Rizvan Huseynov. "Karabakh Khan Panah Ali and Georgian tsar Irakli II: Alliance at a critical historical period"
Rizvan Huseynov. "Karabakh Khan Panah Ali and Georgian tsar Irakli II: Alliance at a critical historical period" // Azerbaijan-Georgia: Heritage of friendship and brotherhood through the ages. "EIDA", Baku – 2024, 353 p., ISBN 978-9952-576-15-3, pp. 68-84
Karabakh Khan Panah Ali and Georgian tsar Irakli II: Alliance at a critical historical period
Rizvan Huseynov,
Director of the Center for the History of the Caucasus,
The 18th century has been a period of new challenges
and serious trials for the peoples and states of the South Caucasus in the
history of our region. The fragmentation of the Azeri Kizilbash (Safavid) and
then the Nadir Shah Afshar state led to the emergence of a number of
Azerbaijani khanates. In 1747, the military leader Panah Ali bey Cevanshir
established the Karabakh khanate, which began to play a key role in the
political, economic, and cultural life of all Azerbaijan and the Caucasus. As
the historian of Mirza Jamal, the vizier of the Karabakh Khan, stated: “...
During the twelve-year reign of Panah Khan, victories, success, happiness, and
wealth always accompanied him. Most of the vilayets of Azerbaijan were
subordinate to him and obeyed him.”[1]
It has not been written much about the strong
friendship between Karabakh khan Panah Ali and the Georgian tsar Irakli II.
This friendship was tested in battles and trials. It should be reminded that
Panah Ali Khan was one of the commanders of Nadir Shah Afshar and participated
in many of his campaigns, including in India. And the future tsar of Georgia,
Irakli II, was Nadir Shah's best friend in his India campaign at that time.
Irakli II was a man of ideas, unconcerned with wealth and power. Therefore,
Nadir Shah, who has the ability to choose and appreciate people, valued
Irakli's advice even on important military issues and followed it willingly.[2]
In these campaigns, the friendship between the future
Karabakh khan Panah Ali and the future Georgian tsar Irakli II was
strengthened. Looking ahead, we can see that the same close friendship occurred
between Irakli and Ibrahim Halil, son of Karabakh Khan, who was the ruler of
the khanate after his father’s death.
Mirza Jamal, the vizier of the Karabakh Khan, notes
that during the reign of Panah Ali Bey's son Ibrahim Khalil Khan, the Karabakh
Khanate subdued neither to Iran nor to Turkey and exercised its independent
policy in almost all of Azerbaijan: "Ibrahim Khan, being the independent
ruler of Karabakh, from 1174 in Muslim calendar, which corresponds to 1756 in
Christian calendar, to 1221 (1806), did not obey the Iranian and Rum (Ottoman
Sultanate) sovereigns. His rules and orders were carried out in Shirvan, Sheki,
Ganja, Erivan, Nakhichevan, Khoy, Karadag, Tabriz, Ardabil vilayets, and even
in Maragha and QaflanKuh, which are located at the border of Iraq and
Azerbaijan... All the khans of Azerbaijan and other (places) who had witnessed
Ibrahim Khan's power and greatness as well as the power of his orders and
obeyed him for a long time wanted to take advantage of him and create a strong
friendship with him ... Every year, on the day of the Novruz holiday, khalats
(robes), gifts, a horse and a sword were presented to all the incredible
military leaders, warriors, thousands of people on behalf of the khan. Each of
them, according to their rank, brought gifts from the vilayets of Azerbaijan,
and meliks from mahals."[3]
In the notes of Colonel Stepan Burnashev, who was the representative
of Russia at the court of the Georgian tsar Irakli II, it was mentioned:
"From the part of Persia, all the Adrebizhan Khans, Ibrahim Khan
Shushinsky had had an unbreakable friendship with the tsar (Kakheti - R.H.) for
26 years ..."[4]
S. Burnashev also describes the possessions (khanates) included in Azerbaijan,
and mentions each in a special section: "There are the Derbent,
Nukhis-Shaki, Shirvan, the city and port of Baku, Shaisevan (Shakhsevany of
