Kumykia

Kumykia (), or rarely called Kumykistan, is a historical and geographical region located along the Caspian Sea shores, on the Kumyk plateau, in the foothills of Dagestan and along the river Terek. The term Kumykia encompasses territories which are historically and currently populated by the Turkic-speaking Kumyk people. Kumykia was the main "granary of Dagestan". The important trade routes, such as one of the branches of the Great Silk Road, passed via Kumykia.

== Regions of Kumykia == Shamkhalate, or Shawkhalate, or since the 16th century the Shamkhalate of Tarki ('''') was a state that presumably formed around the 8th century and existed until the 19th century, in different forms, even though it disintegrated in the 16th century into several feudal entities. The ruler of Shamkhalate was considered the ruler of all of Dagestan and held the title of Vali of Dagestan. In the end of the 16th century Shamkhalate de facto was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Shamkhalat had vassal regions and political entities stretching to Balkaria, and was acknowledged throughout the Northern Caucasus. Since the 16th century the state had a major importance in Russian Tsardom's and then Empire's politics at its Southern borders, as it was the main obstacle in conquering the Caucasus and competing with Persians and Ottomans for regional dominance.