Karabakh khanate
Encyclopedia
The Karabakh khanate was a semi-independent khanate
on the territories of modern Azerbaijan
and Armenia
established in about 1750 under Persian suzerainty in Karabakh
and adjacent areas. The Karabakh khanate existed until 1805, when the Russian Empire
gained control over it from Persia. The Russian annexation of Karabakh was not formalized until the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, when, as a result of Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)
, Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar of Persia officially ceded Karabakh to Tsar
Alexander I of Russia
. The khanate was abolished in 1822, after a few years of Russian tolerance towards its Muslim rulers, and a province, with a military administration, was formed.
On May 14, 1805 the Kurakchay Treaty between Ibrahim Khalil Khan
and the Russian general Pavel Tsitsianov
was signed, transferring the Karabakh khanate under Russian dominion. Following the Russian abolition of the khanate a military administration was formed.
to Qajar-related Ziyadoglu family in 1606, was initially founded in the lowland part of Karabakh ("Karabakh Steppe"), away from the lands currently known as Nagorno-Karabakh
. However, following the collapse of Safavid dynasty and the death of Nadir Shah Afshar in 1747, Safavid domain split into several independent khanates. During this period, Panah-Ali khan Javanshir of Karabakh
consolidated his local power by establishing a de facto independent khanate and subordinating the five Armenian meliks (princes) in the region, which were referred to as Khamsa (five in Arabic), with support of the Armenian prince Melik Shahnazar II Shahnazarian of Varanda
, who first accepted Panah-Ali Khan's suzerainty.
The capital of the khanate was first the castle of Bayat
in 1748, in the Karabakh Steppe, followed by the newly built town of Panahabad in 1750-1752. During the reign of Ibrahim-Khalil khan, son of Panah-Ali khan, Panahabad became a large town and was renamed to Shusha
, apparently after the name of a nearest village of Shushikent. Later, Panah Ali khan expanded the territory of Karabakh khanate subjugating territory of Karabakh
, Meghri
, Tatev
, Karakilise
, Kafan
in Zangezur
, and Nakchivan Khanate.
In less than a year after Shusha was founded, the Karabakh
khanate was attacked by Muhammed Hassan khan Qajar, one of the major claimants to the Iranian throne. During the Safavid rule Karabakh was for almost two centuries ruled by the Turkic-speaking clan of Qajar, as rulers of Ganja khanate Ziyadoglu Qajars extended their power to Karabakh, and therefore, Muhammed Hassan khan considered Karabakh his hereditary estate.
Muhammed Hassan khan besieged Panahabad, but soon had to retreat because of the attack on his khanate by one of his major opponents to the Iranian throne, Karim Khan Zand. His retreat was so hasty that he even left his cannons under the walls of Shusha fortress. Panah Ali khan counterattacked the retreating troops of Muhammad Hassan khan and even briefly took Ardabil
across the Aras River in the Iranian Azerbaijan
.
In 1759, Shusha and Karabakh khanate underwent a new attack from Fatali khan Afshar, ruler of Urmia
. With his 30,000-strong army Fatali khan also managed to gain support from the meliks (feudal vassals) of Jraberd and Talysh (Gulistan
), however melik Shah Nazar of Varan continued to support Panah Ali Khan. The siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fatali khan eventually had to retreat.
In 1761, Karim Khan Zand allied with Panah Ali Khan of Karabakh to defeat Fat'h Ali Khan Afshar of Urmia, who earlier subordinated the khanates of Karabakh, Marageh, and Tabriz.
In 1762, during his war with Kazem Khan of Qaradagh, Panah Khan submitted to Karim Khan
Zand, who was consolidating different Khans under his Rule and was bout to besiege Urmia
. After the fall of the city, Karim took Panah Khan among the hostages to Shiraz
, where he soon died. Panah-Ali Khan's son Ibrahim-Khalil Khan was sent back to Karabakh as governor.
Under Ibrahim-Khalil khan Javanshir Karabakh khanate became one of the strongest state formations of the South Caucasus
and Shusha
turned into a big town. According to travelers who visited Shusha at the end of 18th-early 19th centuries the town had about 2,000 houses and an approximate population of 10,000, which was mostly Muslim.
