General Information about Azerbaijan
Part 1
The historical
territories of Azerbaijan, bordered on the Great Caucasus from the North, the
Alagoz chain, the basin of the lake Goycha and the Eastern Anatoly from the
west, the Caspian Sea from the East and Sultaniye-Zanjan-Hamadan from the south,
is a place of the primary cultures which gave the start to modern civilization.
In those territories historically belonged to Azerbaijan people they established
rich distinctive culture and the state system.
Sounding of 'Azerbaijan' regularly changed along the history. Historical sources
reflect former names of Azerbaijan as Andirpatian, Atropatena, Adirbijan and
Azirbijan.
The history of ancient Azerbaijan is built on archeological, ethnographic,
anthropological and written historical resources. Archeological funds gave the
excellent opportunity to study the history of material culture of Azerbaijan,
while ethnographic materials revealed in historical sources and expeditions
inform about traditions, material-moral culture, former forms of ruling, family
relations, etc.
Archeological excavations in the territory of Azerbaijan Republic revealed
patterns of rich material culture related to the first human settlement. Based
on the abovementioned the territory of Azerbaijan has been referred to the areas
of first human formation. Most ancient archeological and paleontological
materials recently found in the territory of Azerbaijan prove that first
primitive men settled here 1.7-1.8 million tears ago.
The territory of Azerbaijan is rich with archeological monuments which prove it
to be one of the regions of the primitive men's first settlement. Archeological
finds of the caves of Azikh, TAglar, Damjili, Dashsalahli, Gazma(Nakhchivan) and
other monuments, the shin-bone of the most ancient Azikh man (Azikhantrop) lived
300-400 thousand years ago in the Age of Asheul prove the abovementioned theory.
For this find the territory of Azerbaijan has been included into the map of 'The
ancient settlers of the Europe'.
In addition, Azerbaijani people has the ancient state system establishment which
dates to 5000 years. The first states or ethic-political unions in Azerbaijan
appeared round Urmiya at the end of 4th and at the beginning of 3rd millennium
BC. Newly established ancient Azerbaijan states played great role in
military-political history of the whole region. They had closed relations with
the Shumer, Akkard and Ashur(Assuria) states, located on the valleys of Tigris
and Euphrates and also with Het state located on Asia Minor.
Great states such as Manna, kingdom of Iskit(Skit, Skif), Atropatena and Albania
appear on the lands of Azerbaijan in the 1st millennium BC and the 1st
millennium AD. Those states played distinctive role in perfection of ruling
traditions, in history of the economy and culture of the country and in
formation of united people.
The beginning of AD is characterized with difficulties for our country; it was
occupied first by the empire of Sasani-Iran in the 3rd and later by Arabic
khilafet(kind of ruling) in the 7th centuries. Many people of Iranian and Arabic
origin migrated here from Iran and Arabia.
Turkic ethnic groups, the most organized and strong from the military and the
political aspect, composed the majority of the population in the first centuries
of the AD and played important role in the formation of the people. Oguz Turks
prevailed among Turkic ethnic groups.
Since the first centuries AD Turkic language was gaining priority among minor
people and ethnic groups lived in the territory of Azerbaijan. Turkic language
was the means of relation between the north and the south. This fact played
important role in formation of united folk for the reason that monotheism was
absent in Azerbaijan at that time. The belief to the head God of the Turks did
not prevailed over other spread religions. Zoroastrianism, fire-worship, belief
in the Sun, the Moon, the Sky, the stars, ground, water etc. still existed.
Christianity was widely spread in the northern part of the country, i.e. in some
places of Albania, especially in western mountainous regions. Free Albanian
church existed together with Armenian and Georgian churches.
Acceptance of Islam (by force) in the 7th century made a great change in the
history of Azerbaijan.
Islam turned a strong push in the formation of unique people and the language
and quickened this process. Common religion of Turkic and non-Turkic ethic
groups brought to formation of the same traditions, widening of kinship
relations and deepening of the integration process in the territory of
Azerbaijan. Islam united all the Moslem Turkic and non-Turkic ethic groups in
the struggle against the imperia of Byzantium, aimed to keep the whole South
Caucasus under the influence of Christianity and against Armenian and Georgian
feudal lords under its subordination as well.
In the middle of the 9th century Azerbaijan re-establishes its traditions of the
state system and in the lands of the spread of Islam we see new states: Sajis,
Shirvanshakhs, Salaris, Ravvadis, Shaddadis.
Prosperity touched all the spheres of the politics, economy and culture with the
appearance of the independent states. Thus starts the period of Azerbaijan
Renaissance. The establishment of native states (Sajis, Shirvanshakhs, Salaris,
Ravvadis, Shaddadis, of Shaki dominion) after 600 year long Sasani and Arabic
occupation and victory of Islam over the whole territory as the only monotheist
religion, plaid an important role in ethnic evolution of Azerbaijan people and
formation of unique language and culture.
In the period when separate feudal dynasties ruling Azerbaijan changed
each-other, Islam played a prominent role in unification against foreign
invaders of all Azerbaijan people, i.e. Turkic tribes, founding the base of our
nation and non-Turkic ethnic groups integrated with them.
