Migration of the Kumyk Turks from the Caucasus to Anatolia

Abstract

Northern Caucasus is generally defined as a geography where Circassians live. But we know that not only the Circassians but also the Turks live there. Tatars, Karachays, Nogais, Kumuks are the Caucasian Turks that information were given about. When Russia occupied the Caucasus, the people who lived there, had to leave their homeland because of the politics carried out by Russians. Russia completed the occupation of the Caucasus with the end of the last of Circassian resistance in Kbaa region, on May 21, 1864 and Sheikh Shamil s delivery to Russia in 1859. Russia compelled the people of the Caucaus to mandatory and mass migration because of the applied Russian politics. Caucasion people who had to (were forced to) abandon their homeland, sheltered to Ottoman Empire by forced and mass migration. Ottoman Empire placed the Caucasus refugees including Nogay Turks, Crimean Turks and Circassian tribes both to Anatolia and Rumalia. Between the second half of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century, forced emigrations eventuated from Caucasia to the Anatolia. Russian State, who occupied the countries of the Caucasia people, is the major actor of the forced emigration. Caucasian people, whose countries occupied, have taken refuge to Ottoman State like Dagestanians, Chechens, Karaçhais, Kumyks. In this study, we will approach the emigration of Kumyks to the Ottoman Empire and the settlement of them to the Ottoman geography.

Özet

19. yüzyılın ikinci yarısıyla 20. yüzyılın ilk çeyreği arasında Kafkasyadan Anadoluya zorunlu göçler olmuştur. Zorunlu göçün baş aktörü Kafkas halklarının vatanlarını işgal eden Rus devletidir. Vatanları işgale uğrayan Çerkesler, Dağıstanlılar, Çeçenler, Karaçaylılar, Kumuklar gibi Kafkas halkları Osmanlı Devletine sığınmışlardır. Bu çalışmamızda Kumukların Osmanlı Devletine göçünü ve Osmanlı coğrafyasındaki yerleşimini ele alacağız. Anahtar kelimeler: Kafkasya, Osmanlı Devleti, zorunlu göç, Kumuklar, iskân.