In the summer of 1795, Shusha underwent a major attack by Aga Muhammad khan Qajar, son of Muhammad Hassan khan who attacked Shusha in 1752. Aga Muhammad Khan Qajar's goal was to end with the feudal fragmentation and to restore the old Safavid imperial domain. For this purpose he also wanted to proclaim himself shah
(king) of Iran. However, according to Safavid tradition, the shah had to control the South Caucasus before his coronation. Therefore, Karabakh khanate and its fortified capital Shusha were the first and major obstacle to achieve these ends.
Aga Muhammad khan Qajar besieged Shusha with his 80,000 strong army. Ibrahim Khalil Panah khan mobilized the population for a long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000 and women fought alongside the men. The Armenian population of Karabakh also actively participated in this struggle against the invaders and fought side by side with Muslim population jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests.
The siege lasted for 33 days. Not being able to capture Shusha
, Agha Muhammad khan ceased the siege and advanced to Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi
), which, despite desperate resistance, was occupied and exposed to unprecedented destruction.
In 1797, Agha Muhammad shah Qajar, who by that time had already managed to declare himself Shah (albeit he did not succeed in conquering the Caucasus as the tradition required) decided to carry out a second attack on Karabakh.
To avenge the previous humiliating defeat, he devastated the surrounding villages near Shusha. The population could not recover from the previous 1795 attack and also suffered from a serious drought which lasted for three years. The artillery of the enemy also caused serious losses to the city defenders. Thus, in 1797 Aga Muhammed shah succeeded in seizing Shusha and Ibrahim Khalil Khan was forced to flee to Dagestan
.
However, several days after seizure of Shusha, Aga Muhammed shah was killed in enigmatic circumstances by his bodyguard
s. Ibrahim-Khalil Khan returned Agha Mohammad Shah's body to Tehran, and in return Fath' Ali Shah appointed him the governor of Karabakh and married his daughter Agha Beyim. Agha Baji, as she came to be called, was brought to court accompanied by her brother Abol' Fath Khan, and became Fath' Ali Shah's twelfth wife; highly respected at the court, for some reason remained a virgin.
The Iranian troops left and Ibrahim Khalil khan returned to Shusha and restored his authority as khan of Karabakh.
During the rule of Ibrahim-Khalil khan, the Karabakh khanate grew in importance and established ties with other neighbouring khanates as well as with Iran
, Ottoman
and Russian
empires. In 1805, the Kurekchay Treaty was signed between the Karabakh khanate and the Russian Empire
. According to this treaty, the Karabakh khan recognized supremacy and dominance of the Russian Empire, gave up his right to carry out independent foreign policy and took obligation to pay the Russian Treasury 8 thousand gold roubles a year. In its turn, the Czarist government took obligation not to infringe upon the right of the legitimate successors of the Karabakh khan to administer the internal affairs of their possessions.
However in the same year, Russians reneged on the treaty, apparently acting on suspicion that Ibrahim-Khalil Panah Khan was a traitor. He was killed near Shusha together with some members of his family by Major Lisanevich.
The Russian Empire consolidated its power in Karabakh
with the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and Treaty of Turkmenchay
of 1828 after defeating Iran in the Russo-Persian Wars
.
In 1822 Russian Empire abolished the khanate, along with the other khanates
that it had subdued by the early 19th century. A Karabakh province was created in its place, administered by Russian officials.
The Panah Khan descendants subsequently scattered around the Persian Kingdom with some remaining. Abdul Wakil Panah Khan became the Emir of Greater Khorasan
.
