Page 7 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

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In the 15th and early 18th centuries, Karabakh was part of
several small states such as the Kara-Koyunlu (1410-1468), the
Ak-Koyunlu (1468-1501), and the Safavids (1501-1736).
Under the rule of the Safavids, the Khanates of Karabakh
andGanjaweremerged into a single province. In 1514-1555 and
1578-1590, when the wars broke out between the Safavids and
the Ottomans, Karabakh became a disputed land. Following
Karabakh’s entry into the Ottoman Empire after the 1590
agreement, a census book was developed (1593) in the region.
According to census information, 61% of the population in the
province of Ganja-Karabakh was Muslim while the rest was
non-Muslim. In fact, the non-Muslim category represented the
Christianized (or rather, Gregorianized) Albanians.
In the first quarter of the 18th century,
Azerbaijan became divided between Iran,
Russia, and the Ottoman Empire with
Karabakh remaining part of the Ottoman
Empire. Official Ottoman documents
fromthat periodconfirmthatAzerbaijanis
dominated the local population of the
region. According to the figures, there
were 122,000 inhabitants in the Ganja-
Karabakh area in 1727 and 80,300 (66%)
of them were Azerbaijanis; 37,800 (31%)
were Armenianized Albanians; and 3,700
(3%) were Kurds.
After seizing the Caspian coast of
Azerbaijan, the Russian Tsar, Peter the
Great (1672-1725), wished to increase
Russian influence in the region. With
this in mind, he issued a decree (November 10, 1724) ordering
Russian troops to accommodate and protect Armenians
wishing to settle in the occupied territory, to be friendly to
them, and to give them evacuated houses and fertile lands. To
fulfill this order, many Muslims faced deportation from their
native lands.
Gandzasar Monastery.
Kalbajar district,
Vang village. 1238.
Zoomorphic clay figurine.
Fuzuli district,
Mollamaharramli village.
XIX-XVII centuries B.C.
Azerbaijani carpets / KARABAKH GROUP