Ganja Khanate
The Ganja khanate (Azerbaijani: Gəncə xanlığı) was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of Persia[1][2] that existed in the territory of Azerbaijan in 1747-1805. The principality was ruled by the dynasty of Ziyadoglu (Ziyadkhanov), which had ruled Ganja as governors under Nadir Shah and was of Qajar extraction. Shahverdi Khan (1740–1761) became the khan of Ganja in 1747.
In 1781-84, Ganja was ruled by the Karabakh khan Ibrahim-Khalil khan Javanshir. During the government of Javad Khan (1785–1804), Ganja khanate grew in economic and political importance and carried out an independent foreign policy, sometimes contrary to the Persian one. The khans had their own mint in Ganja.
During the first Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) Ganja was considered by Russians as a town of foremost importance. General Pavel Tsitsianov several times approached Javad khan asking him to submit to Russian rule, but each time was refused. On November 20, 1803, the Russian army moved from Tiflis and in December, Tsitsianov started the siege preparations. After heavy artillery bombardment, on January 3, 1804 at 5 o'clock in the morning, Tsitsianov gave the order to attack the fortress. After fierce fighting the Russians were able to capture the fortress. Javad khan was killed, together with his sons. According to a major study of the military events in the Caucasus by John F. Baddeley:
"Thus Gandja, on the pretence that from the time of Tamara it had really belonged to Georgia, though long lost to that country owing to the weakness of her rulers, was invaded, the capital city of the same name stormed after a month's siege (2 January 1804), Djavat Khan killed, and the khanate annexed. "Five hundred Tartars [Azerbaijanis] shut themselves up in a mosque, meaning, perhaps, to surrender, but an Armenian told the soldiers that there were some Daghestanis amongst them, and the name was a death-signal for all, so great is the exasperation of your Majesty's troops against those people for their raids into Georgia and the robber war they carry on", [1] but all the women in the town were spared -- a rare occurrence in Caucasian warfare, and due to Tsitsianoff's strict injunctions."[3]
Ganja was renamed Elisabethpol in honour of Alexander's wife Elisabeth. In 1805 the imperial government officially abolished the khanate and the military district of Elisabethpol was created.
Rulers
- Ziyad oghlu Qajar dynasty -
1747 -1761 Shah Wardi Khan
1761 -1781 Muhammad Hasan Khan
- Jawanshir dynasty -
1781 -1784 Ibrahim Khalil Khan
- Ziyad oghlu Qajar dynasty - 1784 - 1786 Hajji Beg
1786 -3 Jan 1804 Javad Khan
See also
References
- ^ Tadeusz Swietochowski. Russian Azerbaijan, 1905-1920: The Shaping of National Identity in a Muslim Community. Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2004. ISBN 0521522455
- ^ "History of Azerbaijan" Encyclopædia Britannica Online
- ^ John F. Baddeley, The Russian Conquest of the Caucasus, London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1908, p. 67, citing "Tsitsianoff's report to the Emperor: Akti, ix (supplement), p. 920".