Kabardians

Kabardians
The Kabardians (Highland Adyghe: Къэбэрдей адыгэхэр; Lowland Adyghe: Къэбэртай адыгэхэр) or Kabardinians are one of the twelve major Circassian tribes, representing one of the twelve stars on the green-and-gold Circassian flag. They are also commonly known by the plural terms Kabardin, Kebertei, or Kabarday. Along with the Besleney tribe, they speak a distinctive dialect of the Adyghe language. Historically the Kabardians lived in Kabardia, a region of the north Caucasus. In modern times the Kabardians live mostly in the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, which partly corresponds to the historic region.
Despite the Soviet administrative divisions that placed Circassians under four different designations and political units, namely Adygeans (Adyghe in Adygea), Cherkessians (Adyghe in Karachay-Cherkessia), Kabardians (Adyghe in Kabardino-Balkaria), and Shapsugians (Adyghe in Krasnodar Krai), all four groups are essentially the same people (Adyghe). Furthermore, Cherkessians are mostly of the Kabardian and Besleney tribes.
Population
The Kabardians are the largest Circassian (Adyghe) tribe in the world in general, and form the largest Circassian tribe in Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and in some other countries in the region. Kabardians numbered around 520,000 in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia. and about 50,000 in Karachay-Cherkessia, Russia. In Turkey, where more than 1 million of them live, they are concentrated on the Uzunyayla plateau of Kayseri Province and around (Central Turkey), though there are Kabardian villages in Balıkesir, Düzce, Eskişehir (Northwest Turkey), Çorum, Samsun, and Tokat (Black Sea region), amongst many others. Significant populations of Kabardians also live in Jordan;
and there are communities in the United States. However, in Israel and Jordan, the Shapsug and Abzakh tribes respectively are the largest.
Religion
Religions historically practiced by Kabardians include the native Adyghe Xabze faith, Christianity and Islam. The majority of Kabardians had converted to Islam by the early 19th century. There are also still some adherents to traditional Xabze beliefs, with 1,8% being practiced in Kabardino-Balkaria, although most Kabardians are either Non-denominational or Sunni Muslims of the Hanafi school
Kabardians also constituted one of the earliest Christian communities in Europe, converting in the late 2nd and early 3rd Centuries. Kabardians living in Mozdoksky District in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania are Orthodox Christians. Some of the Kabardians living in the southern part of the neighbouring Kursky district of Stavropol Krai are also Orthodox Christians.
There are also some Roman Catholic Kabardians (possibly descended from families who reportedly converted from Orthodoxy during the 13th century). According to the 2012 survey census, of the 240,000 Catholics who lived in Russia, 1.8% were Kabardians.
Notable Kabardians
Adil-Giray Atazhukin
Aleguko Shogenukov
Alexander A. Cherkassky
Alexey Cherkassky – Chancellor of the Russian Empire during the reign of Empress Elizabeth
Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky – Prince of Kabarda
Alexander N. Bekovich-Cherkassky
Amirkhan Shomakhov
Atazhuko Atazhukin
Armande Kumpal Kabartay Altaï-Magini
Aslanbek Khushtov – Member of the Parliament of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and athlete who has won a gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics
Avenir Tchemerzine – Colonel of the Russian imperial army and mathematician before becoming a bibliographer
Bidar Kadın – Imperial consort of Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire
Boris Cherkassky
Dmitry Cherkassky
Doamna Ecaterina Cercheza – Princess consort of the Voivode of Moldavia as the wife of Vasile Lupu
Elmirza Bekovich-Cherkassky
Fyodor A. Bekovich-Cherkasski
Fyodor N. Bekovich-Cherkasski
Grigory Cherkassky
Idar of Kabardia
Inal the Great – Prince of Kabarda
Ismail Bey Atazhukin
Ivan Amashuk
Ivan B. Cherkassky – Cousin of Michael I of Russia
Ivan E. Cherkassky
Jacop Cherkassky
Kasbulat Cherkassky
Kasei Atazhukin
Kambulat Cherkassky
Kelemet Cherkassky
Kudenet Cherkassky
Kurgoko Atazhukin
Ladislas du Luart, Comtesse Leïla Hagondokoff – Recipient of the National Order of Merit and National Order of the Legion of Honor (Commander), model for the French high-fashion house Chanel
Ludmilla Monique Tchérina
Mahidevran – Imperial consort of Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire
Mamstryuk Cherkassky
Maria Temryukovna – Tsaritsa of the Tsardom of Russia as the wife of Ivan the Terrible
Michael A. Cherkassky I
Michael A. Cherkassky II
Michael T. Cherkassky
Michael Y. Cherkassky
Mutsal Cherkassky
Nikita Egupov-Cherkassky
Peter Amashukov-Cherkassky
Peter B. Cherkassky
Roslanbek Atazhukin
Rusudan of Circassia – Queen consort of Georgia (Kartli) as the wife of Vakhtang the Lawgiver
Servetseza Kadın – First wife of Abdulmejid I of the Ottoman Empire
Sholokh Cherkassky
Simon Cherkassky
Sunchalei Cherkassky
Temryuk – Prince of Kabarda
Vasily Amashukov-Cherkassky
Vasily Kardanukovich Cherkassky
Vladimir Cherkassky – Mayor of Moscow (1868–1870)
Yefim Bekovich-Cherkassky
Yuri Temirkanov – Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra since 1988
Zaur Tutov
See also
Kabardia
Other Circassian tribes:
Abzakh
Besleney
Bzhedug
Hatuqwai
Mamkhegh
Natukhai
Shapsug
Temirgoy
Ubykh
Yegeruqwai
Zhaney
References
Circassians
Circassian tribes
Ethnic groups in Russia
History of Kuban
Kabardino-Balkaria
Karachay-Cherkessia
Muslim communities of Russia
Ossetia
Adygea
Circassians in Turkey
Ethnic groups in Jordan