Ardabil), Shusha, Genzha (Ganja), Erivan, Nakhichevan, Karadag (in Iran),
Talizh (Talysh), Myshkin, Maragha, Urumia (Urmia), Khoy"[5]
and other khanates. Burnashev notes that the majority of Azerbaijani khans are
"autocratic" and "do not depend on Persia", since they have
their own armies and the ability to establish political unions with other
khanates and states. In his notes, S. Burnashev repeatedly uses the word
"Aderbizhans", thereby making it clear that they are a nation
different from the neighboring Ottoman Turks and Persians.[6]
In order to support Stepan Burnashev’s words, we can
show the excerpt from the letter sent by one of the most influential
Azerbaijani khans, Fath Ali (Fatali) Khan of Quba and Derbent, to the Russian
Empress Catherine II in 1783. It describes the territories of Azerbaijan, which
include Erivan, Ganja, Derbent, Baku, Karabakh, etc., and also uses the concept
of "Adyrbaijans" as the population living in these regions. Moreover,
it becomes clear from the letter that Fatah Ali Khan identifies himself and
other khans, as well as the local population, Azerbaijanis, by using the
concept of "Azerbaijani society" and considers himself a legitimate
defender of the interests of all Azerbaijani khans and the population of
Azerbaijan: "...Khans, rulers and the entire Adyrbaijan society are not
satisfied with their actions... I recognized my responsibility to protect the
honor and rights of the Khans of Adyrbaijan...The same concerns Irakli Khan,
who united with Ibrahim Jalil Khan of Karabagh (Khalil - R.H.) and captured the
city of Genja, placed their governors there and collected public taxes, they
also seized Rachedag, and both from this place and Erivan collected all sorts
of levies and taxes for themselves, Irakli’s exaggerated intention is that when
Ibrahim Jalil Khan, who is often mentioned here, brings the entire Adarbaijan
region under his power, at that time half of the income received from this
region will be taken for him (Irakly), but both for me and all the Adarbaijan
Khans, in the discussion of our loyalty to the law, such actions of theirs are
disgusting, and even, Irakly's management is not only unpleasant for us, but
also unbearable because by being from the Georgians and strengthening Ibrahim Jalil Khan of Karabakh
with the weapons he has invaded all the Adarbaydzhan cities. And when we
gathered troops from different places and sent them against Ibrahim Jalil Khan,
the aforementioned Georgian owner, sent his son with the Georgian army to help
him, and this was followed by all these military actions: in a meeting of Dagestanis,
a rebellion in Adarbaidzhan, campaign against Georgia, in short, we blame him,
the Georgian ruler, for all of these happenings. The first issue is that he has
to be eradicated, and then we should get involved in Karabakh issues to discuss
the reasons why Georgian sent his aid to Adrbaydzhanian and indulged himself in
the hope of taking possession of the entire Adyrbaidzhan district.”[7]
Taking control of the whole of Azerbaijan, Fatah Ali
Khan of Quba mentions the goal of allied relations between the Georgian tsar
and the Karabakh Khan: "Irakli, united with Ibrahimkhalil Khan, captured
Ganja, each of them established a viceroyalty there and collected taxes. They
are also going to capture Nakhchivan, Erivan and Jar-Balaken… They want to
invade the whole of Azerbaijan."[8]
During the reign of Ibrahim Khalil (1763-1806), the
Karabakh Khanate continued to strengthen. In order to reinforce his position
and prevent the attacks of neighboring khanates, he established kinship ties
with the Avar and Sheki khanates, as well as with the Georgian kingdom. He
succeeded in putting his relative, Asadullah Bey, on the throne of Tabriz.
Soon, Nakhchivan, Karadagh, and some other khanates became dependent on the
Karabakh Khanate. Moving to the northeast, the Karabakh Khanate came into
contact with the Quba Khanate, the ruler Fatali Khan of Quba who was also
involved in expansion his territory by annexing neighboring possessions.
