Exploring Kurdish Population In Azerbaijan: Numbers And Context

The Kurdish people are one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in the world without their own nation. While the Kurdish homeland is in the Middle East, many Kurds began to migrate to former Central Asian Soviet Republics, including Azerbaijan, after World War II. The Kurdish settlement of Azerbaijan is thought to date back to the seventh century CE, but it was in the sixteenth century that Shah Abbas of Iran deployed Kurdish tribes from western Iran to guard the empire's northwestern frontier. Today, the number of Kurds in Azerbaijan is a subject of debate, with estimates ranging from 6,000 to 200,000.

Kurdish settlement of Azerbaijan

The Kurdish settlement of Azerbaijan is thought to date back to the seventh century CE, but it was not until the late sixteenth century that it assumed a mass character. In the late 1500s, Shah Abbas of Iran deployed Kurdish tribes from western Iran to guard the empire's northwestern frontier.

In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Kurds established a presence in the Caucasus with the establishment of the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty. By the end of the sixteenth century, some Kurdish tribes were recorded in Karabakh. However, it is believed that the majority of contemporary Kurds in Azerbaijan descend from migrants from Qajar Iran in the nineteenth century.

In 1589, another wave of Kurdish immigration may have taken place during the Ottoman-Safavid War. The victorious Safavid soldiers, some of whom were Shia Kurds, settled in the conquered lands where Karabakh and Zangezur meet. In the eighteenth century, many Kurdish tribes formed tribal unions with Azeris in the Karabakh lowlands.

In 1807, amidst the Russo-Persian War, a Kurdish tribe chief named Mehmed Sefi Sultan moved to the Karabakh khanate, followed by 600 Kurdish families. By the second half of the nineteenth century, Kurds constituted 4.68% of the population of the Elisabethpol Governorate. They were also present in significant numbers in the uyezds of Zangezur, Javanshir, and Jabrayil, as well as in smaller populations in the uyezds of Nakhchivan, Sharur-Daralagoz, and Aresh.

The mass migration of Kurds from Persia, and to a lesser extent from the Ottoman Empire, into the mountainous regions of present-day Azerbaijan continued throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This migration ended in 1920 when Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union.

In the 1920s, a significant number of Kurds from Azerbaijan relocated to Armenia, mainly settling in Azeri-populated regions. This led to a notable decrease in the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan. By the 1920s, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan was estimated to be around 40,000.

During the Soviet era, the majority of Kurds in Azerbaijan were situated in the Lachin area of western Azerbaijan. From 1923 until its abolition in 1930, this region was known as Red Kurdistan, and the Kurds enjoyed a degree of autonomy. In 1930, most remaining Kurds were deported to Central Asia and progressively recategorized as Azerbaijanis. Despite this, Kurds continued to hold prominent positions in society, with representation in the government of the short-lived independent Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan from 1918 to 1920.

In the late 1980s, an estimated 18,000 Kurds fled from Armenia to Azerbaijan due to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, which spilled over into traditionally Kurdish-populated areas. However, the war also caused displacement among the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan, with Armenian troops advancing into Kalbajar, Lachin, Qubadli, and Zangilan in 1992-1993, forcing civilians to evacuate.

Today, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan is scattered across the country due to displacement, and many have assimilated into Azeri identity, with Azeri often being their mother tongue. The 2009 census recorded 6,100 Kurds in Azerbaijan, constituting 0.1% of the population. However, estimates from the 1990s suggested higher figures, ranging from 10,000 to 200,000.

Kurdish tribes in Azerbaijan

The Kurdish population in Azerbaijan has a long history, with Kurdish settlement thought to date back to the seventh century CE. However, it was not until the late sixteenth century that Kurdish tribes arrived in significant numbers, deployed by Shah Abbas of Iran to guard the empire's northwestern frontier. By the end of the sixteenth century, some Kurdish tribes were recorded in Karabakh.

