Hemshin people: Difference between revisions

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	\|group=Hemshin ~~peoples~~<br>Համշե(ն)ցիներ		\|group=Hemshin / Hemshinli<br>Համշե(ն)ցիներ
	\|image=]<br>A Hemshinli woman in traditional dress.		\|image=]<br>Bash Hemshinli woman in traditional dress.
	\|poptime= 400,000 (est.)<ref></ref>		\|poptime= 400,000 (est.)<ref></ref>
	\|popplace=], ], ] (]), ], and ]		\|popplace=], ], ] (]), ], and ]
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	\|related-c=Other ]		\|related-c=Other ]
	}}		}}
	The Hemshin Peoples are a number of diverse groups of people who in the past history or present have been affiliated with the ] area.<ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 pp.1-2,4-5</ref><ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. pp.476-477,483-485,491</ref><ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 80, 146-147</ref> They are called (and call themselves) as '''Hemshinli''' (]: '''Hemşinli'''), '''Hamshenis''', '''Homshentsi''' meaning resident of Hemshin (historically Hamshen) in the relevant language. <ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 p. 1</ref> . Further designations are '''Khemshils''', (]: Համշենի; ]: Амшенцы; ]: Sumexi (სუმეხი) which is also the name used by the Laz people to designate the Armenians). <ref></ref> Various contributors to the book "The Hemshin" published in 2007 also use the term "'''The Hemshin'''" in addition to the above designations to refer to those peoples. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York. </ref> Hemshin is located in ] eastern ].

			The '''Hemshin''' (]: '''Hemşinli''', also known as '''Hamshenis''', '''Khemshils''', ]: Համշենի; ]: Амшенцы; ]: Sumexi (სუმეხი)<ref></ref>) are an ethnic group who originated in the eastern ] of what is now ]. It is generally accepted that the Hemshin were ] in origin, and were originally Christian and members of the ], but over the centuries they have evolved into a distinctive ethnic group in their own right.
	The Ottoman conquest of Hemshin in the 15th Century is followed by migrations, both to and from Hemshin, as well as Islamization. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 61,83,340</ref> Consequently, distinctive communities with the same generic name have also appeared in the vicinity of ], ] as well as in the ]. Those three communities are almost oblivious to one another's existence.<ref>Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. p. xxi.</ref>

			They are currently divided into three separate communities that are almost oblivious to one another's existence.<ref>Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. p. xxi.</ref> These divisions were the result of population movements initiated by resistance to forced conversion to Islam and, latterly, for economic reasons.<ref>Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. pp. 52-99.</ref>
	*The '''Hemshinli''' of Hemshin proper (also designated occasionally as '''western Hemshinli''' in publications) are ]-speaking ] who mostly live in the counties (ilçe) of Çamlihemşin and Hemşin in Turkey's ].
	*The '''Hopa Hemshinli''' (also designated occasionally as '''eastern Hemshinli''' in publications) are Sunni Muslims and mostly live in the Hopa and Borçka counties of Turkey's ]. In addition to Turkish, they speak a dialect of ] they call "''Homshetsma''" or "Hemşince" in Turkish.<ref> Ibit, Uwe Blasing, "Armenian in the vocabulary and culture of the Turkish Hemshinli".</ref>
	*'''Homshentsik''' (also designated occasionally as '''Northern Homshentsik''' in publications) are Christians who live in ] and in Russia's ]. They speak Homshetsma as well <ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 p. 2</ref>. There are also some Muslim Hemshinli living in ] and Krasnodar{{Fact\|date=June 2008}} and some Hemshinli elements amongst the ]. <ref>Alexandre Bennigsen, "Muslims of the Soviet Empire: A Guide", 1986, p.217.</ref>

			The '''western Hemshinli''' or '''Bash Hemshinli''' (Turkish: '''Baş Hemşinli''') are Turkish-speaking Sunni Muslims who mostly live in the counties (ilçe) of Çamlihemşin and Hemşin in Turkey's ]. The '''eastern Hemshinli''' or '''Hopa Hemshinli''' are Armenian-speaking Sunni Muslims and mostly live in the Hopa and Borçka counties of Turkey's ]. The '''Hamshenis''' are Armenian-speaking Christians who live in ] and in Russia's ]. There are also some Muslim Hemshinli living in ] and Krasnodar and some Hemshinli elements amongst the "]".
	The details and the accompanying circumstances for the migrations and the Islamization process during the Ottoman era are not clearly known and documented. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 20,52, 58,61-66,80</ref>

			Issues involving the ethnic origin and self-identity of the Hemshinli can be subject to controversy in Turkey.
	The ethnical make up of the people living in Hemshin prior to the Ottoman conquest is similarly not clearly known and documented. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 340, 360</ref> Generally it is accepted that there have been immigrations into this region in medieval times, especially from Osakan in Armenia. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 3-13, 19-27</ref><ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. pp.480-481</ref> It is well documented that the majority of people living in Hemshin were Christians of the "]" prior to Ottoman Conquest. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 52</ref>

			==Origins==
	==History Until Ottoman Conquest==
			According to ], the Armenian princes ] and ], who lost their domains in ] to the ]s, moved to the ] in the 8th century with 12,000 of their people. They settled in the town of Tambut in the mountains and it was eventually renamed Hamamashen, which evolved to Hamshen (Համշէն, the Armenian and local name for it) or ] (today the official Turkish name). This group of Armenians prospered in the ], and, virtually cut off from other Armenian populations, developed its unique dialect of Armenian.

			The majority of these Armenians were Christians, belonging to the diocese of ] of the ]. In 1461, the Hamshen area was conquered by the ]. As a result, in the 16th century and on a larger scale in the 18th century, a significant number of them were forced to convert to Islam. Still, these Hamshenis retained both their dialect and their culture. The Islamic Hamshenis were allowed to remain in situ, and have been left virtually undisturbed since that time.
	Robert H. Hewsen shows the region where today's Hemshin is located to be populated by a people with different designations
	throughout the ancient and early mediaeval history. He indicates thereby that some designations may have alternative forms and partially presents the names used with question marks. In summary from 13th century to 6th century BC Kolkhians <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 maps 10,13</ref>, 550 to 330 BC Kolkhiansa and Makrones <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 17</ref>, 180 BC to 14 AD Laz (Chanian tribes) <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 21</ref>, in the Arsacid Period (63 AD-298 AD) Heniokhians, Makhelones, Heptakometians, Mossynoikins <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 42</ref> as well as Sannians, Drilles and,Makrones <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 55</ref> are mentioned.

