Ganja khanate

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Ganja khanate was a Muslim principality mostly under the dominion of Iran in 1747-1805.

The principality was ruled by the dynasty of Ziadogly (Ziyadkhanov), which had ruled Ganja as governors under Nadir Shah and was of Qajar extraction. Shakhverdi khan (1740-1761) became the khan of Ganja in 1747.

In 1781-84, Ganja was ruled by the Karabakh khan Ibrahim-Khalil khan Javanshir. During the government of Javad Khan (1785-1804), Ganja khanate became grew in economic and political importance and it carried out an independent foreign policy, sometimes contrary to the Persian one. The khans had their own mint in Ganja.

During the first Russo-Persian War (1804-1813) Ganja was considered by Russians as a town of foremost importance. General Pavel Tsitsianov several times approached Javad khan asking him to submit to Russian rule, but each time was refused. On November 20, 1803, the Russian army moved from Tiflis and in December, Tsitsianov started the siege preparations. After heavy artillery bombardment, on January 3, 1804 at 5 o'clock in the morning, Tsitsianov gave the order to attack the fortress. After fierce fighting the Russians were able to capture the fortress. Javad khan was killed, together with his sons. According to a major study of the military events in the Caucasus by John F. Baddeley:

“

"Thus Gandja, on the pretence that from the time of Tamara it had really belonged to Georgia, though long lost to that country owing to the weakness of her rulers, was invaded, the capital city of the same name stormed after a month's siege (2nd January 1804), Djavat Khan killed, and the khanate annexed. "Five hundred Tartars [Azerbaijanis] shut themselves up in a mosque, meaning, perhaps, to surrender, but an Armenian told the soldiers that there were some Daghestanis amongst them, and the name was a death-signal for all, so great is the exasperation of your Majesty's troops against those people for their raids into Georgia and the robber war they carry on," [1] but all the women in the town were spared -- a rare occurrence in Caucasian warfare, and due to Tsitsianoff's strict injunctions."[1]

”

Ganja was renamed Elizavetpol in honour of Alexander's wife Elizaveta. In 1805 the imperial government officially abolished the khanate and the military district of Elizavetpol was created. The name Ganja was returned to the city in 1918, with the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, only to be renamed again in 1935 to Kirovabad, and then again Ganja in 1991.

[edit] Rulers

- Ziyad oghlu Qajar dynasty -

1747 -1761 Shah Wardi Khan

1761 -1781 Muhammad Hasan Khan

- Jawanshir dynasty -

1781 -1784 Ibrahim Khalil Khan

- Ziyad oghlu Qajar dynasty - 1784 - 1786 Hajji Beg

1786 -3 Jan 1804 Javad Khan

[edit] See also

• Khanates of the Caucasus

[edit] References