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{{Redirect|Karachay}}
{{pp-pc1|expiry=indef}}
{{Primary sources|date=February 2011}}

{{Infobox ethnic group
|group=Karachays
|image=[[File:Karachay patriarchs in the 19th c.jpg|285px]]<br>'''Karachay patriarchs in the 19th century'''
|poptime = 200,000
|region1 = {{flag|Russia}}
|pop1 = 192,182
|ref1 =
|region2 = {{flag|Turkey}}
|pop2 = 20,000
|ref2 = <ref>http://home.anadolu.edu.tr/~hcinar/Karacay.html</ref>
|region3 = {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
|pop3 = 995
|ref3 =
|rels = [[Sunni Islam]]
|langs = [[Karachay-Balkar language|Karachay]], [[Russian language|Russian]] in [[Karachay–Cherkessia|Karachay–Cherkess Republic]]
| related = [[Turkic peoples]]
}}
{{too short|date=June 2016}}
The '''Karachays''' are a [[Turkic people]] of the [[North Caucasus]], mostly situated in the [[Russia]]n [[Karachay–Cherkessia|Karachay–Cherkess Republic]].

==History==
The Karachays (Къарачайлыла, Qaraçaylıla) are a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] people descended from the [[Kipchaks]], and share their language with the [[Kumyks]] from [[Republic of Dagestan|Daghestan]]. In Turkic, "Karachay" means "Black River".

The Kipchaks (Cumans) came to the [[Caucasus]] in the 11th century [[Common Era|CE]].
The state of [[Alania]] was established prior to the [[Mongol]] invasions and had its capital in [[Maghas]], which some authors locate in [[Arkhyz]], the mountains currently inhabited by the Karachay, while others place it in either what is now modern [[Ingushetia]] or [[North Ossetia]]. In the 14th century, Alania was destroyed by [[Timur]] and the decimated population dispersed into the mountains. Timur's incursion into the [[North Caucasus]] introduced the local nations to [[Islam]].

In the nineteenth century Russia took over the area during the [[Russian conquest of the Caucasus]]. On October 20, 1828 the {{ill|Battle of Khasauka|ru|Хасаукинское сражение}} took place, in which the Russian troops were under the command of General [[Georgy Emanuel]]. The day after the battle, as Russian troops were approaching the ''[[aul]]'' of {{ill|Kart-Dzhurt|ru|Карт-Джуртское сельское поселение}}, the Karachay elders met with the Russian leaders and an agreement was reached for the inclusion of the Karachay into the Russian Empire.

After the annexation, the self-government of Karachay was left intact, including its officials and courts. Interactions with neighboring [[Muslim]] peoples continued to take place based on both folk customs and [[Sharia law]]. In Karachay, soldiers were taken from Karachai [[Amanat]], pledged an oath of loyalty, and were assigned arms.

From 1831 to 1860, the Karachays joined the anti-Russian struggles carried out by the [[Peoples of the Caucasus|Caucasian peoples]]. Between 1861 and 1880, to escape reprisals by the Russian army, large numbers of Karachays migrated to [[Ottoman Empire|Turkey]].

In 1942 the Germans permitted the establishment of a [[Karachay National Committee]] to administer their "autonomous region"; the Karachays were also allowed to form their own police force and establish a brigade that was to fight with the Wehrmacht.<ref>Norman Rich: Hitler's War Aims. The Establishment of the New Order, page 391.</ref> This relationship with [[Nazi Germany]] resulted, when the Russians regained control of the region in November 1943, with the Karachays being charged with collaboration with Nazi Germany and deported.<ref>In general, see {{Cite book|author=Pohl, J. Otto |year=1999 |title=Ethnic Cleansing in the USSR, 1937-1949 |location=Westport, Connecticut |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0-313-30921-2}}</ref> The majority of the total population of about 80,000 were forcibly deported and resettled in Central Asia, mostly in [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakhstan]] and [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic|Kirghizia]].<ref>Pohl lists 69,267 as being deported {{harv|Pohl|1999|page=77}}; while [[Valery Tishkov|Tishkov]] says 68,327 citing Bugai, Nikoli F. (1994) ''Repressirovannie narody Rossii: Chechentsy i Ingushy'' citing [[Lavrentiy Beria|Beria]], ({{Cite book|author=Tishkov, Valery |author-link=Valery Tishkov|year=2004 |title=Chechnya: Life in a War-Torn Society |publisher=University of California Press| page=25}}); and Kreindler says 73,737 ({{Cite journal|author=Kreindler, Isabelle |year=1986 |title=The Soviet Deported Nationalities: A summary and an update |journal=Soviet Studies |volume=38 |issue=3 |pages=387–405 |doi=10.1080/09668138608411648 }}).</ref> In the first two years of the deportations, disease and famine caused the death of 35% of the population; of 28,000 children, 78%, or almost 22,000 perished.<ref>{{Cite journal|author=Grannes, Alf |year=1991 |title=The Soviet deportation in 1943 of the Karachays: a Turkic Muslim people of North Caucasus |journal=Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=55–68 |doi=10.1080/02666959108716187 |subscription=yes}}</ref>