In the eighteenth century, many Kurdish tribes formed tribal unions with Azeris in the Karabakh lowlands. During the Russo-Persian War over the South Caucasus in 1807, a Kurdish tribe chief named Mehmed Sefi Sultan moved to the Karabakh khanate, followed by 600 Kurdish families. By the second half of the nineteenth century, Kurds constituted 4.68% of the population of the Elisabethpol Governorate, and were found in large numbers in the uyezds of Zangezur, Javanshir and Jabrayil. Small populations of Kurds were also present in the uyezds of Nakhchivan, Sharur-Daralagoz and Aresh.

The mass migration of Kurds to Azerbaijan continued throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with Kurds arriving from Persia (Iran) and, to a lesser extent, the Ottoman Empire. This migration continued until 1920, when Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union. The Kurdish population in Azerbaijan was prone to internal immigration, and in the 1920s, many Kurds relocated to Armenia, significantly decreasing the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan.

In the 1930s, the Soviet Union began deporting Kurds from Azerbaijan to Central Asia, with most of the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan and Armenia being deported to Kazakhstan by 1944. This, along with assimilation into Azerbaijani culture, contributed to a decline in the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan.

Today, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan is heavily assimilated, with many speaking Azeri as their first language. While limited Kurdish-language media is available, a language shift to Azeri within Kurdish families is widely reported. The 2009 census recorded 6,100 Kurds in Azerbaijan, accounting for 0.1% of the population. However, estimates from the 1920s and 1990s suggest higher figures, ranging from 40,000 to 200,000.

Kurdish language in Azerbaijan

The Kurds are one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in the world without their own nation. While some Kurds in Azerbaijan speak Azerbaijani at home, others continue to speak Northern Kurdish or Kurmanji.

The Kurds have a long history in Azerbaijan, with the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty being established in the Caucasus in the 10th and 11th centuries. By the 16th century, some Kurdish tribes were recorded in Karabakh, and in the 18th century, many Kurdish tribes had formed tribal unions with Azeris in the Karabakh lowlands.

In the 19th century, there was a mass migration of Kurds from Qajar Iran to the mountainous regions of present-day Azerbaijan, which continued until 1920 when Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union. As a result of shared religion and cultural elements with Azeris, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan quickly assimilated. By the end of the 19th century, statistical data showed that Kurds in several regions spoke Azeri as their first language. According to the first Soviet census in 1926, only 8.3% of Azerbaijan's Kurdish population spoke Kurdish.

Mixed Azeri-Kurdish marriages were historically commonplace, but the Kurdish language was rarely passed on to the children of these unions. As a result of assimilation, most Kurds in Azerbaijan today identify Azeri as their native tongue. However, there are still speakers of Northern Kurdish in the country, with an estimated 54,000 speakers as of 2016.

In addition to speaking Azerbaijani or Northern Kurdish, almost all Kurds in Azerbaijan also speak Russian, which is helpful for business contacts.

Kurdish population in Azerbaijan

The Kurds are one of the largest ethno-linguistic groups in the world without their own nation. In Azerbaijan, the Kurdish population is historically significant, with roots dating back to the 10th and 11th centuries when the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty was established in the Caucasus. Over the centuries, various waves of Kurdish immigration have taken place into Azerbaijan, particularly from Qajar Iran and, to a lesser extent, the Ottoman Empire.

By the late 19th century, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan was already well-integrated, with many speaking Azeri as their first language and practising Shia Islam, the dominant religion in the country. According to the 1926 census, the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan numbered 37,200, of which only 8.3% spoke Kurdish. The Kurds in Azerbaijan have historically held prominent positions in society, including in the government of the short-lived independent Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in 1918-1920.

