Caucasian Albania: a journey into the past

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

About the 5th century B. C. on the territory of Azerbaijan and South Dagestan, a state called Caucasian Albania was formed. This country was inhabited by the ancestors of the current Dagestan Lezgin-speaking peoples. It should be noted that the final formation of the geographical boundaries of Dagestan occurred only in the 60s of the twentieth century, during the Soviet period. Then the northern regions of Dagestan were annexed, therefore, not all the peoples currently inhabiting Dagestan belong to the purebred descendants of the inhabitants of Caucasian Albania.

A huge number of various political events took place in the ancient state of Albania - its history is still ambiguously interpreted by scientists.

Initially, the country was formed as a confederation of twenty-six kingdoms, but in the 12th century it broke up into small principalities and existed in this form until the 17th century AD, until it became part of the Russian Empire. Arab historical sources claim that the last political entity that continued the traditionsof ancient Caucasian Albania, was present-day Azerbaijan (in ancient times - the historical region of Arran).

On the territory of Dagestan in the IV century, eleven leaders of the highlanders or kings, as well as the king of the Leks, ruled. At the very beginning of the 6th century, Caucasian Albania was divided into several political societies that lived in different parts of the Dagestan territory. In the southern part of Dagestan, in the mountains, south of the Samur River, Lairan lived. The plateau south of Derbent was inhabited by Muskut. The territory located north of the Samur River, as well as the basin of the Gyulgerychay River, was chosen by Lakz (modern Lezgins, Rutuls, Aguls, etc.). And to the northwest of Derbent, near the Rubas River, the Tabasaran association lived.

Derbent emirate was part of the state of Caucasian Albania. It was formed on the Caspian trade route, and its center was the city of Derbent. It was the main center of trade in the Caspian region and for a short time - the capital (Albania later acquired another capital city due to constant raids on Derbent from the "north").

After Derbent, the capital of Caucasian Albania became the city of Kabala (Kabalaki), the ruins of which have survived to this day in Azerbaijan. After the Republic of Azerbaijan switched to the Latin alphabet, the Russian letter “K” was replaced by the Latin “Q”, therefore, the ancient capital of the Lezgins was called not Kabala, but Gabala (the Gabala radar station was rented by the Russian Federation).

Being at the crossroads of civilizations, migration and caravan routes, Caucasian Albania, in fact,constantly forced to defend its independence. Albania was at war with the Romans (the legendary campaigns of Pompey and Crassus to the Caucasus), with Sasanian Iran, the Huns, Arabs, Khazars and Turkic tribes, who, nevertheless, managed to finally destroy Caucasian Albania as a state.

The Lezgin peoples also experienced hard times in the 50-60s of the twentieth century. The ruling "elite" of Dagestan, on the eve of the all-Union census, divided them, promising each nationality the status of "sovereignty". But from this "sovereignty" the Lezghin peoples remained only a loser, because. they managed to get the promised alphabets only forty years later, after the collapse of the USSR. All these years they remained unwritten, because. instead of their native Lezgi, they were forced to use the new "native" language - Russian.