On the Ethnic and Cultural Diversity of the Caucasus

Abstract

Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, the Caucasus is an ethnically and culturally diverse geographic region. About 50 ethnic groups live here with a rich tapestry of varying cultures. This diversity extends beyond the indigenous Caucasian population, encompassing speakers of both Indo-European and Turkic languages.

What was the reason for the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Caucasus?

The natural and geographical milieu has become its cause. Here are high mountains, vast steppes, semi-deserts and a temperate to subtropical climate. The region is demarcated by 21 distinctive physical-geographical zones and 11 climatic districts, each marked by its unique characteristics.

It should also be taken into account that the ancient Caucasus was located between two cultural worlds. To the south, it interfaced with the civilized societies of the Middle East, while to the north, it neighboured the nomadic societies. This dichotomy has historically aligned the peoples of the South Caucasus with the Middle Eastern civilization and the northern inhabitants with nomadism. The proximity of the North Caucasus to the nomadic world of Eurasia catalyzed migratory movements from here to the South Caucasus (Lek, Ossetians, Adyghe-Abkhazian ethnic groups). In the late Middle Ages, the activation of piracy and forays of the highlanders of the North Caucasus was largely due to geographical factors. Unable to migrate to the plains, the multiplied population found raids on their immediate neighbours and in Georgia as one of the means of subsistence.

The semi-nomadic way of life of the Circassian tribes living in the Northwestern Caucasus was also determined by geographical factors. Frequent migrations across Eurasia prohibited these tribes from settling in one locale permanently.

Why did the Albanians who had lived to the east of Georgia vanish and how did the Georgians preserve their identity? A striking contrast in geographical terrains between Azerbaijan and Georgia emerges, with the territory of Azerbaijan to the east of historical Hereti (Saingilo) predominantly consisting of plains devoid of mountainous terrain. All historical-ethnographic regions of Georgia have different natural geographic environments. During the early Middle Ages, the plains residence of the Albanians led to their decline, while the Georgians’ survival was buttressed by their mountainous landscapes and wooded valleys. This divergence in Georgia’s geographical features nurtured distinct folk cultures, catalyzing economic relations among its varied regions. These connections facilitated early-stage integration, heralding the formation of a cohesive Georgian nation. In the words of Pavle Ingoroqva in 1918, “Georgia’s historical unification within these borders is no accident but rather the product of geographic logic, a genetic intertwining of history, economics, and territorial unity”.

The crux of the survival of the Georgian nation finds grounding in narrow valleys embraced by mountains and forests. Within the Ottoman Empire’s dominion Georgians preserved their ethnicity and mother tongue in those areas. Conversely, regions devoid of such landscapes, like Kola, Artaani, and Tao, witnessed the extinction of Georgian presence.

Due to geographical factors, an unstable ethnic situation has developed in the foothill and steppe zone of the North Caucasus. This situation was created by the periodic movement of nomads from the east to the steppes of Eurasia. It was because of this that the surplus population of North Caucasians living in the mountains could not move to the plains. Historical epochs saw a succession of migratory communities like Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians, Alans, Huns, Avars, Khazars, Kivchaks, and Mongols traversing these plains.

The scarcity of interactions between the mountain inhabitants hampered ethnic integration, resulting in distinct ethnic units rather than a cohesive group. This phenomenon led the Vainakh tribe to splinter into Chechens and Ingush instead of coalescing.

Dagestan’s multi-ethnic composition further owes itself to the interplay of geographical and social factors. Endogamous marriages, specifically the practice of marrying within the same village, facilitated the preservation of distinct speech codes and thereby contributed to the region’s multifarious ethnic landscape.