Unlike the other Ando-Dido people, the Botlikhs are not herders, but gardeners. They grow grapes and cultivate land. Their living conditions are quite favourable to this kind of activity: the climate is mild, the area of cultivated land is comparatively large, and most importantly the villages are situated on the sunny sides of the mountains. The Botlikhs grow numerous kinds of vegetables and fruits (apples, pears, plums, pumpkins, melons, watermelons, apricots, peaches etc.). They provide the whole middle reach of the Andi-Koisu rivers with their produce, bartering for other food products (meat, wool, cheese). The Botlikhs raise livestock only sufficient for their own needs. Until the 20th century agricultural technology was rather primitive (wood ploughs with iron shares, hoes). The period of 1917—1920 was a time of great troubles in West A varia. There were strong conflicts between the nationalist movement (also supported by a religious movement) and the Communists. The former were supported by the Mountain Republic declared in Tbilisi, in 1917, the latter by the Soviet power in Russia. A culmination was reached in September 1920 with an uprising of nationalists, a movement originating in West Avaria, in the AndiKoisu river basin. The Botlikh stronghold became the key position of the nationalists. The uprising was suppressed by Communist troops. Despite the defeat, separatist ideas lived on in the Dagestan Mountains. Following the later introduction of collectivization and its associated repressions, a new uprising was organized in the AndiDido area in 1930. All the peoples of the region participated. The ideological leadership of the uprising came from the Muslim parties (Ittihad ve Terakki, Firkatul-Vedzhan), which were by that time already illegal. The central authority used the suppression of the uprising to weed out and erradicate all separatist and nationalist elements.
The Botlikh educational system was also subordinated to Soviet authority. All were able to receive an education, but the primary purpose of schooling was to disseminate Soviet propaganda and ideology. The efficiency of this policy became evident following World War II. Botlikh folk traditions and the influence of religion were weakened considerably. Alcoholism became widespread. Migration to towns increased and the number of mixed marriages grew. These trends continue to the present day. They are the most drastic in the case of the younger generation, which has received a Soviet education. The situation is made worse by the fact that the Botlikh language, the main basis of their identity, has retreated to the homes, to be replaced in all other realms of society by Avar.
THE BUDUKHS
The self-designation of the Budukhs derives from the name of their largest settlement, Budukh (Budad). They call their language budad mez. The Budukh language, together with the Kryz and the Khinalug languages, belongs to the Shahdag subgroup of the Dagestan (Lezgian-Samur) group of Caucasian languages. The Budukh language is related only to Kryz; Shahdag languages are related geographically rather than linguistically. The Budukhs have no written language of their own and instead they use the Azerbaijani Ianguage. Native Budukh is in use only on a domestic level, and its prestige in Budukh society is decreasing. Linguistic research into the Budukh language began only in the early years of the 20th century (A. Dirr, R. Shaumyan).
Administratively the village of Budukh belongs to the Konahkent District of Azerbaijan, but the Budukhs also live in the villages of GuneiBudad, Dali-Kaya-Heshlag, Kara-Gez (the Konahkent District), Ag-yaze, Kara-Dagie, Lazgi-Digah and Dovmal (the Hachkhass District) villages. The villages of Budukh, Khinalug and Kryz are situated in the most inaccessible areas of the Caucasus, at a height of 2,000 metres. In winter the villages are cut off from the plain settlements for several months at a time. In addition to the Kryz and the Khinalugs, the Budukhs associate closely with the Azerbaijanis and the Lesgis.
Population. The Budukhs were counted as a separate nation only in the census of 1926, and they since then have been counted as Azerbaijanis. The following data is collected from academic publications:
| 1886 | 3,420 | |
| 1926 | 2,000 | |
| 1958 | 1,000 | (Y. Desheriyev) |
| 1967 | 1,000 | (Y. Desheriyev) |
Anthropologically the Budukhs are of the Caspian type of the Balkano- Caspian race. They are characterized by a comparatively strong pigmentation, narrow faces and a thick growth of hair.
Religion. The Budukhs are Muslims (Sunnite). Islam was introduced to their area in the 8th century by the Arabs. The supremacy of Islam was further consolidated by the military campaigns of the Mongols and Tatars in the 13th—14th centuries. Ancient pagan beliefs and customs were adjusted in accord with Islam and, to this day, they still play an important role in Budukh society and in the way of thinking of the Budukhs.
Opinions on the origins of the Budukhs vary. It is generally agreed that the Budukh originate from the Proto-Lesgian tribes, but on the reasons for linguistic differentiation and the time the split occurred, opinions differ. There are three theories on the genesis of the Budukh language: territorial isolation, endogamy within the society, and the political polystructure. The problem is compounded by the lack of any written records previous to the 8th century. According to I. Gerber, in the 18th century the influence of Azerbaijani culture was very strong in Budukh society. By the beginning of the 19th century, any Lesgian cultural elements had been completely replaced by those of Azerbaijani origin, and as a result the population was bilingual.
History. The present territory of the Budukh was once a part of the state of Shirvan (Shemakha), formed in the middle of the 9th century. It is not known precisely when the Budukhs moved to their present territory, but it is known that it happened before the 17th century. The first mention of an independent political unit of the Budukh, the Budukh free community, comes from this time. It was incumbent on the Budukh to serve the Shirvan Shah in a military capacity, but in return the Budukhs were free of tributes and taxes. The Shah’s representative in the Budukh community was the bek. The community was ruled by a council (dzhamat), which elected executive and judical bodies. However, the growing importance of private property exerted a corrupting influence and the elective institutions gradually became hereditary. At the beginning of the 18th century the Budukhs were involved in a religious war which had broken out in Shirvan. In 1711 the Sunnites (the Lezgians, the Avars, the Budukhs, the Kryz, and others) took up arms against the Shiites (the Azerbaijanis, the Kurds). However, the religious aspect of the feuding was redirected, resulting in a rebellion against the central authority and led by bek Hadzhi-Daudi. Turkey (the Sunnite) and Persia (the Shiite) also became involved in the conflict. At the end of the 18th century the Budukh villages were included in the Khuba Khanate, which in its turn was united with the Russian Empire in 1806. Both central authorities imposed their taxes. In 1840—1850 the Budukhs came under the influence of the Muridist movement led by Shamil. In the 1870s the tsarist regime took root in the region and initiated land reforms. The further introduction of a new administration marked the beginnings of a colonial policy, characterized by a complete indifference for the welfare of the native peoples.
The economic activities of the Budukhs were determined by the harsh environment of their mountainous region. The abundance of good pastureland made it particularly profitable to rear sheep and, to a smaller extent, cattle. Agriculture was of much less importance, with only barley and rye grown in any quantity. There was a shortage of cultivated land, and due to the primitive technology and techniques employed, yields were poor. It was necessary that supplementary grain be bought in the villages of the lower mountains or plains. The Budukhs cultivated close trading links with the peoples of north Azerbaijan and south Dagestan (the Tsakhurs, the Lezgians, the Rutuls, the Azerbaijanis). Animal produce (felt, cheese, oil) was bartered by the Budukhs for grain, fruit, textiles and household utensils.