Talysh people

Talysh (also Talishi, Taleshi or Talyshi) are an Iranian people who speak Talysh language one of the Northwestern Iranian languages. It is spoken in the northern regions of the Iranian provinces of Gilan and Ardabil and the southern parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Northern Talysh (the part in the Republic of Azerbaijan) was historically known as Talish-i Gushtasbi.

Talysh has two major mutually intelligible dialects — Northern (in Azerbaijan and Iran), and Southern (in Iran). According to Ethnologue, Azerbaijani is used as literary language and speakers also use Azerbaijani. There are no statistical data on the numbers of Talysh-speakers in Iran, but estimates show their number to be around 1 million. According to Ethnologue some 800,000Talysh live in the Republic of Azerbaijan [1], bringing the worldwide Talysh population close to 912,000 people[2]. In the thesis Positive Orientation Towards the Vernacular among the Talysh of Sumgayit [3] the number of Talyshs speakers in 2003 is estimated to be at least 400,000 in the Republic of Azerbaijan. According to the official census of the Republic of Azerbaijan, whose figures are in dispute by Talysh nationalists, the number of Talysh people in the Republic of Azerbaijan is 80,000. [4]. According to some sources, the Azerbaijani government has also implemented a policy of forceful integration of all minorities, including Talysh, Tat, Kurds and Lezgins.. According to Svante. E. Cornell: Whereas officially the number of Lezgins registered as such is around 180,000, the Lezgins claim that the number of Lezgins registered as Azerbaijani is many times higher than this figure, some accounts showing over 700,000 Lezgins in Azerbaijan. These figures are denined by the Azerbaijani government but in private many Azeris acknowledge the fact that Lezgins- for that matter Talysh or the Kurdish population of Azerbaijan is far higher than the official figure. .

Who are Taleshan (Talesh people)? Taleshian History (brief glance) Taleshan are, as archaeological studies show and archeologists say, one of the oldest inhabitants of Caspian Sea, have lived in Talesh land in old Persia and present Iran, even before Aryans migration. According to some researchers, Taleshan have been in this area 3000 years before the Aryan. Because of their light skin and blue eyes, good indications that they may be the Aryans aran Iran. There is a strong believes from scholars (of course the present Taleshian people have faith it) that the Kadousian are the ancestor of the today’s Taleshian. In the triumph of Babel by Datam with 20,000 dogfaces and 4000 cavalry men helped Kourosh,s army.

Talesh Area (brief glance) The land of Talesh was much bigger than what it is now. In old time the geographical areas of Taleshian people was more than 10,000 kilometer and at present Taleshan live in Gilan province, some cities in Ardabil province, some cities in Azarbaijan Repoblic and some more in Tajikistan. Genraly speaking the Taleshian land has been divided in three region, Gaskarat (Masaal, Taskoh, Shanderman, Rezvashar, Hashtpar, Asalem, Asttra and Ardabil), Foumanat (Fouman, Masoleh, and Shaft) and separated Taleshian (Azarbaijan Republic like Lankaran and Tahjikestan).

Talesh race (brief glance) Some authors also believe that the Taleshan are the same Aryans, who later migrated to all over the Iran and India and Europe...Sir Arnold wilson wrote (Iran,s primary inhabitants generations still in Gilan in the forest areas near a sea (Caspian sea) could be found ,these people by aryan desert settled people expelled from their fatherland and this started 2000 years before Christ and lasted for centuries) Sir Arnold wilson was talking about Taleshian. Land of old Aran which from past till now was the house of Taleshan, was in fact the place that Aryans migration started from many researchers know Kadousian or the ancestors of Taleshian as the old natives of present Iran before the Aryan immigration. Present Taleshian beside other Iranians have a sense of proud of being Iranian and Aryan and are one of the little Iranian communities that kept their pure and Aryan culture.

Taleshian religion (brief glance) Some people (and authors) believe that Talesh was the appearance place of Zoroaster, and Taleshian are the first believers of prophet to God. But Battleship people at present are Muslim (Sunni and Shi'a). Most of the southern Taleshian are Shi'a and most northern Taleshian are Sunni. By: A. Khorsandi Taskoh (December, 2007)