Karabakh Beylerbeylik

Karabakh Beylerbeylik
Qarabağ Bəylərbəyliyi
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Flag of beylerbeylik during Shah Tahmasib I
Capital Ganja
Religion Islam Shiite
Government Elective monarchy
amir-al-umara
 - 1540-???? Shahverdi Sultan Ziyadoglu
History
 - Safavid Shah Tahmasib I appointed Shahverdi Sultant from the Ziyadoglu clan of the Azerbaijani Kajars tribe 1540
 - End of Safavid Empire 1737
 - Disestablished Enter end year
Today part of  Azerbaijan
Warning: Value not specified for "continent"

At the time of the Safavid state, the entire territory of Azerbaijan was made up of four beylerbeydoms: Shirvan, Karabakh (or Ganja), Chukhursaad (or iravan) and Azerbaijan (or Tabriz).[1] These regions were headed by the shah’s governors-general who were called beylerbeys.

The first beylerbey of Karabakh was Shahverdi-Sultan from the Ziyad-oglu clan of the Azerbaijani Gajar tribe, who was appointed by Shah Tahmasib I in the 1540s. The nobility of the tribe was granted pastures and land plots in Karabakh.[2] The power of the Karabakh beylerbey covered a vast territory – from the Georgian border near “Sinig Korpu” Bridge (currently “red Bridge”) to Khudafarin Bridge on the Araz river.[3] The descendants of Shahverdi-Sultan were Karabakh beylerbeys with a khan’s title until 1736 when Nadir- shah took Karabakh proper from Ziyad-oglu, leaving him with Ganja and a county, which he and his heirs owned until 1804.[4]

References

  1. ^ Rahmani A. A. Azerbaijan in the late 16th and 17th centuries (1590–1700). Baku,1981, pp. 87–89
  2. ^ A collection of articles on the history of Azerbaijan, edition 1, Baku, 1949, p. 250
  3. ^ Mirza Adigozal-bey, Karabakh- nameh, Baku, 1950, p. 47
  4. ^ A collection of articles on the history of Azerbaijan, edition 1, Baku, 1949, p. 250