Page 8 - Azərbaycan xalçaları

6
Nadir Shah dethroned the last Shah of the Safavid
dynasty, Shah Abbas III (1732-1736), and came to power.
However, the governors of the Ganja-Karabakh provinces
refused to recognize him as a legitimate ruler. The use of
force against the governors strengthened the position of the
Albanian tsars and stirred up stronger separatist feelings
among them.
Following the death of Nadir-Shah in 1747, separate
khanates emerged in the territory of Azerbaijan. The
former province of Ganja-Karabakh disintegrated into
two khanates – the Khanate of Ganja and the Khanate of
Karabakh. The Karabakh Khanate took an important place
in the history of Azerbaijani statehood. The founder of the
Karabakh Khanate Panahali-Khan (1747-1763) undertook
important measures to ensure political, social, economic,
and cultural development in this region. Shusha’s
importance increased significantly as the political center of
the Khanate. A resolute battle erupted against the separatist
actions of the Karabakh-Albanian provinces.
Ibrahimkhalil Khan (1763-1806), the son of Panahali
Khan, continued the activities of his father aimed at
developing the Khanate further and uniting the lands of
Azerbaijan. The crusade against the khanate organized by
the provinces and their ally, the Russian Empire, failed.
At the end of the 18th century, the Khanate of Karabakh
faced another serious threat from Agha Mahammad
Shah Gajar (1795-1797). Though Shusha resisted siege for
33 days during the 1795 crusade, in 1797 Gajar invaded
Shusha. However, Shah Gajar died here later as a result of
assassination.
In the late 18th - early 19th century, the Russian Empire
expanded its hostile actions in the South Caucasus. In 1801,
east Georgia was merged into the Empire. Then, the area
of Jar-Balaken and the Khanate of Ganja fell under Russian
occupation in 1803 and 1804, respectively.
Given such circumstances, the Khanate of Karabakh
had to sign the Kurakchay Treaty with Russia on May 14,
1805. It meant the seizure of the Khanate by Russia. The
occupying regime came to Karabakh. In 1806, Ibrahim
Khan and members of his family were assassinated cruelly.
As a result, the position of Mehdigulu Khan (1806-1822),
who took power in Karabakh at this time, was not strong.
Tsarist Russia tried deliberately to shatter the economic
strength of the ruling Muslim elite who dominated the area
at the local level and to increase the role of Armenians who
were then in weak positions. With this goal in mind, Russia
eliminated the Khanate of Karabakh by turning it into
an ordinary province in 1822. A command management
system was established. The province of Karabakh
became part of the Military-Muslim County (with its
centre located in Shusha). During this period, the Russian
lieutenant general, ethnically Armenian V.G. Madatov,
Khan of Karabakh - Ibrahim Khan’s scepter.
The scepter is decorated with floral ornaments made out
of gold. Currently exhibited at the Azerbaijani National
Museum of History. XVIII century.
Walls of the Shusha
tower and castle.
XVIII century.