The Beginning of the Occupation of Northern Azerbaijan by Russia

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The Beginning of the Occupation of Northern Azerbaijan by Russia

Mammadov Ilham Adil

Ph.D., Senior Lecturer

Ganja State University (Ganja, Azerbaijan)

Abstract

Purpose. Azerbaijan, being the main link in the South Caucasus, has always attracted many conquerors. In this article, we tried to show the socio-political situation in the country at stake in the seizure of Azerbaijan by Russia and to find out the main reasons for the subordination of the Azerbaijani khanates to Russia and the subsequent post-war consequences.

Relevance. In the second half of the XVIII-early XIX century, the internal and international situation of Azerbaijan was very difficult. There was feudal fragmentation on the territory of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani khanates fought not for the creation of a single state, but only for the expansion of their territory, the conquest of the territory of neighboring khanates and the preservation of their independence. The incessant internecine wars, the intensification of contradictions between the feudal lords and the peasantry, who made up the vast majority of the country's population, and the economic downturn were characteristic of the internal state of Azerbaijan.

Results. Russia's occupation intentions towards the South Caucasus and the devastating campaigns of the Iranian invaders aggravated the situation. During this period, both Russia and Iran sought to seize the Qajar state, Azerbaijan, and the South Caucasus as a whole. At the end of the XVIII century, the situation changed with the death of Catherine and Agha Muhammad Shah. Pavel withdrew Russian troops from the South Caucasus, while Fatali Shah, who had just ascended the throne, sought to strengthen his power. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the Azerbaijani khanates, instead of stopping the struggle among themselves and uniting against a foreign enemy, continued internecine wars.

Alexander I, who came to power after the assassination of Pavel, began to pursue a policy of Russian invasion of the South Caucasus. At the same time, the Qajar state, instigated by European states, also began to prepare for war against Russia.

Conclusions. The beginning of the Russian-Iranian war over the territory of the Caucasus led to the fact that many Azerbaijani khanates, not having sufficient forces to resist external enemies, began to voluntarily submit to Russia, instead asking for protection from Iranian attacks.

Thus, the First and Second Russian-Iranian wars, which took place in the first half of the XIX century, put an end to the division of Azerbaijani lands between these states and the traditions of statehood on the territory of Azerbaijan.

Keywords: khanates, feudal system, seizure, natural resources, internecine wars, Caspian Sea

Початок окупації Північного Азербайджану Росією

Мамедов Ільхам Аділь

Гянджинський Державний університет (Гянджа, Азербайджан)

Анотація

capture khanate south caucasus

Мета. Азербайджан будучи головною ланкою в Південному Кавказі завжди привертав багатьох завойовників. У даній статті ми спробували показати соціально-політичну обстановку в країні на початку захоплення Азербайджану Росією і з'ясувати основні причини підпорядкування Азербайджанських ханств Росії і наступні післявоєнні наслідки.

Актуальність. У другій половині XVIII-початку XIX століття внутрішнє і міжнародне становище Азербайджану було дуже складним. На території Азербайджану існувала феодальна роздробленість. Азербайджанські ханства вели боротьбу не за створення єдиної держави, а тільки за розширення своєї території, завоювання території сусідніх ханств і збереження своєї незалежності. Безперервні міжусобні війни, посилення протиріч між феодалами і селянством, що складало переважну більшість населення країни, економічний спад були характерні для внутрішнього стану Азербайджану.

Результат. Окупаційні наміри Росії щодо Південного Кавказу, спустошливі походи іранських загарбників погіршували ситуацію. У зазначений період і Росія, і Іран прагнули захопити державу Каджар, Азербайджан і Південний Кавказ в цілому. В кінці XVIII століття ситуація змінилася зі смертю Катерини II і ага Мухаммед-шаха. Павло вивів російські війська з Південного Кавказу, тоді як Фаталі-Шах, який щойно зійшов на престол, прагнув зміцнити свою владу. Ситуацію погіршував той факт, що азербайджанські ханства замість того, щоб припинити боротьбу між собою і об'єднатися проти чужоземного ворога, продовжували міжусобні війни.

Олександр I, який прийшов до влади після вбивства Павла, почав проводити політику російського вторгнення на Південний Кавказ. Водночас держава Каджарів, підбурювана європейськими державами, також почала готуватися до війни проти Росії.

Висновки. Початок російсько-іранської війни за територію Кавказу призвів до того, що багато азербайджанські ханства не маючи достатніх сил чинити опір зовнішнім ворогам, стали добровільно підкорятися Росії, натомість просячи захист від нападів Ірану. Таким чином, I і II російсько-іранські війни, що відбулися в I половині XIX століття, поклали край поділу Азербайджанських земель між цими державами і традиціям державності на території Азербайджану.

Ключові слова: ханства, феодальний лад, захоплення, природні ресурси, міжусобні війни, Каспійське море

Introduction

At the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the internal and international situation of Azerbaijan was very difficult. The territory of Azerbaijan was divided into small feudal states. The incessant internecine wars between the khans for the possession of the territories of the neighboring khanate, the intensification of contradictions between feudal lords and peasants, who made up the vast majority of the country's population, and the economic downturn were characteristic of the internal state of Azerbaijan. Russia's occupation intentions towards the South Caucasus and the devastating campaigns of the Iranian invaders aggravated the situation.

One of the main directions of Russia's foreign policy during this period was the invasion of the South Caucasus. Tsarism sought to turn the South Caucasus into an additional source of income, to achieve Russian domination over the Caspian Sea basin, to turn the Caspian into Russia's inland sea. The natural resources of Azerbaijan, especially mineral deposits, were already known to Russian science, and it was not by chance that the government of Catherine II linked the appropriation of the wealth of this country with its invasion. For gold, wool, silk, cotton, tobacco, fuel, etc. The wealth of the entire Caucasus could provide Russian industry with raw materials and fuel. The favorable location and natural resources have led to the strengthening of Russian- English rivalry in the South Caucasus, including in Azerbaijan. Russia's invasion of these places could have dealt a heavy blow to the influence of Great Britain in the east, the monopoly of the East India Company.

On September 12, 1801, the tsar's manifesto on the unification of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom with Russia was announced (Gasimov, 2013). The Tiflis Governorate was created, which was ruled by the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops and a civilian judge. Part of the territory of Azerbaijan was also included in this province - the Kazakh, Borchali, Shamshadil sultanates, which were in vassalage from the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom and joined together with it to Russia. Thus, with the annexation of Georgia to Russia, the beginning of the Russian conquest of Azerbaijani lands was laid. Alexander I decided not to be content with the fact that some khans were already forced to accept the patronage of Russia. He sought to seize other khanates, primarily the Caspian regions of Azerbaijan. On the initiative of General Knorring, in September-December 1802, in the North Caucasus, in the city of Georgievsk, the tsarist command met with representatives of the khans of Northern Azerbaijan and other rulers of the Caucasus for negotiations on political and trade issues. Tarku Shamkhaly, Kara Gaitak Usmisi, the ruler of Tabasaran and others were present at the talks. Along with representatives of the mountain rulers, there were representatives of two Azerbaijani khanates - Guba and Talysh. Representatives of other khanates were not present at the meeting. Despite the obstacles from Iran, the four-month negotiations in Georgievsk ended successfully, and 6 treaties were signed on December 26, 1802. According to the treaty, its signatories pledged to resist Iran in the event of an attack. The agreement provided for the expansion of trade in Transcaucasia, the development of shipping in the Caspian Sea, etc. The contract stated that those who sign it are accepted "at their own request patronage (M. Ismailov 2007). After the conclusion of the Treaty of St. George, the tsarist government neglected this treaty and began to prepare for the conquest of the territories of the Azerbaijani khanates.

