Abaza people historically speak the Abaza language, a Northwest Caucasian language closely related to Abkhaz and Circassian. There are two dialects of Abaza spoken in Karachay-Cherkessia: Ashkharua and Tapanta. The culture and traditions of the Abazin are similar to those of the Circassians. On many old maps Abazin territory is marked as part of Circassia (Adygea).
The Abazin originally inhabited the Sadzen region in the western part of Abkhazia and migrated from Abkhazia to Abazinia between the 14th and 16th centuries.[6] They later migrated to various regions of the former Ottoman Empire in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since the late 18th century, their dominant religion is Sunni Islam (Hanafi).
In the II century AD, history recorded the state (principality) — Abazgia. In the VIII century AD, history recorded the state — the Abaza kingdom, better known as the "Abkhazian Kingdom". In certain periods of history, the number of Abaza living in Abkhazia exceeded the number of related Abkhazians. Due to the lack of land for agricultural processing, the Abaza in three waves, at different periods of history, peacefully migrated to the North Caucasus along with their related Adyghe tribes.
K. Stal cites a legend according to which the resettlement of the Abaza took place through mountain passes between the upper reaches of the Belaya and Teberdy rivers. The toponymy of these routes is currently etymologized on the basis of the Abkhaz-Abaza language. A. Ya. Fedorov writes: "To this day, the relics of the Abkhazian-Abaza toponymy left by the Abaza people who lived here shine through the toponymy of Karachai." For example: Musa Achitara (Musa ychvtara//Musa ytshtara) "Musa's horse pen"; Teberda (Typarta//atyparta) "place of migration"; Marukha (Marakhva) "sunny"
According to the Russian chronicle (author unknown), in 1552 the first embassy of Circassians arrived in Moscow for negotiations with Ivan the Terrible, to conclude a military and political alliance against the Crimean Khan, among whom was the Abaza prince Ivan Yezbozlukov
1762 — The French consul in Istanbul, Claude-Charles Peysonel, wrote
that the Abaza belong to the number of peoples inhabiting the space between Circassia and Georgia. They are divided, like Circassians, into several tribes ruled by their beys. There is a constant war between the tribes. The religion of the Abaza is a mixture of Christianity and pantheism; nevertheless, the people recognize themselves as pious Christians. The Porte appoints its bey to this country, called the bey of Abaza, who, however, uses only the title of chief without any authority. The Bey's residence is located in Sukhum. The main authority in this area belongs to the pasha of the Black Sea coast, but the Abaza do not obey either him or the Turkish bey, and only one force can lead them to submission and obedience. The Kuban seraskir sometimes raids them, taking away their small cattle, horses and slaves.
There are two main ports in this country — Sukhum and Kodosh.
Fragment. 1836, February 8th. James Hudson to Lieutenant General Herbert Taylor. ... "About ... the attack of the Abaza on Stavropol"
At the end of the same November, the Circassian Abaza concentrated their forces to strike back at the Black Sea Cossacks and Russian regular units that invaded their territory. The Abazins broke into Stavropol, the capital of the so—called "government of the Caucasus", and took with them 1,700 prisoners, 8000 cattle, etc. 300 of the captured prisoners were people who occupied a high position in Stavropol: officers, merchants, bankers. There was also a high-ranking Russian military officer, a general, as they say; he was captured along with his staff. This is the second raid on Stavropol in the last year. For the first time, they captured up to 800 prisoners. This second attack, which I have just reported, also ended in complete success for the Circassians, although the Russians were preparing to meet them.
In the 19th century, the Abazines shared with the Adygs and Abkhazians all the troubles, hardships and hardships of the Russian-Caucasian war, as well as all its tragic consequences.
The descendants of the Abazins, who after the Russo-Caucasian war adopted Russian citizenship, live in Karachay-Cherkessia (villages are indicated above).
The descendants of the Abaza Muhajirs live abroad, where they are called "Circassians" together with the Adygs. There are about 24 thousand people in the Circassian diasporas in Turkey, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Libya[6]. Many of them switched to Turkish and Arabic, having lost their language, some lost their Abaza names and surnames, mixed with Turks and Arabs, while the memory of their belonging to certain genera remains to the present day.
There is a significant Abazin presence in Turkey. An estimated 150,000 Abaza live in the provinces of Eskişehir, Samsun, Yozgat, Adana and Kayseri.
Province Sakarya and İzmit and İstanbul
Most of them belong to Ashkharua clan that fought against the Tsarist army and emigrated to Turkey after losing the battle of Kbaada (Krasnaya Polyana in today's Sochi), whereas the Tapanta clan fought with the Russian forces.
A prominent example in Egypt is the Abaza family, a large Egyptian Abazin clan.[3]
Culture
Historically, the Abazin engaged in animal herding and some farming.[7]
The Abazins are dominantly Sunni Muslims. The Abazins first encountered Islam during their migrations to the Abazinia region via contact with the Nogais and other Muslim people.[8] The Abazins adopted Islam via the influence of Muslim merchants and missionaries from the 16th to 19th centuries.[6]
Turkey
Russia
Egypt
Ukraine