			Those who refused to convert either fled or remained where they were such as those of Elevit (Eliovit). Most fled to farther western parts of ] like ], ], ], ], and also in 19th and early 20th centuries, to found settlements in western regions of Turkey like ], ] and in the eastern Black Sea coasts of the ]. Due to events such as the ] and the ], most of the surviving Christian Hamshenis of Turkey emigrated to the Hamsheni settlements under Russian sovereignty. A group of Adapazarı Hamshenis have reportedly taken refuge in Armenia.<ref>''Türkiye'de Etnik Gruplar'', Peter Alford Andrews, p. 183, 1992 Istanbul (attention: illegal edition! Unauthorized translation: Mustafa Küpüşoğlu, editor: Cemal Şener, cf. http://www.peterandrews.info/files/Raubedition.pdf)</ref>
	The Hemshin region is shown as part of Kolkhis (299 AD- 387 AD) <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 62</ref>, Tzannoi ( 387 AD – 591 AD) <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 65</ref> and Khaldiya ( 654 AD – 750 AD) <ref>Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000 map 78</ref>. The specific location of Hemşin is indicated as Tambur/Hamamašen as a fort and town for the first time in the map covering the period 654-750.

	Those two names (Tambur and Hamamašen ) are included in the History of Taron by Ps.John Mamikonian in a short passage <ref>: "As soon as read the letter, another letter arrived the same day from Vashdean's sister's son, Hamam, acquainting with the treachery before him from the troops who had come from Iran. He immediately wrote a letter to Vashdean reprimanding him for his plot. Vashdean grew angry and had Hamam's feet and hands loped off. Then, taking the Iranians, crossed the Chorox river and went to Hamam's city, named Tambur, which he attacked with fire and sword and enslaved. Now the blessed bishop of the city, Manknos, severely cursed the prince. ordered the Iranians to kill the priests in the church named Holy Zion. The bishop had silently prayed to God to ask only that the city be
	turned into a desert and a ruin and that for all eternity no one reside there. He threw himself on the altar and sacrificed him on Pentecost before mass was offered to Christ. On the next day there was a cloudburst and was consumed by fire as he sat by the city gates of Tambur. Hamam subsequently built this calling it after himself, Hamamashen. And Mangnos' prayer was realized. In one night 3,000 men died, others fled, and the city remained a ruin."
	</ref> about a war between the ruler of Tambur, Hamam, and his maternal uncle the Georgian Prince, which resulted in the destruction of the town to be rebuild by Hamam and be named after him namely Hamamshen. This event is declared by Mamikonian to have taken place in early seventh century . Hamamashen became with time Hamshen. Simonian who conveys this story reports also that the date given by the author may be wrong <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 20-21</ref>.


	Two other Armenian chronicles Ghewond and Stephen Asoghik of Taron, report in short passages in their histories about a migration from Armenia/Oshakan led by prince Shaspuh Amatuni and his son Hamam. Ghewond conveys this immigration to be to avoid heavy taxes imposed on Armenians by the Arab rulers. The Amatuni lords are offered fertile land to settle down by the Byzantine Emperor, after they crossed the Corukh river. This migration is dated to be after 789 by Ghewond and as 750 by Stephen Asoghik of Taron <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society
	and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 20-21</ref><ref>: " so increased the yoke on people that they could not endure it. For even if they gave all that they possessed, it was not enough to save themselves. This same Sulaiman sent to the city of Dwin his son-in-law, a certain Ibn Ducas (Ibndoke'), an impious and malevolent man, son of one of his maid-servants, who was of Greek nationality. He imposed unendurably heavy taxes on the residents of our land. All the lords, common folk, bishops and the kat'oghikos Esayi came and pleaded with to reduce the onerous level of taxation, but it was of no avail. For the wrath of the Lord had delivered the Christians into merciless hands. sent tax collectors to the different parts of the land with the order to double the yearly collection and to take it immediately, and they implemented the command. Once this was accomplished, this son of satan devised another wicked scheme. He had lead seals put around the necks of everyone, demanding many zuzas for each .Thus did this wicked executioner reduce everyone to the worst extremes of bankruptcy through his intolerant measures. ."
	</ref>.

	Benninghaus specifies “Tambur” as the destination of the migration led by Hamam and his father Shapuh Amaduni and says that they have seemingly met people there who were already christians , possibly Greeks <ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. p.92</ref>. Redgate informs about possible symbolism used in the Ghewond’s history and possible garbling in Mamikonian’s history, and cautions not to take everything at face value <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 3-13</ref>. Hachikian states “There is no clue as to where Tambur, the legendary capital of Hamshen, was located. The only certain thing about it is that it clearly belonged to a much earlier time- if it existed at all” <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p. 147</ref>. He also mentions in the footnote the name similarity between Tambur and a yayla known as Tahpur or Tagpur, located in the heights of Kaptanpasa. Simonian states that Tambur is probably in the vicinity of Varoşkale (altitude 1800 m) <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p. 22</ref>.

	Kırzıoğlu considers the migration to be by a Turkish tribe who, before migrating to Hemshin had migrated from Hemedan to Osakan <ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. pp.480-481</ref>.

	A description of "Haynsen" in the Kingdom of Georgia, its inhabitants and history is contained in "La Fleur des histoires de la terre d'Orient" by Hetu'm of Corycos, written around 1307, translated into English in 1520, and later reproduced in the travellers' tales of Samuel Purchas published in 1614. Purrchas uses the term "Hamsem" to designate the region and concludes that this is the place of the original Cimmerian gloom of ]'s ] <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p.4</ref> <ref></ref>
	The translation of He'tums related passage to modern English uses the term Hamshen <ref>http://rbedrosian.com/hetumint.htm</ref>.
	He'tum describes the region to be "miraculous and strange place" unbelievable unless seen by own eyes, dark and without roads. Signs of human settlement are that "...People in those parts say that one frequently hears the sounds of men bellowing, of cocks crowing, of horses neighing in the forest,"
	Those people are described by He'tum, leaning upon Georgian and Armenian Histories, to be the descendants of the men of the "wicked" Iranian Emperor Shaworeos who had chased and harassed christian people.
	The referenced translation suggests this Emperor could be Shapuhr II,
	<ref>
	There is a miraculous and strange place in the realm of Georgia which--had I not seen it with by own eyes--I would neither dare to speak about it nor to believe in it. But since I was there in person and saw it, I shall discuss it. There is a district named Hamshen in that area, its circumference being a three day's journey. And despite the district's extent, the place is so foggy and dark that no one can see anything. For no road goes through it. People in those parts say that one frequently hears the sounds of men bellowing, of cocks crowing, of horses neighing in the forest, and the murmuring of a river which flows thence. These are all regarded as trustworthy signs there that a settlement of people exists in the area.
	This much is true: in the histories of the kingdoms of Armenia and Georgia it may be read that a certain wicked Emperor Shaworeos , an idolator and ferocious persecutor of Christians, one day ordered that all the inhabitants of Asia come and worship the idols. Those who ignored the command were to be burned with fire. Whereupon it transpired that some of the Christians chose martyrdom to worshipping the idols.Some chose to convert temporarily and, out offear, worshipped the idols, so that they not be deprived of their lives and wordly goods. Meanwhile others took to the mountains and deserted places and somehow kept themselves alive. The group of the best Christians who lived in the Moghon plain thought to leave their belongings and to pass to Greece . While they were so resolved, the Emperor arose before them, ordering that those refusing to sacrifice to the idols should be pulled apart, limb by limb. Now the people cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ and, going by the straight path, they survived. However, the infidelshave resided in that gloomy valley to the present. And they must stay there until the end of the world. So it is believed by everyone, and so it is related.
	</ref>.