The results of the study

At the turn of the XVIII-XIX centuries, the territory of Azerbaijan was divided into small feudal states. The incessant internecine wars between the khans for the possession of the territories of the neighboring khanate, the intensification of contradictions between feudal lords and peasants, who made up the vast majority of the country's population, and the economic downturn, were characteristic of the internal state of Azerbaijan. Russia's occupation intentions towards the South Caucasus and the devastating campaigns of the Iranian invaders aggravated the situation. One of the main directions of Russia's foreign policy during this period was the invasion of the South Caucasus. (Vidadi, 2004).

Tsarism sought to turn the South Caucasus into an additional source of income, to achieve Russian domination over the Caspian Sea basin, to turn the Caspian into Russia's inland sea. The natural resources of Azerbaijan, especially mineral deposits, were already known to Russian science, and it was not by chance that the government of Catherine II linked the appropriation of the wealth of this country with its invasion. For gold, wool, silk, cotton, tobacco, fuel, etc. He could provide the Russian industry with raw materials and fuel. The political and military-strategic importance of Transcaucasia was especially great. The occupation of this land could have decided the balance of forces in the traditional Russian- Turkish rivalry in favor of Russia. Russia has not yet managed to conquer the Central Caucasus.

The invasion of the South Caucasus could create favorable conditions for the Highlanders to besiege their territories from the north and south. Finally, Russian- English rivalry increased the importance of the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan. Russia's invasion of these places could have dealt a heavy blow to the influence of Great Britain in the east, the monopoly of the East India Company. The difficult situation in the South Caucasus objectively facilitated the implementation of Russia's invasion plans in this region. Feudal internecine wars and raids of foreign invaders destroyed the South Caucasus. Due to the lack of the necessary initial socio-economic conditions, mature political forces, the attempts of individual khans to unite Azerbaijan under their leadership failed. Western European states also had plans to invade the South Caucasus, especially England and France. They closely followed the active actions of Russia in this territory and tried to thwart the plans of tsarism.

At the end of 1800, the British representative Malcolm arrived in the port, and at the beginning of 1801 he concluded a treaty with this state. Having concluded political and trade agreements, Britain was able to interfere in the internal affairs of Iran. England undertook to provide the Shah with the necessary amount of military expenses, together with a sufficient number of military personnel in case any state attacked the port. The trade agreement gave the merchants of the contracting parties the right to freely move their goods to the territory of both states. British merchants were allowed to settle in any city and Port in Asia, and their goods were exempt from all types of taxes. The treaties opened the country's market widely to English merchants, turned Asia into an instrument of England's anti-Russian policy in the struggle for the expansion of its colonial possessions, the protection of its own colony - India from external encroachments, and the implementation of its own far- reaching plans for Transcaucasia. (Rzaev, 2020).

The tsarist government believed that this treaty was directed primarily against Russia, so it was preparing to implement its own plans. But after the assassination of Paul I and the coming to power of Alexander I, the balance of forces of the opponents changed. Alexander I severed ties with France and became closer to England. During this period, England, which highly valued rapprochement with Russia in the conditions of the existence of aggressive Napoleonic France, could no longer openly defend Asia. France, not missing the opportunity to immediately take advantage of this situation, offered the Shah's Iran to conclude an antiRussian treaty. Despite the rapprochement with England, Alexander I decided to implement his plan for the South Caucasus. He sought, first of all, to establish a connection with Georgia through Astrakhan-Derbent-Baku, where Russian troops re-entered in 1799. On September 12, 1801

the tsar's manifesto on the unification of the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom with Russia was announced. The Tiflis Governorate was created, which was ruled by the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops and a civilian judge. This province also included part of the territory of Azerbaijan - the Kazakh, Borchali, Shamshadil khanates, which were in vassalage from the Kartli-Kakheti Kingdom and joined together with it to Russia. (Yildiz, 2006).

