Lak people (Dagestan)
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 200,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Russia
|
178,630 (2010) |
 Dagestan
|
161,300 (2010) |
 Ukraine
|
1,019 (2001) |
 Kazakhstan
|
382 (2009) |
 Belarus
|
64 (2009) |
| Languages | |
| Lak language, Russian | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam, small minority Protestant | |
The Laks or Laki (self-designation: Lak) are an indigenous people of Dagestan in the North Caucasus, Russia. They speak the Lak language. Laks historically live in Lakskiy and Kulinskiy District of Dagestan. This ethnocultural area is known as Lakia. There are about 200,000 ethnic Laks.
The word "Lak" is the self-designation of Lak people as in Lak expressions: "zhu Lak buru" — we are Lak; "zhu Lakral khalq buru" — we are Lak people; "Laktal" — Laks; "Lakssa" — Lakian, Laks, Lak man; "Lakkuchu" — Lakian man; "Lakku maz" — Lakian language; "Lakkuy" — Lakia; "Lakral kanu" — Lak place; "Lakral kanu" — Lak district; "Lakku bilayat" — Lak country; "Lakral pachchahlug" — Lak state. Laks use the name "Lak" as their ethnonym and placename.
P. K. Uslar (1864) reported on the use of self-designation "Lak" by residents of Gazi-Kumukh: "Lakkuchu, Lakkuchunal, nominative plural Lak, genitive Lakral — Kazikumukh man; Lak — the name of the whole country; ta uri Lakkuy — he lives in Kazikumukh; ta nai uri Lakkuya — he comes from Kazikumukh; ta Lakku mazray galga ti uri — he speaks in Kazikumukh language; Lakku adat — Kazikumukh custom; Lakral kanu — Kazikumukh, lit. the place of Lak people".
Russian army generals and historians A. V. Komarov (1869) and N. F. Dubrovin (1871) in their distinct writings on the history and ethnography of Caucasus mentioned that the self-designation of the residents of Gazi-Kumukh was "Lak" whom they named "Laki" (Laks).
In the population census of Dagestan Oblast of 1886 the residents of Kazikumukh Okrug were named "Laki" (Russian "Лаки"). On the schematic map of the Dagestan Oblast of 1895, compiled by historian and ethnographer E. I. Kozubskiy, the residents of Kazikumukh Okrug are called "Laki".
Kumukh historically was a fortress-city where the residence of the rulers of Lak people was. Kumukh is the ancient capital of Lakia. The history of the Laks can be divided into several parts. The first part is the era of Anushirwan, who appointed a ruler called Kumukh. In the 6th century Kumukh was one of the political centers in the highlands of Dagestan. The second part is the era of the shamkhals of Kumukh, who were first mentioned as the rulers of the Laks in the 8th century. In the 13th century the shamkhals of Kumukh accepted Islam and Lakia became an Islamic state. In the 15th century Kumukh became the main Islamic and political center of Dagestan. The third part is the era of the khans of Kumukh who opposed the colonial policy of Persia, Russia and Turkey.
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Wikipedia