- Druze of the Golan Heights in typical clothing of the religious "uqqal".
Self-name: دُرُوز
Population and area
Total: 1.5 - 2 million
Syria: 700,000
Lebanon: 250,000
Israel: 124,000
Jordan: 32,000
Venezuela: 125,000
USA: 43,000
Canada: 23,000
Australia: 19,000
Language: Arabic, Hebrew
Religion: Ismaili Islam (with some differences)
Origin
Most of the modern Druze can trace their origin to Wadi al-Taymur in southern Lebanon, named after the Arab tribe Taymur-Allah (formerly Taymur-Allat), which, according to the famous Arab historian al-Tabari, came from Arabia to the Euphrates valley, where it was converted to Christianity before their migration to Lebanon. Many Druze feudal families, whose genealogies were preserved by two modern Syrian chroniclers Haydar al-Shihabi and al-Shidyaq, also appear to lean toward a similar origin. Arab tribes crossed the Persian Gulf and stopped in Iraq, but their further fate led them to Syria.
The first Druze feudal family to make a name for itself in the fight against the Crusaders, Tanukh, was, according to Haydar al-Shihabi, an Arab tribe from Mesopotamia, where it held the position of a ruling family and was apparently converted to Christianity. The Tanukh family was forced to leave Arabia in the early 2nd or 3rd century AD.
The Maan family, which replaced the ruling Tanukh family and produced the greatest hero in Druze history, Fakhr al-Din, was of the same traditional origin. The Talhuq and Abd al-Malik families, who became leaders of the Druze later, have the same genealogical records as the Tanukh. The Imad family is named after al-Imadiyya — the Kurdish city of Amadiya, northeast of Mosul in Kurdistan, and like the Jumblatt family, is considered of Kurdish origin. The Arsalan family claims descent from the Arab kings of Hira, but the name Arsalan ("lion" in Persian and Turkish) suggests Persian influence if not origin.
The most commonly accepted theory is that the Druze are a mixture of a number of roots, in which Arab roots predominantly prevail, later grafted onto the indigenous mountain population of Aramean blood.
Nevertheless, many scholars have formed their own hypotheses: for example, Lamartine (1835) found remnants of Samaritans in the modern Druze; Lord Carnarvon (1860) — those of the Cuthites whom Esarhaddon resettled in Palestine; Professor Felix von Luschan (1911), according to his findings from anthropometric measurements, considers the Druze, Maronites, and Alawites of Syria, along with Armenians, Bektashis, Ali-Ilahis, and Yazidis from Asia Minor and Persia, to be modern representatives of the ancient Hittites.
In the 18th century, there were two branches of Druze living in Lebanon: Yemeni Druze, led by the Hamdan and Al-Atrash families; and Qaysi Druze, led by the Jumblatt and Arsalan families.
The Hamdan family was expelled from Mount Lebanon after the Battle of Ain Dara in 1711. This was a battle between the two Druze factions: Yemeni and Qaysi. After a dramatic defeat, the Yemeni Druze migrated to Syria, to the Jebel Druze region and its capital, Suwayda. Nevertheless, there is an opinion that these two factions were political rather than ethnic in nature, and both had both Christian and Druze supporters.
Genetics
The Druze have common roots in the Levant. They are closely related to Samaritans and Jews.
Y-DNA:
Mount Carmel: L 27%, R 27%, J 18%, E 15%, G 12%.
Galilee: J 31%, R 20%, E 18%, G 14%, K 11%, Q 4%, L 2%.
Golan Heights: J 54%, E 29%, I 8%, G 4%, C 4%.
Lebanon: J 58%, K 17%, L 8%, Q 8%, R 8%.
Syria: J 39%, E 29%, R 14%, G 14%, K 4%.
Possible connections:
amardža: Abkhazian: urging to action - well, come on; šwah amardža (šwahamardža)! - battle cry: forward (into battle)! In Georgian "gamarjoba", "gaumarjos"....