After Arabic Khilafet fell into decay since the mid of the 9th century
Turkic-Islamic empires increased their role in the Caucasus, in all the Near and
the Middle East. States ruled by such Turkic-Islamic dynasties as Sajis,
Shirvanshahs, Salaris, Ravvadis, Shaddadis, Shaki governors, Saljugis,
Eldanises, Mongols, Elkhanis-Hulakus, Chobanis, Jalayirs, Teymuris, Osmans,
Garagoyunlus, Aggoyunlus, Safavis, Afshars, Gajars and others remained in the
history of the state system of Azerbaijan, of the whole South Caucasus and the
Near and the Middle East.
State system establishment of Azerbaijan progressed between the 15th and the
18th centuries and later. The great empires of the period Garagoyunlu,
Aggoyunlu, Safavi, Afshar and Gajar were directly ruled by the Azerbaijan
dynasties.
This fact found its positive reflection in the internal and the international
relations of Azerbaijan; widened influence of the country and the people in
military and political spheres, also intensified the usage of Azerbaijan
language and thus created favorable conditions for the development of material
and moral culture of Azerbaijan people. In that historical period Azerbaijan
states plaid important role in the international relations and military and the
political life of the Near and the Middle East, take active part in the
relations between the Europe and the East.
In the reign of the great statesman of Azerbaijan Uzun Hasan (Hasan the
High)(1468-1478) the emperor of Aggoyunlu appeared as a great military-political
entity in the whole Near and the Middle East. State system establishment of
Azerbaijan had been developing. Uzun Hasan aimed to create strong centralised
state embracing the territory of the whole Azerbaijan. For this purpose he
composed 'Ganunname'(the about the Law). He made one to translate Gurani-Kerim
(Koran) into azeri, ordered Abu Bekr Tehrani to write Oguzname (Oguz epic) in
the name of 'Kitabi-Diyarbekerriye'.
The distinctive importance carries out the period of the late 15th and early
16th , when the prominent statesman and the grandson of Uzun Hasan Shah Ismail
Khatai(1501-1524) realized his grandfather's wish and united all the territories
of Azerbaijan under his control.
He created a centralized Azerbaijan state -Safavi; the capital was Tebriz.
During the reign of the Safavis state system establishment in Azerbaijan
progressed. Azerbaijani had been the sate language.
Reforms carried out by Shah Ismail, Shah Tahmasib and Shah Abbas and other
Safavi rulers, their internal and foreign policy changed the state of Safavi to
one of the greatest empires of Near and the Middle East.
After Savafi fell into decay Nadir shah Afshar(1736-1747), a prominent
Azerbaijani commander, continued ruling traditions in Azerbaijan territories
after Savafi fell into decay. Being of Turkic-Afshar origin from Azerbaijan, he
strengthened the borders of the former empire and in 1739 occupied the Northern
India including Deli. Despite of his great efforts he couldn't establish the
great centralized state.
After Nadir Shah's death his great empire fell into decay and in the second part
of the 18th century the struggle of Azerbaijan for freedom gave the birth to new
smaller states; khanates and sultanates appeared in the territory of Azerbaijan.
At late 18th century the government of Iran passed to the dynasty of the
Gajars(1796-1925) of Azerbaijani origin. Their main policy was to unite all the
territories once ruled by their ancestors--the Garagoyunlus, the Aggoyunlus, the
Safaviz and by Nadir shah and Azerbaijani khanates as well, under their
government. This gave the start to long lasting wars between the Gajars and
Russia, aimed to occupy the Southern Caucasus. Azerbaijan was oppressed in the
middle of bloody struggle between two great states.
According to Gulustan (1813) and Turkmanchay (1828) agreements Azerbaijan was
divided between the two empires. The north part of Azerbaijan joined to Russia,
while the south of it to Iran kingdom ruled by the Gajars.
This historical event determines the origin of new political-geographical
notions: "The North Azerbaijan"(or "Russian Azerbaijan") and "The South
Azerbaijan" (or "Iranian Azerbaijan").
Invaded Azerbaijan with the purpose to create support for itself in the Southern
Caucasus, Russia on mass scale resettled Armenians from abroad in to the
territories of Azerbaijan, especially to the mountainous regions of Karabakh and
the regions of the former Iravan and Nakhchivan khanates and thus in the
bordered on Turkey western lands of Azerbaijan, i.e. in the territories of the
former Iravan and Nakhchivan khanates appeared 'Armenian province', artificially
established for the definite purpose. Such was laid the foundation of future
Armenian state on Azerbaijan lands.
In 1836 Russia liquidated free Albanian church, subordinated it to Armenian
Grigorian church and thus created a favourable condition to grigorianization and
armenianization of the ancient population of Azerbaijan--the christian Albans.
Armenians started claims to our lands. Later the tsarist Russia made the next
effort: it armed armenians and began mass genocide against Turkic-Moslem
Azerbaijanis and gave start to the genocide of all Azerbaijanis and the
Turkic-Moslem population of the southern Caucasus.
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