===Diaspora===
Many Karachays migrated to [[Ottoman Empire|Turkey]] after the Russian annexation of the Karachay nation in the early 19th century. Karachays were also forcibly displaced to the [[Soviet Central Asia|Central Asia]]n republics of [[Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic|Uzbekistan]], [[Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic|Kazakhstan]] and [[Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic|Kirghizia]] during [[Joseph Stalin]]'s relocation campaign in 1944. Since the [[Nikita Khrushchev]] era in the [[Soviet Union]], many Karachays have been repatriated to their homeland from [[Central Asia]]. Today, there are sizable Karachay communities in [[Turkey]] (centered on [[Afyonkarahisar]]), [[Uzbekistan]], the [[United States]], and [[Germany]].

==Geography==
The Karachay nation, along with the [[Balkars]] and [[Nogays]] occupy the valleys and foothills of the Central Caucasus in the river valleys of the [[Kuban River|Kuban]], [[Big Zelenchuk River]], [[Malka River|Malka]], [[Baksan River|Baksan]], [[Cherek River|Cherek]] and others.

The Karachays are very proud of the symbol of their nation, [[Mount Elbrus]], the highest twin-peaked mountain in Europe with an altitude 5,642 meters.

==Culture==
Like other peoples in the mountainous [[Caucasus Mountains|Caucasus]], the relative isolation of the Karachay allowed them to develop their particular cultual practices, despite general accommodation with surrounding groups.<ref name="Richmond-NW">{{Cite book|author=Richmond, Walter |year=2008 |title=The Northwest Caucasus: Past, Present, Future |series=Central Asian studies series, 12|location=London |publisher=Routledge |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=E6Z5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA20 20] |isbn=978-0-415-77615-8}}</ref>

Karachay people live in communities that are divided into families and clans ([[Tukkhum|''tukums'']]). A ''tukum'' is based on a family's lineage and there are roughly thirty-two Karachay ''tukums''. Prominent ''tukums'' include: Aci, Batcha (Batca), Baychora, Bayrimuk (Bayramuk), Bostan, Catto (Jatto), Cosar (Çese), Duda, Hubey (Hubi), Karabash, Laypan, Lepshoq, Ozden (Uzden), Silpagar, Tebu, Teke, and Toturkul.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

Karachay people are very independent, and have strong traditions and customs which dominate many aspects of their lives: e.g. weddings, funerals, and family pronouncements. They are fiercely loyal to both their immediate family and their "tukum". They will never offend a guest. Cowardice is the most serious shame for a male.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}}

===Language and religion===
The Karachay dialect of the [[Karachay-Balkar language]] comes from the northwestern branch of [[Turkic languages]]. The [[Kumyks]], who live in northeast [[Dagestan]], speak a closely related language, the [[Kumyk language]]. The majority of the Karachay people are followers of Islam.

==See also==
*[[Lake Karachay]]
*[[Balkars]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.karacay.com/ An online Karachay networking site].
*[http://www.ulucami.org Ulu Cami: A Karachay Mosque serving Muslim Community in Northern Jersey] {{en icon}}{{tr icon}}
*[http://www.akba.org American Karachay Benevolent Association]
*[http://kcr.narod.ru/miziev/miz-e.htm I. Miziev. The history of Karachays from ancient times].

{{Turkic peoples}}
{{European Muslims}}
{{Peoples of the Caucasus}}
{{Ethnic groups of Russia}}
{{Demographics of Turkey}}

[[Category:Turkic peoples]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Russia]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Turkey]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Karachay-Cherkessia]]
[[Category:Peoples of the Caucasus]]
[[Category:Muslim communities of Russia]]

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