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Talysh people (Azerbaijan)

Presentation of the Talysh people
Talysh National Movement
Talysh-Mugan Republic (Summer 1993)

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Presentation of the Talysh people

According to Rudolf A. Mark, Die Völker der ehemaligen Sowjetunion (The Peoples of the former Soviet Union, 1989), the Talysh (own name: Talusch; Russian: Talyši; population: 22.000) are living in the counties of Lenkoran, Astara and Lenk in Azerbaijan. They are the descendants of Iranian tribes, which mixed with Caucasian groups. The Talysh had been under Mongolian control since XIIIth century. Later, their teritory became Persian, defending several times Turkish invasions. The Talysh built up their own Khanate in XVIIIth century and became part of the Russian Empire in 1813, when Persia lost Azerbaijan. The Talysh language is an Iranian language of the western group. Written language is Azerbaijani. The Talysh are Shiite Muslims.

Jean-Patrick Fischer, 19 July 2005

Talysh National Movement

Flag of the Talysh National Movement - Image by Eugene Ipavec, after the UNPO website, 4 August 2005

Quoting the UNPO website:

The organisation that represents the Talysh people in UNPO is the Talysh National Movement. The objective of the Talysh National Movement is to work via the United Nations to realize its mission of self-determination and get recognition of the Talysh nation. The Talysh National Movement is an emancipatory organization created by the Talysh people and is the heir of the Talysh political movements of 1993. It is well known by the Talysh people.

Jean-Patrick Fischer, 19 July 2005

Talysh-Mugan Republic (Summer 1993)

In 1993, the Talysh-Mugan Republic, which had been in rebellion for three months against the Azerbaijan government, was proclaimed during the civil war. The leader of the Talysh autonomists, Colonel Alakram Alekper Gumbatov, was arrested and sent into jail. He was expected to be released due to the amnisty proclaimed on the Day of Azeri Solidarity (31 December 2000). However it didn't happen.

Source: http://www.karty.narod.ru/maps/tal/tal.html (in Russian)

June through August 1993 was a time of confusion in Azerbaijan as Surat Huseinov led a revolt against Elchibey; Haidar Aliyev became the new President of Azerbaijan, and a short-lived Talysh-Mugan Republic was proclaimed in Lenkoran, a port located near the Iranian border.
The Republic was suppressed in August 1993.

Probable flag of the Talysh-Mugan Republic - Image by Jens Pattke, 25 July 2001

On 26 July 1993, the ZDF (a German TV channel) foreign news showed a flag hanging behind Mr. Gumbatov, President of the Talysh Republic.
The flag was horizontally divided red - white - green (1:2:1 or 2:5:2), with a red crescent and eight-pointed star at the hoist. I suspect that this flag was the flag of the Talysh Republic. In my archives, the Republic is also known as Mugansko-Talysh Republic. The colors remind the Iranian colors, in reverse sequence. The general design of the flag reminds the national flag of Azerbaijan.

Jens Pattke, 25 July 2001