	Simonian considers the so described difficulty in access not to imply total isolation . On the contrary, he reports, Hemshin served sometimes as a transit route between the coastal regions and the Armenian plateau <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p. 24</ref>.

	Further theories of medieval settlement to Hemşin are that
	*following the Seljukid Turks occupation, Ani Armenians have fled to Hemshin which had never seen any human face before;
	*there has been continuous influx of Armenians from the South following the initial settlement; resulting in an armenisation of the area thru expelling local Tzan population and
	*the armenization of the Tzan people took place through ruling dynasties in the South <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and
	New York., p. 21,22</ref>.

	Sources of the ruling powers in the region, (Byzantine Trapezuntine, Georgian, Armenian and Turkish) are silent about Hemshin; until the conquest by the Ottomans <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 26,31</ref>. It is deduced that Hemşin has been governed by local lords under the umbrella of the greater regional powers changing by the time namely the Bagratid Armenian kingdom, the Byzantine Empire, its successor the Empire of Trebizond, the Georgian Kingdom , the Kara Koyunlu and Ak Koyunlu Turkmen Confederations <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p. 26</ref> until it was annexed by the Ottoman Empire which collapsed as a result of the WW1 and gave birth to the Republic of Turkey.

	The Ottoman conquest of Hamshen occurred sometime in the 1480s: an Ottoman register dated around 1486 calls it ''Hemshin'' and mentions it as being an Ottoman possession. <ref> Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. p31.</ref>

			{{Armenians}}
	==Groups==		==Groups==
			Hamshenis themselves are divided into three main groups as designated by Professor of Linguistics ] at the ]:
	The Ottoman era has witnessed two major developments in the Hemshin region: Islamization and population movements. <ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 pp.1-2,4-5</ref><ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. pp.476-477,483-485,491</ref><ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 52-99</ref> Islam faith has commenced to spread possibly prior to the Ottoman rule but it has become the general religion not before the end of the 16 th century. A number of population movements (both into and out of the region) are also known to have happened during the Ottoman era. Even though detailed information regarding the nature of these movements is missing, in summary:
	* there has been some emigration from Hemşin of Hemşinli belonging to the Armenian church to western counties of the eastern Blacksea region during the earlier centuries of the Ottoman rule,
	* some emigration by Hemşinli of İslam faith to western Anatolia as well as to the Caucasus has taken place as a result of Turco-Russia wars and the accomponying hardships in the 19 th century,
	* there have been some immigration into the area during the Ottoman rule.


	The present community of Hemşinli thus surfacing is exclusively of Islam faith and Turkish speaking. This goes for the people living in Hemşin or people still maintaining links to the area although they live all over in Turkey. <ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 p.1</ref><ref>Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. pp.476-477, 484, 487</ref><ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 159, 165, 176, 257, 332, 333</ref>

	A distinct community settled about 50 km east of Hemşin in villages around Hopa and Borçka call themselves also “Hemşinli” and they are often referred to as the “Hopa Hemşinli”. Professor of Linguistics Bert Vaux at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee refers to this group as the “Eastern Hamshenis”. Hemşinli and Hopa Hemşinli are separated not only by geography but also by language and some features of culture and are almost oblivious to one anothers existence. Simonian reports about existence of various different theories regarding the appearance of the Hope Hemshinli group. Those are related to whether they migrated from Hemshin or they were settled by the Ottoman authorities; whether the migration/settlement was early 16th or late 17th centuries;
	whether the migration took place in one step or two waves. The Hopa Hemşinli are exclusively of Islam faith as well.
	Simonian reports that there is a controversy regarding whether they arrived in Hope region as moslems or converted to Islam after arrival<ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., p. 80</ref> .

	The Hopa Hemşinli speak in addition to Turkish a language called "Hemşince" or (“Homşetsi” and/or Homshetsma in some sources). Recent studies suggest {{weasel-inline}} that this language is an archaic dialect of Armenian subject to influence from Turkish and Laz.<ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 p. 5</ref> Vaux also reports that "Hemşince" has been subject to influence from Turkish to a much greater extent than other Armenian dialects.<ref>Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001 p.8-9</ref>Hemşince and Armenian are generally mutually not intelligeble. <ref>Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York., pp. 257</ref>

			===Western Hamshenis===
	In addition to these groups there are people speaking Hemşince / Homshetsma in the countries of the former USSR whose ancestors have probably originated from Hemşin and/or Hopa Hemşin in course of the various population movements to the Caucasus.
			Western Hamshenis (Hemshinli) of Baş Hemşin primarily reside in the mountainous villages in the ]. They are ] by faith and abundantly present in the districts of Hemşin and ] (which literally means "]y Hamshen", originally known as Vija) but also in the mountainous interior of ] (Atina), ] (Mapavri), ] (Artaşen), ] (Viçe) districts. Smaller communities of these Hamshenis can be found in farther western regions of Turkey such as ], ], ], ], and ]. The Western group speaks a peculiar dialect of ] called '']'', adopted under Turkic rule. They celebrate the Armenian festival ].<ref> ] ], '']'' {{tr icon}}</ref>

			===Eastern Hamshenis===
	Those among them who confess to the Islam have been deported from the Adjara area of Georgia at the Stalin era to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. A considerable number of these deportees have moved to Krasnodar Krai since 1989, along with the Meskhetians.
			Eastern Hamshenis (Hamshetsi) of Hopa Hemşin are also ] and live in the ]. They form the majority of the population in and around the town of Kemalpaşa (Makriali) in ] and also in Muratlı (Berlivan) village in ]. This group also once comprised a sizeable population in the ] area of Georgia, but were deported by Stalin to Kazakhstan and ]. A considerable number of these deportees have moved to ] since 1989, along with the ]. The Eastern group speaks an archaic dialect of ], known to its speakers as '']'' or ''Homshetsi lizu'' ("the Hamshen language"). These Hamshenis are said to be the last to convert to Islam ''en masse'' (probably in the late 19th century).

