DAGHESTAN, dii'gc-stiite (Pers., place of mountains, from Turk. dagh-, tagh,, mountain --I Pers. stun, OPers. stana, place, from stn, Skt. stha, to stand). A province of Transcaucasia, Russia, bounded by the Caucasian Province of Terek on the north, the Caspian Sea on the east, Baku on tho south, and the Caucasus mountain chain on t-he west (Slap: Russia, G 6). Area, 11,332 square miles. A large portion of the territory belongs to the region of the Caucasus Mountains. The coast land is mostly level. Numerous short mountain streams cross Daghe stan and fall into the Caspian Sea. There are a number of hot springs. The climate is moderate. In the lower portions of the terri tory some grain and fruit are raised. The mountains are well wooded. Sulphur is praeti ca.11y the only mineral worked. Cattle-raising receives much al tendon. The commerce is in significant, and the transportation facilities inadequate. The population, in 1897, was 586,636, consisting mostly of Lesghians, Avars, and other Caucasian tribes. The Turkish Tatar element is,
however, not unimportant. The Russians number about 10,000, and the Jews are about equally numerous. The natives are chiefly Mohamme dans, and the educational facilities are very meagre.
The seat of the provincial government is Temir Khan-Shura, and the chief commercial centres are Derbent and Petrovsk (q.v.), both on the coast. Until 1812 Daghestan formed a province of Persia, although the inhabitants enjoyed partial independence under native khans, and manifested their opposition to Persian rule by periodic re volts. It then passed into the nominal possession of Russia, whose authority was not established until after a fierce struggle of many years. Daghe stan still continued to be ruled by native khans until 1868. The last outbreak of the natives against Russian rule occurred during the Russo Turkish War in 1877.