|
Throughout
the known history the region of Karabakh has been part
of the Caucasian Albania and later of different Turkic
states. From 4th century B.C. to 8th century A.D. the
territory of Karabakh was one of the provinces of Caucasian
Albania called Artsakh (an Albanian name meaning manly
Saks). After the fall of the independent Albanian state,
of Sajids, in 10th centuryto the state of Salarids, and
in 11-12th centuries - to the state of Sheddadids.
During 12-13th centuries Karabakh constituted part of
the Atabey-Ildenizids state, in the second half of 13th
century - beginning of 15th century, during the existence
of the Mongolian Khulagouid state - part of the Jalairids'
state. In the 15th century it existed within the states
of Garagoyunlu and Aghgayunlu, and during 16th and 17th
centuries Karabakh, as a part of the Karabakh beylerbeyyat
(duchy), was within the Sefevi state. The latter consisted
of 4 beylerbeyyats: Shirvani, Karabakhi (also known as
Ganja), Chukhursaadi (or Erivan) and Azerbaijani (or Tebriz).
Karabakh, being a part of the Karabakhi beylerbeyyat,
was ruled by the representatives of the Turkic Zyiadoglu
tribe, subordinated to Qajars from 16th till 19th century.
In the second half of the 18th century Karabakh belonged
to the Karabakh khanate (principality) and along with
the latter was incorporated into Russia. In 1918-20 it
was part of the independent Azerbaijan and later in 1924
under the Soviets the Nogorno-Karabakh Autonomous Republic
was created again within the Azerbaijan SSR. Finally,
in 1988-94 Karabakh was occupied by Armenia.
Since at least IV BC the population of Karabakh consisted
of Caucasian Albanians (the ancestors of Azeris) and Turkic-speaking
tribes of Barsil, Savir, Hunn, Khazar, Shoumlou, Bakharlou,
Kangary and etc. and later Turkic speaking tribes became
dominant in the region. However, until the 18th century
the Albanians of today's Nogorno-Karabakh region more
or less managed to save their identity. Nevertheless,
after mass migrations of Armenians from Iran and Turkey
to Karabakh by Russia, the Albanian population heavily
mixed with the Armenians and in a very short time was
Armenized.
Caucasian Albania, including Karabakh was probably
the very first Christian state in the Caucasus (the
Kish church in Sheki, is the oldest church in the Caucasus).
Most people of Caucasian Albania converted to Islam
after the Arab invasion, except the Karabakh Albanians.
Like the Albanian identity, the independent Albanian
Patriarchy-the Albanian church was abolished and subordinated
to the Armenian Grigorian Church in 1836 by the decision
of the Russian Tsarist government. Again this was due
to the mass migrations of Armenians to the region, which
resulted in the Albanian-Armenian assimilation.
|
|