Thus, with the annexation of Georgia to Russia, the beginning of the Russian conquest of Azerbaijani lands was laid. Alexander I decided not to be content with the fact that some khans were already forced to accept the patronage of Russia. He sought to seize other khanates, primarily the Caspian regions of Azerbaijan. On the initiative of General Knorring, in September-December 1802 in the North Caucasus, in the city of Georgievsk, the tsarist command met with representatives of the khans of Northern Azerbaijan and other rulers of the Caucasus for negotiations on political and trade issues. Tarku Shamkhaly, Kara Kaytak usmisi, Judge Tabasaran and others were present at the talks. Along with representatives of the mountain rulers, representatives of two Azerbaijani khanates - Guba and Talysh were present. Representatives of other khanates were not present at the meeting. Despite the obstacles from Iran, the four-month negotiations in Georgievsk ended successfully, and 6 treaties were signed on December 26, 1802. According to the treaty, its signatories pledged to resist Iran in the event of an attack. The agreement provided for the expansion of trade in Transcaucasia, the development of shipping in the Caspian Sea, etc. The contract stated that those who sign it are accepted "at their own request patronage...Russia". After the conclusion of the Treaty of St. George, the tsarist government neglected this treaty and began to prepare for the conquest of the territories of the Azerbaijani khanates.

Such a complex and contradictory process as the conquest of Northern Azerbaijan by tsarist Russia has its own peculiarities. The feudal rulers-khans perfectly understood that, resisting with their own forces such states as Iran, Russia, they would not be able to preserve their khanate. They followed the false promises that Russia gave them about preserving the independence of the khanates, believing that in this way they would preserve the independence of their khanates, on the one hand, they had to be inclined to accept Russian patronage, and on the other - to distrust the promises of tsarism. Some of them hoped that in this way they would be able to protect their lands from looting and destruction in the event of a raid by Iranian or Turkish troops.

At the same time, these khans hesitated that they were also inclined towards Iran and Turkey, not in a hurry to finally determine their position and decisions. This was primarily due to the fact that the khans were not confident in maintaining independence in the internal administration of their khanates. During the occupation of Azerbaijan by Russia, General P., a native of an ancient Georgian noble family, was appointed Commander-in- chief of the Caucasus in September 1802. Tsitsianov became the executor of Russia's colonial policy in the South Caucasus. The Tsarist government entrusted all civil and military power in the South Caucasus to the Caucasian Tsitsianov, hoping to pacify the Caucasus through him. Tsitsianov was distinguished by his hatred and ruthless attitude towards the Azerbaijani people.

This is evidenced by the humiliating letters he sent to many Azerbaijani khans during the occupation of Azerbaijan by Russia. The tsarist government, using the territory of Eastern Georgia as a springboard for an offensive, began to implement its plans against Azerbaijan. Tsitsianov attached great importance to the capture of the Dzharo-Balakan community. Because this territory was on the way of the advance of Russian troops from Georgia deep into Azerbaijan. Russian troops, together with a 5,000-strong Georgian army, met the resistance of the local population in Jar-Balakan. AntiRussian in Georgia, and the Georgian Prince Alexander, who headed the pro-Iranian circles and sought to restore his power, arrived in Jar with his armed detachment. The battle took place on the bank of the Ganyk River (Alazan). Having broken the resistance, General Gulyakov burned the Balacans without any military necessity. On March 29, Kar was conquered. On April 12, 1803, a contractual and sworn obligation was concluded to transfer the Jar-Balakan community to Russian rule.

According to the terms of the agreement, the Jars had to pay tribute to the royal treasury with silk, make deposits as a sign of loyalty, and place Russian troops on their territory. The threat of the Karlovs to accept and not hide Prince Alexander and his henchmen was particularly noted in the treaty. But seeing that the internal management of the Congregation remained unchanged, and that the population did not fulfill the conditions of obedience, General Gulyakov in January 1804 again invaded the Jar. The city was conquered again and burned. Then the Russian troops moved towards Zagatala and were attacked by the Jars in the gorge near Zagatala. In a bloody battle, the Carls prevailed and won. The surviving part of the Russian troops retreated to the village of Mukhakh, and General Gulyakov was killed. No less important role in the events in the square was played by the personal actions of Tsitsianov, who in March 1803 rejected the petition of the Dzhartsev for pardon of the rebels. He not only did not pardon, but also humiliatingly wrote in his letter: "you want me to believe you and forgive you. You will wait for my arrival, and then I will burn all your houses, burn you, pull out the entrails of your children and wives". The Jars, seeing the impossibility and futility of continuing to resist the Russian troops, who again went on the offensive, surrendered.

