The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire. Margus Kolga
while the common territory created a basis for the development of the Agul nation.
Economy. As a result of natural conditions the main occupation of the Aguls was (and is) raising livestock. The animals kept were mainly sheep, but cattle-breeding was also of importance. Land cultivation was practised for personal necessities. However arable lands were so scarce and the yields so small that the yearly harvest lasted for six months only. This was also partly due to the primitive nature of the farming implements in use, for example, wooden ploughs with a metal ploughshares. As food was scarce men often spent winters in Baku or in Derbent working. While the Tabasarans are famous for rug-making the Aguls are proud of their master-builders who devised a special type of building — a one-storey house standing on a stone archway. The remaining features of their material and intellectual cultures are similar to those of the other Lezgian peoples. It should also be noted, perhaps, that among the Aguls farinaceous foods are more popular than among the rest of the Caucasian peoples.
The Aguls’ system of administration was the same as with other Caucasian mountain-dwellers. Local problems were decided by the village elder ( begaoul) with his helpers. The elder was elected by the village assembly ( dzhamat). In the 19th century when material differentiation began to make itself felt village elders tended to be elected from among the richest rather than from among the most distinguished.
The establishment of Soviet power and Soviet politics brought many changes. In order to strengthen its ideological position the state had first to do away with territorial isolation. This was accomplished in 1936 with the completion of the Tpig-Kasumkent highway. The importance of the road was immediately made apparent with collectivization: in 1935 the Aguls had not a single kolkhoz, but in 1937 there were as many as twenty of them while their membership comprised 89% of the population. The accomplishment of the road also boosted the development of a state-run system of health care and education. In 1936 Tpig gained a hospital. In 1952 the Aguls had one secondary school, seven 7-year schools and one primary school. The Aguls having no literary language of their own received their tuition in Lezgi. In 1953 instruction was transferred to Russian beginning from the fifth form. The Russian language developed a foothold in business management and culture, the stocks of libraries, for example, being made up from Russian books.
The past 40 years have brought several major changes in the material culture as well as the mentality of the Aguls. Every year brings an increase in the consumption of factory products and urban-style consumer goods. Traditional dress has been pushed aside for decades, especially men’s. The severest blow to spiritual traditions has been dealt by the uprooting of Islam to make room for Soviet ideology. Among the young there is a disdainful attitude towards the old traditions. Nevertheless, the sound old way of thinking has retained a venerable place in Agul society and old customs still persist. During the 1950s—1960s a new wave of industrialisation rolled over Dagestan. This increased the flow of mountain-dwellers to towns which usually severe ties with the native environment and, with time, erodes national identity. The second and third generation town-dwellers have partly fused with bigger ethnic groups. Although urbanization is a noticeable tendency among the Aguls it is not very extensive and bears, as yet, no menace to the preservation of the nation. The main goal of the Soviet power in Dagestan has been the creation of a unified Dagestan people. For this purpose the smaller ethnic groups were first planned to be fused with bigger ones which in their turn were expected to become russified. For the Aguls the language of primary consolidation was to be Lezgi. Its use increased to a certain extent in the 1950s but the expected transition did not take place. In the decades following the use of Russian has grown quite considerably, but in comparison with Lezgi its advance has not been so direct and it has not restricted the spheres of Agul usage as the geographical areas of the two languages lack a common border. According to present prognosis the Aguls will continue their existence if they are able to preserve their present isolation and territorial unity.
THE AKHVAKHS
The self-designation of the Akhvakhs is ashvado, and their language ashvalkhi mitskhtskhi. Their closest neighbours and linguistic relatives, the Avars, call them ghakhyevali, hence the internationally known designation. The Akhvakh language belongs to the Andi subgroup of the Avar-Ando-Dido or northwestern group of the Dagestan languages and is divided into two dialects: North-Akhvakh and South-Akhvakh. The first is homogeneous, while the latter is further divided into the Tlyanub and Tsegob subdialects. The difference between the South-Avar and North-Avar is rather considerable and users of the two dialects prefer communicating in the Avar language. The ancient layers of the vocabulary have been preserved quite well, even though complemented by numerous Arabic, Avar and Russian loans. As the Akhvakh language has not been studied much, the first publications date from the 1940s.
The Akhvakhs live in the northwestern part of Dagestan, in the mountains between the Andi-Koisu and Avar-Koisu rivers. Between the territories of other nations their habitat represents two small enclaves that could perhaps conventionally be called the northern and the southern territories. The former is situated in the Akhvakh District and consists of five villages: Tad-Magitl, Kvankero, Logonitl, Kuydab-Roso and Izani. The southern territory comprises three villages: Ratlub, Tsegob and Tlyanub. Administratively they belong to the Sovetsky District. One Akhvakh village called Akhvakh-Dere is found in the Zakataly District of Azerbaijan. The southern villages are surrounded by Avar settlements, the northern ones border on Avar areas to the east and south, and on Tindi areas to the north.
Population. As a separate nation the Akhvakhs have been counted only since the 1926 census. The data from the 1950s and 1960s has been taken from academic publications and is approximate.
| native speakers | ||
| 1926 | 3,677 | 100% |
| 1958 | 4,000 | (Y. Desheriyev) |
| 1967 | 5,000 | (Z.Magomedbeva) |
Anthropologically the Akhvakhs belong to the Caucasian type of the Balkano-Caucasian race. They are characterized by a relatively light skin, tall stature, a broad face and a massive skull. Some features, however, echo the Caspian type and sometimes they are considered a transitional type between the Caucasian and the Caspian anthropological types.
The religion of the Akhvakhs is Sunnite Islam, introduced in Dagestan by the 8th-century Arab invaders and becoming really influential following the raid of Timur in the 14th century. The consolidation of Islam was inhibited by the simultaneous advance of Christianity from the west. Alongside the weakening of the Georgian state, however, the base for Christianity shrank and Islam prevailed. As people living in a natural state the Akhvakhs also nurtured many pagan beliefs which in an adapted from Islam persist until today.
Ethnoculturally the Akhvakhs are connected to the Avars and other Ando-Dido peoples. Common traits can be observed both in the material and spiritual spheres while local peculiarities are few (waxen water jugs, certain elements in the national dress). The only cultural feature distinguishing the Akhvakhs from the Avars is their language, but this was already restricted to domestic use by the beginning of the 20th century while the rest of the communication, even inside the villages, proceeded in the Avar language.
The history of the Akhvakhs coincides to a large extent with that of the Avars as their territories are in close proximity. Since the 7th century the region has suffered from foreign invasions. In Avaria the 8th—14th century period can be considered the era of Arabs and Mongol-Tatars, the 15th— 18th centuries were characterized by hostile contacts with Turkish and Persian invaders, to be followed by a Russian period beginning in the 19th century. During the 15th—18th centuries the Akhvakh people were subjects of the Avar Khanate, but the subordination was rather nominal as geographical isolation prevented the Khan from exercising his power on the Akhvakh territories. By the 17th century the Akhvakhs had developed two small administrative structures, the so-called free communities of Ratlu-Akhvakh and Tsunta-Akhvakh. The development of the communities, however, was hindered by incessant domestic troubles and warring. Historical records tell of the wars waged by the Akhvakhs against the Bagulals and the Karatas. Even a military union was concluded between the Karata and the Gidatl community against the Akhvakhs. In 1806 the territory of the Akhvakhs was united with Russia, but, as this could not end the wars either, the regular functioning of the Russian