According to Abaev: Ingush "marzae yae!" - an encouraging exclamation during horsemanship and in other cases, Kabardian "marže", Adyghe "kheyt-mardže!" - call to action, Circassian "mardža!" ("mardža guesh!" - help!), Abaza "uyy mardža-khara!" - to action! To help!, Abkhaz "a-mardža!" - come on!. The original source is possibly Georgian "mardžva" - success, victory!
"Marjan" is an Arabic word meaning "coral", but in Caucasian languages it is apparently not related to Arabic. In Ossetian "mardzae, mardžae" in combinations "khaeit-mardzae, kha-mardzae, yae-mardzae" - an exclamation of encouragement; cases of adjectival use in the meaning of "remarkable", "excellent", "fine", "brave" are noted. (Abaev V.I. Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language, vol. 2, p. 72).
Possibly: the town of Marj ʿUyūn in Lebanon and in its vicinity the main Druze sanctuary. The Druze are genetically one of the oldest clusters in the Western Caucasian admixture.
First appearance of Scythians in Abkhazia - 700—600 BC.
Exodus of Jews to Mtskheta 586 BC — 79 AD.
Mtskheta - Hittites... ? According to Felix von Luschan 1911 - Druze are descendants of the Hittites. In Mtskheta, traces of Hittite and Sumerian cults have been found, on many hills around the city pagan sanctuaries were once built, and subsequently their places were taken by Christian churches.
Tulepia-Melia - in the mythology of the highlanders of Western Georgia - a fertility deity.
Part of the god's name - Melia ("fox") - indicates that this god had a zoomorphic appearance. The cult of Tulepia-Melia gradually merged with the cult of the god Kvira. The ritual associated with the veneration of Tulepia-Melia was timed to the awakening of nature; as an independent element, it was part of the festival dedicated to Kvira. After the adoption of Christianity, it took place on the first week of Great Lent.
Researchers believe that Tulepia-Melia in its functions was close to the Hittite deity Telepinus and the Adyghe god Tlepsh.
Armazi (Georgian არმაზი) — tradition connects the introduction of the cult of Armazi with the name of King Parnavaz (3rd century BC), who borrowed it from outside. The idol dedicated to Armazi depicted a warrior in a copper chain mail and a gold helmet, with a sword in his hand and, according to chronicle information, was installed on a mountain in Mtskheta. Armazi was a syncretic deity, combining the functions of a supreme deity (lord of heaven, thunder, rain, and the plant world) and a warrior god. During the period of state formation, the cult of Armazi was opposed to the cults of local tribal deities. During the festival of Armazi, usually held in summer, crowded processions with the participation of the royal family took place on the streets of Mtskheta, decorated with colorful fabrics and flowers. Following the declaration of Christianity as the state religion in Georgia (30s of the 4th century), the cult of Armazi was abolished.
- Headpiece 'tantoor' on a Druze woman, 1870.
Gaimi (Ga) - in Iberian mythology - a god.
The god Gaimi was revered by the population of Iberia (Eastern Georgia) until the spread of Christianity. Information about him has been preserved only in chronicles. He was revered together with the god Gatsi.
The golden idol of Gatsi and the silver idol of Gaimi stood next to the idols of Armazi and other ancient Georgian deities in Armaztsikhe (territory of modern Mtskheta). After the declaration of Christianity as the state religion (30s of the 4th century), all idols were destroyed. According to chronicle tradition, Gaimi, like Gatsi, was called "knowing the most secret."
Materials:
700—1000 AD Khazars | 800—950 AD Paleo-DNA G2. Alans, Khazars | 954 AD Jewish-Khazar correspondence | 586 BC — 79 AD Exodus of Jews to Mtskheta | Genetic studies of the origin of Georgian Jews | Khazar confederates in the Don basin. Afanasyev | Druze
Reconstruction of Patrilineages and Matrilineages of Samaritans and Other Israeli Populations From Y-Chromosome and Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Variation. Shen 2004
Increased Resolution of Y Chromosome Haplogroup T Defines Relationships among Populations of the Near East, Europe, and Africa. Mendez 2011
The Druze: A Population Genetic Refugium of the Near East. Shlush 2007