Salau Aliyev
Encyclopedia
Salau Aliyev or Salau Aliev is a Kumyk nationalist and politician. With others, Aliyev was the founder (in 1990) of the Tenglik or "Kumyk Peoples' Party". Aliyev believes that the Kumyks are descended from the medieval Khazars
and cites the Khazar Khaganate and the later Shamkhalate of Tarki
as inspiring his vision of a Kumyk-dominated, independent Dagestan
. His critics contend that such a state would be ruled by a minority of its population.
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
and cites the Khazar Khaganate and the later Shamkhalate of Tarki
Tarki
Tarki is an urban locality under the administrative jurisdiction of Sovetsky City District of the city of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, situated on the Tarkitau Mountain. Population:...
as inspiring his vision of a Kumyk-dominated, independent Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
. His critics contend that such a state would be ruled by a minority of its population.