The provided source offers an extensive analysis of the Tat people, an Iranian-speaking ethnic group indigenous to the Eastern Caucasus, primarily residing in Azerbaijan and Dagestan. It highlights their complex identity transformation influenced by imperial politics, linguistic shifts, and religious differentiation, leading to significant assimilation into the Azerbaijani population. The text distinguishes between the Caucasian Tat language (Southwestern Iranian) and the unrelated Iranian Tati languages (Northwestern Iranian), addressing a common point of confusion. It traces their history from Sassanid-era origins through periods of Islamization and Turkification, to the accelerated assimilation under Russian and Soviet rule, which dramatically reduced their self-identified numbers. Furthermore, the source details their demographic decline, endangered language, and the divergent fates of their three ethno-religious subgroups: the largely assimilated Muslim Tats, the distinct Judeo-Tats (Mountain Jews) who maintained their identity through Judaism, and the Christian Armeno-Tats who experienced a double language shift and forced migration. Finally, it explores their traditional culture, economy, material culture, and intangible heritage, concluding that the broader Tat identity is fading into history, with the Mountain Jews serving as a notable exception to this trend.
Note: This was made with AI research and AI audio output, and does not conform to academic standards. However, sources are confirmed as genuine.
This page was created on: August 15, 2025 and last updated: