People / group

Circassians

Also known as Adyghe people, Adyghe, Cherkess

The Circassians, who call themselves Adyghe, are a people of the North-West Caucasus speaking Northwest Caucasian languages. Organised in princely and more egalitarian tribal societies, they resisted the Russian Empire in the Russo-Circassian War until 1864, when most were killed or expelled to the Ottoman Empire. Their large diaspora lives in Turkey, Jordan, Syria and elsewhere, while in Russia they live mainly in Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia.

Circassians
Image: Octane · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

CircassiaFoundation, Socioeconomy, Governance, Impact, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 10 state histories

CircassiaPrincipality of BesleneyShapsugsAbadzekhsPrincipality of HatuqwaiNatukhajPrincipality of TemirgoyPrincipality of BzhedughBlack Sea Cossack HostKuban Cossack Host

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Circassians. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/circassians
MLA
“Circassians.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/circassians. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Circassians.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/circassians.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Circassians’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/circassians (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