Karabakh Khanate
Substate | Defunct
1750 CE to 1822 CE
The Karabakh Khanate is a semi-independent khanate on the territories of modern Azerbaijan established in about 1750 under Persian suzerainty in Karabakh and adjacent areas.
On May 14, 1805, the Kurakchay Treaty between Ibrahim Khalil Khan and the Russian general Pavel Tsitsianov is signed, transferring the Karabakh khanate under Russian dominion.
The Karabakh khanate exists until 1806, when the Russian Empire gains control over it from Persia.
The Russian annexation of Karabakh is not formalized until the Treaty of Gulistan in 1813, when, as a result of the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813), Fat′h Ali Shah Qajar of Persia officially cedes Karabakh to Tsar Alexander I of Russia.
The khanate is abolished in 1822, after a few years of Russian tolerance towards its Muslim rulers, and a province, with a military administration, is formed.
Following the Russian abolition of the khanate a military administration is formed.
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Agha Mohammad Khan crosses the Aras river in August 1795 with a seventy thousand-strong army.
This force is divided in three: the left wing is sent in the direction of Erivan, the right one parallel to the Caspian Sea into the Mughan across the lower Aras towards Dagestan and Shirvan, while the Shah heads the center force himself, advancing towards the fortress of Shusha in the Karabakh Khanate, which he besieges between July 8 and August 9, 1795.
His right and left wing force the Khans of Ganja and Erivan into alliance respectively.
Having abandoned the siege of Shusha due to stiff resistance, which is further aided by Georgian crown prince Aleksandre, the Khan of Karabakh, Ibrahim Khan, eventually surrenders to Mohammad Khan after discussions, including the paying of regular tribute and to surrender hostages, though the Qajar forces are still denied entrance to Shusha.
Since the main objective is Georgia, Mohammad Khan is willing to have Karabakh secured by this agreement for now, for he and his army subsequently move further.
This force is divided in three: the left wing is sent in the direction of Erivan, the right one parallel to the Caspian Sea into the Mughan across the lower Aras towards Dagestan and Shirvan, while the Shah heads the center force himself, advancing towards the fortress of Shusha in the Karabakh Khanate, which he besieges between July 8 and August 9, 1795.
His right and left wing force the Khans of Ganja and Erivan into alliance respectively.
Having abandoned the siege of Shusha due to stiff resistance, which is further aided by Georgian crown prince Aleksandre, the Khan of Karabakh, Ibrahim Khan, eventually surrenders to Mohammad Khan after discussions, including the paying of regular tribute and to surrender hostages, though the Qajar forces are still denied entrance to Shusha.
Since the main objective is Georgia, Mohammad Khan is willing to have Karabakh secured by this agreement for now, for he and his army subsequently move further.
While at Ganja, having secured Shirvan, Agha Mohammad Khan is joined by Javad Khan Qajar and the rest of his right wing contingent.
At Ganja, Mohammad Khan sends Heraclius II his last ultimatum, who receives it in September 1795.
At Ganja, Mohammad Khan sends Heraclius II his last ultimatum, who receives it in September 1795.
Heraclius, his advisors divided, ignores the ultimatum, but sends couriers to St.Petersburg.
Gudovich, who sits in Georgievsk at this time, instructs Heraclius to avoid "expense and fuss", while Heraclius, together with Solomon II and some Imeretians, heads southwards of Tbilisi to fend off the Iranians.
Gudovich, who sits in Georgievsk at this time, instructs Heraclius to avoid "expense and fuss", while Heraclius, together with Solomon II and some Imeretians, heads southwards of Tbilisi to fend off the Iranians.
Agha Mohammad Khan at the same time marches directly on Tbilisi, with half of the army he had crossed the Aras river with (though other estimates mention forty thousand instead of thirty-five thousand), and attacks the heavily fortified Georgian positions of Heraclius and Solomon on the southwestern limits of the city.
Abandoned by several of his nobles, Heraclius manages to mobilize around five thousand troops, including some two thousand auxiliaries from neighboring Imereti under its King Solomon II, a member of the Georgian Bagrationi Dynasty and thus distantly related to Heraclius II.
