Page 10 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan Atabey (Eldaniz) State (1136 ‒ 1225).

Map 3.

Source: Azərbaycan Respublikası Naxçıvan tarixi atlası. Bakı, 2010, s. 22

Karabakh tomb. 12

th

-14

th

centuries. Kangarli.

Jalaladdin Kharazmshah eliminated the Ata-

bey-Eldaniz State, which had weakened due to

Mongol attack in 1221. Kharazmshah, whose

reign lasted until 1231, occupied Nakhchivan.

As a result of the second Mongol invasion (1231-

1239), Mongolian reign was restored in Azerbai-

jan.

When the fifth Mongolian Ulus Hulakus (or

Elkhanis) was established in 1256, Azerbaijani

lands were included in this state

17

. At that time,

Nakhchivan was one of the nine administrative

tumen (districts) of the southern lands of Azer-

baijan. Five out of the 27 Azerbaijani cities – Na-

khchivan, Alinje, Ordubad, Azad, and Maku –

were included in the Nakhchivan tumen. During

this period, the Golden Horde (Qizil Orda), the

Chobani, and the Jelairi were struggling for dom-

inance over Azerbaijan. The strengthening of

Amir Teymur’s (1370-1405) power aggravated

the situation even more. Amir Teymur occupied

the territories of Nakhchivan in 1387. The Alinje

Castle was besieged. The Alinje Castle defend-

ers struggled bravely against Teymur’s troops for

fourteen years and did not surrender the castle.

The Hurufi played an essential role in the fight

against the Teymuri. The founder of Hurufism,

Following the collapse of the Great Seljuk Empire, the Azer-

baijani Atabey - Eldaniz State (1136-1225)

14

was founded in the

territory of Azerbaijan by Shamsaddin Eldaniz (1136-1175). At

that time, Nakhchivan became the capital of the Atabey State.

The treasury of the Atabey State was kept in the Alinje Castle

near the city of Nakhchivan. During the reign of the Azerbai-

jani governor Mahammad Jahan Pahlavan (1175-1186), Nakh-

chivan was ruled by Qizil Arslan and after his death, his wife

Zahide khanim. In the period of the Atabey-Eldaniz, Nakh-

chivan gained world fame as one of the economic, political, and

cultural centers of Azerbaijan. A very valuable source referring

to Nakhchivan reports: “Nakhchivan is a densely populated

big city in Azerbaijan, which was built in a high location and

greatly fortified. Many palaces, suburban castles, pavilions, and

porches were built; a stone castle was erected near the city with

a madrasah, mosques, and a spring inside. They say that there

is no other city in the world with more people; plasterboard and

baked bricks were used in the construction of all the buildings.

Most of the pavilions are three- or four-storied, like towers. The

city’s surrounding area has all the amenities with running water,

gardens, and lawns. The Araz River flows through the bounda-

ries of the city. Nakhchivan reached its full magnificence during

the reign of His Excellency Eldaniz. The Dar al-mulk (shah’s

residence) and Dovlatkhana (government building) were built

there.”

15

Distinguished by its peculiar features, Nakhchivan’s archi-

tecture formed an individual school in the Atabey period. The

Nakhchivan architectural school was founded by the great arti-

san and profound thinker Ajami Nakhchivani Abubakr, famous

throughout the Orient

16

.