The

Circassians The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia ...

in Iran (Circassian: Pерсым ис Адыгэхэр, ''Persım'' ''yis Adıgəxər''; fa, چرکس های ایران) are an ethnic minority in Iran. Circassians in Iran differ somewhat from other Circassians in diaspora in that most in the former stem from the

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

and

Qajar Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

era, although a number migrated as muhajirs in the late 19th century as well. The Circassians in Iran were very influential during periods in the last few centuries. The vast majority of them have assimilated to Persian language, and no sizeable number speaks their native

Circassian languages Circassian , also known as Cherkess , is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassian people. There are two Circassian languages, defined by their literary standards, Adyghe (; also known as West Circassian ...

anymore. Once a very large minority in Iran, nowadays due to being heavily assimilated over the course of time and the lack of censuses based on ethnicity, population estimates vary significantly. They are, after the

Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, ...

, the largest Caucasus-derived group in the nation. In Persian, the word ''Cherkes'' () is sometimes applied generally to Caucasian peoples living beyond

Derbent Derbent (russian: Дербе́нт; lez, Кьвевар, Цал; az, Дәрбәнд, italic=no, Dərbənd; av, Дербенд; fa, دربند), formerly romanized as Derbend, is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea. It ...

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North Ca ...

, which was the northernmost principal city of Iran prior to its ceding to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

in the first half of the 19th century following the

Treaty of Gulistan The Treaty of Gulistan (russian: Гюлистанский договор; fa, عهدنامه گلستان) was a peace treaty concluded between the Russian Empire and Iran on 24 October 1813 in the village of Gulistan (now in the Goranboy Distr ...

History

Circassians in Iran have a long history. To a certain good extent, they shared the same role as their brethren who lived in neighbouring Ottoman Turkey; many were importees, deportees, slaves, but also made up many of the notable

noble families Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...

in the empire, while many others were kingmakers, military commanders, soldiers, craftsmen, peasants, while they also composed many of the kings' wives and women in the

harem Harem ( Persian: حرمسرا ''haramsarā'', ar, حَرِيمٌ ''ḥarīm'', "a sacred inviolable place; harem; female members of the family") refers to domestic spaces that are reserved for the women of the house in a Muslim family. A har ...

. Under the various kings of the

and

Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic origin ...

, many Circassians would eventually happen to live in Iran.

Safavids

The first Circassian presence in Iran dates to the early

era, during which

Shaykh Junayd Sheikh Junayd (died 1460) ( ''Shaikh Junaid'') was the son of Shaykh Ibrahim, father of Shaykh Haydar and grandfather of the founder of Safavid dynasty, Shah Ismail I. After the death of his father, he assumed the leadership of the Safaviyya from ...

raided various regions of

Circassia Circassia (; also known as Cherkessia in some sources; ady, Адыгэ Хэку, Адыгей, lit=, translit=Adıgə Xəku, Adıgey; ; ota, چرکسستان, Çerkezistan; ) was a country and a historical region in the along the northeast ...

and carried back prisoners.Eskandar Beg, I, pp. 17–18 From the time of king (''

shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

'')

Tahmasp I Tahmasp I ( fa, طهماسب, translit=Ṭahmāsb or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 to 1576. He was the eldest son of Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Ascending the throne after ...

(r. 1524-1576), the Circassians started to play an important role in Iranian society, and began to appear as a large ethnic group in the successive empires based in Iran. In order to make a counterbalance to the tribal, ethnic, and favoured interests the

Qizilbash Qizilbash or Kizilbash ( az, Qızılbaş; ota, قزيل باش; fa, قزلباش, Qezelbāš; tr, Kızılbaş, lit=Red head ) were a diverse array of mainly Turkoman Shia militant groups that flourished in Iranian Azerbaijan, Anatolia, t ...

gave which make a system imbalanced, Tahmasp I had already been making the first steps of creating a new layer in Iranian society. The kings before Tahmasp and he himself often found themselves incapable of ruling effectively due to the extremely strong influence the Qizilbash expressed in all spheres of the empire. The Qizilbash had formed the backbone of the

Safaviyya The Safavid order, also called the Safaviyya ( fa, صفویه), was a tariqa ( Sufi order) founded by the Kurdish This new layer in society, was called the "third force", as they were a new ethnic class, or "force", alongside the Turkomans and Persians. This new layer, initiated by Tahmasp I, would be composed of many hundreds of thousands of

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

and

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. I ...