			===Northern Hamshenis===
	Most of those of Christian faith currently live in Abkhazia and in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia, in particular, the Sochi area, and Adygeya.
			Northern Hamshenis (Hamshentsi) are the descendants of non-Islamicized Hamshenis who fled the Hamshen area following conversions and settled in other regions like ] (Kurşunlu in ]), ], ], and ] (Karadere valley in ] to the east of ]). Most of these Hamshenis currently live in Abkhazia and in the ] region of Russia, in particular, the ] area, and ]. Although they are ] and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, they still keep their Hamsheni identity and culture. Like the Eastern group, they too speak the Homshetsi dialect (though they refer to it as ''Häyren'' meaning ''Armenian''). Prof. Bert Vaux refers to this dialect as ''Homshetsma''.

	==Culture==		==Culture==
Line 90:		Line 42:
	], a district of ]'s ] mostly populated by Western (Baş) Hamshenis.]]		], a district of ]'s ] mostly populated by Western (Baş) Hamshenis.]]

			==Population==
	==Present situation==
	===Hemshin in Turkey===

			As mentioned above, Hamshenis primarily reside in ], ], ], ], and ]. Estimates of there numbers worldwide run from several thousand to several hundred thousand.<ref name="hamshen-armenianow">{{cite news
	The ] "Turkey for the Turks" ideology, writes ], "offered no security for minorities" with "the tiny Hemşinli group having especially compelling reasons to keep its head down" because "its members are the descendants of Armenians". <ref>Neal Ascherson "Black Sea", 1995, p198.</ref> In order to avoid accusations of "separatism" the Hemshinli are discreet and unprovocative about their own identity, taking a full but unobtrusive part in Turkish society.
			\| title = A Different Tradition: Hamshen Armenians struggle for identity and recognition
			\| author = Julia Hakobyan
			\| publisher = ArmeniaNow
			\| date = 2007-03-02
			\| url =http://www.armenianow.com/?action=viewArticle&AID=2040&CID=2106&IID=&lng=eng&PHPSESSID=2a427a89e0d50d0490b4e9aed5a3e769
			\| accessdate = 2008-01-18 }}</ref> According to Sergei Vardanyan, a historian and journalist who is vice-chairman of the "Hamshen" charitable-compatriotic organization in ], there is no way to know exactly how many Hamshenis there are. Vardanyan's research indicates that "in some Hamshen families, people themselves did not know whether they are Hamshentsi or not." In addition, he writes, "both Christian and Islamized Hamshentsi now have a common problem - preserving their national identity, since they know their history only at the level of folklore."<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" />

			===Turkey===
	The filmmaker Özcan Alper, an eastern Hemshinli, made the first motion picture in Homshetsi, ''Momi'' (Grandma), released in 2000. As a result, Alper was accused in the Court for State Security of producing material intended to destroy the unity of the state, under article 8 of Turkey's anti-terror law. This law was repealed in 2003 after EU pressure, and Alper's trial did not go ahead. <ref>Rudiger Benninghaus "Manipulating ethnic origins and identity", in Hovann Simonian
			Vardanyan's Hamsheni research indicates that at least some 20-30,000 Hamshentsi Muslims who speak Armenian live in Turkey as well as some 100-200,000 Hamshentsi Turkish speakers.<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" /> Most of the 3,000 Islamized Hamshen Armenians that he encountered were blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Some said that "they did not know their nationality." They were only identified as either "Hemshil" or "Turkish" on their passports.<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" /> He noted that "while Hamshentsi in the former Soviet republics states know something of the history of Armenia, in Turkey they have no access to this" and that "that each generation of Islamized Armenians knows less and less about their origins."<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" /> However, according to some sources, while older generations of Turkish Hamshenis see the reference "Ermeni" (often used by their Laz neighbours) as an insult, some among younger generations, particularly those with strong ] leanings tend to identify themselves as Armenians.{{Fact\|date=April 2007}}
	(ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007, pp369-370 and p388 footnotes 160 & 161.</ref> Hamsheni singer Gökhan Birben (from the Western group) and ] singer ] had also sung in Homshetsi. In 2005, the first music album exclusively of anonymous Hamshen folk songs and sung mostly in Homshetsi, ''Vova - Hamşetsu Ğhağ'' was released.

			The first motion picture in Homshetsi, ''Momi'' (Grandma) was shot in 2000. Hamsheni singer Gökhan Birben (from the Western group) and ] singer ] had also sung in Homshetsi. In 2005, the first music album exclusively of anonymous Hamshen folk songs and sung mostly in Homshetsi, ''Vova - Hamşetsu Ğhağ'' was released.
	Older generations of Turkish Hamshenis see the reference "Ermeni" (often used by their Laz neighbours) as an insult but some among younger generations, particularly those with strong ] leanings tend to identify themselves as Armenians.{{Fact\|date=April 2007}}

	], a former Prime Minister of Turkey, was born in ] to a family with partial ~~Hemshin~~ (Western group) origins.<ref name="karacaahmet">{{tr icon}} {{cite web \|url=http://www.karacaahmet.com/arastirma.asp?id=268 \|title=Lazlar/Hemşinler \|last=Şener \|first=Cemal \|work=Karacaahmetsultan Kültürünü Koruma, Yaşatma ve Türbesini Onarma Derneği}}</ref> ] (who was born in Yaltkaya (Gomno) village of Hemşin), a Deputy ] and before that, a ] in Turkey within successive ] governments between 1950-1960 were Hamshenis.<ref> {{tr icon}}</ref> The community issued other important names in Turkish history and society such as ], current leader of ] and a former Deputy Prime Minister and mayor of ] who is from Şenyuva (Çinçiva) village of Çamlıhemşin. <ref name="karacaahmet"/><ref>] interview with Karayalçın] {{tr icon}}</ref><ref>http://www.karadeniz.nl/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=118&orderby=hitsA Tevfik Rüştü Aras and Murat Karayalçın hail from Hemşin] {{tr icon}}</ref>		], a former Prime Minister of Turkey, was born in ] to a family with partial Hamsheni (Western group) origins.<ref name="karacaahmet">{{tr icon}} {{cite web \|url=http://www.karacaahmet.com/arastirma.asp?id=268 \|title=Lazlar/Hemşinler \|last=Şener \|first=Cemal \|work=Karacaahmetsultan Kültürünü Koruma, Yaşatma ve Türbesini Onarma Derneği}}</ref> ] (who was born in Yaltkaya (Gomno) village of Hemşin), a Deputy ] and before that, a ] in Turkey within successive ] governments between 1950-1960, as well as ], the ] ] on the eve of the ] in 1853 were also Hamshenis.<ref> {{tr icon}}</ref> The community issued other important names in Turkish history and society such as ], current leader of ] and a former Deputy Prime Minister and mayor of ] who is from Şenyuva (Çinçiva) village of Çamlıhemşin.<ref name="karacaahmet"/><ref>] interview with Karayalçın] {{tr icon}}</ref><ref>http://www.karadeniz.nl/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=118&orderby=hitsA Tevfik Rüştü Aras and Murat Karayalçın hail from Hemşin] {{tr icon}}</ref>
	Presently, a major issue in Turkey regarding the Hemshinli is ]. The ] of the area and local culture are being threatened by the increase of tourists who are drawn to the beauty of areas such as Rize, Hopa, and Ayder. Many Hamshenis are angry with this sudden boost of tourism. "Ayder's degeneration began after it was linked by road to the nearby town of Çamlıhemşin," said Selçuk Güney, a local Hamsheni activist. One of his aims is to ensure that his birthplace, the neighbouring Fırtına (Furtuna) valley, avoids a similar fate.