Abul-Fath Khan Javanshir , was one of the sons of the Ibrahim-Khalil Javanshir, that through his sister brother-in-law of Fath-Alī Shah Qajar.In the First Russo-Persian War Abul-Fath Khan supported the Iranians and fought on the side of the crown prince Abbas Mirza.After Karabakh was ceded to Russia; and even before it , Abul-Fath Khan withdrew from Karabakh along with his fellow tribesmen, and Abbās Mirza made him governor of Dezmār. Dezamār lay on a southern tributary of the Aras, which flowed into the main river at Ordubad
.In the years following 1813 Abul-Fath Khan smuggled his warriors back across the Aras into southern Karabakh and took up residence in the village of Garmī (eight farsangs
south of Shusha). Presumably this must have been done with the connivance of his brother Mahdi-qoli Khan, who had succeeded his father in 1806 as governor of Shusha in the service of the Russians.In 1818, long before the outbreak of the Second Russo-Persian War, Abbas Mirza invaded the territory to which the Russians laid claim and which was de facto under their sovereignty; supported by 100 horsemen, he brought Abul-Fath Khan back by force.What happened to Abul-Fath Khan thereafter is not known; he does not appear to have taken part in the battles of the Second Russo-Persian War. His brother Mahdī-qolī Khan crossed into Persian soil in 1822. Under the terms of the peace of Torkmanchay in 1828, the whole of Karabakh was finally ceded to Russia.
Javanshir dynasty
In 1822 the Khanate of Karabakh was abolished.
Khanate
Khanate, or Chanat, is a Turco-Mongol-originated word used to describe a political entity ruled by a Khan. In modern Turkish, the word used is kağanlık, and in modern Azeri of the republic of Azerbaijan, xanlıq. In Mongolian the word khanlig is used, as in "Khereidiin Khanlig" meaning the Khanate...
on the territories of modern Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
established in about 1750 under Persian suzerainty in Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
and adjacent areas. The Karabakh khanate existed until 1805, when the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
gained control over it from Persia. The Russian annexation of Karabakh was not formalized until the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, when, as a result of Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)
Russo-Persian War (1804-1813)
The 1804-1813 Russo-Persian War, one of the many wars between the Persian Empire and Imperial Russia, began like many wars as a territorial dispute. The Persian king, Fath Ali Shah Qajar, wanted to consolidate the northernmost reaches of his Qajar dynasty by securing land near the Caspian Sea's...
, Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar of Persia officially ceded Karabakh to Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. The khanate was abolished in 1822, after a few years of Russian tolerance towards its Muslim rulers, and a province, with a military administration, was formed.
On May 14, 1805 the Kurakchay Treaty between Ibrahim Khalil Khan
Ibrahim Khalil Khan
Ibrahim Khalil khan Javanshir was the Azeri Turkic khan of Karabakh from the Javanshir family, who succeeded his father Panah-Ali khan Javanshir as the ruler of Karabakh khanate....
and the Russian general Pavel Tsitsianov
Pavel Tsitsianov
Pavel Dmitriyevich Tsitsianov was the Georgian Imperial Russian military commander and infantry general from 1804. A member of the noble Georgian family Tsitsishvili , Tsitsianov participated in suppression of the Kościuszko Uprising and in the Russo-Persian War...
was signed, transferring the Karabakh khanate under Russian dominion. Following the Russian abolition of the khanate a military administration was formed.
History
The precursor of the Karabakh khanate, a feudal mulk (landholding) given by Safavid shahs of IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to Qajar-related Ziyadoglu family in 1606, was initially founded in the lowland part of Karabakh ("Karabakh Steppe"), away from the lands currently known as Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh is a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, lying between Lower Karabakh and Zangezur and covering the southeastern range of the Lesser Caucasus mountains...
. However, following the collapse of Safavid dynasty and the death of Nadir Shah Afshar in 1747, Safavid domain split into several independent khanates. During this period, Panah-Ali khan Javanshir of Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
consolidated his local power by establishing a de facto independent khanate and subordinating the five Armenian meliks (princes) in the region, which were referred to as Khamsa (five in Arabic), with support of the Armenian prince Melik Shahnazar II Shahnazarian of Varanda
Varanda
Varanda may refer to:* Fizuli Rayon, Azerbaijan* Qaradağlı, Khojavend, Azerbaijan...
, who first accepted Panah-Ali Khan's suzerainty.