The Georgians offer a desperate resistance and succeed in rolling back a series of Persian attacks on September 9 and 10.
After this, it is said that some traitors informed the Persians that the Georgians had no more strength to fight and the Qajars army cancelled their plan of going back to Persia, which they previously had.
Abandoned by several of his nobles, Heraclius manages to mobilize around five thousand troops, including some two thousand auxiliaries from neighboring Imereti under its King Solomon II, a member of the Georgian Bagrationi Dynasty and thus distantly related to Heraclius II.
The Georgians offer a desperate resistance and succeed in rolling back a series of Persian attacks on September 9 and 10.
After this, it is said that some traitors informed the Persians that the Georgians had no more strength to fight and the Qajars army cancelled their plan of going back to Persia, which they previously had.
Early on September 11, Agha Mohammad Khan personally leads an all-out offensive against the Georgians.
Amid an artillery duel and a fierce cavalry charge, the Persians manage to cross the Kura River and outflank the decimated Georgian army.
Heraclius II attempts to mount a counterattack, but he has to retreat to the last available positions in the outskirts of Tbilisi.
By nightfall, the Georgian forces have been exhausted and almost completely destroyed.
The last surviving Georgian artillery briefly holds the advancing Persians to allow Heraclius II and his retinue of some one hundred and fifty men to escape through the city to the mountains.
The fighting continues in the streets of Tbilisi and at the fortress of Narikala.
In a few hours, Agha Mohammad Khan is in full control of the Georgian capital, which is completely sacked and its population massacred.
The Persian army marches back laden with spoil and carrying off some fifteen thousand captives.
The Georgians have lost four thousand men in the battle, the Iranians thirteen thousand; a third of their total force.
Amid an artillery duel and a fierce cavalry charge, the Persians manage to cross the Kura River and outflank the decimated Georgian army.
Heraclius II attempts to mount a counterattack, but he has to retreat to the last available positions in the outskirts of Tbilisi.
By nightfall, the Georgian forces have been exhausted and almost completely destroyed.
The last surviving Georgian artillery briefly holds the advancing Persians to allow Heraclius II and his retinue of some one hundred and fifty men to escape through the city to the mountains.
The fighting continues in the streets of Tbilisi and at the fortress of Narikala.
In a few hours, Agha Mohammad Khan is in full control of the Georgian capital, which is completely sacked and its population massacred.
The Persian army marches back laden with spoil and carrying off some fifteen thousand captives.
The Georgians have lost four thousand men in the battle, the Iranians thirteen thousand; a third of their total force.
The Karabakh Khanate submit to the Russians on May 14 and and the Shaki Khanate on May 21.
In response to the loss of Karabakh, Abbas Mirza occupies the Askeran Fortress at the mouth of a valley that leads from the plain southwest to Shusha, the capital of Karabakh.
The Russians respond by sending Koryagin to take the Persian fort of Shakh-Bulakh.
Abbas Mirza marches north and besieges the place.
On hearing of the approach of another army under Fath Ali, Koryagin slips out at night and heads for Shusha.
He is caught at the Askeran gorge but not defeated, and additional Russian troops relieve the blockade of Koryagin and Shusha.
In response to the loss of Karabakh, Abbas Mirza occupies the Askeran Fortress at the mouth of a valley that leads from the plain southwest to Shusha, the capital of Karabakh.
The Russians respond by sending Koryagin to take the Persian fort of Shakh-Bulakh.
Abbas Mirza marches north and besieges the place.
On hearing of the approach of another army under Fath Ali, Koryagin slips out at night and heads for Shusha.
He is caught at the Askeran gorge but not defeated, and additional Russian troops relieve the blockade of Koryagin and Shusha.
Abbas Mirza, seeing that the main Russian force has pushed far to the southeast, makes a wide swing north and besieges Ganja.
Six hundred Russian infantry route his camp at Shamkir on July 27.
Six hundred Russian infantry route his camp at Shamkir on July 27.
A naval attack on Baku in September had failed, but in November Tsitsianov marches east toward Baku, en route accepting the submission of the Shirvan Khanate on December 27.