Shirvan

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Shervan or Shirvan is a historic region in Azerbaijan, stretching between the western shore of the Caspian Sea and the Kura River.

The name is first attested during the Sassanian epoch, when it was used to denote the northern part of Caucasian Albania, or Arran. After the Arabic conquest, it became a hereditary possession of the Khalif's governors.

Between 799 and 1538, the territory was ruled by the Shirvanshahs (a particular Persian title of the royal rank of Shah). It was there that the Persian poet Khaqani (Khaghani) was born. The capital of the Shirvanshahs was Shemakha.

In the 18th century, Shirvan was a khanate whose ruler paid homage to Persia. The Russians briefly overran it during the Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723. After the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813 the region was absorbed by Imperial Russia.

Shirvan's population consisted of Caucasian peoples speaking Lezgi, Avar, Udi, Kriz and Iranian peoples speaking Tats of Shervan. This population was slowly Turkisized since the 11th century onward, yet some speakers of the Caucasian languages still live in the distant villages of Shamakha, Shaki, Qabala, and Oguz.

Since the break-up of the Soviet Union, the territory of historic Shirvan and Arran is part of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan.

Shirvan is known for the quality of its rugs.

[edit] Iranian homonym

As is the case with many city and village names in large countries, there is often more than one city or village with the same name in different regions.

There is another Shervan/Shirvan in the Islamic Republic of Iran proper, in the province of North Khorasan.