Urmia Khanate

Urmia Khanate (Azerbaijani: Urmiya xanlığı) was one of the Caucasian khanates. Existing from 1747 to 1824, it was founded by Fath-Ali Khan Afshar and it was located in historic Azerbaijan.

Urmia Khanate
1747–1824
Urmia Khanate at its greatest extent
StatusKhanate
CapitalUrmia
Common languagesPersian (official), Azerbaijani (Majority)
Religion
Islam
GovernmentKhanate
History 
• Established
1747
• Independence from Afsharids
1747
• Disestablished
1824
Preceded by		Succeeded by
Afsharid dynasty
Qajar Iran

History

Reign of Fath-Ali

Fath-Ali Khan Afshar was the first khan of the Urmia Khanate. He was in power from 1747 to 1748, and again from 1757 until 1762.[1] Shortly after coming to power, he was expelled by Mehdi Khan Afshar, who was then appointed governor by Ebrahim Shah.[2] However, Mehdi Khan Afshar was then overthrown by Azad Khan Afghan, and Fath 'Ali Khan became his deputy. In the aftermath of Nader Shah's death, the khans of Urmia were able to expand to control practically all the lands of Azerbaijan.[2]

After the fall of Azad Khan Afghan, the people of Tabriz invited Fath 'Ali Khan to become the new ruler. In 1759, Fath 'Ali Khan marched onto Karabakh Khanate, which resulted in 6 months long siege and ultimately, Panah Ali Khan, khan of Karabakh Khanate, accepting to be the dependency of Fath-Ali. Panah Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Khalil Khan was taken hostage after the siege.[3][4]

In 1761 Karim Khan Zand and Panah Ali Khan's combined forces marched onto the Urmia Khanate, which resulted in Fath-Ali retreating to the city of Urmia. In May 1762, Karim Khan Zand striked again by capturing the city of Maragha and later sieging the city of Urmia for 9 months, which resulted in it being captured.[5] Fath-Ali was hanged in Shiraz in 1763.

After Fath-'Ali Khan's death, Rustam Khan Afshar succeeded him.[2] In 1768, he was succeeded by Reza Qoli Khan Afshar. In 1772 he was succeeded by Imam Qoli Khan Afshar. After the death of Karim Khan Zand in 1779, Imam Qoli Khan Afshar expanded the Urmia Khanate once again. It is said that he received taxes from Savojbulagh, Senneh, Maragheh, Tabriz, and Khoy.[2] However, eventually in 1783 the Zand leader 'Ali Morad Khan Zand sent an army to defeat Imam Qoli Khan Afshar. He succeeded in killing the khan and installing Amir Aslam Khan Afshar on the throne as a Zand puppet, but a few months later Mohammad Qoli Khan Afshar overthrew him with the support of the Afshar chieftains.[2]

Eventually in 1824 the khanate of Urmia was extinguished as the Afshars lost control of the governorship, but the Afshars continued to play an important role in the politics of Urmia.[2]

List of khans

References
  1. URMİYA XANLIĞI (PDF). Süleyman Məmmədov. p. 44.
  2. Kondo, Nobuaki (1999). "Qizilbash Afterwards: The Afshars in Urmiya from the Seventeenth to the Nineteenth Century". Iranian Studies. 32 (4): 537–556. doi:10.1080/00210869908701968. ISSN 0021-0862. JSTOR 4311300.
  3. Karim Khan Zand: A History of Iran, 1747-1779. John R. Perry. 14 May 2015. p. 86. ISBN 9780226661025.
  4. URMİYA XANLIĞI (PDF). Süleyman Məmmədov. p. 72.
  5. Karim Khan Zand: A History of Iran, 1747-1779. John R. Perry. 14 May 2015. p. 89. ISBN 9780226661025.

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