Foremost, Fatali Khan of Quba tried to make the Karabakh khanate dependent on
him by peaceful means. In 1779-80, Ibrahim Khalil Khan, together with his ally,
the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom assaulted the Ganja Khanate and divided a part of
its territory.[9]
The strengthening of Ibrahim Khalil Khan in this way contradicted the plans of
Quba Fatali Khan to unite the whole of Azerbaijan under his governance. This
led to the clash of these two khanates in 1780. The Georgian tsar Heraclius II,
an ally of Ibrahim Khalil Khan came to help.
During the battle between the sides, the Dagestan
detachments allied to Fatah Ali Khan abandoned him and thereby weakened his
forces. The repeated campaign against Quba Khanate in August of the same year
ended in failure, despite the fact that the advantage was on his side.[10]
The strengthening of the Karabakh Khanate and having
an alliance with the Georgian Kingdom did not coincide with the interests of
Russia, which hatched a plan to destroy the Karabakh Khanate and create a puppet
"Armenian state" here, which was supposed to serve the interests of
the autocracy in the region. Prince G.A. Potemkin wrote to Empress Catherine II
about this idea: "I gave instructions... on the subjugation of
Ibrahimkhalil Khan of Shushinsky. Under certain circumstances, the territory of
the khanate of Ibrahimkhalil Khan of Shusha consisting of Christian people can
be transferred under National administration, and therefore it will be possible
to restore a Christian state in Asia. This corresponds to the promise made by
Your Majesty through me to the Christian meliks."[11]
Azerbaijani historian of the XIX century, Mirza
Adigezal bey, wrote in his treatise "Karabakh-name" about the
influence and authority of Ibrahim Khalil Khan: "After the death of Panakh
Khan, his eldest son, the brave Ibrahimkhalil Khan, became the ruler of the
Karabakh region in 1173 (Hijri - ed.). He began to solve the problems of the
population. Avoiding to obey either the Shah of Iran, the Sultan of Rum
(Turkey), or the rulers of any other countries, he began to govern the
territories that included Karabakh, Shaki, Shirvan, Ganja, Tabriz, Nakhchivan,
Ardabil, Khoy, Maragha, Irevan, and even Haplan, located on the border of
Azerbaijan with Iraq. The dismissal and appointment of the rulers of these
regions were carried out by his will and decree. Moreover, he established
kinship ties with the ruler of the Avar region of Dagestan, Umma Khan, the son
of Nutsal Khan."[12]
His grandson, an officer of the Russian army and a
military engineer, Ahmed bey Javanshir (1828-1903), wrote about the authority
and campaigns of Ibrahim Khalil Khan: "Thus, Ibrahim Khan, who became an
independent khan after the subjugation of Kerim Khan and Mehrali Khan, took
advantage of the situation that developed after the sudden death of Fatali Khan
and captured Ganja. For this reason, Ibrahim Khan gathered a large army
consisting mainly of Lezgins and subjugated Ganja, Shamakhi, Nukha, as well as
Rasht. He expanded the borders on the Nakhchivan and Irevan sides. He occupied
Tabriz without a fight and appointed his sister's son Asadullah-bek as khan
there."[13]
It should be noted that at that time there were five
Christian melikdom – small feudal estates located in the upper part of
Karabakh, which were given the title of melikdom in the XV-XVII centuries by
the Azerbaijani rulers. First of all, the title of melik was given to the
Albanian family, Hasan-Jalal, but by the XVII century, the family roots weakened
and they were forced to intermarry with Armenian settlers who settled in upper
Karabakh. The Melikdom owed their rise to the Safavid shahs and then to Nadir
Shah Afshar.
The Armenian classic of the XIX century, Raffi, in his
historical novel "Melikstvo Khamsi," wrote about Karabakh:
"These lands...once they were part of the Van Kingdom, later they became a
shelter for Armenian meliks." In particular, Raffi writes about the Meliks
Baylar, the owner of the Gulistan melikdom: "At the beginning of the sixteenth
century, this "Cherniy sotnik" suddenly appeared in Karabakh,
completely impoverished, having only seven families and a few animals with
them... as they found themselves in a world they did not know, they had neither
a place of residence nor a refuge." After serving the khan of Barda, he
asked "to allocate a place for him to settle as a refuge. The khan
transfers the village of Talish, or Tarinj, in Gulistan gavar, near the Orek
Monastery, into his eternal ownership... Melik Beylar I ... He seized several
villages from the former local ruler... (Ibrahim-gyavur) ... and upon the
capture of the fortress of Gulistan, he restored this irresistible fortress and
settled there." Speaking about the son of Melik Beglyar, Raffi said:
"Everything he had, he obtained through robbery..."
