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| Azeri people | |
|---|---|
| Group | Azeri people |
| Native name | Azərbaycanlılar |
| Population | c. 30–35 million |
| Regions | Republic of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Iraq, Syria, United States, Germany |
| Languages | Azerbaijani language (North and South), Persian language, Russian language, Turkish language |
| Religions | Shia Islam, Sunni Islam, Secularism, Alevism, Christianity (minor) |
| Related | Turkic peoples, Turkmen people, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz people |
Azeri people The Azeri people are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group primarily concentrated in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, with diasporas across Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Iraq, Syria, United States, and Europe. They trace linguistic, cultural, and historical connections to medieval Oghuz Turks, Safavid dynasty developments, and regional interactions involving Persian Empire polities, producing distinctive traditions in literature, music, and political identity. Contemporary Azeri society engages with institutions and events such as the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iranian provincial administration in East Azerbaijan, and international forums including the United Nations.
The ethnonym derives from the historical province of Atropatene and the name Atropates, transformed through Middle Persian language and Arabic language sources into modern forms used in Republic of Azerbaijan and Iran. Colonial and scholarly sources in Russian Empire records, Ottoman Empire chronicles, and Safavid dynasty historiography variably used terms such as "Azeri", "Azerbaijani", and Persian equivalents; legal and academic debates over self-designation occur in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Iranian demographic studies. Modern linguistic classification in works associated with Max Vasmer, Ilya Berezin, and contemporary researchers contrasts the North Azerbaijani standards promoted in Baku and South Azerbaijani varieties in Tabriz.
Early roots connect to Caucasian Albania, Atropatene, and medieval Turkic migrations including the Seljuk Empire and Oghuz Turks, with demographic shifts during the Safavid dynasty when Shah Ismail I and the establishment of Shi'ism in Iran influenced identity. Under the Qajar dynasty and later the Russian Empire expansion, populations north of the Aras River experienced integration into imperial administration, land reforms, and conflicts such as the Russo-Persian Wars. The 20th century saw the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920), Sovietization under the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, industrialization around Baku oil fields, and the later dissolution leading to the modern Republic of Azerbaijan. In Iran, Azeris participated in movements like the Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911) and the Azerbaijan People's Government (1945–1946). The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the 1991–present tensions between Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia have profoundly affected migration and identity.
Major concentrations are in the Republic of Azerbaijan's regions including Baku, Ganja, and Sumqayit, and in Iranian provinces such as East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil Province, and Zanjan Province. Diaspora communities formed in Istanbul, Moscow, Tehran, New York City, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Paris due to labor migration, conflict displacement, and educational exchange programs with institutions like Baku State University and University of Tehran. Census and academic sources debate population figures; demographic factors include urbanization around Baku oil fields, fertility trends comparable to Caucasus and Anatolia regions, and transnational remittances linked to International Monetary Fund data on remittance flows.
Azeri speech belongs to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, closely related to Turkish language and Turkmen language. Two standardized variants are recognized: North Azerbaijani (standard in Republic of Azerbaijan, written in a Latin script since 1991, earlier in Cyrillic script) and South Azerbaijani (spoken in Iran, commonly written in Persian alphabet). Literary traditions include works by Nizami Ganjavi, Imadaddin Nasimi, Fuzûlî and modern poets like Mirza Fatali Akhundov and Sattar Bahlulzade (visual arts connection), while modern prose and journalism have links to newspapers such as Azerbaijan and journals tied to the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic. Language policy debates intersect with institutions like the Azerbaijan State University of Languages and Iranian language planning bodies.
Azeri culture synthesizes influences from Persian Empire literature, Turkic oral traditions, and Caucasian musical forms. Musical genres include mugham, ashug bard traditions associated with figures such as Sayyid Shushinski and instruments like the tar and kamancha. Culinary items include plov, dolma, and halva variants, while crafts encompass carpet weaving centers in Shusha, Sheki, and Lankaran. Festivals include Novruz celebrations, and cultural diplomacy engages institutions such as the Heydar Aliyev Center, Azerbaijan National Opera and Ballet Theatre, and UNESCO listings for monuments like the Walled City of Baku. Intellectual currents include writers and activists from Jafar Jabbarly to Elchin Efendiyev and connections to Soviet-era cultural organizations.
Most Azeris adhere to Shia Islam with significant Sunni Islam minorities and secular or non-practicing segments influenced by Soviet secularism and modern secular movements. Religious authority and community life intersect with mosques in Baku and Tabriz, seminaries linked historically to Qom and Najaf, and Sufi orders historically present in the region, such as those with ties to figures like Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili. Identity formation engages with narratives from Azeri nationalism to Iranian civic frameworks; diasporic communities negotiate identity through cultural organizations, associations in cities like London and Toronto, and transnational media outlets including satellite broadcasters and newspapers.
Political mobilization ranges from the early 20th-century Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918–1920) to contemporary parties and civic movements in the Republic of Azerbaijan such as factions represented in the Milli Majlis and state institutions associated with the Aliyev family. In Iran, Azeri political figures have participated in reformist and conservative currents within the Islamic Republic of Iran's political landscape, with notable politicians like Mir-Hossein Mousavi (ethnic Azerbaijani links) and regional movements tied to the Azerbaijan People's Government (1945–1946). Regional geopolitics involve actors and treaties including the Treaty of Gulistan, the Treaty of Turkmenchay, energy diplomacy with BP (company) and SOCAR, and conflicts such as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict engaging international mediators like the OSCE Minsk Group and the United Nations Security Council. Cultural diplomacy, diasporic lobbying, and transnational networks influence policy at forums such as the European Union and Organization of Islamic Cooperation.