History of Dagestan
aspect of history
Historically, Dagestan consisted of a federation of mountainous principalities in the eastern part of the North Caucasus. Located at the crossroads of world civilizations of north and south, Dagestan was the scene of clashes of interests of many states and until the early 19th century, most notably between Iran and the Russian Empire.
Name
The word Dagestan (sometimes spelled Daghestan) is of Turkish and Persian origin, directly translating to 'Land of the Mountains'. The Turkish word dağ means 'mountain', and the Persian suffix -stan means 'land'. Some areas of Dagestan were known as Lekia, Avaria and Tarki at various times. The name Dagestan historically refers to the eastern Caucasus, taken by the Russian Empire in 1860 and renamed the Dagestan Oblast. The current, more autonomous Republic of Dagestan covers a much larger territory, established in 1921 as the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, by the inclusion of the eastern part of the Terek Oblast.
Sassanid Persian rule and Khazar invasions of 6th CE
In the 6th century, the Sasanid Empire conquered the eastern Caucasus after more than 100 years of war, bringing the entire region of Dagestan under the influence of Persia.
In 552, the Khazars invaded the northeastern Caucasus and occupied the northern lowlands of Dagestan. To protect his possessions from the new wave of nomads, the Sassanid shah Khosrau I (r. 531–579) began the construction of defensive fortifications in Derbent, thus closing a narrow passage between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains.
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