The book clearly reveals that long before the arrival
of the Meliks in Karabakh, there were ancient fortresses and monasteries, which
were submitted to the refugees who received the title of melik from the Muslim
rulers in one way or another, often due to their helpfulness.
Here is another quote from Raffi that does not require
comment: "We briefly described the origin of the Meliks who had the five
gavars of Karabakh - Gulistan, Jraberd, Khachen, Varanda, and Dizak. We saw
that of these five Melikdoms, only the rulers of Khachen were local residents,
while the rest moved from other places as a result of almost similar historical
circumstances. They took shelter in the forests and inaccessible mountains of
Karabakh and founded their principalities." As it is seen, the Armenian
classic personally removes the arguments of Armenians who falsify their own
past and the history of the South Caucasus.
With regard to the ethnicity of these Meliks, Raffi,
in his book "The Melikstvo Khamsi", notes that apart from the
Albanian ruler Khachen from the Hasan-Jalal family line, the other four Meliks
were newcomers to these lands: "Of the five Melik houses that dominated
Karabakh, only the rulers of Khachen were local residents, and the rest, as we
have seen and will see further, were migrants from other places… These lands...
once they were part of the Van Kingdom, later they became a shelter for
Armenian meliks."[14]
In the XVII-XVIII centuries, the Albanian Khachen clan
weakened and split into five branch lines, fighting with each other. Taking
advantage of this weakness, gangs of Armenian robbers who eventually married
and united with branches of the Albanian Hasan-Jalal family began to penetrate
here. At the same time, it also becomes clear that thanks to the Azerbaijani
rulers and khans, the Armenians who settled here were able to find patronage
and the right to create vassal meliks. Unfortunately, the Meliks rewarded their
patrons with treachery and betrayal, provoking external forces to seize the
region.
It should be noted here that since the end of the XVII
century, European monarchies and the Vatican have conducted missionary
activities among the ethnically and sectarianly diverse Armenian population of
the Ottoman and Safavid empires and the Caucasus. One of the main goals of this
activity was to instill the hostility of the Armenian communities to their
Muslim rulers.[15]
On this background, on the initiative of the Vatican
and a number of European monarchies, the mission of Israel Ori was carried out
in Zangezur and Karabakh, which laid the foundation for what was later called
the "national liberation movement of the Armenian people". The
purpose of the Ori was to carry out reconnaissance on the territory of the
Safavids in the Caucasus, collect data, and try to raise local heads of
Armenian churches and meliks against the legitimate authorities. At the same
time, Ori supported not only Europe, but also tsarist Russia. He offered large
sums, weapons, and the protection of the European and Russian monarchies in
case the local churches and meliks opposed their Muslim rulers. This adventurer
succeeded in causing discord between the local Christian population and the
Muslim rulers, but was eventually killed in Astrakhan in 1711 under strange
circumstances.[16]
However, Europe and tsarist Russia persevered in their
attempts to use the Armenian factor for their own purposes in the Caucasus.
Emin Hovsepyan (Joseph Emin, 1726-1809), an Armenian who resettled in India
from the Iranian city of Hamadan, arrived in St. Petersburg from England two
years before the enthronement of Catherine II (1760).
The richest
Armenians sent him from London to St. Petersburg to convince the Russian court
to support the Armenian rebellion in the South Caucasus. Emin proposed huge
sums for the arming and equipping of the Russian expeditionary forces in the
Caucasus and bribing "the right people." His proposal was welcomed.
