Стр. 14 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

14
Iravan Khanate:
First Independent Azerbaijani Government in Western Azerbaijan
Map 5
Iravan Khanate
Source: Григориян З.Т. Присоединение
Восточной Армении к России в начале XIX в.
М.,1959, с.143
Azerbaijan’s Iravan khanate was ruled by khans from the famous Turkish Qajar dynasty, who played a sig-
nificant role in the government and management history of Azerbaijan. The entire management system, socio-
political, cultural, agricultural life and daily lifestyle of people living in the khanate were inseparable parts of the
general historical development of Azerbaijan. Regarding its developmental characteristics, Iravan Khanate was
no different from other Azerbaijani Khanates of that period in any way. All through history, a number of residen-
tial settlements, villages, and cities belonging to Azerbaijani people were built in the territory of the Iravan Khan-
ate. In addition, thousands of historical monuments, castles, mosques, minarets, caravanserais, and hamams were
constructed. All the place names in the district were toponyms related to the Azerbaijani people. Even Armenian
sources confirm this undeniable truth. In the territory of the khanate, there were endless ancient Oghuz-Turkic
graveyards with numerous ram monuments and gravestones belonging to Azerbaijani people. All these were the
material cultural emblems of the Azerbaijani people.
The Iravan Khanate covered the western Azerbaijani territory stretching southwest from the Agridag plains,
the Goyche Lake basin, and the Aras River (Map 5). This khanate was administratively divided into fifteen dis-
tricts with Iravan city as the capital: Girkhbulag, Zangibasar, Garnibasar, Vedibasar, Sherur, Surmeli, Derekend,
Saatli, Talin, Seyidli-Akhsakhli, Sardarabad, Karpi, Abaran, Darachichak, and Goyche. Iravan Khanate played an
important role in Azerbaijan’s history as an independent government in 1747-1828. The head of the government
was the khan; after the khan , came the vezir (vizier) or head mirze (teacher), and beys of different ranks (divan
beys, commanders, emirs, and so on). The khan directed the army. The majority of the population was Azerbai-
jani. They were engaged in craftsmanship, especially carpet weaving, trade, cultivation, gardening, vegetable
growing, and raising cattle. Land was divided into divan (government), khalise (belonging to the khan and his
family members), and public property. The villages paid tithes of taxes and held different responsibilities.