Islam in Georgia , Abkhazia & S. Ossetia: history and Muslim population data

History of Islam in Georgia , Abkhazia & S. Ossetia

It has an area of 69,700 sq km, including the Autonomous Republic ofAjaria (2,900 sq km) and the independent republics of South Ossetia(3,900 sq km) and of Abkhazia (8,432 sq km). Islam entered Georgia in645/25H when Muslim troops during the reign of Caliph Othman bnuAffan the leadership of Habib bnu Maslama occupied the capital Tbilisi.It was conquered by the Russians from the Ottomans in several steps:Gorgia an South Ossetia in 1801/1215H, then Abkhazia in 1810/1225Hand Ajaria in 1878/1296H. Georgia gained its independence upon thedissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991/1411H, then the Republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia gained their de facto independence fromGeorgia in 1992/1412H but are internationally unrecognized and still areclaimed, yet uncontrolled by Georgia. A map of this country is presentedin Figure 2.1.4

According to the 1897/1314H Russian Empire census the Muslimpopulation was 0.23 million or 11.3% of the total population. This datawas deduced from the corresponding data of Kutais and TiflisGovernorates excluding Zakatala Uyezd from the latter which is inAzerbaijan.

Censuses since 1926/1345H collected ethnic affiliation demography ofthe population. The ten largest Muslim ethnicities starting with thelargest are Azerbaijanis, Ossetians, Kist, Abkhaz, Kurd, Avar, Chechen,Turk, Persian and Lezgin.

Based on the ethnic census data, the evolution of the Muslimpopulation in the area consisting of Georgia, Abkhazia and SouthOssetia is presented in Table 2.1.4b. Accordingly, the Muslim populationdecreased from 0.31 million or 14.5% in 1897, to 0.46 million or 17.3% in1926, to 0.42 million or 11.9% in 1939, to 0.38 million or 9.4% in 1959, thenincreased to 0.47 million or 10.1% in 1970, to 0.53 million or 10.7% in1979, to 0.61 million or 11.3% in 1989. The last two censuses did inquireon religious affiliation but did not include Abkhazia and South Ossetia.Accordingly, the Muslim population decreased in number but increasein percentage from 0.43 million of 9.9% in 2002 to 0.40 million or 10.9% in2014.

Thus, assuming that the percentage of Muslim population continuesto increase by half of a percentage point each decade; then the Muslimpopulation is expected to reach 0.4 million or 13% by 2050 and 0.4million or 15% by 2100.

As for South Ossetia, we use ethnic censuses with the assumptionthat Muslim population makes up one third of the ethnic Ossetians andwe arrive at the results presented in Table 2.1.4c. Accordingly, theMuslim population increased from 19,000 or 23.6% in 1886, to 20,000 or23.0% in 1926, to 24,000 or 22.7% in 1939, decreased to 21,000 or 21.9% in1959, and remained around 22,000 or 22% from 1970 to 1989, then 16,000or 30% by 2015.

As for Abkhazia, the 1897 census of Sukhum Okrug counted 11,000Muslims or 10% of the total population. According to surveys held in1997 and 2003, Muslims’ percentage with respect to the total populationdecreased from 17% to 16%, respectively. Comparing this with the ethniccensus of 2003, we can estimate that one third of the ethnic Abkhaz areMuslim since 1926, and one sixth of them before that. Thus, based oncensus data and as presented in Table 2.1.4d, the Muslim populationchanged from 10,000 or 14% in 1886, to 11,000 or 10% in 1897, to 19,000or 8.8% in 1926, to 19,000 or 6.0% in 1939, to 20,000 or 5.0% in 1959, to26,000 or 5.3% in 1970, to 28,000 or 5.7% in 1979, to 31,000 or 5.9% in1989, to 32,000 or 14.7% in 2003, to 41,000 or 16.9% in 2011. According toa survey, the Muslim population changed to 25,000 or 17% in 1997, and34,000 or 16% in 2003.

As for Ajaria, the 1897 census of Batum Okrug accounted 58,000Muslims or 66% of the total population. The 2002 census includedreligious data, from which about a third of ethnic Georgians wereMuslim. We apply this fraction to previous censuses that collected ethnicdata after 1926. Until then, Adjars or Muslim Georgians were listed as aseparate ethnicity, until many were deported to Central Asia in late1920s for their rebellion against anti-religious campaigns andcollectivization by the new communist Russian regime. In 1886 and 1897Adjaria was mostly covered by Batumi Oblast. The number of Ajars hadincreased from 38,094 in 1886, to 56,498 in 1897, to 90,314 in 1926. Thenumber of Turks on the other hands, increased from 1,512 in 1886, to3,199 in 1897, then decreased to 51 in 1926. Thus, based on census dataand as presented in Table 2.1.4e, the Muslim population changed from40,000 or 71.9% in 1886, to 60,000 or 67.5% in 1897, to 90,000 or 68.4% in1926, then decreased by half to 43,000 or 21.3% in 1939, but has beenincreasing since then to 60,000 or 24.3% in 1959, to 79,000 or 25.5% in1970, to 95,000 or 26.7% in 1979, to 108,000 or 27.6% in 1989, to 115,000 or30.6% in 2002 and 133,000 or 40.8% in 2014.

Historical Muslim population dataset for Georgia , Abkhazia & S. Ossetia

The figures below are from the CoMPS historical dataset. Population values are expressed in thousands; 2100 is a modelled projection, not a present-day count.

For the full time series and visualisation, use the interactive map above.