Emin left St. Petersburg and came to the South Caucasus, where he persuaded the
Christian meliks with money and pledges to go on a campaign against Karabakh
Khan Ibrahim Khalil.[17]Then,
in order to create an Armenian-Georgian alliance, Emin came to Georgia, where
he was received by Tsar Irakli and shared his plans with him. Nevertheless, the
Georgian tsar angrily rejected Emin’s treacherous proposal and that of his
foreign supporters. These plans did not materialize.
Remember that Joseph Emin's ideas did not appear out
of nowhere, and they were later documented in the "Armenian"
manifesto. In the 1770s, a group of Armenian figures led by the rich merchant
Shaamir Shaamiryan published the book "A New Book Called Exhortation"
in Madras, India. In this book was presented a plan for the rebellion of the
Christian population of the South Caucasus with the active participation of the
Karabakh meliks and the support of the Georgian tsar Irakli. However, the
refusal by Irakli and the ineffectual political circumstances temporarily
overturned these plans.
But provocations continued to take place around
Karabakh Khan Ibrahim Khalil to eliminate him physically, to abolish the
khanate and to help these lands become part of Tsarist Russia. In the summer of
1784, the Karabakh Meliks were waiting for the arrival of the Russian troops
under Lieutenant-General Potemkin, so that they could unite with him and start
a war against the Karabakh Khanate. Nevertheless, the promised military aid
from Russia did not come. A treacherous plan for the physical elimination of
Karabakh Khan Ibrahim Khalil was developed among the Meliks. A group of
instigators led by Gandzasar Catholicos Hovhannes (Ioannes) was at the head of
this plan. However, their treachery turned against them. One of the initiators
of the plan —the brother of Catholicos Hovhannes by the name of Melik
Alakhkuli-bey Hasan-Jalal —clandestinely came to Shusha and delivered the
secret plan of Tsarist Russia and the conspirators of Gandzasar to Karabakh
Khan Ibrahim Khalil. The conspirators have been sending confidential letters
from Gandzasar through Ganja with an envoy to the Russian command in Tbilisi.
When Khan asked if there were any possibilities to get
the letters sent by the envoy in any way, Alakhkuli-bey said that the envoy
should come to Israel, who was the local Albanian Catholicos, in Ganja to
collect his letters as well. Although the Khan of Karabakh apparently agreed
with all the actions of the conspirators of Gandzasar, he decided to appeal to
the Catholicos of Albania, Israel, who had a long-standing enmity with Ovanna,
the Catholicos of Gandzasar. The Khan of Karabakh decided to present these
letters to the Albanian Catholicos, Israel, who had a long-standing enmity with
the Gandzasar Catholicos Hovhannes, although he outwardly agreed with all the
actions of the Gandzasar conspirators. The Catholicos Israel considered that it
was his right to be the head of the patriarchate of Gandzasar and repeatedly
appealed to Karabakh Ibrahim Khalil Khan and offered his services in return for
the Catholicos throne of Gandzasar Monastery.
Ibrahim Khalil Khan decided that the time had come
to determine Israel's loyalty. He wrote a letter to Catholicos Israel,
informing him that a messanger disguised as a beggar who concealed suspicious
documents would secretly arrive from Gandzasar. If Israel can seize these
documents and send them to him, the khan, in turn, promises to provide all his
support to him in order to get the Catholicos throne of Gandzasar. The Khan's
letter was sent with Melik Alakhkuli-bey Hasan-Jalalyan, who also showed
loyalty towards Ibrahim Khalil.
As a result, Catholicos Israel seized the letters
of the Gandzasar conspirators and sent them to Ibrahim Khalil. The Armenian
author Raffi notes in his work "Melikstva Khamsi" that these letters
were signed by Gandzasar Catholicos Hovhannes, Abov Melik-Beglaryan from Gulustan
Melikdom, Mezhlum Melik-Israelyan from Jraberd Melikdom, Bakhtam Malik-Avanyan
from Dizak Melikdom and other church and
secular leaders. Since Malik Shahnazar of Veranda, Malik Alakhverdi of
Khndzristan, and Rustam Bey of Gulatakh (Gulyatag of the Tartar region - R.H.)
were supporters of the khan, the allied maliks did not invite them to
participate in the council.
