Bagvalal people explained

Group:	Bagvalal
Population:	5,000
Pop1:	5000 (2002 estimate)
Ref1:	^[1]
Languages:	Bagvalal language
Religions:	Islam (Sunni Islam)

The Bagvalal (also called Bagulal, Kwantl Hekwa, Bagolal, Kwanadi, Bagulaltsy, Kvanadin, and Kvanadintsy) are an Avar–Andi–Dido people of Dagestan, speaking the Bagvalal language. Since the 1930s they have been largely classed as and assimilated by the Avars. However there were still some people reported separately in the 2002 census.

Geography

The Bagvalal live in mountain villages in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan. The names of the Bagvalal villages are: Kvanada, Gimerso, Tlisi, Tlibisho, Khushtada, and Tlondada.

Demographics

In 1926 there were 3,054 Bagvalals.

Religion

The Bagvalals are Sunni Muslims.^[2] They adopted the religion by the 16th century due to the influence of Sufi missionaries.^[3]

Sources

• Wixman, Ronald. The Peoples of the USSR: An Ethnographic Handbook. (Armonk, New York: M. E. Sharpe, Inc., 1984) p. 19.

Notes and References

1. Web site: В.Тишков, Э.Кисриев. Множественные идентичности между теорией и политикой (пример Дагестан) . 2018-01-31 . 2021-07-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210710212854/http://www.valerytishkov.ru/engine/documents/document1263.pdf . ru .
2. Book: Akiner, Shirin . Islamic Peoples Of The Soviet Union . 1986 . Routledge . 978-1-136-14274-1 . 248 . en.
3. Book: Yemelianova . Galina M. . Routledge Handbook of the Caucasus . Broers . Laurence . 2020 . Routledge . 978-1-351-05560-4 . en . The Muslim Caucasus: the role of 'adats and shari'ah.