			Presently, a major issue in Turkey regarding the Hamshenis is ]. The ] of the area and local culture are being threatened by the increase of tourists who are drawn to the beauty of areas such as Rize, Hopa, and Ayder. Many Hamshenis are angry with this sudden boost of tourism. "Ayder's degeneration began after it was linked by road to the nearby town of Çamlıhemşin," said Selçuk Güney, a local Hamsheni activist. One of his aims is to ensure that his birthplace, the neighbouring Fırtına (Furtuna) valley, avoids a similar fate.
	There are two ongoing projects involving Turkish ]s and ], ]'s external aid instrument, that touch their issues. The more recently (2007) launched "Ecodialogue Project" () has set itself as goal raising environment consciousness of the region's enterprises and improving the poor levels and quality of the information relayed by local guides <ref>{{cite web \| url = http://www.stgm.org.tr/docs/sivilizApril2007.pdf Bulletin:\| title = Ecodialogue Project\|author=\|publisher=\| access date=\|language=English}}</ref>, many of whom are self-styled and unlicensed <ref> ] himself had as primary Hemshinli informant a young man in his twenties, whose name was changed "to protect the innocent".</ref> The other project, started 2004 and involving also the ], aims to raise the profile and awareness of the ], particularly ], who visit the region, also with focus on enterprises and guides <ref>{{cite web \| url = http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:72XNmTyzzA8J:balwois.mpl.ird.fr/balwois/administration/files/iucn-see-bulletin3.pdf+%22europeaid%22+%2B+%22ayder%22&hl=tr&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=tr&ie=UTF-8&inlang=tr Bulletin:\| title = Improving the conservation status of the Caucasian Black Grouse\|author=\|publisher=]\| access date=\|language=English}}</ref>.

	===Hamshenis in Russia and the former Soviet Union===
	]		]
			There are two ongoing projects involving Turkish ]s and ], ]'s external aid instrument, that touch their issues. The more recently (2007) launched "Ecodialogue Project" () has set itself as goal raising environment consciousness of the region's enterprises and improving the poor levels and quality of the information relayed by local guides <ref>{{cite web \| url = http://www.stgm.org.tr/docs/sivilizApril2007.pdf Bulletin:\| title = Ecodialogue Project\|author=\|publisher=\| access date=\|language=English}}</ref>, many of whom are self-styled and unlicensed <ref> ] himself had as primary Hemshinli informant a young man in his twenties, whose name was changed "to protect the innocent".</ref> The other project, started 2004 and involving also the ], aims to raise the profile and awareness of the ], particularly ], who visit the region, also with focus on enterprises and guides <ref>{{cite web \| url = http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:72XNmTyzzA8J:balwois.mpl.ird.fr/balwois/administration/files/iucn-see-bulletin3.pdf+%22europeaid%22+%2B+%22ayder%22&hl=tr&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=tr&ie=UTF-8&inlang=tr Bulletin:\| title = Improving the conservation status of the Caucasian Black Grouse\|author=\|publisher=]\| access date=\|language=English}}</ref>.

			===Russia and the former Soviet Union===
	Interest in Hamshen heritage is rising among Christian Hamshenis in the former Soviet Union. In 2006, the first music album in Homshetsma by the Ensemble Caravan was released in Krasnodar. Hamshen Scientific, Information and Cultural Centre began to work on exclusive projects in order to recover the cultural heritage of the Hamshenis living in the region. The Armenian newspaper published in ] carries the name ''Hamshen''.
			Interest in Hamshen heritage is rising among Christian Hamshenis in the former Soviet Union. In 2006, the first music album in Homshetsma by the Ensemble Caravan was released in Krasnodar. Hamshen Scientific, Information and Cultural Centre began to work on exclusive projects in order to recover the cultural heritage of the Hamshenis living in the region. The Armenian newspaper published in ] carries the name ''Hamshen''.

	During the ] period of the ] in the late 1980s, the Hamshenis of Kazakhstan began petitioning for the government to move them to the ]. However, ~~this~~ ~~move~~ was denied by Moscow because of fears that the Muslim Hamshenis might spark ethnic conflicts with their Christian Armenian brothers.<ref>{{cite web \| url= http://www.usanogh.com/content/view/418/93/ \|title= Hamshenis denied return to Armenian SSR\|accessdate=2007-02-06}}</ref>		During the ] period of the ] in the late 1980s, the Hamshenis of Kazakhstan began petitioning for the government to move them to the ]. Sergei Vardanyan supported the move and made an effort to resettle one of the derelict villages in ] with 150 families of Christian Hamsheis from Krasnodar and Abkhazia and Islamized Hamshenis from Central Asia.<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" /> However, all this was denied by ] because of fears that the Muslim Hamshenis might spark ethnic conflicts with their Christian Armenian brothers.<ref>{{cite web \| url= http://www.usanogh.com/content/view/418/93/ \|title= Hamshenis denied return to Armenian SSR\|accessdate=2007-02-06}}</ref>

	After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most Hamshenis lived relatively undisturbed. However, those in the Abkhazia region of Georgia had trouble coping with day-to-day life during the ].		After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most Hamshenis lived relatively undisturbed. However, those in the Abkhazia region of Georgia had trouble coping with day-to-day life during the ].
Line 118:		Line 75:
	In the 2002 Russian Federation census, 1,542 people identified themselves as Hamshenis, two-thirds of whom were living in Krasnodar Krai.		In the 2002 Russian Federation census, 1,542 people identified themselves as Hamshenis, two-thirds of whom were living in Krasnodar Krai.

