race. The nearest peoples related to them are Gilanians, Zaza and Kurds. What do Talyshs look like? The photos below give us a general idea of this.
The first detailed description of the nationality was left by Russian naturalist and ethnographer Nikolai Zeydlits. He wrote of them as follows: “Talysh are well-built, most often of medium height, seemingly healthy. Their complexion is swarthy, somewhat reminiscent of Indian. The expression on the face is wild, but not ferocious, which quite distinguishes them from the Tatars (Azerbaijanis) and Persians. Noses are sharp and usually straight. ”
Another researcher and anthropologist Nikolai Anserov wrote that the Talysh of the lowland areas, according to their anthropological characteristics, belong to the Near-Asian type of the Balkan-Caucasian race, but in the mountains it is strongly mixed with the Iranian type. In turn, Viktor Bunak correlates Talysh of the Caspian lowland with the Karabakh variant of the Near Asian type, and Talysh of mountainous regions with the so-called Elbur variant of the Caspian type. But the anthropologist R.D. Muganlinsky is sure that according to the facial contours and some other signs, the Talysh are much closer to the representatives of the Caspian type, and not to the Near Asian.
According to recent studies by Russian geneticists, Talysh are closest to the Finno-Ugric peoples - Finns, Swedes, Estonians and Belarusians. These data may indicate a possible route for the migration of the mentioned ethnic groups to Europe from their Asian ancestral home through the Caucasus. The same studies showed that the Azerbaijani Talysh are closer to the Azerbaijanis than to the Iranian-speaking peoples (Persians, Tajiks, Ossetians).
Religion
Talysh - are they Muslims or Christians? The majority of the nation professes Shiite Islam. Some Talyshs are Sunnis of the Shafi'i madhhab. The ratio between them is approximately the following: 90% to 10%.
Sunni Talysh are mainly found in the south of the Lankaran region of Azerbaijan, as well as in some villages of Iran. An interesting picture has developed in the area of the Iranian city of Namin, where Shiite Muslims live in the village itself, and Sunnis in the suburban area.
Talysh often use fatwas based directly on the Koran as a source of law. In some cases, they also turn to the Sunna for help. In addition to these two writings, Ijma is a compilation of counseling and advice from reputable clerics.
Culture and Life
The traditional occupations of the Talyshs are agriculture, animal husbandry, weaving and weaving. For many centuries in a row rice, wheat and tea have been successfully cultivated on this land, cattle are bred, and cotton products are made. In the last two decades, the Talysh have also learned to grow citrus fruits. Talysh settlements in the mountains are compactly located, and on the plains they are spread over rather significant territories.
Talysh are carriers of one of the most ancient cultures of the Near East. Its main elements are literature, folklore, music, clothing and the kitchen. This topic has not been sufficiently studied by culturologists, and therefore it is still awaiting its inquisitive researchers.
Talysh fine art developed in stages, taking the influence of various cultures of other nations. During the time of the Achaemenid Empire, pottery was actively developing here. Pottery dating back to the fourth century BC, with skillfully carved ornaments and images of various animals: deer, cows, ducks and geese, has survived. Some pots and vases were additionally decorated with tiny sculptures - kind of like handles. Talysh ornaments on dishes usually consist of clear geometric lines or display scenes from everyday life of Talysh. It is known that even in antiquity, representatives of this people learned to make large ceramic stoves.
Archaeological finds indicate that even during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, the Talysh culture continued to live its own life. So, scientists discovered jewelry, jugs, cups and other items of utensils related to the XIII-XV centuries. In addition, entire buildings of that time were preserved, testifying to the significant development of the Talysh people in the Middle Ages.
We should also mention the famous Talysh carpets. At one time, they were extremely popular not only within the Caucasus, but also in the Russian Empire. Today they can be seen in the Hermitage, the Louvre and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Weaving among Talysh women was mainly engaged in. In their work, they used special scissors and combs. It was believed that Talysh carpets protect a person from ailments and protect his family. The most common images on them are flowers, columns, arches, domes of the icon lamp, sometimes quotes of famous religious figures were used in the design.
Folk traditions
Talysh is alien to polygamy. The second wife is acceptable only if the first is very ill. Even the most wealthy Talysh prefer to be faithful to a single spouse. Men here get married, usually at twenty, and girls marry at sixteen. There is a tradition of redemption, which is usually money or valuables. The size of the ransom is discussed in advance at the general family council. The Talyshs have one curious wedding ceremony: the bride should dip her hand in honey, and then leave an imprint on the door jamb of the house.
Talyshs are especially kind to trees, the felling of which is strictly limited. They try to erect their houses as close to the trees as possible. An interesting feature: the front door in Talysh dwellings is usually very high and can reach the roof itself. The furniture inside the rooms is extremely small, but there are a lot of carpets. Talysh eat and drink tea on low tables, food is served on trays.
