User:Alvinnochimpmunks1237/Circassian diaspora

Article Draft

Lead. [Alvin, since you've made wide-spread grammatical changes, you will need to copy and paste each individual line into the article since you are not allowed to copy and paste this entire article from your sandbox and replace the other one entirely. I'm going to put them into italics here, so they are easier for you to move. Make sure to also keep the original citations, which do not appear here].

The Circassian diaspora refers to ethnic Circassian people around the world who live outside their homeland Circassia. This diaspora was established as a result of widespread resettlement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. From 1763 to 1864, the Circassians fought against the Russian Empire in the Russian-Circassian War, finally succumbing to a scorched-earth genocide campaign that was initiated between 1862-1864. In the aftermath of the genocide, large numbers of Circassians were exiled and deported to the Ottoman Empire and other nearby regions, while others were resettled in Russia far from their home territories. Today, Circassians live in more than fifty countries, besides the Republic of Adygea. Total population estimates differ: according to some sources, some two million live in Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq; other sources have between one and four million in Turkey alone.

Middle East[edit]

A large number of Circassians began arriving in the Levant in the 1860s and 1870s, resettled by the Ottoman Empire for mostly political or military reasons. The Ottomans settled them in areas with Muslim minorities and populations that were otherwise of concern to the government; moreover, the dispersion of the Circassians, a warrior people, diminished their possible military threat. An estimated 600 Circassian villages are in Central and Western Anatolia. Likewise, Circassians who moved to Jordan were settled there to counter possible Bedouin attacks. There is a sizeable Circassian population in Syria, which has, to a great extent, preserved its original culture and even its language.

Turkey[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Turkey

According to historians, Circassians play a key role in Turkey's history. Around half of all Circassians live in Turkey (including the largest Adyghe population). They are primarily situated in the provinces of Samsun and Ordu (in Northern Turkey), Kahramanmaraş (in Southern Turkey), Kayseri (in Central Turkey), Bandırma, and Düzce (in Northwest Turkey). All citizens of Turkey are considered Turks by the government, but it is estimated that approximately two million ethnic Circassians live in Turkey. The "Circassians" in question do not always speak the languages of their ancestors, and in some cases describe themselves as "only Turkish". The changing language and identity attitudes can be attributed to Turkey's Government assimilation policies [make sure to keep all citations here] and marriages with non-Circassians.

Some of the exiles and their descendants gained high positions in the Ottoman Empire. Most of the young Turks were of Circassian origin. Until the end of the First World War, many Circassians actively served in the army . In the period after the First World War, Circassians came to the fore in Anatolia as a group of advanced armament and organizational abilities, as a result of the fight against the Russian troops prior to arriving in the Ottoman lands. However, conditions in the Ottoman Empire after the war caused them to be caught between the different balances of power between Istanbul and Ankara and even become a striking force. For this period, it is not possible to say that Circassians all acted together as in many other groups in Anatolia. The Turkish government removed 14 Circassian villages from Gönen and Manyas regions in December 1922, May and June 1923, and drove them to different places in Anatolia from Konya to Sivas and Bitlis. This incident had a great impact on the assimilation of Circassians. After 1923, Circassians were restricted by language policies such as the prohibition of Circassian language [keep references here] and changing village names and surname law. [keep references]. Circassians, who had many problems in maintaining their identity comfortably, were seen as a group that inevitably had to be assimilated.

Iran[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Iran

The diaspora of Circassians in Iran dates back to the end of the 15th century, when Jonayd of the Ak Koyunlu raided regions of Circassia and carried off prisoners. However, the real large influx of Circassians started by the time of Shah Tahmasp I of the Safavid dynasty, who in four campaigns deported some 30,000 Circassians and Georgians back to Iran. Up and till the start of the Qajar dynasty, Tahmasp's successors - most notably Shah Abbas, continued to deport and import hundreds of thousands of Circassians to Iran, while a lesser amount migrated voluntarily. Following the mass expulsion of the native Circassians of the northwest Caucasus in 1864, some of them also migrated to Qajar Iran occasionally rising to various high ranks. The Persian Cossack Brigade demonstrates this, as every member of the army was either Circassian, or belonged to another ethnic group from the Caucasus. The Circassians in Iran played an important and crucial role in the army, civil administration, and royal harems over the many centuries. Today, they are the third-largest Caucasus derived group in the nation after the Armenians and Georgians.

Egypt[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Egypt

The Circassian diaspora may date back to the end of the fourteenth century. The Circassian population in Egypt claims its descendance from the Mamluks, who during the Mamluk Sultanate, ruled Egypt and Syria. One exception to this is the Abazin community in Egypt, which conglomerates in the powerful Abaza Family that claims descent from an Abazin "beloved" female "elder." In Egypt, the Abkhazians took – or were given – the last name "Abaza".

Syria[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Syria

In 1987, Syria was home to approximately 100,000 Circassians, about half of whom lived in Hauran province, and many of the Circassians used to live in the Golan Heights. During the time of the French Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (1920–1946), Circassians served with the French troops in the "escadron tcherkesse" (Cherkess squadron), earning them enduring distrust from the Syrian Sunni Arabs.

In Quneitra and the Golan Region, there was a sizeable Circassian community. Several Circassian leaders wanted in 1938, (just as their Assyrian, Kurdish and Bedouin counterparts in Al-Jazira province in 1936–1937), a special autonomy status for their region, fearing the prospect of living under a nationalist Arab government hostile towards the minorities that had collaborated with the colonial power. They also wanted the Golan region to become a national homeland for Circassian refugees from the Caucasus. A Circassian battalion served in the French army and helped it against the Arab nationalist uprisings. Like in Al-Jazira Province, the French authorities refused to grant any autonomy status to the Golan Circassians.

