Bezhtintsy

The number in Russia (in Dagestan ) is 6184 people. (according to the 2002 census ) ^[1] or about 8280 people as estimated for 2009 ) ^[3]

The ethnic territory of the refugees is located in the western high mountains of Dagestan ( Bezhtinsky district ), their settlements are located on the left tributaries of the Avarskoy Koisu river , in the spurs of the Greater Caucasus and Bogossky ranges. In the southwest, they are adjacent to the Didoids (tses) , Gunzibs and Ginuhtsy , in the south - to the Didoids (tses) , and in the east - to the Avars .

The main villages of Bezhta : Bezhta , Khasharhota , Spider and the surrounding villages. Part of the refugees from the XVI-XVII centuries. lives in Georgia (in the village of Chantliskuri in the neighboring border Kvareli region - up to 850 people, 2009 estimate) ^[3] ; during the Soviet period, the other part moved to the Kumyk plain - to Babayurt (villages of Kachalai , Karauzek , 40 years of October , Akhayotar , Achi-Chungur and Karatyube ) and Kizlyarsky (villages of Zarechnoye , Rybalko , Vperyod ) districts of Dagestan . An insignificant part lives among other Avaro-Ando-Tses, as well as in the cities of the republic.

Bezhtins are of the Caucasian type of the Balkan-Caucasian race of the large Caucasian race . They speak the Bezhtinsky language , which belongs to the Cesian subgroup of the Avar-Ando-Cesian group of the Nakh-Dagestan branch of the North Caucasian family of languages .

As an ethnic group, the refugees are a nation whose consolidation process with the Avars has not yet been completed. Relations with neighboring peoples are historically peaceful, businesslike, and neighborly; there were no ethnic clashes.

It is very difficult to talk about the origin of the refugees, as well as other Dagestan peoples . It is known that from ancient times they were part of the Dido Confederation. The basis for the formation of the mountain tribes of Dagestan, including the confederation of the Dido tribes, in the 1st millennium BC. e. served sub-community, on which, starting from III millennium BC. e., began to disintegrate the East Caucasian ethnocultural community. Later, already in the Middle Ages, Bezhintins stood out from the Dido Confederation as an independent ethnic group. Written sources and archaeological material from neighboring microregions suggest that in the 2nd floor. I thousand BC e. the refugees, along with other tribes, moved to modern territory from Transcaucasia.

The first testimonies of the tribes on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus (including the Cappuccinians) date back to the first centuries A.D. e. The tribes of the Ando-Tsez were known to the ancient authors under the general name "Didors" (from the cargo. "Big", "huge" - Strabo, Claudius Ptolemy, Pliny the Elder, etc.). Their further stay in the same territories was witnessed by medieval Armenian, Arab, Georgian and other authors.

In the XV - XVI centuries, due to a combination of internal and external social and military-political reasons, the ethno-political association of Dido disintegrates. The result was the formation in the territory of Western Dagestan of independent unions of rural communities and their federations. One of the strongest military-political unions here in the XVI - beg. XVII centuries became the union of Antsuho-Kapucha, which, along with the Antsukhians and Gunzibians, included the Bezhintsy. All R. XVIII century this alliance broke up into separate military-political units of Antsukh and Kapucha.

In the initial period of the movement of the highlanders of the north-eastern Caucasus for independence, the peoples of north-western Dagestan did not participate in this struggle. However, the cruel policy of tsarism towards the highlanders, their trade and economic blockade led to the fact that the neutral part of the highlanders, including the Cappuccinians, since the 1840s. actively involved in the war on the side of Shamil .

After the end of the Caucasian war, the refugees, like other Dagestanis , became part of the Russian state with the administrative status of the Bezhtinsky district of the Dagestan region . Since 1861, they entered the Bezhtinsky naibstvo of the Gunibsky district , in Soviet times, together with the Didoys (Cesi) , Gunzibs and Ginuhtsy - in the Tsuntinsky district of the Dagestan ASSR of the RSFSR , and since 1993 they formed the Bezhtinsky district of the Tsuntinsky district of the Republic of Dagestan .

The overwhelming majority of the refugees profess Sunni Islam . Although their ethnic territory was in close proximity to Georgia and represented a field of widespread activity of Christian missionaries, Christianity did not leave a noticeable mark here, as was the case, for example, in Central Accident, nevertheless, elements of worship of the cross in the religious representations of the refugees remained until adoption of Islam , although at the core of these ideas were pagan. Information about the spread of Islam directly by the Arabs has not been preserved. Over time, however, Arab scholars, theologians, and experts on the Qur'an and Muslim law appeared here. Created on the basis of Arabic graphics, Ajama writing allowed the Bezhintis to write and read in their native and Avar languages .

Today, the vast majority of the local population considers themselves Muslims . A significant part of the population determines their involvement in Islam by adhering to Muslim everyday rules and customs, orientations and criteria. For different sections of the population, knowledge of the foundations of the Muslim religion varies significantly. But the tendency is in-depth adherence to the spirit and letter of Islamic faith, the observance of all the “pillars of Islam,” beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s. increases markedly.

• Kurbanaliev Magomed Magomedovich (August 6, 1992) - ZMS, world champion in freestyle wrestling 2016, winner of the tournament "Ivan Yarygin" 2017, European champion 2014, 2018, winner of the Universiade 2013

• Kurbanov, Abdulkhalik Shamilovich (1978-2004) - Russian soldier, Hero of Russia , who died during the arrest of the fighter Ruslan Gelayev ^[13] .
• Suleymanov, Mukhtar Saadulovich (1980-2004) - Russian soldier, Hero of Russia , who died during the arrest of the fighter Ruslan Gelayev ^[14] .
• Khalilov, Majid Sharipovich - Professor, Doctor of Philology, Head of Department of the Institute of Language, Literature and Art named after G. Tsadasi of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Dagestan.
• Ismailov, Magomedsagid Abdulmuslimovich - Professor, Doctor of Law, Honored Scientist of the Republic of Dagestan, member of the expert group of the Russian Federal Supervisory Authority, vice president of the Caucasian Bar Association. Head Laboratory of Custom Law, DGU.
• Somoev, Ramazan Gusenovich, Professor, Doctor of Economics, Head. Department in RINH, at 27 years old became a doctor of sciences.
• Khaibulaev, Huseyn Asadulaevich - Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, 5-time World Sambo Champion, 5-time World Cup winner, 4-time European Champion, the most titled sambo fighter on the planet.
• Ramazanov, Magomed (Zubair) Ramazanovich - People's Artist of Russia, lives and works in St. Petersburg .
• Magomedova, Roza Musaevna - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor, famous local historian.

• Luguev S.A., Magomedov D.M. Bezhtintsy (Cappuccino, Khvanal). East ethnographer. researched XIX - beg. XX centuries Makhachkala, 1994;
• Luguev S.A., Magomedov D.M. Bezhtintsy // Peoples of Russia. Encyclopedia. M., 1994. S. 108-110.