 The Botlikhs (their self-name is the Buikhady) are indigenous population of the Western Daghestan in Russia. There are about 6 thousand persons of the Botlikhs. They belong to the Andian nations.
They speak the Botlikh language. Avarian, Chechen and Russian languages are also common. Writing is based on the Russian Cyrillic. In the past the Adjam (Arab) writing was used. The Botlikhs are the Moslems - Sunni by the religion. Presumably, from the 1st millennium AD the Botlikhs were part of political association the Dido in the Western Daghestan (has broken up in the 14-15th centuries).
In the 16th century the Botlikhs were introduced to the Islam. By the 14-15th centuries was formed the union of village communities the Tekhnutsal on the territory of the present Botlikh region. From the16th century the Botlikhs are under the influence of Avarian Khanate. During 1820-1850th the Botlikhs actively participated in the national-liberation struggle of the Daghestan and Chechen nations. In 1921they became a part of the Daghestan АSSR, from 1991 -the Republic of Daghestan.
The Botlikhs traditional occupations were gardening with an artificial irrigation (apricots, peaches, plums, pears, apples, a walnut), viniculture and insignificant agriculture (wheat, рожь, barley, oats, millet; from commercial crops - a hemp, flax) and cattle breeding. Woolen spinning and weaving, a wool felting, processing of a leather, shoe making were a common crafts. The Botlikhs had a brisk trade with the Transcaucasia and Northern Caucasus.
Their national clothes were of the Daghestanian type. The complete set of a men's costume included a shirt, trousers, beshmet, the Circassian coat, sheepskin coats and hats and felt cloak. Footwear was made from leather, felts and wood. Women wear a shirt, trousers, a dress, a headdress and scarves.
Traditional food is made from products of agriculture and animal industries, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Popular dishes are khinkal, pies with a cottage cheese stuffing. Genres of traditional folklore are various: fairy tales, legends, myths, magic fairy tales, stories, jokes, songs, proverbs, sayings, riddles, children's folklore, musical folklore. The Botlikh folklore is a bilingual (the Botlikh and Avarian languages).
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