Circassia

A map of Circassia from 1840

Circassia area in the Caucasus

Circassia, also known as Cherkessia in Russian, is a region in Caucasia. Historically it comprised the southern half of the current Krasnodar Territory and most of the interior of the current Stavropol Territory, but now only refers to a portion of the Karachay-Cherkessia Republic, Adyghe Republic and Kabardino-Balkaria Republic of the Russian Federation. The historical region is named after the traditional inhabitants, the Circassians (they prefer Adyghe or Adiga).

After the fall of Circassia to the Russians, and due to the Russian massacres of the Circassian tribes in 1864, survivors of these tribes left Circassia for the Ottoman Empire, along with fellow Muslims; Chechens, Dagestans, Balqars, etc. These massacres are considered by some as the worst action against Circassian/Adyghe people in History. Due to the deportations, Circassians became a minority in their historical land Circassia.

A larger population of Circassians now lives in the Republic of Adygea of the Russian Federation which is entirely surrounded by Krasnodar Krai.

The Circassian diaspora is a community of people (and their descendants) who were expelled from historical Circassia in the late 19th century after a series of wars against Russian Imperial rule. They are found in various areas of the old Ottoman Empire, including Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Kosovo (until they were repatriated in 1998, after receiving threats from the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army), Egypt (Circassians were part of the Mamluk armies), and Israel (in the villages of Kfar Kama and Rehaniya, since 1880), and even as far afield as Upstate New York and New Jersey in the United States, and Europe (Germany and Netherlands).

See also

• Circassians
• Circassian beauties

References

• Jaimoukha, Amjad, The Circassians: A Handbook, London: Routledge, New York: Routledge & Palgrave, 2001.