	===Recognition by the Armenian mainstream===		==Recognition by the Armenian mainstream==
			Interest in the Hamshenis, whether Christian or Muslim, is also rising among the Armenians of Armenia and the ]. Sergei Vardanyan encourages efforts to "create a tie between Hamshen Armenians and their roots."<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" /> He serves as the editor in chief of ''Hamshen Voice'', a monthly newspaper published in Yerevan with support from private donations and circulated in Russia, Georgia, Turkey, ], and the ]. "I feel responsibility towards the Hamshentsi simply because I am Armenian," Vardanyan said "With the help of the law on dual citizenship or any other law, Armenia should encourage a national gathering and bring together Armenians around the world to preserve it as a nation with good prospects for the future."<ref name="hamshen-armenianow" />
	Whether Christian or Muslim, most Armenians are willing to work with and try to understand their ethnic cousins. From ] to 15, 2005, a Hamsheni international scientific convention was held in Sochi. The conference was organized under the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Russian-Armenian Commonwealth Organization of Moscow (commissioned by the ]) with help from the Armenian Scientific Informational and Cultural Center, "Hamshen" (Krasnodar, Russia) and Russian Armenian newspaper ]. It involved scholars from Armenia, Russia, the ], ], and ] to discuss the past of the Hamshenis. Among the reports presented at the event were "Hamshen: A Historical and Geographic Outline," "Hamshen Armenians," "Pont and Armenia in 1914-1921," "Genocide of Hamshen Armenians in 1915-1923," "Abkhazian Armenians on the Threshold of 21st century," and others. Following the conference, ethnic ensembles of Hamsheni Armenians of the Black Sea coast of ] gave a cultural performance.

			From ] to 15, 2005, a Hamsheni international scientific convention was held in Sochi. The conference was organized under the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Russian-Armenian Commonwealth Organization of Moscow (commissioned by the ]) with help from the Armenian Scientific Informational and Cultural Center, "Hamshen" (Krasnodar, Russia) and Russian Armenian newspaper ]. It involved scholars from Armenia, Russia, the United States, ], and ] to discuss the past of the Hamshenis. Among the reports presented at the event were "Hamshen: A Historical and Geographic Outline," "Hamshen Armenians," "Pont and Armenia in 1914-1921," "Genocide of Hamshen Armenians in 1915-1923," "Abkhazian Armenians on the Threshold of 21st century," and others. Following the conference, ethnic ensembles of Hamsheni Armenians of the Black Sea coast of ] gave a cultural performance.

	==See also==		==See also==
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	==References==		==References==
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	* Mack Chahin, ''The Kingdom of Armenia: A History'', Routledge, London, 2001. (ISBN 0-7007-1452-9)		* Mack Chahin, ''The Kingdom of Armenia: A History'', Routledge, London, 2001. (ISBN 0-7007-1452-9)
	* Robert H. Hewsen, ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas'', University Of Chicago Press, 2000. (ISBN 0-226-33228-4)		* Robert H. Hewsen, ''Armenia: A Historical Atlas'', University Of Chicago Press, 2000. (ISBN 0-226-33228-4)
	* Peter Alford Andrews, ''Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey'', Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989~~. p475-497~~. (ISBN 3-89500-297-6)		* Peter Alford Andrews, ''Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey'', Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. (ISBN 3-89500-297-6)</div>
	* Hovann H. Simonian (Ed.),"The Hemshin: History,society and identity in the Highlands of Northeast Turkey", Routledge, London and New York. (ISBN 0-7007-0656-9)
	</div>

	=== Footnotes ===		===Footnotes===
	{{Reflist}}		{{Reflist}}

	== External links ==		==External links==
	* , a multi-lingual discussion forum on Hamshen topics		*, a multi-lingual discussion forum on Hamshen topics
	* {{tr icon}} An interview with the director of ''Momi'' on the film and Hamshenis		*
			*{{tr icon}} An interview with the director of ''Momi'' on the film and Hamshenis
	* {{tr icon}} News article on ''Vova''		*{{tr icon}} News article on ''Vova''
	* {{tr icon}}		*{{tr icon}}
	*		*
	*		*
	* at the ''Voice of Hopa'' website features Hamsheni words and their Turkish equivalents.		* at the ''Voice of Hopa'' website features Hamsheni words and their Turkish equivalents.
	* News article about the release with concise info on Hamshenis		* News article about the release with concise info on Hamshenis

	*
			{{Armenian diaspora}}

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Revision as of 22:57, 3 August 2008

Ethnic group

Hemshin / Hemshinli
Համշե(ն)ցիներ
Regions with significant populations
File:Hamsheni woman in traditional dress.jpg Bash Hemshinli woman in traditional dress.
Turkey, Russia, Georgia (Abkhazia), Armenia, and Central Asia
Languages
Armenian (Homshetsi dialect) and Turkish (Hemşince dialect)
Religion
Armenian Apostolic Christianity and Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Other Armenians

The Hemshin (Turkish: Hemşinli, also known as Hamshenis, Khemshils, Armenian: Համշենի; Russian: Амшенцы; Laz: Sumexi (სუმეხი)) are an ethnic group who originated in the eastern Black Sea region of what is now Turkey. It is generally accepted that the Hemshin were Armenian in origin, and were originally Christian and members of the Armenian Apostolic Church, but over the centuries they have evolved into a distinctive ethnic group in their own right.

They are currently divided into three separate communities that are almost oblivious to one another's existence. These divisions were the result of population movements initiated by resistance to forced conversion to Islam and, latterly, for economic reasons.

The western Hemshinli or Bash Hemshinli (Turkish: Baş Hemşinli) are Turkish-speaking Sunni Muslims who mostly live in the counties (ilçe) of Çamlihemşin and Hemşin in Turkey's Rize Province. The eastern Hemshinli or Hopa Hemshinli are Armenian-speaking Sunni Muslims and mostly live in the Hopa and Borçka counties of Turkey's Artvin Province. The Hamshenis are Armenian-speaking Christians who live in Abkhazia and in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. There are also some Muslim Hemshinli living in Georgia and Krasnodar and some Hemshinli elements amongst the "Meskhetian Turks".

Issues involving the ethnic origin and self-identity of the Hemshinli can be subject to controversy in Turkey.

Origins

According to Ghevont (Leontius the Priest), the Armenian princes Hamam and Shapuh Amatuni, who lost their domains in Artaz to the Arabs, moved to the Byzantine Empire in the 8th century with 12,000 of their people. They settled in the town of Tambut in the mountains and it was eventually renamed Hamamashen, which evolved to Hamshen (Համշէն, the Armenian and local name for it) or Hemşin (today the official Turkish name). This group of Armenians prospered in the Pontic Mountains, and, virtually cut off from other Armenian populations, developed its unique dialect of Armenian.

The majority of these Armenians were Christians, belonging to the diocese of Khachkar of the Armenian Apostolic Church. In 1461, the Hamshen area was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. As a result, in the 16th century and on a larger scale in the 18th century, a significant number of them were forced to convert to Islam. Still, these Hamshenis retained both their dialect and their culture. The Islamic Hamshenis were allowed to remain in situ, and have been left virtually undisturbed since that time.

