Circassians in Iran

The Circassians in Iran are an ethnic minority in Iran. Circassians in Iran differ somewhat from other Circassian diasporas, in that most in the former stem from the Safavid and Qajar era, although a number migrated as muhajirs in the late 19th century as well. The Circassians in Iran were very influential during periods in the last few centuries. The vast majority of them have assimilated to Persian language, and no sizeable number speaks their native Circassian languages anymore. Once a very large minority in Iran, nowadays due to being heavily assimilated over the course of time and the lack of censuses based on ethnicity, population estimates vary significantly. They are, after the Georgians, the largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation.

Circassians in Iran
Персым ис Адыгэхэр
چرکس های ایران
Total population
Roughly estimated 50,000
Precise population unknown due to heavy assimilation and lack of censuses based on ethnicity. Second largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation.
Regions with significant populations
Tehran, Gilan Province, Mazandaran Province, Rasht, East Azerbaijan Province, Fars Province, Isfahan, Aspas
Languages
Mainly Persian, as well as Circassian in small amounts
Religion
Islam

In Persian, the word Cherkes (چرکس /tʃeɾˈkes/) is sometimes applied generally to Caucasian peoples living beyond Derbent in Dagestan, which was the northernmost principal city of Iran prior to its ceding to Russia in the first half of the 19th century following the Treaty of Gulistan.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.