The Unrepresented People: The Talysh

Dear Readers:

Today, every person identifies themselves either with an ethnic group, a religion, citizenship to a country, or, very rarely, as a "universal human." In the century we live in, the generally accepted trend is for people to identify themselves with their ethnic identity. In this sense, we can easily say that an understanding that prioritizes ethnic identity dominates today's world politics.

Since the century we live in defines itself through an ethnic lens, we must also examine the ethnic structures in the world from this perspective. Many ethnic groups are still striving to bring their existence to the attention of world public opinion or to attract its attention. I decided to write this article to introduce the Talysh people, who live on the southwestern shores of the Caspian Sea, right next to us, and whose existence most people are not even aware of. Why, you ask?

“THE UNREPRESENTED PEOPLE”

I would like to explain when I first encountered the phrase "The Unrepresented People":

It was 1977. My second year at Istanbul Technical University. As the ferry departing from Karaköy Pier slowly approached Kadıköy Pier after a half-hour journey, I heard a loud voice from afar: "The Unrepresented People: The Kurds." A young man was shouting at the same steady pace. At first, I thought it was an unauthorized rally. In those years, such situations were common. Left-wing organizations had made it a habit to sell their banned publications in front of ferry piers. Crowds rushed to the pier, and crowds pushed each other away from the pier. There was no better place to sell illegal magazines without getting caught by the police.

Cover of the book, The Unrepresented People: The Kurds

The young man was selling books he had brought in a suitcase. The title of the book was "The Unrepresented People: The Kurds." The author was foreign. I was excited. I bought the book. I started reading it at the first opportunity. In the conditions of that day, encountering such a book was an extraordinary situation. Years later, I would have the chance to meet the author of the book, the Austrian Orientalist Dr. Heinz Gstrein (hayns gştrayn), at a conference he gave in Basel, Switzerland, on "Religion in the Ottoman Empire."

Austrian Orientalist Dr. Heinz Gstrein

When I decided to write about the Talysh people, the title Dr. Heinz Gstrein once used for the "Kurds" suddenly came to mind. Today, thousands of books and articles have been written and continue to be written about the Kurds. The Kurds have irreversibly taken their place in history as an indispensable element of the World Ethnic Map.

In this long and arduous struggle for identity of the Kurds, foreign-born Orientalists, Linguists, Journalists, Writers, etc., have rendered an important and undeniable service. Looking back and evaluating today, remembering the profound impact Dr. Heinz Gstrein's small but emphatic book had on me in those years, and considering that an article or a small book can lead to deep questioning and changes in the human mind, I decided to write this article to contribute to the identity struggle of the Talysh people, which has been overlooked until now.

THE KURDS' COUSIN: THE TALYSH

It was the summer of 2006. I was working as the General Manager at the Imishli Sugar Factory. One of our workers had received news of his father's death. He came to my office when he had difficulty getting ten days of leave from the Administrative Affairs Department. He was sad.

"My condolences! Where are you going?"

"Lankaran!"

"Is it far?"

"It's about 160-170 km."

I had not been to Lankaran. It was on the Caspian Sea coast. I knew that citrus fruits and tea were grown there. I gave him ten days of leave. He was happy. Before leaving, he promised:

"Manager, I will bring you Talysh Küke (ketesi) that my mother prepared."

"What does Talysh mean?"

"I am Talysh. I am not Azeri."

"Do the Talysh have their own language?"

"Yes!"

This is how I first became acquainted with the name and people of Talysh. After a little research, I realized that the Talysh language belongs to the North-Western Iranian languages, which also include the Kurdish languages. There is a great similarity between Talysh words and Kurmanji words:

TALYSH              KURMANJI           TURKISH

Az                           Ez                                     Ben (I)

Tı                            Tu                                     Sen (You)

Eme                        Em                                    Biz (We)

Nün                        Nan                                   Ekmek (Bread)

Zıvon                      Ziman                               Dil (Language)

Se                           Ser                                    Baş (Head)

Mu                          Por, Mû                             Saç (Hair)

Dim                        Rû, Dêm                           Yüz (Face)

Bev                         Birû                                  Kaş (Eyebrow)

Mije                        Mijang                              Kiprik (Eyelash)

Çaş                         Çav                                   Göz (Eye)

Qev                         Dev                                   Ağız (Mouth)

Lıbut                       Lêv                                   Dudak (Lip)

Quş                         Quh                                   Kulak (Ear)

Çune                       Çeng                                 Çene (Chin)

Dast                        Dest                                  El (Hand)

Lınq                        Ling                                  Ayak (Foot)

Dıl                          Dil                                    Yürek (Heart)

Books published in the Talysh language

TALYSH IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN

According to the 2009 census, 112,000 Talysh officially live in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Talysh are settled in five districts in southeastern Azerbaijan: Astara, Lankaran, Lerik, Masally, and Yardimli. There are more than 350 Talysh villages and towns in these five districts. The Talysh constitute more than 95% of the rural population in the three southernmost regions.

The Talysh also live in the Bilasuvar, Neftchala, and Jalilabad regions south of the Kura River. A large number of Talysh have also moved to the urban areas of the capital Baku. A dense population of Talysh is particularly noticeable in the cities of Bina and Sumgayit. According to unofficial figures, there are an estimated 500,000 Talysh in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Talysh people living in Iranian Azerbaijan

Lankaran is the largest Talysh region in terms of population. The total population is 200,000, 90% of whom are ethnically and linguistically Talysh. Lankaran includes six cities and eighty-five villages, as well as port cities. These are major trade and cultural centers for the Talysh.

