Kumuk Turks

Kumuk Turks are a Muslim Turkic people living in Dagestan. Etymologically, the name "Kumuk" has been written in various forms throughout history (Kumık, Kumıh, Kumuh, Gumık, Gumuh) and appears in Dîvânü Lugât’it-Türk as the name of a bey. While there are differing views regarding their ethnic origins, they are generally accepted to have emerged from a mixture of Oghuz and Kipchak Turkic groups.

The Kumuks typically live in the northeastern part of Dagestan, along the coast of the Caspian Sea. During the Soviet era, it is known that they migrated to regions such as Türkiye, Chechnya, North Ossetia, Syria and Iran.

The history of the Kumuk people has been shaped within the complex ethnic structure of Caucasus. In the 7th century, within the boundaries of the Khazar Empire, the Kumuk people emerged from the fusion of Oghuz and Kipchak tribes. In the 12th century, after being displaced from their lands by the Kazis, the Kumuks established a feudal principality known as "Shemhallik" following the collapse of the Khazars. This principality resisted Russian occupation for a long time with the support of the Ottoman State and other Caucasian peoples. However, from the second half of the 19th century, the region came under the control of Tsarist Russia.

Kumuk Turkish is the second most widely spoken language in Dagestan after Avar. According to linguists, Kumuk, belonging to the Kipchak-Oghuz subgroup, occupies a position between Ottoman Turkish and Kazakh Turkish.

Initially written using the Arabic alphabet, Kumuk later adopted the Latin alphabet in 1927 and the Cyrillic alphabet in 1938. Among the modern founders of Kumuk literature are Yirçi Kazak and Mirza Muhammad Mavaraev.

The Kumuk people are a sedentary agricultural community. Agricultural activities such as grain cultivation, fruit growing and viticulture are prominent. Economic activities in the region are concentrated in Dagestan’s most fertile areas for industry and agriculture. Additionally, during the Soviet period, many Kumuk intellectuals faced repression; yet the Kumuk people succeeded in preserving their national identity.

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After earlier beliefs such as Shamanism, Christianity and Judaism, the Kumuk people adopted Islam during the period of the Golden Horde. The majority adhere to the Hanafi school of thought. In addition, there are Kumuk communities in settlements such as Derbent and Makhachkala who follow the Imamiyya school.

The Kumuk Turks live in the Hasavyurt, Babayurt, Kizilyurt, Karabudakhkent, Kayakent and Kaytak towns and regions of Dagestan. Some ethnic groups are also found in the Gudermes district of Chechnya and the Mozdok district of North Ossetia. The urbanization rate among the Kumuk is 47 percent; the vast majority reside in Dagestani cities such as Makhachkala, Buynaksk, Izberbash, Kaspiysk and Kizlyar. Makhachkala is also the historical center of the Kumuk people.

Traditional legal customs among the Kumuk have maintained their validity for centuries. To resolve disputes or legal cases, elders from the villages of Aksay and Endirey gather along the banks of the Yamansuv River to deliberate. When a definitive and lasting solution is reached, it is accepted among the Kumuk as "adat". Crimes such as murder, rape and theft are adjudicated under a system known as "töre", and the public is obligated to comply with the penalties imposed by this system. However, the community may appeal the decisions of the töre by petitioning the council of elders known as "aksakals". In such cases, the council of elders may invalidate the rulings of the töre.

Throughout the 19th century, Russia aimed to occupy the Caucasus and forcibly relocated its indigenous populations. The surrender of Sheikh Shamil in 1860 marked the end of Caucasian resistance, and the Kumuk people, who had participated in this resistance, migrated to the Ottoman State.

The Ottoman State implemented settlement arrangements for migrants arriving from the Caucasus. The Kumuk people were resettled in various regions of Anatolia, including Kütahya, Bursa, Erzurum, Bolu and Sivas. The Ottoman government provided economic support to the Kumuk and other Caucasian groups during their settlement, facilitating their integration through land grants, housing, agricultural tools and food aid. Daily stipends were provided to the migrants, and social integration processes were supported.