Erivan Khanate

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Palace of Erivan khans, early 19th century painting

Erivan (Yerevan), Erwan (آرون) or Irevan Khanate was a Muslim Persian ruled^[1] principality mostly under the dominion of Persia that existed on the territory of modern Armenia and parts of Azerbaijan between 1747 and 1828. According to Treaty of Turkmenchay it was ceded to Russia as a result of Persian defeat in Russo-Persian War of 1826-1828.

During Safavid times Erivan and Nakhichevan were places of residence ("ulka") for the Azeri Kizilbash tribe Ustajlu, with Chukhur-Saad (modern Armenia) being their hereditary ulka from about 1604, where the rule of the first khan Amirgun was recorded. After the disintegration of Persia in 1747 the Chukhur-Saad beylerbeylik continued as Erivan khanate under the same dynasty (Other sources indicate Qajar related dynasty). At different times the Khanate was dependency of both Persia and Ottoman Empire, and then from 1795 of Qajar Persia.

During the existence of the khanate the population consisted predominantly of Shia Turkic people (known today as Azerbaijanis), as a result of Shah Abbas’s deportation of much of the Armenian population from the Ararat valley and the surrounding region in 1605. The dynasty and the ruling elite of the principality were of Kizilbash Turkic origin.