Of great importance in the life of the Talyshs has always been music. The choral chant "Khalai" is a traditional entertainment of this ethnos. It is usually attended by women, but men can also connect. Khalai includes seven pairs of songs. In his head is always "sang", playing the tambourine.
Among the most famous singers and musicians of the Talysh people, one should mention Sohrab Zahiri, Khadi Khamidi, Armin Faridi, Israil Mammadov. Very popular folk dance group "Grandmothers", formed back in the 70s. In his repertoire there are no less than seventy folk songs that “grandmothers” perform in Talysh and Azerbaijani languages.
National costume and kitchen
The traditional costume of Talysh is not much different from Azerbaijan. Men used to wear a shirt, trousers, an archaluk, they covered their heads with a hat or a felt hat. Women wore long and wide trousers, a shirt, a skirt, and headscarves. In addition, wool socks and genuine leather shoes are characteristic of the Talysh costume.
The cuisine of this people is bright and authentic, which is due to the specific geographical location and unique nature. The most typical dishes are pilaf, kebabs, fish. The variety of pilafs among the Talyshs is simply amazing. Here you can taste pumpkin, lentil, fish, bean pilaf, pilaf with raisins and many others. An important place in Talysh cuisine is also occupied by flour dishes - kutaba with meat, potatoes and herbs.
Talysh language
The language of this nationality belongs to the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family. He does not have an established written tradition. Language status is vulnerable. The total number of speakers is from 184 thousand to 1.3 million people (the data vary widely). Researchers distinguish three main dialects of the Talysh language: northern (distributed mainly in Azerbaijan), central and southern (common in Iran).
The beginning of the study of the Talysh language was laid by the Polish orientalist Alexander Khodzko in 1842. Another prominent researcher of the 19th century, Albert Starchevsky, called him original and original. Today, the Talysh language does not have an official status either in Azerbaijan or in Iran. Nevertheless, there is a surge in lively interest in him.
There are only 29 letters in the Talysh alphabet. Talysh writing today uses three graphic systems at once: Cyrillic, Latin and Arabic.
National symbols of Talysh: coat of arms and flag
The Talysh emblem was developed and adopted in May 2017. It is oversaturated with various symbols and images. The coat of arms is based on an oval shield supported by two Caspian tigers. Predators stand on a ribbon that is woven into boxwood branches. It displays the key principles of the Talysh people, expressed in three words: “honor”, “freedom” and “justice”.
The shield itself is divided into four sectors. In the upper right field we see the Talysh mountains and two local rivers - the Kura and Sefidrud. A golden winged bull walks between them - a symbol of fertility and natural power. In the upper right field there is a sword, spears and a shield with an image of a ram - an ancient war totem of the Talysh people. In the lower left sector there is an iron tree (a symbol of wisdom and longevity), and in the right - a two-headed golden eagle with a scroll in its claws (a symbol of the unity of spiritual and secular power).
The Talysh flag is one of the main national symbols of this people. It was approved in August 1993 by the Mejlis of the Talysh-Mugan Autonomous Republic. The Talysh flag is a rectangular cloth divided into three vertical stripes: red, white and green. In the center of the canvas is a golden sun with twelve rays. The luminary symbolizes the prophet Muhammad, and its rays are twelve imams of the kind of prophet.
Talyshs: the character of the nation and attitude towards women
Talish women are considered quite beautiful. Dark skin, a large mouth and expressive eyes - representatives of this ethnic group possess such characteristic features. By nature, they are rather reserved and submissive, completely subordinate to their husbands.
What are the Talysh men by nature? Nationality obliges them to be strict, sometimes even a little oppressive. Talysh men often look down on women. With all this, they are faithful family men. Spouse and children are sacred to them. By the way, the Talysh are incredibly religious people, sometimes to the point of fanaticism.
It is important to note that not all Talysh men fit this description. Indeed, much in the character of a person is determined by upbringing, as well as by the specific area on which he was born and raised.
Talysh issue today
The attitude to Talyshs at the level of central authorities is fundamentally different in Iran and Azerbaijan. And if in Tehran today the possibility of creating a separate Talysh Ostan is being discussed, then in Baku any options for autonomy for this people are not considered at all. Talysh history and culture is being actively studied in Iran, the launch of Talysh radio is being prepared, which will broadcast including to the territory of neighboring Azerbaijan.
The Talysh issue is an uncomfortable and painful topic for modern Azerbaijan. The state’s authorities fear that with the support of Russia or Armenia, “a second Karabakh” might swing in this region. Therefore, in Baku, the requirements of autonomy for Talysh are extremely hostile.
It is important to note that the majority of Azerbaijani Talyshs dream exclusively of autonomy within the country. They do not aspire to any independence or secession. According to Talysh activists, this is necessary primarily to preserve their native language.