After the conquest of the population of Jar-Balakan, the neighboring Ilisu Sultanate also had to accept Russian citizenship. In the sultanate, until the mid-40s, the sultan retained power in the internal administration of his lands. General Tsitsianov attached great importance to the capture of the Ganja Khanate. Because the Ganja fortress was the key to the further advance of Russian troops into the depths of Azerbaijan. The Ganja Khanate has maintained warm diplomatic relations with the Russian state since the 90s of the XVIII century. The ruler of the khanate Javad Khan did not respond to Tsitsianov's offer to accept the patronage of Russia. He wrote that in 1796, "your king sent a decree, and I accepted his offer and handed over the castle. If your king has sent such a decree now, show it to me. Then I will act according to his will". The general, in his letters, pushed Javad Khan away from himself with his peculiar unanimity and unethicality, which led to bloody battles. Unlike other khanates that accepted Russian power, Tsitsianov put forward more stringent requirements for the Ganja Khanate. He demanded from Javad Khan a payment in the amount of 20 thousand chervonets per year, that is, 3 times more than the amount established subsequently for the Sheki, Karabakh and Shirvan khanates, and wrote: "If you do not accept my offer, I will come to Ganja with fire and sword". He moved an army consisting of an infantry battalion with 11 guns, 3 squadrons and 2 Cossack hundreds to Ganja. All these 8th troops were commanded by General Portnyakin. On the way to Ganja, two versts from the city, in a place called Sukhoi Gobu, the first battle between Russian troops and Ganja residents took place.

After some resistance, Javad Khan lost power and returned to the fortress with his defeated troops. After that, Russian troops besieged Ganja. The siege lasted a month. On the night of January 2 to 3, 1804, Russian troops began storming the fortress. Two of their attempts were repulsed. The defenders of the fortress stubbornly resisted. Javad Khan and his son Huseyngulu-agha died heroically in the battles. The Ganja Khanate was abolished and transformed into a district, and the city lost its ancient name and was renamed Elizavetpol in honor of the wife of Alexander I. (Aygun, 2007). It was forbidden to call it "Ganja". Violators of this rule were fined. The capture of Ganja was of great importance for the advance of Russian troops deep into Azerbaijan in order to conquer other feudal states. The Samukh ruler Shirin-Bek, who was in vassalage to the Ganja Khanate, was forced to accept Russian citizenship after the fall of Ganja. He pledged to give 1,000 chervonets to Russia annually.

Conclusions

In the XVIII and early XIX centuries, relations between the Ottoman state and Azerbaijan were not always at the same level, in a particular period they were of a specific nature. A characteristic feature of the Ottoman-Azerbaijani relations at the beginning of the XIX century was that the Ottoman Empire did not want to put up with the Russian conquest of Azerbaijan, but could not offer real resistance to this invasion, as its military power was weakening (Budak, 1995) The political situation prevailing in Azerbaijan at that time, Russia's occupation of the entire Caucasus, including Northern Azerbaijan, is widely reflected in the works of Turkish historians who dealt with this period.

The occupation of Northern Azerbaijan by tsarist Russia began with the annexation of eastern Georgia, and with it the seizure of the sultanates of Gazakh, Shamshaddil, Borchaly and Pembek, which belonged to the Ganja and Irevan khanates. Russia, thus gaining an important stronghold in the Caucasus, immediately carried out its plan of military invasion. For Russia, the seizure of Azerbaijan played a special role, since by subjugating the weakened Azerbaijani khanates, Russia acquired at the same time lands rich in minerals and access to the Caspian Sea, as well as strengthened its role as a conqueror before England, France, and many other European countries.

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