Having received from Catholicos Israel the
correspondence between the Gandzasar conspirators and St. Petersburg, the Khan
did nothing at first and pretended to be unaware of these treacherous plans.
Then, he invited Malik Mazlum, Malik Abov, and Malik Bakhtam to his place under
the pretext of discussing urgent matters. When they arrived, he took them into
custody, imprisoned Malik Mazhlum and Malik Abov in the fortress of Shusha, and
handed over Melik Bakhtam, with whom he had a particularly hostile
relationship, to the Iranian authorities as a political criminal who
contributed to the penetration of Russian troops into the South Caucasus.
Later, Ibrahim Khalil Khan sent eques to the
Gandzasar monastery, where they arrested the leader of the conspirators,
Catholicos Hovhannes, and his henchmen. They were all taken to Shusha to be
punished for their treachery. Catholicos Hovhannes died in Shusha prison, and
his brother Bishop Sargis was released in 1787 along with other amnested
conspirators, and they all returned to Gandzasar. For his loyalty and services,
Catholicos Israel received the promised throne of the Albanian Catholicos from
Ibrahim Khalil Khan, and the ancient Amaras monastery was designated as the
residence of the patriarchate. The Meliks, who were loyal to Ibrahim Khalil,
also received respect and honor.
The fate of two conspirators, Malik Mazhlum and
Malik Abov, in Shusha prison was interesting. They were able to escape from prison
and go to Tbilisi. However, at the request of the Karabakh Khan, the Georgian
Tsar Irakli II ordered the arrest and extradition of the traitors. But, one of
the secretaries of the tsar, the Armenian Mirza-Giorgi, found out about the
letter of the Karabakh Khan and conveyed the information to these fugitive
conspirators. As a result, both of them fled Georgia and found shelter in Ganja
under the ruler Javad Khan, who was at enmity with Karabakh Khan. Bishop Sargis
also fled here from Gandzasar in 1791 with other amnested conspirators.
Together with the fleeing maliks, they attacked and plundered near the
northeastern borders of the Karabakh Khanate for several years. Then they
quarreled among themselves. Part of the conspirators moved from Ganja to
Bolnisi, and part to Shamkir and Gazakh. Some of them went to Dagestan, where
they established the Karabakhli settlement.
After a few years, Agha Mohammad Qajar came to power
in Iran, and he launched a series of campaigns to unite the Caucasian
territories. He made campaigns to the Karabakh Khanate and besieged Shusha in
1795. But the siege contributed to the success - the defenders of the fortress
did not give up and resist heroically. Malik Mazhlum, one of the Ganzasar
conspirators who escaped from Shusha prison to Georgia and from there to Ganja,
is also in the ranks of the Qajar army. He cherished a hatred towards the
Georgian tsar Irakli and suggested that Qajara abandon the siege of the Shusha
fortress and move to Tbilisi. Mazhlum promised to show the way and help with
logistics. As a result, Qajar went to Tbilisi, and the detachment led by Malik
Mazhlum stood in the front line of the army.
On September 8, 1795, a fight took place between the
35,000-strong Iranian army of Agha Mohammad Qajar and the 5,000-strong army of
Irakli II in the Krtsanisi region on the outskirts of Tbilisi. The Azerbaijani
detachment led by Khudu Borchalinski, the commander and trusted person of
Irakli II, showed special heroism in the battle of Krtsanisi.[18]It
should be noted that Khudu Borchalinski was born in the village of Sadakhli in
1730, and during his life, he participated in many battles and campaigns in the
ranks of the Georgian army and commanded them. The detachment led by him was distinguished
by special heroism and bravery in the battle of Krtsanisi. The forces were
unequal and the Qajar army, which was vastly superior, was able to take
Tbilisi, where the marauders were led by Malik Mazhlum.[19]
The topic of Meliks’ involvement in the conflict of
that era might be discussed for a very long time, but to keep things quick,
let's just note that during the subsequent Qajar campaign in 1797, the
fortifications of Shusha fell due to the treachery of some meliks.. Agha Mohammed
Qajar succeeded in taking Shusha, but he was killed there by his close
associates.