Those who refused to convert either fled or remained where they were such as those of Elevit (Eliovit). Most fled to farther western parts of Pontus like Trabzon, Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, and also in 19th and early 20th centuries, to found settlements in western regions of Turkey like Adapazarı, Bolu and in the eastern Black Sea coasts of the Russian Empire. Due to events such as the Armenian Genocide and the Turkish War of Independence, most of the surviving Christian Hamshenis of Turkey emigrated to the Hamsheni settlements under Russian sovereignty. A group of Adapazarı Hamshenis have reportedly taken refuge in Armenia.

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Groups

Hamshenis themselves are divided into three main groups as designated by Professor of Linguistics Bert Vaux at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee:

Western Hamshenis

Western Hamshenis (Hemshinli) of Baş Hemşin primarily reside in the mountainous villages in the Rize Province. They are Sunni Muslim by faith and abundantly present in the districts of Hemşin and Çamlıhemşin (which literally means "piney Hamshen", originally known as Vija) but also in the mountainous interior of Pazar (Atina), Çayeli (Mapavri), Ardeşen (Artaşen), Fındıklı (Viçe) districts. Smaller communities of these Hamshenis can be found in farther western regions of Turkey such as Istanbul, Sakarya, Düzce, Kocaeli, and Zonguldak. The Western group speaks a peculiar dialect of Turkish called Hemşince, adopted under Turkic rule. They celebrate the Armenian festival Vartavar.

Eastern Hamshenis

Eastern Hamshenis (Hamshetsi) of Hopa Hemşin are also Sunni Muslims and live in the Artvin Province. They form the majority of the population in and around the town of Kemalpaşa (Makriali) in Hopa and also in Muratlı (Berlivan) village in Borçka. This group also once comprised a sizeable population in the Adjara area of Georgia, but were deported by Stalin to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. A considerable number of these deportees have moved to Krasnodar Krai since 1989, along with the Meskhetians. The Eastern group speaks an archaic dialect of Armenian, known to its speakers as Homshetsi or Homshetsi lizu ("the Hamshen language"). These Hamshenis are said to be the last to convert to Islam en masse (probably in the late 19th century).

Northern Hamshenis

Northern Hamshenis (Hamshentsi) are the descendants of non-Islamicized Hamshenis who fled the Hamshen area following conversions and settled in other regions like Samsun (Kurşunlu in Çarşamba), Ordu, Giresun, and Trabzon (Karadere valley in Araklı to the east of Trabzon). Most of these Hamshenis currently live in Abkhazia and in the Krasnodar Krai region of Russia, in particular, the Sochi area, and Adygeya. Although they are Christian and belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, they still keep their Hamsheni identity and culture. Like the Eastern group, they too speak the Homshetsi dialect (though they refer to it as Häyren meaning Armenian). Prof. Bert Vaux refers to this dialect as Homshetsma.

Culture

Hamshenis are well-known for the clever jokes, riddles, and stories that they tell. Some of the anecdotes that the Muslim Hamshenis tell are actually based on older Armenian ones. They accompany dances with their own brand of music using the tulum (the Pontic bagpipe) (for the Western group), the şimşir kaval (flute made of buxus) (for the Eastern group) or the Hamshna-Zurna (Hamsheni zurna) (for the Northern group). The traditional occupations of the Turkish Hamshenis are cultivating tea and maize, breeding livestock, and beekeeping. The Northern Hamshenis of Russia and Georgia, meanwhile, are primarily known as citrus, corn, tobacco and tea growers as well as fishermen. Some Hamshenis (both Muslim and Christian) are also active in economic life as expert bakers, restauranteurs, and transporters, and those in Turkey developed a keen and nationally-renowned expertise in the production of crafted handguns.

Striking scenery in Çamlıhemşin, a district of Turkey's Rize Province mostly populated by Western (Baş) Hamshenis.

Population

As mentioned above, Hamshenis primarily reside in Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Central Asia. Estimates of there numbers worldwide run from several thousand to several hundred thousand. According to Sergei Vardanyan, a historian and journalist who is vice-chairman of the "Hamshen" charitable-compatriotic organization in Yerevan, there is no way to know exactly how many Hamshenis there are. Vardanyan's research indicates that "in some Hamshen families, people themselves did not know whether they are Hamshentsi or not." In addition, he writes, "both Christian and Islamized Hamshentsi now have a common problem - preserving their national identity, since they know their history only at the level of folklore."

Turkey

Vardanyan's Hamsheni research indicates that at least some 20-30,000 Hamshentsi Muslims who speak Armenian live in Turkey as well as some 100-200,000 Hamshentsi Turkish speakers. Most of the 3,000 Islamized Hamshen Armenians that he encountered were blonde-haired and blue-eyed. Some said that "they did not know their nationality." They were only identified as either "Hemshil" or "Turkish" on their passports. He noted that "while Hamshentsi in the former Soviet republics states know something of the history of Armenia, in Turkey they have no access to this" and that "that each generation of Islamized Armenians knows less and less about their origins." However, according to some sources, while older generations of Turkish Hamshenis see the reference "Ermeni" (often used by their Laz neighbours) as an insult, some among younger generations, particularly those with strong leftist leanings tend to identify themselves as Armenians.

The first motion picture in Homshetsi, Momi (Grandma) was shot in 2000. Hamsheni singer Gökhan Birben (from the Western group) and Laz singer Kâzım Koyuncu had also sung in Homshetsi. In 2005, the first music album exclusively of anonymous Hamshen folk songs and sung mostly in Homshetsi, Vova - Hamşetsu Ğhağ was released.

Mesut Yılmaz, a former Prime Minister of Turkey, was born in Istanbul to a family with partial Hamsheni (Western group) origins. Ahmet Tevfik İleri (who was born in Yaltkaya (Gomno) village of Hemşin), a Deputy Prime Minister and before that, a Minister of Education in Turkey within successive Adnan Menderes governments between 1950-1960, as well as Damat Mehmet Ali Pasha, the Ottoman Grand Vizier on the eve of the Crimean War in 1853 were also Hamshenis. The community issued other important names in Turkish history and society such as Murat Karayalçın, current leader of SHP and a former Deputy Prime Minister and mayor of Ankara who is from Şenyuva (Çinçiva) village of Çamlıhemşin.

Presently, a major issue in Turkey regarding the Hamshenis is tourism. The ecology of the area and local culture are being threatened by the increase of tourists who are drawn to the beauty of areas such as Rize, Hopa, and Ayder. Many Hamshenis are angry with this sudden boost of tourism. "Ayder's degeneration began after it was linked by road to the nearby town of Çamlıhemşin," said Selçuk Güney, a local Hamsheni activist. One of his aims is to ensure that his birthplace, the neighbouring Fırtına (Furtuna) valley, avoids a similar fate.

