Ossetians (ирæттæ)
Total population
700,000 (estimated)
Regions with significant populations
Russia:   515,000 [1] Georgia (South Ossetia):   65,000 (1989)[2] Rest of Georgia:   38,028 (2002 census) Turkey:    100,000 (est) [3]
Languages
Ossetic
Religions
Mostly Eastern Orthodox with a large minority professing Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Yaghnobi people, Pashtuns and other Iranian peoples along with the Jassic people of Hungary

The Ossetians (Ossetic: ирæттæ, irættæ) are an Iranian ethnic group from Ossetia, a region in the northern Caucasus Mountains in Europe. Ossetians populate North Ossetia-Alania in Russia, and the South Ossetia that is de facto independent but internationally recognised as part of Georgia. They speak Ossetic, an Iranian language.

Etymology

The Russian geographic name "Ossetia" and the corresponding ethnic designation "Ossetians" comes from a Georgian root. The Russians originally called the Ossetians Jas, but in the late 14th century adopted the Georgian name of the Ossetians and their nation. In Georgian language, Alania and the Alans are known as "Oseti" (ოსეთი) and "Osebi" (ოსები) respectively. From the Russian language the names Ossetia and Ossetians came to other languages. The Ossetians themselves refer to their nation as irættæ.

History

The Ossetians descend from the Alans, a Sarmatian tribe. They became Christians during the early Middle Ages under Georgian and Byzantine influence. In the 8th century a consolidated Alan kingdom, referred to in sources of the period as Alania, emerged in the northern Caucasus Mountains, roughly in the location of modern Circassia and North Ossetia-Alania. At its height Alania was a regional power with a strong military and vast wealth from the Silk Road. Forced out of their medieval homeland (south of the River Don in present-day Russia) during Mongol rule, they migrated towards and over the Caucasus mountains, where they formed three distinct territorial entities:

• Digor in the west came under the influence of the neighbouring Kabard people who introduced Islam. Today the two main Digor districts in North Ossetia are Digora district or Digorskiy rayon (with Digora as its centre) and Irafskiy rayon or Iraf district (with Chikola as its centre). Digora district is Christian while some parts of Iraf district are Muslim. The dialect spoken in Digor part of North Osetia is Digor, the most archaic form of Osetian language.
• Kudar in the south, in the Georgian central region of Shida Kartli. In 1924 this part became known as South Ossetia
• Iron and Digor in the north became what is now North Ossetia/Alania, under Russian rule from 1767. Iron language is a younger version of Ossetian language and is the literary and written language of Ossetians.

In recent history the Ossetians participated in Ossetian-Ingush conflict (1991-1992) and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts (1918-1920 and early 1990s).

Language

Main article: Ossetic language

The Ossetic language is divided into two main dialect groups, Kudarian (os. - Къудайраг) of South Ossetia; Ironian (os. - Ирон) and Digorian (os. - Дыгурон) of North Ossetia. There are also some other dialects, like Tualian, Alagirian, Ksanian, etc. Ironian dialect is the most widely spoken.

Ossetic is classified as Northeastern Iranian, the only other surviving member of the subgroup being Yaghnobi, spoken more than 2,000 km to the east in Tajikistan. Both are remnants of the Scytho-Sarmatian dialect group which was once spoken across Central Asia. It also should be noted that Ossetic has substantial genetic similarities with Pashto, another Eastern Iranian language.

Religion

Today the majority of Ossetians, from both North and South Ossetia, follow Eastern Orthodoxy. As the time went by, Digor in the west came under Kabard and Islamic influence. It was through the Kabardians (an East Circassian tribe) that Islam was introduced into the region in the 17th century. Today, a large minority profess Sunni Islam). Tuallag in the southernmost region became part of what is now Georgia, and Iron, the northernmost group, came under Russian rule after 1767, which strengthened Orthodox Christianity considerably. Most of the Ossetes today are Eastern Orthodox Christians.

Location

Most Ossetians today live along the central part of the Greater Caucasus Range in the two Ossetias, with a significant number living in central Georgia. A large Ossetian diaspora lives in Turkey, and Ossetians have also settled in Russia, France, Sweden, Syria, the USA, Canada and other countries all around the world.

References

• Nasidze et al., Mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome Variation in the Caucasus, Annals of Human Genetics, Volume 68 Page 205 - May 2004
• Nasidze et al., Genetic Evidence Concerning the Origins of South and North Ossetians (2004) http://www.eva.mpg.de/genetics/pdf/Nasidze.AnHG.2004.pdf

See also

• Jassic people
• Alans
• Sarmatians
• Iranian peoples

External links

• Ossetians.com: a site about famous Ossetians

Ossetian woman in traditional clothes, early years of the 20th century.	Ossetian woman working (19 century)	Ossetian Northern Caucasia dress of 18 century, Ramonov Vano (19 century)	Three Ossetian teachers (19 century)