Caucasian, mostly ethnically Circassian and Georgian, deportees, importees, slaves, and migrants. This new society layer was to be eventually fully accomplished and implemented by king Abbas I (r. 1588-1629). Out of this new layer, a new military force was established as well; a force that would directly contest the

hegemony Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over oth ...

of the Qizilbash everywhere in the empire, replace them from all their positions, thereby firmly securing the kings' grip over the kingdom. These '' gholams'', or "military slaves", were part of this newly created layer in society. The ''gholam'' slave system, although initiated by Tahmasp I, was perfectioned and fully implemented by king Abbas I, and its rank and file were drawn from these massive amounts of ethnic Circassians, Georgians, Armenians and other

peoples of the Caucasus The peoples of the Caucasus, or Caucasians, are a diverse group comprising more than 50 ethnic groups throughout the Caucasus. By language group Language families indigenous to the Caucasus Caucasians who speak languages which have lo ...

, such as

Lezgins Lezgins or Leks ( lez, Лезгияр, Лекьер. lezgijar) are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group native predominantly to southern Dagestan, a republic of Russia, and northeastern Azerbaijan. The Lezgin are predominantly Sunni Muslims and s ...

. Eventually, these large amounts of Circassians and other Caucasians, only loyal to the shah, replaced the Qizilbash and vied through the system with them for political hegemony and supremacy, and were to be victorious, although sometimes they would vy against each other as well. Circassians made up a good bulk of these elite armies (the so-called ''gholams''), and played therefore a pivotal role. This elite lave systemarmy was similar to the

Janissaries A Janissary ( ota, یڭیچری, yeŋiçeri, , ) was a member of the elite infantry units that formed the Ottoman Sultan's household troops and the first modern standing army in Europe. The corps was most likely established under sultan Orhan ...

of neighbouring Ottoman Turkey, in its implementation and formation. The ones in the armies received, after advanced education, conversion to

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

, and upbringing by Muslim families, the best military training and equipment, and were the strongest force and class of the empire. Other large amounts of Circassians were, like the Georgians, employed and deployed in all other possible aspects and positions that the empires offered, such as the

, civil administration, military administration, peasantry, and crafts, amongst others, while other large numbers were initially settled in various regions in mainland Iran, including Gilan, Mazandaran, and Fars. According to Thomas Herbert, who was in

Safavid Iran Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

in the first half of the 17th century, Aspas was inhabited by some 40,000 transplanted

and

. By the time of king Suleiman I's reign (r. 1666–1694), an estimated 20,000 Circassians,

is, and Georgians were living in the Safavid capital of Isfahan alone. Many of the shahs, princes, and princesses descended from noble Circassian lines. Many of the Safavid nobility at the court were Circassian. In fact, the Safavids their heavily mixed ancestry includes several Circassian lines.
''Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire'', L.B. Tauris. 2006, p. 41. King Abbas II of Persia, Abbas II (r. 1642-1666) and Shah Suleiman I (r. 1666-1694) are just some of the examples amongst the highest nobility that were born by Circassian mothers.

Qajars

Following the mass expulsion of the native Circassians of the Northwest Caucasus in 1864 mainly towards the Ottoman Empire, some also fled to neighboring

Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

, which bordered the Ottoman Empire and Imperial Russia. In Iran, the government followed an assimilation policy, starting the gradual absorption of the Caucasian refugees into the population. Some of these deportees from after 1864 rose to various high ranks such as in the

Persian Cossack Brigade , image = Persian Cossack Brigade.jpg , caption = Persian Cossack Brigade in Tabriz in 1909 , dates = 1879–1921 , disbanded = 6 December 1921 , count ...

, where every member of the army was either Circassian or any other type of ethnos from the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

Modern day

Despite heavy assimilation over the centuries, Circassian settlements have lasted into the 20th century. However, the

Circassian language Circassian , also known as Cherkess , is a subdivision of the Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian language family, spoken by the Circassians, Circassian people. There are two Circassian languages, defined by their literary standard ...

s once also widely used by the large Circassian minority, no sizable number of Circassians in Iran speak the language anymore. Excerpted from: * After the Georgians, the Circassians are the second largest Caucasus derived group in Iran, comprising significant numbers.

