Who Are the Dargin?
The Dargin (Dargwa) are a Northeast Caucasian people of central Dagestan, Russia, numbering approximately 600,000-650,000. They are the third-largest ethnic group in Dagestan after Avars and Kumyks. They speak Dargwa, a Northeast Caucasian language with significant dialectal diversity (some dialects approach mutual unintelligibility). The Dargin historically occupied the central Dagestani highlands, developing as traders and craftsmen connecting the mountains with lowland markets. The town of Kubachi, famous for metalwork, lies in Dargin territory. Islam, introduced in the 7th-9th centuries, became central to Dargin identity; Sufi orders have influenced religious practice.
Kubachi Metalwork
The village of Kubachi is renowned for silverwork, weapon-making, and jewelry that has made Dagestani metalwork famous internationally. Kubachi craftsmen developed distinctive techniques for niello (blackened silver), filigree, and engraving. Their daggers, swords, and firearms were prized throughout the Caucasus and beyond. The tradition dates back centuries; Kubachi metalwork was exported to Persia, Turkey, and Russia. Soviet-era organization created cooperatives that continued production. Today, Kubachi remains a center of metalworking, though markets have shifted from weapons to jewelry and decorative objects. This craft tradition represents one of the Caucasus's most sophisticated artistic heritage.
Dialectal Diversity
The Dargin language (Dargwa) encompasses substantial dialectal variation—some scholars have argued that Dargwa is actually a family of related languages rather than a single language with dialects. The main dialect groups (Akusha, Urakhi, Tsudakhar, and others) differ significantly in phonology, grammar, and vocabulary. Literary Dargwa, based on the Akusha dialect, was standardized during the Soviet period. This diversity reflects the historical separation of mountain communities in distinct valleys. Intercomprehension among distant Dargwa varieties may be limited, complicating linguistic unity while reflecting the Caucasus's characteristic linguistic fragmentation.
Contemporary Dargin
Modern Dargin participate in Dagestan's complex multiethnic society, balancing ethnic identity with Dagestani and Russian citizenship. Migration to lowland Dagestan and Russian cities—particularly Makhachkala and Moscow—has created urban Dargin communities. The Dargwa language is taught in schools but faces pressure from Russian in education and public life. Traditional crafts continue in Kubachi and other centers. Agriculture and animal husbandry employ many rural Dargin. Islamic practice remains important; Sufi traditions coexist with Salafi influences that have grown since the Soviet collapse. How the Dargin maintain linguistic and cultural distinctiveness within Russia's federal framework shapes their future.
References
- van den Berg, H. (2001). Dargi Folktales: Oral Stories from the Caucasus
- Magometov, A. A. (1963). Kubachi and the Kubachins
- Sumbatova, N. & Mutalov, R. (2003). A Grammar of Icari Dargwa