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The Udis (self-name ''Udi'' or ''Uti'') are an ancient native people of the Caucasus. Currently, they live in Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and many other countries. The total number is about 10,000 people. They speak the Udi language. Some also speak Azerbaijani, Russian, Georgian and Armenian languages depending on where they reside. Their religion is Christianity. The Udi people are one of the Caucasian Albania tribes, whose language is within that language family.〔V. Minorsky. Caucasica IV. ''Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies,'' University of London, Vol. 15, No. 3. (1953), pp. 504–529.〕 Today the Udi live mostly in Azerbaijan, in the village of Nij of the region of Kabala, Oğuz (former Vartashen), and Baku. Small groups reside in Russia in the Rostov region (Shahty, Taganrog, Rostov-na-Donu, Azov, Aleksandrovka); in the Krasnodar territory (Krasnodar, areas of Dinskoy, Leningrad, Kushchevsky); in the Stavropol Territory (Minvody, Pyatigorsk); in the Volgograd region (Volgograd, Dubovy Ovrag); and also in Sverdlovsk, Ivanovo, Kaluga areas, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Astrakhan, Georgia, Zinobiani and the outskirts of Tbilisi, Poti, Rustavi, Kazakhstan (city Aktau). Some also live in Ukraine (Kharkiv oblast area). == History == The Udi are considered to be the descendants of the people of Caucasian Albania. According to the classical authors, the Udi inhabited the area of the eastern Caucasus along the coast of the Caspian Sea, in a territory extending to the Kura River in the north, as well as the ancient province of Utik. Today, most Udis belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church. Centuries of life in the sphere of Turco-Persian society influenced their culture, as is expressed in Udi folk traditions and the material culture.〔(The Red Book of Peoples: The Udis )〕 The Udi are first mentioned in Herodotus' ''Histories'' (5th century BC). Describing the Battle of Marathon, during the Greek-Persian war (490 year BC), the author noted that Udi soldiers also were at war as a part of nine satrapy of the Persian army. The Udis are mentioned in the ''Geographica'' of the ancient Greek writer Strabon (1st century BC) in his description of the Caspian Sea and the Caucasian Albania. The ethnic term "Udi" was mentioned first in the Natural history by the ancient Roman author Pliny the Elder (1st century CE). Further ancient information about the Udi people can be found in books by Ptolemy (2nd century), Gaius Asinius Quadratus and many other authors. Since 5th century AD, the Udi people are often mentioned in the Armenian sources. More extensive information is given in ''The History of Aluank''〔(Movses Kagancatvasiy, ''The History of Aluank'' (в 3-х книгах) )〕 by Movses Kagancatvasiy. The Udi were one of the predominating Albanian tribes 〔(К. В. Тревер К вопросу о культуре Кавказской Албании (доклад на XXV Международном конгрессе востоковедов, 1960 год) )〕 and they were considered the creators of Caucasian Albania. Both capitals of Caucasian Albania: Kabalak (also called Kabalaka, Khabala, Khazar, today's Qabala) and Partav (also called Partaw, today's Barda), were located in the historical territory of the Udi. They occupied extensive territories from the bank of the Caspian Sea to the Caucasian Mountains, on the left and right banks of the Kura River. One of the regions in this area was named "Utik". After the conquest of the Caucasian Albania by Arabs, the number of the Udi and their territory were gradually reduced. According to the linguist Wolfgang Schulze, the western Udi had to leave Nagorno-Karabakh and settle in the village of Nij to resist Armenization.〔(Wolfgang Schulze, "Towards a History of Udi" ), р. 23〕 Today the only places of concentrated Udi settlement are the villages of Nij and Oğuz in Azerbaijan, as well as the village of Zinobiani in Georgia. Although in the recent past, the Udi people lived in Mirzabeily, Soltan Nuha, Jourlu, Mihlikuvah, Vardanly, Bajan, Kirzan, and Yenigkend, in contemporary times they have been mostly assimilated with the people of Azerbaijan.〔(Игорь Кузнецов. Удины )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Udi people」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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