The capital of the khanate was first the castle of Bayat
Bayat
The surname Bayat or Baiyat is derived from clans in Iran and Afghanistan.-Clans:Bayat is the name of an originally Turkic clan in Iran which traces its origin to the 12th century...
in 1748, in the Karabakh Steppe, followed by the newly built town of Panahabad in 1750-1752. During the reign of Ibrahim-Khalil khan, son of Panah-Ali khan, Panahabad became a large town and was renamed to Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
, apparently after the name of a nearest village of Shushikent. Later, Panah Ali khan expanded the territory of Karabakh khanate subjugating territory of Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
, Meghri
Meghri
Meghri is a city in southern Armenia, located in the Syunik province, near the border with Iran. The city's economy is based on the food industry, and contains a bread-baking factory, canneries and a winery. Meghri has a significantly milder climate than the rest of the cities in Armenia, and...
, Tatev
Tatev
The Monastery of Tatev is a 9th century Armenian monastery located in the Tatev village in Syunik Province in southern Armenia. The term "Tatev" usually refers to the monastery. It stands on a plateau on the edge of the deep gorge of the Orotan River...
, Karakilise
Sisian
Sisian formerly also known as Sisakan, Sisavan and later Garakilse, is a city in the southern province of Syunik, Armenia. Located on both banks of Vorotan River, 6 km south of the Yerevan-Meghri highway, at a distance of 217 km from Yerevan and 115 km from Kapan. Sisian forms an urban...
, Kafan
Kapan
-Notable landmarks:*Vahanavank monastery*Baghaberd and Halidzor Fortresses.*Tatev Monastery - This monastery, situated northwest of Kapan was founded in the ninth century in the place of an ancient tabernacle well-known in ancient times...
in Zangezur
Zangezur
Zangezur may refer to:* Syunik, alternative name of an Armenian geographic-historic region, nowadays one of the provinces of Armenia* Kapan, former name of a city in Armenia...
, and Nakchivan Khanate.
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
khanate was attacked by Muhammed Hassan khan Qajar, one of the major claimants to the Iranian throne. During the Safavid rule Karabakh was for almost two centuries ruled by the Turkic-speaking clan of Qajar, as rulers of Ganja khanate Ziyadoglu Qajars extended their power to Karabakh, and therefore, Muhammed Hassan khan considered Karabakh his hereditary estate.
Muhammed Hassan khan besieged Panahabad, but soon had to retreat because of the attack on his khanate by one of his major opponents to the Iranian throne, Karim Khan Zand. His retreat was so hasty that he even left his cannons under the walls of Shusha fortress. Panah Ali khan counterattacked the retreating troops of Muhammad Hassan khan and even briefly took Ardabil
Ardabil
Ardabil is a historical city in north-western Iran. The name Ardabil probably comes from the Zoroastrian name of "Artavil" which means a holy place. Ardabil is the center of Ardabil Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 412,669, in 102,818 families...
across the Aras River in the Iranian Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (Iran)
Azerbaijan or Azarbaijan , also Iranian Azerbaijan, Persian Azarbaijan is a region in northwestern Iran. It is also historically known as Atropatene and Aturpatakan....
.
In 1759, Shusha and Karabakh khanate underwent a new attack from Fatali khan Afshar, ruler of Urmia
Urmia
- Demographics :According to official census of 2006, the population of Urmia is about 871,204.- Language :The population of Urmia is mainly Azerbaijani people, with Kurdish, Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities...
. With his 30,000-strong army Fatali khan also managed to gain support from the meliks (feudal vassals) of Jraberd and Talysh (Gulistan
Gülüstan, Goranboy
Gülüstan is a village in the Goranboy Rayon of Azerbaijan. The village forms part of the municipality of Buzluq....
), however melik Shah Nazar of Varan continued to support Panah Ali Khan. The siege of Shusha lasted for six months and Fatali khan eventually had to retreat.
In 1761, Karim Khan Zand allied with Panah Ali Khan of Karabakh to defeat Fat'h Ali Khan Afshar of Urmia, who earlier subordinated the khanates of Karabakh, Marageh, and Tabriz.