The Circassians of Syria were actively involved in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Their unit was under the leadership of Jawad Anzor. 200 Circassians were killed in action. They performed well, but the overall failure to stop the founding of Israel led to the dissolution of special Circassian unit.^{[citation needed]} After the Six-Day War of 1967, they withdrew further into Syria, particularly to Damascus and Aleppo. They were prevented from returning to the Golan Heights by Israeli occupying forces, but after 1973 some of them returned, then living in two villages, Beer Ajam and Bariqa, where they maintain a traditionally Circassian way of life.

The Circassians in Syria are generally well off. They have very good relations with minorities like the Alawites, Druze, Christians and Jews. Many of them work for the government, in civil service, or for the military. The former Syrian interior minister and director of the military police, Bassam Abdel Majeed, was a Circassian. All Circassians learn Arabic and English in school; many speak Adyghe language, but their numbers are dwindling. One kindergarten in Damascus provides Adyghe language education. However, there are no Circassian newspapers, and few Circassian books are printed in Syria.^{[citation needed]} Cultural events play an important role in maintaining the ethnic identity of the Circassians. During holidays and weddings, they perform folk dances and songs in their traditional dress.

Jordan[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Jordan

Between 1878 and 1904, Circassians founded five villages in Jordan: Amman (1878), Wadi al-Sir (1880), Jerash (1884), Na'ur (1901), and al-Rusayfa (1904). Since then, the Circassians have had a major role in the development of Jordan, holding high positions in the Jordanian government, armed forces, air force and police.^{[self-published source]} In 1921, Circassians were granted the position of the personal trusted royal guards of King Abdullah the First. Since then, the Circassians have been the royal guard, serving all four of the Jordanian Kings, King Abdullah the First, King Talal the First, King Hussein the First and King Abdullah the Second. Despite holding these major roles, Circassians still remain as a minority population in each of the seven districts they preside in. Their assimilation into the popular Arab culture has contributed to language loss. Arabic which is the dominant language in Jordan is preferred by most Circassians for use in both public and private domains.

In the 20th Century, many Circassian clubs were made to promote language and culture. These were clubs like the Circassian Charity Association (1932), the Al-Ahli Club for Circassian sports (1944), and the Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed club (1950). While they were created as mediums for language maintenance, some of the club interests dissolved overtime. The Al-Jadeed club was made to preserve the Circassian language and yet today the main language of communication within the club is Arabic. This is evidence of widespread assimilation. In 2009, the Circassian Culture Academy was founded, aiming to preserve the Circassian language, which comprises the closely related Adyghe and Kabardian languages (considered to be dialects of Circassian by some linguists). [there was a line in the original deleted here? Why? Due to no citation? I'd keep it in.]

On 21 May 2011, the Circassian community in Jordan organised a protest in front of the Russian embassy in opposition to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. The site of the games was allegedly being built over mass graves of Circassians who were killed during the Circassian genocide of 1864.

Iraq[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Iraq

Iraq is home to approximately 35,000 Circassians, of mainly West Circassian origin. The Adyghes came to Iraq in two waves: directly from Circassia, and later from the Balkans. They settled in all parts of Iraq – from north to south – but most of all in Iraq's capital Baghdad. It has been reported that there are 30,000 Adyghe families just in Baghdad alone. Many also settled in Kerkuk, Diyala, Fallujah, and other places. Circassians played a major role in different periods throughout Iraq's history, and made great contributions to political and military institutions in the country, to the Iraqi Army in particular. Several Iraqi Prime Ministers have been of Circassian descent.

The Iraqi Circassians mainly speak Mesopotamian Arabic and West Circassian.

Israel[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Israel

There are five to ten thousand Circassians in Israel, living mostly in Kfar Kama (5,005) and Rehaniya (5,000). These two villages were a part of a larger group of Circassian villages around the Golan Heights. As is the case with Jewish Israelis, and the Druze population living within Israel, Circassian men must complete mandatory military service upon reaching the age of majority. Many Circassians in Israel are employed in the security forces, including in the Israel Border Police, the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police and the Israel Prison Service.

Libya[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Libya

Around 35,000 Circassians live in Libya, most of them are in the city of Misurata 200 km east of Tripoli.

Eastern Europe[edit]

Kosovo[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Kosovo

A small minority of Circassians had lived in Kosovo Polje since the late 1880s, as mentioned by Noel Malcolm in his seminal work about that province, but they were repatriated to the Republic of Adygea in southern Russia in the late 1990s.

Romania[edit]

Main article: Circassians in Romania

Following the Circassian genocide, around 10,000 Circassians settled in Northern Dobruja, a region now pertaining to Romania. They were later expelled as agreed in the Treaty of San Stefano of 1878, which gave the region to Romania, avoiding any prominent contact between the Romanian state and the Dobrujan Circassians.

References

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Circassians refer to their diaspora as a genocide. Many believe the diaspora is "perhaps the most pressing issue in the region and the most difficult to solve."^{[citation needed]} In 2006, the Russian State Duma refused to accept a petition by the Circassian Congress that would have called the Russian–Circassian War an act of genocide. Hazret Sovmen, President of the Republic of Adygea from 2002 to 2007, referred to the Circassian diaspora as an enduring tragedy and a national catastrophe, claiming the Circassians live in more than fifty countries across the world, most of them far from their "historical homeland". The International Circassian Organization promotes the interests of Circassians, and the advent of the Internet has brought "a sort of virtual Circassian nation" into being.