Representatives of the Dargin nationality live on the territory of the modern Republic of Dagestan. This is one of the largest nations in these places. They belong to the Caucasian type of the Caucasian race. The believing representatives of this people profess Sunni Islam.
People in Dagestan
The Dargin nationality today includes a significant number of residents of the Republic of Dagestan, which is part of Russia. According to the results of the last census, almost 600 thousand representatives of this nationality live in our country. Dagestan has the most of them - about 16.5%, or approximately half a million people.
Mostly they live in the Caucasus mountains. Their villages are crowded, their houses are terraced, they settle more freely in the foothills, they have large and spacious yards.
Appearance
Character, appearance of the Dargins can remind most Russians of the classical representatives of the Caucasian peoples.
They have a strong and strong-willed face, a prominent nose, a square chin. Often men representing the nationality of the Dargins preferwear beards.
Traditional costume
The national costume of the Dargins is clothes of the general Dagestan type. Men prefer long trousers, a tunic shirt, a Circassian coat, a beshmet, sheepskin coats, capes, cloaks, hats, felt and leather shoes. A mandatory attribute of the national costume is a long and wide dagger.
This shows the character of the Dargin people. Like most of those who live in the east, they are extremely impulsive and quick-tempered. The tradition of walking with a dagger for self-defense was born in antiquity, when the turbulent situation in the Caucasus required it.
For a woman, the national costume of the Dargins is the so-called shirt dress (it is in the form of a tunic, and the waist is cut off). In some places, the dress can be swinging, then it is called arkhaluk. Wide or tight pants, felt or leather shoes are welcome. The usual women's headdress is chuhta, there should also be a white or black coverlet made of coarse calico or linen; in solemn occasions, silk is used. In some areas, for example, Kubachi or Kaitag, borders and embroidery are used.
Today, the Dargins, who live in cities, wear ordinary modern clothes, not standing out from everyone else. In traditional costumes, you can see the elderly or those who live in the countryside.
Diaspora
Representatives of the Dargin nationality live in completely different regions of Russia. Their largest diaspora outside of Dagestan itself exists in the Stavropol Territory. In recent years, their numbers in this region have increased significantly. If in 1979 there were about 16 thousand Dargins, then during perestroika - already almost 33 thousand people, and according to the latest data - 50 thousand.
Also, large diasporas of this nationality can be found on the territory of the Rostov region (more than 8 thousand people), Kalmykia (about 7.5 thousand people), Astrakhan region (more than 4 thousand), about three thousand representatives of the Dargin community live in Moscow.
It is noteworthy that several hundred representatives of this people have long settled far from their historical homeland - in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The first Dargins appeared here in the 30s of the last century. In the 2000s, there are almost 400 of them here. Basically, they settled in Krasnoyarsk itself, as well as in Norilsk, Sharypovo and the region of the same name.
A very small group of Dargins lives in the countries of the former Soviet Union. They can be considered relatively noticeable only in Kyrgyzstan. There are almost three thousand representatives of this nationality, which is one tenth of a percent of the total number of inhabitants in the country. About 1,500 Dargins live in Turkmenistan.
Ethnonym
The word "Dargin" itself is derived from the concept of "darg", which means "inside", that is, a person who opposes himself to the external environment. According to the philologist Ageyeva, who studied this problem, the ethnonym "Dargins" itself appeared relatively recently. Even in the XVIII-XIX centuries. representatives of this peoplewere part of disparate political entities.
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Soviet ethnographer Boris Zakhoder, carefully studied the notes of the Arab writer al Bakri. It turned out that the medieval formation that he described had the name "Dairkan", which could also be the self-name of the Dargins.
Before the October Revolution, this nation was known by other names. First of all, like the people of Khyurkily and Akush.
During the Soviet Union, the Dargin districts were part of the created Dagestan ASSR, and since 1991 they have been part of the Republic of Dagestan. During this period, part of the Dargins moved from the mountains to the plains.
Origin
The nationality belongs to the Caucasoid race, Caucasian type. There are two versions of the origin of the Dargins.
The first is called the hypothesis of long autochthonous development. It implies a certain level of isolation in which the people were in the conditions of hard-to-reach highlands. This is confirmed by a number of finds made in these areas. A supporter of the hypothesis, archaeologist and anthropologist Valery Pavlovich Alekseev, believed that the Caucasian group had developed on the territory that it currently occupies. This happened as a result of the conservation of the anthropological features of the ancient population that lived in these places. It may have been formed during the Upper Paleolithic or Neolithic.
The appearance of the ancient Dargins is described in the Arab geographer from Shirvan al Bakuvi. A researcher who lived at the beginning of the 15th century noted thatthat people lived here tall, blond and with sharp eyes.
The second hypothesis is migration, it was proposed by the doctor of biological sciences, anthropologist Georgy Frantsevich Debets.