In 1804, the Russian-Iranian war began. In the same
year, the kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti became part of Tsarist Russia, and in the
spring of 1805, the Karabakh Khanate came under Russia while retaining a part
of its independence and khan power according to the Treaty of Kurakchay. This
was possible as a consequence of the diplomatic talent of Karabakh Khan Ibrahim
Khalil. According to the terms of the treaty, a Russian garrison headed by
Major D.T. Lisanevich had to be located in Shusha.
The Russian authorities realized that the Khan was a
serious force and a problem for them. The situation became more complicated
when the crown prince of the Qajar throne, the ruler of Azerbaijan, Abbas Mirza
Qajar, started his campaign in the South Caucasus in 1806. He was able to
defeat the Russian troops and enter the Karabakh Khanate. He surrounded the
surroundings of Askeran and Shusha fortresses. The situation became more
complicated when the crown prince of the Qajar throne, the Azerbaijani ruler
Abbas Mirza Qajar, embarked on a campaign in the Southern Caucasus in 1806. He
succeeded in defeating the Russian troops, invaded a part of the Karabakh
Khanate by entering Askeran and besieging the surroundings of Shusha fortress.
In this case, Karabakh Khan Ibrahim Khalil left the
Shusha fortress with his family and went to Khankendi, where his property and
servants were located. This event had far-reaching and disastrous consequences.
Some meliks hastened to slander the suzerain, Ibrahim Khalil, in front of
Lisanevich, who already did not trust the khan and wanted to settle old scores
with him for a long time. On June 12, 1806, Lisanevich, with a group of 200
soldiers, treacherously entered Khan's camp under cover of darkness, killed
Khan and massacred almost his entire family, including young children.
Rzagulu-bey Javanshir reports that the following were killed that night:
Karabakh Khan, his wife Tuba-hanum, their daughters Saltanet-hanum and
Tutu-beyim, the 12-year-old son of Khan Abbasgulu-aga Kebirlinsky, and other
relatives.[20]
This crime deeply shook the entire region, and as a
result, even local Muslim rulers loyal to the Russian authorities revolted
against Russia. The Russian authorities launched an investigation into this
bloody crime of Lisanevich's diviaion. As it turned out, this was done to
divert attention, no one was punished, and Lisanevich himself was promoted and
transferred to continue his service in the North Caucasus. False allegations
made by Meliks against Ibrahim Khalil Khan, who was charged with conspiring
with the Qajars, were used as justification for Lisanevich's actions.
In particular, in the spy report given by
Melik-Jimshid Melik-Shakhnazarov to Major General Nesvetaev, it is reported
that Ibrahim Khalil Khan allegedly intended to launch a military operation
together with the Crown Prince of the Qajar Empire and the ruler of Azerbaijan,
Abbas Mirza. He organized operations in Iravan and Karabakh in order to take back
the Karabakh Khanate. Melik-Cimshid's false denunciations were one of the
reasons for the murder of Karabakh Khan and almost his entire family.[21]
In conclusion, we might note that the friendly and
fraternal relations between the Georgian tsar and the Karabakh khan made it
possible for many years to restrain the spread of foreign powers in our region.
However, the powers were not equal, and after the death of Irakli in 1798 and
the treacherous murder of Ibrahim Khalil Khan in 1806, there were no wise and
talented rulers who could defend the interests of the region in the military
and diplomatic fields. The Meliks and Armenian settlers from Turkey, Iran, and
the Middle East played a significant role in the weakening and destruction of
the independent Azerbaijani khanates and the Georgian kingdom, as well as
further colonization of the region.
The policy of Tsarist Russia and the European powers
was aimed at depriving the Georgian and Azeri peoples of state formations by
using the artificially created Armenian political project. The Azerbaijani
khanates and Georgian principalities were a serious obstacle to the expansion
of foreign powers. The wisdom and determination of the Azerbaijani and Georgian
rulers made it possible to partially preserve the state formations, but later
these lands were finally annexed by the Russian Empire. Only in 1918, Georgia
and Azerbaijan regained their independence.
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