Dagestan, The Muslim majority Country… What do we know about it?

The attacks on police stations and churches in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia’s North Caucasus, on the evening of Sunday, June 2024, resulted in the deaths of 19 police officers and several civilians, as well as five militants. As a result, a three-day mourning period was declared in Dagestan. These events have raised many questions about this autonomous republic within the Russian Federation, situated in the North Caucasus on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Dagestan, a republic with a Muslim majority, means “Land of Mountains” in Turkish, with its capital being Makhachkala.

Unique Geography of Dagestan

Dagestan is located on the European shore of the Caspian Sea, in the southern European part of the Russian Federation, covering an area of approximately 50,000 square kilometers. Its terrain is predominantly mountainous, giving the region a unique mountainous character.

The name “Dagestan,” according to some accounts, originates from Turkish, meaning “Land of Mountains.”

Dagestan is bordered to the south and southwest by Azerbaijan and Georgia, and to the west and north by the Republic of Chechnya, the Stavropol Territory, and the Republic of Kalmykia.

The republic’s location holds strategic importance as a link between Russia, Central Asia, Turkey, and Iran.

Due to its mountainous nature, Dagestan boasts hundreds of rivers and springs, with the Sulak River being a major source of hydroelectric power.

The country’s coastline extends along the Caspian Sea, featuring numerous swamps and wetland areas. These coasts provide a vital environment for various migratory birds and fish, with the port of Makhachkala serving as a key point for trade and fishing.

Ethnic and Linguistic Diversity in Dagestan

According to Britannica, the country enjoys significant ethnic diversity, comprising around 30 ethnic groups and 81 nationalities, most of whom speak Caucasian, Turkic, or Iranian languages. The largest ethnic groups include the Avars, Russians, Dargins, Kumyks, and Lezgins, who together form the majority of the population. The main cities in the republic are Makhachkala, Derbent, Kizlyar, Izberbash, and Buynaksk.

History

According to the New World Encyclopedia, the oldest written records of the country’s history come from ancient Georgia and Armenia, where the inhabitants lived in remote and hard-to-reach areas, yet were not protected from invaders due to their isolation.

The Scythians, a nomadic pastoral nation speaking Iranian languages, controlled the Pontic steppes between around 770 BC and the third century BC. Their prosperity increased through trade with the north and Greece, reflecting their economic diversity through grain cultivation and trade in other products.

The Sarmatians, an original Iranian people, migrated from Central Asia to the Urals in the fifth century BC, then settled in southern Europe and eastern Balkans. They allied with the Huns, a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia and flourished in the fourth century AD, described by Herodotus as fair-haired and stocky.

The Caucasian Albanians, part of the Caucasian Iberian peoples, were the indigenous inhabitants of the south of the republic and modern Azerbaijan, living under multiple Emirates such as Derbent and Shirvan since the eighth century.

The Caucasian Albanians suffered frequent invasions, including from the Romans, the Sasanians, and the Seljuk Turks, which had a great impact on the local population and culture in the region.

These different societies left a mark on the history of Dagestan despite the challenges faced by the region due to its geographical isolation.

Arab Attempts to Open Dagestan

Dagestan has a long history of cultural and religious influences dating back to the early centuries of Islam. Arab attempts to open Dagestan began in the seventh century, and during the rule of the Umayyad Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, a base was established in the port of Derbent in the first half of the eighth century.

During the fourth and fifth centuries, Dagestan was part of the Caucasian Albanian state, and the region was known for the spread of Christianity in its coastal and mountainous areas. When the Arabs reached this region, some tribes embraced Islam, and the process of converting the remaining tribes to Islam continued until the sixteenth century and beyond.

Muslim Arabs established fortifications in Derbent to protect against Khazar attacks, and widespread migrations from the Arab East contributed to a lasting Arab cultural presence in the region.

A large number of Arab families settled in Dagestan, and the Arabic language and culture were disseminated thanks to the spread of Islam from the seventh to the sixteenth century.

Since the early centuries, tens of thousands of families from Iraq, Syria, the Arabian Peninsula, and other regions settled in Derbent and southern Dagestan, as this area attracted Arab immigrants significantly. Dagestan also witnessed widespread dissemination of Islam and Arabic language, with the establishment of schools and offices for teaching Arabic as a religious and scientific language.

The Arabic language developed as a key means of communication in Dagestan, while manuscripts arrived from the Arab East and Daghestanis participated in copying and composing them. From the