Notables

Notable Iranians of either partial or full Circassian descent include: * Fawzia Fuad, Empress consort of Iran (1941–1948) *Princess Shahnaz of Iran *Princess Zahra Mahnaz Zahedi *Prince Keykhosrow Jahanbani *Princess Fawzia Jahanbani *

Suleiman I of Persia Suleiman I (; born Sam Mirza, February or March 1648 – 29 July 1694) was the eighth and the penultimate Shah of Safavid Iran from 1666 to 1694. He was the eldest son of Abbas II and his concubine, Nakihat Khanum. Born as Sam Mirza, Suleiman s ...

* Teresia Sampsonia * Yusuf Agha * Pari Khan Khanum * Sultan-Agha Khanum *

Abbas II of Persia Abbas II (; born Soltan Mohammad Mirza; 30 August 1632 – 26 October 1666) was the seventh Shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1642 to 1666. As the eldest son of Safi and his Circassian wife, Anna Khanum, he inherited the throne when he was ...

Shamkhal Sultan Shamkhal Sultan, also known as Shamkhal Sultan Cherkes, was an important Circassian noble of the second half of the 16th century in the Safavid Empire. Biography Family Shamkhal Sultan, alongside his sister Sultan-Agha Khanum, were from a promine ...

Nakihat Khanum Nakihat Khanum was the first wife of the Safavid king (''shah'') Abbas II (1642–1666). She was of Circassian origin. Originally a (slave) concubine, she was the mother of Abbas II's successor, king Suleiman I (1666–1694). Alike other fema ...

* Qazāq Khan Cherkes, governor of

Shirvan Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...

, commander of the

( Karamanlu and Ḵeneslū divisions) *

Farhad Beg Cherkes Farhad Beg Cherkes (died 1614) was a Circassian favourite at the Safavid court of king ('' shah'') Abbas I (r. 1588–1629). Having risen through the '' gholam'' ranks, he enjoyed a high position in the royal court, until he was executed followin ...

* Khvajeh Mohammad Safavi * Moḥammad-Bāqer Ṣafī Mīrzā * Ūzūn Behbūd Beg *

Suleiman Mirza (son of Tahmasp I) Suleiman Mirza ( fa, سلیمان میرزا, translit=Soleymān Mirzā; b. 28 March 1554, Nakhchivan – d. 30 October 1576) was a Safavid prince. The son of king Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576) by his Circassian wife Sultan-Agha Khanum, he functione ...

Safi of Persia Sam Mirza ( fa, سام میرزا) (161112 May 1642), better known by his dynastic name of Shah Safi ( fa, شاه صفی), was the sixth Safavid shah (king) of Iran, ruling from 1629 to 1642. Early life Safi was given the name Sam Mirza when ...

Anna Khanum Anna Khanum (died 9 September 1647; fa, آنا خانم) was the consort of the Safavid king Safi (r. 1629–1642). She was the mother of her husband's successor, King Abbas II (r. 1642–1666). Early life Anna Khanum was of Circassian origi ...

* Najafqoli Khan Cherkes *

Fereydun Khan Cherkes Fereydun Khan Cherkes (died 1620/21) was a Safavid official and military commander of Circassian origin, who served as the governor (''beglarbeg'') of Astarabad in 1605/06–1620, during the reign of king Abbas I (r. 1588–1629). Biography Fer ...

References

Sources

* * * Savory, Roger, ''Iran Under the Safavids''; Cambridge University Press, 2007 . *P. Oberling, "Georgians and Circassians in Iran," Studia Caucasica (The Hague) 1, 1963 *J. R. Perry, "Forced Migrations in Iran During the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries," Iranian Studies 8, 1975, pp. 199–215. *N. Falsafī, Zendagānī-e Šāh ʿAbbās-e awwal, 4 vols., Tehran, 1334-46 Š./1955-67 *Babaie, Sussan
Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran
I.B.Tauris, 15 October 2004
Kazemzadeh, Hamed, Circassians in Persia
CaucasusTime. {{DEFAULTSORT:Circassians In Iran

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Demographics of Iran Ethnic groups in Iran Iranian people of Circassian descent