The Treaty of Kurakchay[1], (Persian: عهدنامه کورکچای) also known as the Russo-Karabakhi treaty of May 14, 1805, was a treaty signed between the Russian military commander in the Caucasus Pavel Tsitsianov on behalf of Tsar Alexander I of Russia and Ibrahim Khalil Khan of the Karabakh khanate, which made the khanate a protectorate of the Russian empire.[2] It was one in a series of treaties made between Russia and local khans in the southern Caucasus from 1801 to 1805. Firouzeh Mostashari qualifies the treaty as a letter of capitulation, which Tsitsianov forced Ibrahim Khalil khan to sign, and states that in his reports to the Tsar Tsitsianov distorted the event in order to pretend that the khan was willing to join the empire.[3]
Under the terms of the treaty, Ibrahim Khalil Khan declared his submission to the Russian emperor and abjured his loyalty to the Persian shah, and was to pay tribute annually. Russian authorities were to have full control over the khanate's external affairs and would station troops in Shusha. In return, Russia recognized Ibrahim Khalil and his descendants through the eldest son as rulers of Karabakh in perpetuity with full authority over all domestic affairs of the khanate.[4] In fact the Khan was killed by the Russians months later.