Hamsheni baker Şerif Gülaboğlu with his wife Eva (German descent) and sons in Russia (1905).

There are two ongoing projects involving Turkish NGOs and EuropeAid, European Commission's external aid instrument, that touch their issues. The more recently (2007) launched "Ecodialogue Project" ("Ekodiyalog", web site pending) has set itself as goal raising environment consciousness of the region's enterprises and improving the poor levels and quality of the information relayed by local guides , many of whom are self-styled and unlicensed The other project, started 2004 and involving also the World Conservation Union, aims to raise the profile and awareness of the grouse, particularly black grouse, who visit the region, also with focus on enterprises and guides .

Russia and the former Soviet Union

Interest in Hamshen heritage is rising among Christian Hamshenis in the former Soviet Union. In 2006, the first music album in Homshetsma by the Ensemble Caravan was released in Krasnodar. Hamshen Scientific, Information and Cultural Centre began to work on exclusive projects in order to recover the cultural heritage of the Hamshenis living in the region. The Armenian newspaper published in Sukhumi carries the name Hamshen.

During the Mikhail Gorbachev period of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, the Hamshenis of Kazakhstan began petitioning for the government to move them to the Armenian SSR. Sergei Vardanyan supported the move and made an effort to resettle one of the derelict villages in Lori with 150 families of Christian Hamsheis from Krasnodar and Abkhazia and Islamized Hamshenis from Central Asia. However, all this was denied by Moscow because of fears that the Muslim Hamshenis might spark ethnic conflicts with their Christian Armenian brothers.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most Hamshenis lived relatively undisturbed. However, those in the Abkhazia region of Georgia had trouble coping with day-to-day life during the Georgian Civil War.

Since 2000, several hundred of the Muslim Hamshenis in Russia who have settled from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to Krasnodar Krai (about 1000 total) have repeatedly attempted to formally receive registration from the local authorities. This is similar and related to the problem of the Meskhetians. These actions have been made difficult by the attitude of the Krasnodar officials. In defiance of the authorities an organisation of their co-ethnics in Armenia have appealed to the Russian ambassador in Yerevan to get Moscow to intervene in this case and overrule the regional officials who seem intent on preventing Hamshenis from gaining a status of permanent residency.

In the 2002 Russian Federation census, 1,542 people identified themselves as Hamshenis, two-thirds of whom were living in Krasnodar Krai.

Recognition by the Armenian mainstream

Interest in the Hamshenis, whether Christian or Muslim, is also rising among the Armenians of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. Sergei Vardanyan encourages efforts to "create a tie between Hamshen Armenians and their roots." He serves as the editor in chief of Hamshen Voice, a monthly newspaper published in Yerevan with support from private donations and circulated in Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Lebanon, and the United States. "I feel responsibility towards the Hamshentsi simply because I am Armenian," Vardanyan said "With the help of the law on dual citizenship or any other law, Armenia should encourage a national gathering and bring together Armenians around the world to preserve it as a nation with good prospects for the future."

From October 13 to 15, 2005, a Hamsheni international scientific convention was held in Sochi. The conference was organized under the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Russian-Armenian Commonwealth Organization of Moscow (commissioned by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation) with help from the Armenian Scientific Informational and Cultural Center, "Hamshen" (Krasnodar, Russia) and Russian Armenian newspaper Yerkramas. It involved scholars from Armenia, Russia, the United States, Germany, and Iran to discuss the past of the Hamshenis. Among the reports presented at the event were "Hamshen: A Historical and Geographic Outline," "Hamshen Armenians," "Pont and Armenia in 1914-1921," "Genocide of Hamshen Armenians in 1915-1923," "Abkhazian Armenians on the Threshold of 21st century," and others. Following the conference, ethnic ensembles of Hamsheni Armenians of the Black Sea coast of Kuban gave a cultural performance.

References

Bert Vaux, Hemshinli: The Forgotten Black Sea Armenians, Harvard University, 2001.
Mack Chahin, The Kingdom of Armenia: A History, Routledge, London, 2001. (ISBN 0-7007-1452-9)
Robert H. Hewsen, Armenia: A Historical Atlas, University Of Chicago Press, 2000. (ISBN 0-226-33228-4)
Peter Alford Andrews, Ethnic Groups in the Republic of Turkey, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden, 1989. (ISBN 3-89500-297-6)

Footnotes

Hamshen and Hamshen Armenians Conference Concluded In Sochi
Laz-Turkish dictionary at karalahana.com
Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. p. xxi.
Hovann Simonian (ed.) "The Hemshin", London, 2007. pp. 52-99.
Türkiye'de Etnik Gruplar, Peter Alford Andrews, p. 183, 1992 Istanbul (attention: illegal edition! Unauthorized translation: Mustafa Küpüşoğlu, editor: Cemal Şener, cf. http://www.peterandrews.info/files/Raubedition.pdf)
Hemşin Gizemi Bilimin Pençesinde May 18 2002, Agos Template:Tr icon
^ Julia Hakobyan (2007-03-02). "A Different Tradition: Hamshen Armenians struggle for identity and recognition". ArmeniaNow. Retrieved 2008-01-18.
^ Template:Tr icon Şener, Cemal. "Lazlar/Hemşinler". Karacaahmetsultan Kültürünü Koruma, Yaşatma ve Türbesini Onarma Derneği.
Template:Tr icon
Hürriyet interview with Karayalçın Template:Tr icon
http://www.karadeniz.nl/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=118&orderby=hitsA Tevfik Rüştü Aras and Murat Karayalçın hail from Hemşin] Template:Tr icon
Bulletin: "Ecodialogue Project". Association for Further Development of Civil Society. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |access date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
Bert Vaux himself had as primary Hemshinli informant a young man in his twenties, whose name was changed "to protect the innocent".
Bulletin: "Improving the conservation status of the Caucasian Black Grouse". World Conservation Union. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |access date= (help)
"Hamshenis denied return to Armenian SSR". Retrieved 2007-02-06.
Window on Eurasia: Russian Region Persecutes Armenian Muslims

External links

Hamshen.org, a multi-lingual discussion forum on Hamshen topics
Hemşin / Hamshen folk architecture
Template:Tr icon "Momi" ve "Hamşetsi" Olmak..... An interview with the director of Momi on the film and Hamshenis
Template:Tr icon Damardan Hemşin Ezgileri: VOVA News article on Vova
Template:Tr icon Hamshenis bakers in Russia before 1917
Hamshen - Armeniapedia.org
Karalahana.com: Hemşin: A Unique Land
Hamsheni-Turkish Dictionary at the Voice of Hopa website features Hamsheni words and their Turkish equivalents.
CD with Songs Having Lyrics in Hamshen Dialect of Armenian Language Released in Krasnodar News article about the release with concise info on Hamshenis

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