Azeris in Georgia (country)

:"This article is about Azeris in Georgia. For Azeris in general, see the respective article."According to the 2002 census, there are 284,761 ethnic Azeris living in Georgia. [ [http://www.statistics.ge/main.php?pform=14&plang=1 "State Statistics Department of Georgia: 2002 census] " (retrieved 16 July 2006)] They comprise 6.5% of Georgia's population (being its largest ethnic minority), inhabiting mostly rural parts of the country, mostly in Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti. There is a large Azeri community in the capital city of Tbilisi and smaller communities in other regions. [ [http://www.statistics.ge/Main/Yearbook/2005/05Population_05.doc Alexander Kukhianidze, "Statistical Yearbook of Georgia, 2005: Population"] (607kb, "Microsoft Word Document").]

There were some tensions in late 1980s in the Azeri-populated regions of Georgia, however they never escalated to armed clashes.Cornell, Svante E., [http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/0419dissertation.pdf "Autonomy and Conflict: Ethnoterritoriality and Separatism in the South Caucasus – Case in Georgia"] . Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Report No. 61. p. 160. University of Uppsala, ISBN 91-506-1600-5.] Since Georgia regained its independence in 1991, many Azeris along with other minorities have faced a problem of social disintegration and underrepresentation in country's legislative, executive and judicial powers. Unlike urban Azeris of Tbilisi and Rustavi, rural Azeri population for the most part lacks knowledge of the official language - Georgian, which makes it harder for them to participate in many social areas. [ [http://www.memo.ru/hr/referats/selfdet/Chapter16.htm "Ethnic Minorities of Eastern and Southern Georgia"] by Alexander Kukhianidze (in Russian)] The majority of Azeris in Georgia chooses to pursue secondary education in their native tongue. Graduates willing to be admitted to post-secondary institutions hence tend to leave for other countries, mainly Azerbaijan, where post-secondary education is available in either Azeri or Russian. Such isolation is furthered by the fact that many rural Azeris prefer to read newspapers published in Azeri and set up satellite dishes in order to be able to watch channels of neighbouring Azerbaijan, or establish their own community TV channels (such as Ellada TV, which functioned in Gardabani in 1995-99). [ [http://www.media.ge/researches/otsenka_vozmojnostei_kvemo_kartli.pdf Estimating Potential of Kvemo Kartli] (in Russian)]

Azeris are currently represented in the 235-seat Parliament of Georgia by three deputies. [ [http://www.parliament.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=2 "Members of Parliament"] - Parliament of Georgia.] Being the biggest inhibitory factor, language barrier remains a major issue among Georgia's Azeri population. [ [http://iwpr.net/?apc_state=hrufcrs159818&l=en&s=f&o=159819 Georgian Azeris Locked Out By Language] by Zaza Baazov. "Institute for War and Peace". 5 September 2002. Retrieved 1 January 2008] The government has launched various programs and projects in order to help Azeris integrate into the political life of the country. [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4517&l=1 Georgia’s Armenian and Azeri Minorities] , 22 November 2006 "(free registration needed to view the full report)"]

History

Georgia's Azeri population traces its roots to the events following the Seldjuk invasion in the second half of the eleventh century, when Oghuz tribes settled in southern Georgia. To oppose being subjected to the Seldjuk Empire, Georgians allied with the Cumans (a group of Kipchak tribes to the north of the Caucasus) thus allowing for more Turkic migration into the region. Constant influx of Turkic tribes continued until the late middle ages. Their further consolidation led to the formation of the Azeri community. [ [http://www.kulichki.com/~gumilev/HE2/he2510.htm The Ancient Orient. Transcaucasia in the 11th–15th centuries] by Lev Gumilev] The area populated by ethnic Azeris today is historically known as Borchali (which in the form "Burjoglu" was originally the name of a Kipchak tribe that settled here in the twelfth century). [ [http://grants.rsu.ru/osi/Don_NC/Middle/Polovci.htm Cumans] . The Don and the North Caucasus in the 4th–12th centuries]

The city of Tiflis is known as one of the important centres for Azeris' cultural development. Molla Vali Vidadi, an Azeri poet from the eighteenth century, was known as King Erekle II's court poet at some point. [ru icon [http://www.oval.ru/enc/13380.html Molla Vali Vidadi] . "Great Soviet Encyclopædia"] Mirza Fatali Akhundov, the Azerbaijani enlightened reformist, novelist and dramatist, the pioneer of the theatrical performance in the East, lived and contributed to literature in Tiflis in the mid-nineteenth century, along with his Ganja-native teacher Mirza Shafi Vazeh. [ [http://literature.aznet.org/literature/vazeh/vazeh_en.htm Mirza-Shafi Vazeh (1794-1852)] . "Literature.aznet.org"] The famous Azeri satirical magazine "Molla Nasraddin" edited by Jalil Mammadguluzadeh was being published in Tiflis in 1906–1917. Azeri newspapers from earlier periods (such as "Ziya", "Keshkul" and "Sharg-i rus" in the nineteenth and early twentieth century) were also printed in the publishing houses of Tiflis. [ [http://www.azmaison.fr/az/index_az.shtml?id=240;c=2 Mass-Media] . "Azmaison.fr"] The Transcaucasian Teachers Seminary which trained professional teachers for secular primary Azeri schools was located in Gori. Folk singer Bulbuljan among others spent 30 years of his life living and performing in Tiflis. Tiflis was also the hometown and academic locale to some of the most prominent Azerbaijani singers such as Rashid Behbudov and Shovkat Mammadova (the first Azeri female opera singer, 1897–1981), as well as to the first professional Azeri female painter Geysar Kashiyeva (1893–1972), and the first Azeri female pianist Khadija Gayibova (1883–1938).

Largest Communities

Only regions with 1,000 or more Azeris are listed below. The information is based on official figures from the 2002 population census.

The number of Azeris rose faster than that of most other ethnicities in Georgia during 20th century. [ [http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/0419dissertation.pdf Cornell, Svante] p. 159]

Famous Azeris of Georgia

* Alimardan Topchubashev, Minister of External Affairs of Azerbaijan in 1918, Head of the Parliament "in absentia" of Azerbaijan in 1918–19
* Nariman Narimanov, Azerbaijani and Soviet politician and writer
* Abdulla Shaig, Azerbaijani poet
* Shovkat Mammadova, Azerbaijani opera singer
* Khadija Gayibova, Azerbaijani pianist
* Hasan Hasanov, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan in 1990–92, Minister of External Affairs of Azerbaijan in 1993–98
* Dilara Aliyeva, Azerbaijani women's rights activist and scholar
* Raul Usupov, Georgian politician, ex-deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli
* Farid Mansurov, Azerbaijani wrestler, 2004 Olympic gold medal winner

ee also

* Azeris
* List of Azerbaijanis
* Azerbaijan
* Georgia
* Demographics of Georgia

References

External links

*en iconge iconru icon [http://www.geogen.ge/indexen.php?lang=en&id_menu=22&id_menu_up=4&abc=0&fr=&srch= "Azerbaijanis in Georgia"]