In the 1920s, a significant number of Kurds from Azerbaijan relocated to Armenia, leading to a decrease in the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan. Soviet rule also impacted the Kurdish community, with the establishment of an administrative unit called Red Kurdistan in 1923, which was abolished in 1930. Most remaining Kurds were reclassified as Azerbaijanis, and many were deported to Kazakhstan in 1937. Despite these challenges, Kurdish nationalism resurfaced in the 1980s, leading to the formation of the Yekbûn organisation in 1989, advocating for Kurdish autonomy.

Estimates of the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan have varied over time. In the 1920s, the population was estimated to be around 40,000, while estimates in the 1990s ranged from 10,000 to 200,000. The Kurdish population in Azerbaijan has been influenced by various factors, including migration, assimilation, and political developments, resulting in a dynamic and evolving demographic situation.

Kurdish history in Azerbaijan

The Kurds in Azerbaijan are a historically significant population in the post-Soviet space. The Kurdish presence in the Caucasus dates back to the establishment of the Kurdish Shaddadid dynasty in the 10th and 11th centuries. Some Kurdish tribes were recorded in Karabakh by the end of the 16th century. However, the majority of Kurds in modern-day Azerbaijan descend from migrants from 19th-century Qajar Iran.

During the Ottoman-Safavid War in 1589, victorious Safavid soldiers chose to stay in the conquered lands of western Azerbaijan, leading to another wave of Kurdish immigration. The Safavids resettled Shi'a Kurds in the border regions of Karabakh and Zangezur. In the 18th century, Kurdish tribes formed tribal unions with Azeris in the Karabakh lowlands. In 1728, groups of Kurds and Shahsevans engaged in semi-nomadic cattle breeding in the Mughan plain and applied for Russian citizenship.

In 1807, during the Russo-Persian War, a Kurdish tribe chief named Mehmed Sefi Sultan moved to the Karabakh khanate, followed by 600 Kurdish families. By the second half of the 19th century, Kurds constituted a significant portion of the population in several regions of Azerbaijan. In 1886, they made up 4.68% of the population of the Elisabethpol Governorate. Small populations of Kurds were also found in the uyezds of Nakhchivan, Sharur-Daralagoz, and Aresh.

The mass migration of Kurds from Persia, and to a lesser extent, the Ottoman Empire, into the mountainous regions of present-day Azerbaijan continued until 1920 when Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union. During this period, the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan experienced internal immigration, with some Kurds relocating to Armenia, resulting in a significant decrease in their numbers.

The Kurds in Azerbaijan were well-integrated into society and shared religious and cultural similarities with the Azeris, leading to rapid assimilation. By the end of the 19th century, many Kurds in Azerbaijan had adopted Azeri as their first language. According to the 1926 census, only 8.3% of Azerbaijan's Kurdish population spoke Kurdish.

The Kurds played an active role in the government of the short-lived Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan from 1918 to 1920. After the establishment of Soviet rule, the Central Executive Committee of the Azerbaijan SSR created an administrative unit called Red Kurdistan in 1923, with a capital in Lachin. However, this unit was abolished in 1930, and most Kurds were reclassified as Azerbaijani. Despite facing deportation and assimilation pressures, the Kurds in Azerbaijan continued to strive for autonomy and the preservation of their cultural identity.

During the perestroika era in the 1980s, there was a resurgence in the nationalist aspirations of Soviet Kurds, leading to the formation of organisations seeking to reestablish Kurdish autonomy. The aspirations for an autonomous Kurdish state within the Soviet Union, however, were not realised due to the collapse of the USSR and opposition from Turkey.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan further impacted the Kurdish population in the region. In the late 1980s, 18,000 Kurds fled from Armenia to Azerbaijan. The First Nagorno-Karabakh War resulted in the displacement of the Kurdish population, with many settling in IDP camps. Despite attempts to establish the Kurdish Republic of Lachin in 1992, the majority of Kurds had already fled due to the war, and this effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

Estimates of the Kurdish population in Azerbaijan have varied over time, with numbers ranging from 10,000 to 200,000 in the 1990s. The Kurds in Azerbaijan have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, academia, literature, and military service.

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