The Astara region includes the city of Astara and ninety-three villages. The total population of the district is approximately 82,000 people, 98% of whom are Talysh.

The Lerik region includes the city of Lerik and 159 villages. The total population is around 63,000. 145 of these villages are ethnically and linguistically Talysh.

The Masally district includes 110 towns and villages with a total population of 175,715 people. Of the 110 settlements, 36 villages are predominantly Talysh. A significant number of Talysh live in Arkivan, Boradigah, and Masally, where the population is predominantly Azeri.

The Yardimli region, predominantly inhabited by Azerbaijanis, consists of 89 villages. Its population is approximately 50,279. Here, three settlements—Allar (35%), Shikhuseynli (50%), and Tilekend—have a significant Talysh population. A little over 2,000 people live in these three villages.

The Bilasuvar region is a flat area predominantly inhabited by Azerbaijanis. Perhaps 10-15% of the population is Talysh. There is also a significant Talysh population in the villages of Samadabad, Khirmandali, and Askarabad.

The Jalilabad region is an area predominantly inhabited by Azerbaijanis. According to official statements, the proportion of the Talysh population is 5-10%.

In the Neftchala region, Talysh live in the villages of Lapatin (30%) and Garamanly.

TALYSH IN IRANIAN AZERBAIJAN

The Talysh country, called Talyshiston, is divided between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan.

The Talysh region divided between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian Azerbaijan

According to 1972 estimates, approximately 70,000 Talysh lived in Iranian Azerbaijan. However, unofficial sources suggest that this number is currently half a million. They live in the cities of Kerganrud, Asalem, Talesh-Dolyab, Shandermin, and Masal in the Gilan region on the Caspian Sea coast of Iranian Azerbaijan. The Talysh also have a significant population in the villages of Ambaran, Külesh, Dzheid, Delidaş, Kültepe, Dokhultepe, Pilechay, and Sarykhanly near Ardabil.

The majority of Talysh in Iranian Azerbaijan are Sunni-Shafi'i, while the Talysh within the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan are Shi'a-Ja'fari. The Talysh refer to themselves as "Tolış."

During the founding years of the Soviet Union, they had a newspaper called Kızıl Talış (Syo Talış) in 1931.

Editors of the Kızıl Talış (Syo Talış) newspaper, with their relatives (Lankaran, January 1931)

Razi Shamisizade, Boyukaga Mirsalaev, and Muzaffer Nasirli in the middle

In 1937, Stalin closed the Kızıl Talış newspaper and exiled its publishers.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the short-lived Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic was established, existing between June and August 1993. The capital of the autonomous republic, which covered seven administrative divisions in the southeasternmost part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was Lankaran. The other provinces were Lerik, Astara, Masally, and Yardimli.

The Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, established in 1993 and lasting two months

TALYSH KHANATE

Talysh Khanate during the Khanate period

The Talysh Khanate was a khanate established in Azerbaijan in the 18th century. The Talysh Khanate was founded in 1736 in southeastern Azerbaijan (within present-day Iran) between the Talysh Mountains, the Caspian Sea, and the Mugan Steppe, bordering the Gilan, Ardabil, Karadagh, Javad khanates, and the Salyan Sultanate. The capital of the khanate was first Astara, then Lankaran. For this reason, it is also known as the Lankaran Khanate.

A Talysh woman

After the death of Nader Shah, the khans of Sheki, Baku, Kuba, Shirvan, Karabakh, Ganja, Talysh, and the Ilisu Sultanate declared their independence and sought help from the Ottoman Empire against Iran and Russia. After the death of Seyyid Abbas Khan, his son Jamal became the head of the khanate in 1747 with the title VI. Jamaladdin Mirza Bey. During his reign, the khanate achieved political and economic development, and a standing army was formed. In addition, to protect against Safavid attacks, the center of the khanate was moved to Lankaran, and the city was surrounded by castle walls, and efforts were made to give it a cultural and commercial identity. At that time, the Lankaran-centered khanate consisted of eleven districts: Esâlim, Gürgenrûd, Astara, Vilgic, Zuvand, Çayiçi, Lankaran, Diriği, Uluf, Destvend (Erkivan), Uçarud, and Mugham, and the population of the khanate was 15,502 people.

During the Qajar-Russian War of 1826-1828, Mir Hasan acted with Abbas Mirza and ensured the withdrawal of the Russians from Lankaran. However, the khanate was abolished in 1826, and Iranian troops left Lankaran in 1827. According to Article 4 of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, signed on February 22, 1828, the Lankaran Khanate was ceded to the Russians.

TALYSH POETRY

I conclude my writing with the poem "Talysh" by Azerbaijani folk poet Memmed Rahim, published in the newspaper Sie Talış in 1934:

You, with your neck in chains, your arms bound,

Your desires choked, your chest scarred,

A poor, helpless, wretched slave you were,

A common pauper, hungry and thirsty, wandering.

You, from a great, free tomorrow,

Nourished hopes and made a promise,

From the whips of the khans,

The wound you received on your shoulder ached.

They named you the rightless Talysh,

Your longing rose from the snowy mountains.

Winter was felt in the spring of your life,

What didn't you experience in those times?

Don't remind me of them again!

This golden badge I wear on my chest

Sends your life towards the sun,

You, who fought in the trenches, like a lion.

Believe the true words of your poet,

The spring of humanity smiles upon your face.