In 1762, during his war with Kazem Khan of Qaradagh, Panah Khan submitted to Karim Khan
Karim Khan
Karim Khan Zand, , , was a ruler of Iran, and the founder of the Zand Dynasty.He was born to a family of the Zand tribe of Lur or Lak deportees...
Zand, who was consolidating different Khans under his Rule and was bout to besiege Urmia
Urmia
- Demographics :According to official census of 2006, the population of Urmia is about 871,204.- Language :The population of Urmia is mainly Azerbaijani people, with Kurdish, Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities...
. After the fall of the city, Karim took Panah Khan among the hostages to Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
, where he soon died. Panah-Ali Khan's son Ibrahim-Khalil Khan was sent back to Karabakh as governor.
Under Ibrahim-Khalil khan Javanshir Karabakh khanate became one of the strongest state formations of the South Caucasus
South Caucasus
The South Caucasus is a geopolitical region located on the border of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Trans-Caucasus...
and Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
turned into a big town. According to travelers who visited Shusha at the end of 18th-early 19th centuries the town had about 2,000 houses and an approximate population of 10,000, which was mostly Muslim.
In the summer of 1795, Shusha underwent a major attack by Aga Muhammad khan Qajar, son of Muhammad Hassan khan who attacked Shusha in 1752. Aga Muhammad Khan Qajar's goal was to end with the feudal fragmentation and to restore the old Safavid imperial domain. For this purpose he also wanted to proclaim himself shah
Shah
Shāh is the title of the ruler of certain Southwest Asian and Central Asian countries, especially Persia , and derives from the Persian word shah, meaning "king".-History:...
(king) of Iran. However, according to Safavid tradition, the shah had to control the South Caucasus before his coronation. Therefore, Karabakh khanate and its fortified capital Shusha were the first and major obstacle to achieve these ends.
Aga Muhammad khan Qajar besieged Shusha with his 80,000 strong army. Ibrahim Khalil Panah khan mobilized the population for a long-term defense. The number of militia in Shusha reached 15,000 and women fought alongside the men. The Armenian population of Karabakh also actively participated in this struggle against the invaders and fought side by side with Muslim population jointly organizing ambushes in the mountains and forests.
The siege lasted for 33 days. Not being able to capture Shusha
Shusha
Shusha , also known as Shushi is a town in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the South Caucasus. It has been under the control of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic since its capture in 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh War...
, Agha Muhammad khan ceased the siege and advanced to Tiflis (present-day Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
), which, despite desperate resistance, was occupied and exposed to unprecedented destruction.
In 1797, Agha Muhammad shah Qajar, who by that time had already managed to declare himself Shah (albeit he did not succeed in conquering the Caucasus as the tradition required) decided to carry out a second attack on Karabakh.
To avenge the previous humiliating defeat, he devastated the surrounding villages near Shusha. The population could not recover from the previous 1795 attack and also suffered from a serious drought which lasted for three years. The artillery of the enemy also caused serious losses to the city defenders. Thus, in 1797 Aga Muhammed shah succeeded in seizing Shusha and Ibrahim Khalil Khan was forced to flee to Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
.
However, several days after seizure of Shusha, Aga Muhammed shah was killed in enigmatic circumstances by his bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
s. Ibrahim-Khalil Khan returned Agha Mohammad Shah's body to Tehran, and in return Fath' Ali Shah appointed him the governor of Karabakh and married his daughter Agha Beyim. Agha Baji, as she came to be called, was brought to court accompanied by her brother Abol' Fath Khan, and became Fath' Ali Shah's twelfth wife; highly respected at the court, for some reason remained a virgin.
The Iranian troops left and Ibrahim Khalil khan returned to Shusha and restored his authority as khan of Karabakh.
During the rule of Ibrahim-Khalil khan, the Karabakh khanate grew in importance and established ties with other neighbouring khanates as well as with Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and Russian
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
empires. In 1805, the Kurekchay Treaty was signed between the Karabakh khanate and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. According to this treaty, the Karabakh khan recognized supremacy and dominance of the Russian Empire, gave up his right to carry out independent foreign policy and took obligation to pay the Russian Treasury 8 thousand gold roubles a year. In its turn, the Czarist government took obligation not to infringe upon the right of the legitimate successors of the Karabakh khan to administer the internal affairs of their possessions.
