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| '''Azerbaijanis''', |
'''Azerbaijanis''', (Azerbaijani Turks, Azeri Turks), live in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the northwestern Iranian region of South Azerbaijan. They number approximately 45 million and inhabit nearby regions in Turkey, Georgia and Russia as well. | ||
| ==Origins== | ==Origins== | ||
| Azerbaijanis are a Turkic people, descendants of various bodies of Turks but primaraly the Oghuz Turks who were a majority in Azerbaijan in the 10th and 11th century and henceforth. The language, culture, literature and blood of the Azerbaijanis comes from the Oghuz Turks. | |||
| Their origins are disputed, with some historians calling them descendants of ] and ] peoples and others maintaining that they are descendants of various Turkic peoples. | |||
| Most Iranian historians, labeled as "Persian chauvinists" by western and Azerbaijani scholars and historians, claim that the Azerbaijanis are Iranic. | |||
| Most historians agree that they are descendants of ] and ] peoples who were linguistically assimilated by ] tribes (primarily ] and ]). A minority among professionals believe instead that they are descendants of various bodies of Turks but primaraly the Oghuz Turks who had inhabited Azerbaijan since the ], and who in a series of mass-migrations from Central Asia during ] rule in the ] and ] centuries created a majority population in the land, uniting previous Turkic inhabitants. The later group also believe that prior to that there were also traces of Caucasian peoples, such as the tribe of Chols as well as Indo-Europeans, who are often labeled as Iranic people. | |||
| American, Arab, European and Azerbaijani historians, based on evident reasons agree that the Azerbaijani-Turk nation has existed since antiquity and that the Azerbaijanis do not trace their lineage to Iranic peoples. Persian writers and "historians" seem to think otherwise. | |||
| The ] is unlikely to be settled, even by archaoloical evidence from controlled, professionally excavated sites, which would establish cultural connections at inhabited sites, or by ], which would offer clues to the waves of ] that have repeatedly tranformed the ]. Official ideologies and local social unrest have rendered neutral, scientifically-based resolution difficult. | |||
| ==Language== | ==Language== | ||
| ''Main article: ]'' | ''Main article: ]'' | ||
| The Azerbaijanis speak ] (sometimes called Azerbaijani Turkish or Azeri) which is a ], close to ] and ] (see also ]). The standard Azerbaijani language developed from the ] onwards. | The Azerbaijanis speak ] (sometimes called Azerbaijani Turkish or Azeri) which is a ], close to ] and ] (see also ]). The standard Azerbaijani language developed from the ] onwards. | ||
| Some claim that prior to the 10th century, there were various Turkic dialects spoken across the region, and that the '']'', a historic epic, was written in |
Some claim that prior to the 10th century, there were various Turkic dialects spoken across the region, and that the '']'', a historic epic, was written in Azerbaijan in the 6th and 7th centuries. | ||
| ===Development=== | ===Development=== | ||
| The modern written language of the Azerbaijanis developed from the ] to the ], after the Oghuz Turkic migrations and the decline of the ] state in Central Asia. This is the timespan that is called Azerbaijan's cultural and linguistic "golden age". | The modern written language of the Azerbaijanis developed from the ] to the ], after the Oghuz Turkic migrations and the decline of the ] state in Central Asia. This is the timespan that is called Azerbaijan's cultural and linguistic "golden age". | ||
Revision as of 07:45, 20 August 2004
Azerbaijanis, (Azerbaijani Turks, Azeri Turks), live in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the northwestern Iranian region of South Azerbaijan. They number approximately 45 million and inhabit nearby regions in Turkey, Georgia and Russia as well.
Origins
Azerbaijanis are a Turkic people, descendants of various bodies of Turks but primaraly the Oghuz Turks who were a majority in Azerbaijan in the 10th and 11th century and henceforth. The language, culture, literature and blood of the Azerbaijanis comes from the Oghuz Turks.
Most Iranian historians, labeled as "Persian chauvinists" by western and Azerbaijani scholars and historians, claim that the Azerbaijanis are Iranic. American, Arab, European and Azerbaijani historians, based on evident reasons agree that the Azerbaijani-Turk nation has existed since antiquity and that the Azerbaijanis do not trace their lineage to Iranic peoples. Persian writers and "historians" seem to think otherwise.
Language
Main article: Azerbaijani language
The Azerbaijanis speak Azerbaijani (sometimes called Azerbaijani Turkish or Azeri) which is a Turkic language, close to Turkish and Turkmen (see also Turkic peoples). The standard Azerbaijani language developed from the 10th century onwards.
Some claim that prior to the 10th century, there were various Turkic dialects spoken across the region, and that the Book of Dede Korkut, a historic epic, was written in Azerbaijan in the 6th and 7th centuries.
Development
The modern written language of the Azerbaijanis developed from the 10th to the 13th centuries, after the Oghuz Turkic migrations and the decline of the Oghuz Yabgu state in Central Asia. This is the timespan that is called Azerbaijan's cultural and linguistic "golden age".
Demographics
There are about total 23 to 45 million Azerbaijanis in the world, but census figures are incomplete.
It is estimated that there are 16 million to 22 million Azerbaijanis in Iran, 4 million to 8 million in Azerbaijan, 600 thousand to 2.16 million in Russia, possibly over one million in the US, between 50 and 500 thousand in each of Ukraine and Germany, more that 300 thousand in Turkey, 286 thousand in Georgia, and 78.3 thousand to 200 thousand in Kazakhstan. The UK, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan also have some populations of Azerbaijanis living there.
More than 90% of Azerbaijanis are Shia Muslims, but there are also Sunni Muslims, Eastern orthodox, and evangelical Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, and Baha'is. Some people claim that in recent years there have been many conversions to Sunni Islam.
See also: List of Azerbaijanis
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