Peoples of Dagestan
The national composition of the Republic of Dagestan is considered one of the most diverse in the entire territory of Russia. 18 fairly large diasporas live here. The uniqueness of this provision lies in the fact that none of the nationalities has a majority, and some, except in Dagestan, are practically not found anywhere else.
The peoples inhabiting Dagestan are distinguished by their diversity. For example, it is difficult to find territories where Lezgins, Laks, Tabasarans, Aguls, Rutuls, Tsakhurs live somewhere else.
In Dagestan itself, Avars live most of all, but even they do not have a majority. There are about 850 thousand of them, which is approximately 30% of the total population. Dargins - 16.5%, Kumyks - 14%, Lezgins - 13%, the number of other nationalities does not exceed 10%.
Culture
It is noteworthy that prior to the 20th century written Dargin literature simply did not exist. Previously, all works existed only in oral form. The first poetry collections in the Dargin language were published in the 1900s. In linguistic and grammatical terms, they remained semi-Dargin and semi-Arabic, contained works of exclusively religious content.
After the October Revolution, Dargin literature began to rapidlydevelop. At first, monuments of the oral art of this people were collected and recorded, in 1925 the first newspaper in the Dargin language, which was called "Dargan", began to be published.
In 1961, on the basis of the first Dargin studio, opened at the Art and Theater Institute in Yerevan, the first professional drama theater of the Dargins appeared. He received the name of the founder of Dargin literature, a poet who lived in the 19th century, Omarl Batyray.
Language
It is interesting that the representatives of this people speak the Dargin languages, which belong to the Nakh-Dagestan branch. This is the North Caucasian language family.
The Dargin language itself is divided into a large number of dialects. Among them are Urakhinsky, Akushinsky, Kaitagsky, Tsudaharsky, Chiragsky, Kubachingsky, Sirginsky, Megebsky.
The modern literary language of this people was formed on the basis of the Akushinsky dialect. The Russian language is also very common among the Dargins.
The first information about their own language among the Dargins dates back to the second half of the 18th century. In the 1860s, a description of the Urakha dialect appeared. Over the past century, the basis of writing has changed twice. In 1928, the Arabic alphabet was replaced by the Latin alphabet, and since 1938, Russian graphics have been used. In the modern alphabet, the Dargins have 46 letters.
Music
In our time, Dargin songs are widely used. There are a large number of musicians and professional singers with a repertoire to match.
One of the most popular performers of Dargin songs is Rinat Karimov. In his repertoire there are works "For you, Dargins", "Isbahi", "Love will come", "My Darginka", "Understand my heart", "Spring of love", "Dream", "Black-eyed", "Beautiful", " Be happy", "I can't live without you", "Wedding", "Comic".
Dargin traditions
A certain idea can be formed about the traditions of this people, based on the folklore of this people. It abounds with curses and good wishes, so that the principles of the mentality of this people become clear. Interestingly, the most terrible Dargin curses illustrate what customs dominate their hierarchy of values.
If you carefully study what the Dargins wish for a friend or foe, you can understand that elders, family traditions are revered here and guests are always welcome. For example, among the Dargins, it is common to threaten that old age turns out to be useless to anyone, the bones of someone who does not like guests are broken, relatives crumble like beads from a torn thread.
One of the main virtues of this Caucasian nationality is the veneration of age. It is customary to always give way to the elder, and when he begins to speak, the youth should definitely listen to him while standing. At the table, the dish of the oldest person will be the first to be filled, inattention to old age is condemned in society.
Almost the samereverently in the traditions of the Dargins treat guests. As elsewhere in the Caucasus, it is customary here to always be prepared for the fact that a traveler may appear on the threshold of the house, who must be surrounded with appropriate honors.
For a guest in the house, they arrange the perfect order, provide the best place. He must certainly be treated, so the Dargins always keep an emergency supply at home in case a traveler appears in the house. Even small children know about this, so when they find sweets, they always ask their parents if they are intended for guests. When strangers appear in the house, it is not customary to tidy up, fuss, everything should be leisurely and decorous.
Family
Among the customs of this people, one of the dominant places is occupied by family traditions. A patriarchal way of life is common here, which implies the supremacy of men over women, and the elders over the younger.
Any unrighteous act immediately puts shame on his entire family. Therefore, everyone strives to comply with the code of ethics, its rules are passed down from generation to generation. Honesty, nobility, courage and diligence are most valued.
Wedding traditions of this people are typical for the rest of the Caucasus. There are courtship ceremonies, followed by obtaining consent to marriage, the stay of the bride in the "other" house, which is preceded by betrothal. Only after that the girl is brought into the common room and sent to the spring for water.
Children are considered a great value in a family. Wishing for childlessness is considered oneof the most severe and cruel curses. Children are usually named after prophets, people respected in the family or long-dead relatives. At the same time, everyone knows that he will be obliged to correspond to this name.
