Adjarians

The Adjarians (Ajarians, Ajars, Adjars, Adzhars; _ka. აჭარლები, "Ačarlebi") are an ethnographic group of Georgians that mostly live in Adjara in south-western Georgia. The Adjars are part of the Georgian people but are distinct in some cultural traits, particularly in their Muslim religious identity. The Adjars may have not been considered distinct from other Georgians until the conversion of their regional leaders to Islam after the Ottoman conquest of Adjara in 1614. Subsequently, many forced conversions of Adjars to Islam took place, although it is probable that most Adjar peasants were Christian until the 1770s. The process of Islamicization accelerated after the 1820s.

The Adjarians have their own territorial unit—an autonomous republic of Adjara, founded on July 16, 1921, as Adjar ASSR. After years of post-Soviet stalemate, the region was, in 2004, completely brought within the framework of the Georgian state; it retains an autonomous status. Adjarian settlements are also found in the Georgian provinces of Guria, Kvemo Kartli, and Kakheti, as well as several areas of neighboring Turkey.

Language

The Adjarians speak Adjaran, a local dialect of the Georgian language, related to that spoken in the neighboring northern province of Guria, but with a number of Turkish loanwords and with many common features with the Zan languages - Mingrelian and Laz - which are sisters to Georgian and are included in the Kartvelian or South Caucasian group.

Religion

The Adjarians were converted to Islam by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries when it occupied southwestern Georgian lands.

The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as "Muslim Georgians" until the 1926 Soviet census which listed them as "Adjars", separately from the rest of Georgians, and counted 71,498 of them. In subsequent census (1939-1989), they have been listed with other Georgians as no official Soviet census asked about religion. In the 1920s, the suppression of religion and compulsory collectivization led to armed resistance by Adjarians to Communist authorities. Following suppression of the disturbances, many Adjarians were deported to Central Asia.

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgian independence accelerated the Christianization, especially among the young, [George Sanikidze and Edward W. Walker (2004), "Islam and Islamic Practices in Georgia." Berkeley Program in Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. University of California, Berkeley Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.] a process allegedly encouraged by the governmental officials. However, significant number of Ajarians remain Sunni Muslims. It is said that at the moment of Georgia's declaration of independence (1991), the number of Adjarian Muslims accounted for 70% though the data remain unverifiable as no Soviet statistics included the information on various religious segments. According to estimates recently published by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 63% are Georgian Orthodox Christians, and 30% Muslim,ge icon [http://adjarastat.com/Docs/EROVNEBA.doc Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Department of Statistics] . According to the BBC, "nowadays about half the population professes the Islamic faith" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/3520322.stm#facts BBC: Adjara profile] .] chiefly Sunnis of the Hanafi school.

History

Famous Ajarians

* Memed Abashidze (1873-1941), a prominent political leader of Muslim Georgians
* Aslan Abashidze (b. 1938), former regional leader
* Tbeli Abuserisdze (1190-1240), a Georgian writer and scientist
* Zurab Nogaideli (b. 1964 ), former Prime Minister of Georgia, (2005-2007)
* Levan Varshalomidze (b. 1973), current regional leader

See also

*Chveneburi, ethnic Georgians in Turkey many of whom are of Adjarian heritage.

References

*Nugzar Mgeladze (Translated by Kevin Tuite). [http://www.everyculture.com/Russia-Eurasia-China/Ajarians.html Ajarians] . "World Culture Encyclopedia". Accessed on September 1, 2007.