Page 14 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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from the country. However, Nadir’s power did not last long in Na-
khchivan, or in Azerbaijan. After Nadir was killed (1747), small
local states, khanates, were established in Azerbaijan.
Following Nadir’s death, the head of the Kangarli tribe, Heydar-
gulu Khan (1747 -1764) declared the creation of the Nakhchivan
khanate. Nevertheless, the intervention of neighboring states, as
well as palace intrigue, caused the weakening of the Nakhchivan
khanate. Stability arose in the khanate only during the reign of
Kalb Ali Khan (1787-1820).
In 1795, Aga Mahammad Shah Gajar attacked Azerbaijan. The
Nakhchivan khanate also suffered attacks. In turn, Kalb Ali Khan
leaned towards building a relationship with the commander of the
Russian army, V. Zubov, who was about to invade Azerbaijan.
During his next attack in 1797, Aga Mahammad Shah Gajar
punished the khan of Nakhchivan. Kalb Ali Khan was blinded and
a part of the Kangarli tribe was again exiled from Nakhchivan. Ab-
basgulu Khan ascended to the throne24. The assassination of Gajar
in Shusha in 1797 changed the political situation. The danger of
Russian occupation of Azerbaijani lands further increased.
The Russian Empire started a war against Azerbaijan in 1803.
Longing to regain Azerbaijan, Iran, ruled by the descendants of
Gajar, also launched a war against Russia in 1804. The Russian-
Iranian war (1804-1813) ended on October 12, 1813 with the Gu-
lustan Treaty. In accordance with this Treaty, the lands of Azerbai-
jan were divided for the first time between Russia and Iran25. The
northern Azerbaijani lands were annexed to the Russian Empire,
while the Nakhchivan and Irevan khanates together with the south-
ern khanates of Azerbaijan fell under the dominion of Gajar Iran.
The Gajar tried to regain the Azerbaijani lands occupied by
Russia, while the latter wanted to end their invasion of Azerbai-
jan. This caused a new war between these empires, which lasted
from 1826 until 1828. On June 26, 1827 Russian troops entered
Nakhchivan. On October 1, the Irevan Castle was occupied. Rus-
sian military forces then launched expansionist operations into the
southern lands of Azerbaijan. The lands of Azerbaijan were divid-
ed a second time between Russia and Iran under the Turkmenchay
Treaty concluded between Russia and the Gajar state on February
10, 1828. In accordance with the Turkmenchay Treaty, the Nakh-
chivan and Irevan khanates were also annexed to Russia26.
In 1747-1797, the Nakhchivan khanate was divided into sepa-
rate administrative-territorial districts. In 1797-1828, the khanate
consisted of the Nakhchivan and Ordubad administrative districts.
The Nakhchivan okrug (administrative division) included the Al-
inje, Khok, and Daralayaz districts, and the Ordubad okrug in-
cluded the Ordubad, Aylis, Deste, Channab, and Bilav districts.
There were two cities, Nakhchivan and Ordubad, in the khanate’s
territory.
The traditional local occupations of agriculture and craftsman-
ship held a predominant place in the economic life of the Nakh-
chivan khanate. The treasury (belonging to the state), khalise (be-
longing to the khan’s family), mulk (patrimony), vaqf (belonging
to religious people, trans.), and jamaat lands (belonging to the vil-
lage community) were the main forms of land ownership.
The Juma Mosque, the Khan’s House, Ehsan Khan’s Palace, the
Ismayilkhan Baths (in the city of Nakhchivan), the Sershahar, Dil-
bar and Dirnis mosques, the Darkand bridge (Ordubad district),
the Imamzade of Nehram (Babak district), the Sadarak Mosque,
and other historical monuments have been left as mementos of the
period of the Nakhchivan khanate.
Imamzadeh Complex. 16th century. Nakhchivan.