However in the same year, Russians reneged on the treaty, apparently acting on suspicion that Ibrahim-Khalil Panah Khan was a traitor. He was killed near Shusha together with some members of his family by Major Lisanevich.
The Russian Empire consolidated its power in Karabakh
Karabakh
The Karabakh horse , also known as Karabakh, is a mountain-steppe racing and riding horse. It is named after the geographic region where the horse was originally developed, Karabakh in the Southern Caucasus, an area that is de jure part of Azerbaijan but the highland part of which is currently...
with the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and Treaty of Turkmenchay
Treaty of Turkmenchay
The Treaty of Turkmenchay was a treaty negotiated in Turkmenchay by which the Qajar Empire recognized Russian suzerainty over the Erivan khanate, the Nakhchivan khanate, and the remainder of the Talysh khanate, establishing the Aras River as the common boundary between the empires, after its...
of 1828 after defeating Iran in the Russo-Persian Wars
Russo-Persian Wars
The Russo-Persian Wars were a series of wars fought between the Russian Empire and Persia in the 18th and 19th centuries, the most important of which were:...
.
In 1822 Russian Empire abolished the khanate, along with the other khanates
Khanates of the Caucasus
Khanates of the Caucasus were Persian ruled principalities on the territory of modern day Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Dagestan from the Safavid dynasty era to 1806. These principalities arose during the domination of Iran. During the period of Iranian domination, head of principality was a Khan...
that it had subdued by the early 19th century. A Karabakh province was created in its place, administered by Russian officials.
The Panah Khan descendants subsequently scattered around the Persian Kingdom with some remaining. Abdul Wakil Panah Khan became the Emir of Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
.
Abul-Fath Khan Javanshir , was one of the sons of the Ibrahim-Khalil Javanshir, that through his sister brother-in-law of Fath-Alī Shah Qajar.In the First Russo-Persian War Abul-Fath Khan supported the Iranians and fought on the side of the crown prince Abbas Mirza.After Karabakh was ceded to Russia; and even before it , Abul-Fath Khan withdrew from Karabakh along with his fellow tribesmen, and Abbās Mirza made him governor of Dezmār. Dezamār lay on a southern tributary of the Aras, which flowed into the main river at Ordubad
Ordubad
Ordubad is the second largest town and a municipality of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. It is the capital of the Ordubad rayon. It has a population of 10,372....
.In the years following 1813 Abul-Fath Khan smuggled his warriors back across the Aras into southern Karabakh and took up residence in the village of Garmī (eight farsangs
Parasang
The parasang is a historical Iranian unit of itinerant distance comparable to the European league.In antiquity, the term was used throughout much of the Middle East, and the Old Iranian language from which it derives can no longer be determined...
south of Shusha). Presumably this must have been done with the connivance of his brother Mahdi-qoli Khan, who had succeeded his father in 1806 as governor of Shusha in the service of the Russians.In 1818, long before the outbreak of the Second Russo-Persian War, Abbas Mirza invaded the territory to which the Russians laid claim and which was de facto under their sovereignty; supported by 100 horsemen, he brought Abul-Fath Khan back by force.What happened to Abul-Fath Khan thereafter is not known; he does not appear to have taken part in the battles of the Second Russo-Persian War. His brother Mahdī-qolī Khan crossed into Persian soil in 1822. Under the terms of the peace of Torkmanchay in 1828, the whole of Karabakh was finally ceded to Russia.
Rulers
The list of rulers of Karabakh Khanate.Javanshir dynasty
- 1747-1761 Panah Khan Ali Bey
- 1761-1806 Ibrahim Khalil Panah Khan
- 1806-1822 Mehdi Qulu Khan Muzaffar
In 1822 the Khanate of Karabakh was abolished.
Sources
- Abbasqulu Bakihanov, Gulistan-i-Iram, 1841 (Baku, Elm, 1991)
- Mirza Karabaghi, Karabakh-name