Hadji-Dawud
Khan of Shirvan Hadji-Dawud of Mushkur Imam, Faqīh, Poet, Müderris | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1680 Dedeli, Shirvan |
| Died | 1735-1736 |
| Allegiance | Shirvan |
| Service/ | Army |
| Years of service | 1721 — 1728 |
| Rank | Khan of Shirvan 1721 — 1728 |
| Battles/wars | Sunni-Shia War |
Hadji Dawud (Lezgian: Имам Гьажи Давуд; 1680, Dedeli – 1735, Rhodes) was a Lezgin military commander, first imam of Caucasus and Islamic religious leader who was influential in the resistance against Safavids imperialist expansion into the Caucasus during the late 17th century. He was military leader and head of the theocratic state in Shirvan. Hadji Dawud is considered the first leader of the resistance in Caucasus against Persian imperialism. He remains a hero of the Lezgin and Dagestan peoples in general, and their struggle for independence. Lezgin people call him Great Father.
Biography
Imam Hadji-Dawud was born 1680 in the village of Dedeli (currently the village is populated mainly by Azerbaijanis) in the territory of Shirvan (some sources claim that he was born in Dzhaba). Since childhood, he was distinguished by intelligence and courage. Already in the sources of the 1710s-the 1720s, he was referred to as a “bek and Lezghin owner”. He was also called:
- Dawud Khan,
- Imam Dawud,
- Daud-bek Lezginsky,
- Hadji Dawud Mushkurvi.
In addition to his native Lezgi, he spoke Arabic, which was in high esteem among the Lezgins, as well as Turkish and Persian languages.
First War against Shia militants
At the beginning of the 18th century, increased tax oppression and the ever-increasing arbitrariness of the Persian administration were the main preconditions that caused massive popular unrest in the territory of the Eastern Caucasus (meaning the southeastern territory of modern Dagestan and the northeastern territory of modern Azerbaijan). In order to replenish the treasury, the Shah's government introduced new taxes and taxes. Armenian Catholicos Yesai Hasan-Jalalyan writes:
If in 1698-1701 a very sharp increase in taxes and taxes was carried out and already in 1702 they were levied in the newly assigned amount, then less than a year had passed before the Shah introduced new taxes in the country.
Also, in 1705-1707, the Qizilbash Shiites unleashed terror against Sunnis.
At first, the indignation of the popular masses against the Qizilbash and Persian dominance was expressed passively. Having visited Shirvan at the beginning of the 18th century, Jesuit John Baptist Laman wrote:
...the peasants are oppressed to such an extent that everyone is almost thinking of leaving the city, and if they had some safe refuge in mind, absolutely not one would have stayed.
Gradually, popular discontent grew and resulted in armed clashes. In 1707, an uprising against the Qizilbash broke out in Dzharo-Belokan. The mountaineers took and plundered Shemakha, the residence of the Shirvan beglerbek Hasan Ali Khan, and him.
In 1711, anti-Persian and anti-Kyzylbash protests began again in Dzharo-Belokan. The uprising spread to Tabasaran, the Samur Valley, Shirvan and Sheki.
During this period, Hadji-Dawud is also mentioned as a spiritual teacher or head of the Sunni clergy of Lezgistan. He managed to unite the scattered groups of rebels and led the uprising. In search of allies, Hadji-Dawud went to Dagestan, where he managed to win over some mountain feudal lords, in particular Ali-Sultan of Tsakhur, Ahmed Khan of Kaitag, Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh.
In 1711, Hadji-Dawud captured such large Shirvan cities as Shabran and Khudat- the capital of the Kuba Khanate. The Cuban Khan Sultan Ahmad Khan, who was a Shiite, and all his relatives were executed. The followers of Sultan Ahmad Khan managed to save only his young son Hussein Ali Khan. In the fall, Hadji-Dawud, united with the allied troops, besieged Shamakhi, but, encountering strong resistance, was forced to lift the siege.
In the spring of 1712, the combined detachments of Hadji Dawud and Surkhay Khan I again approached Shamakhi. Shamakhi beglerbek Hasan Khan and his army made a sortie, intending to defeat the rebels in open battle. During the fierce battle that ensued near the city, the Safavid troops suffered a complete defeat: part of the Persian-Kyzylbash army was exterminated right on the battlefield, while the other fled, and the beglerbek himself died. Pursuing the retreating rebels, they broke into the city.
The capture of Shamakhi was published in the manifesto of Peter I in 1712 as follows:
In 1712, the Lezgin owner Daud-bek rebelled against the Shah, their sovereign, took the city of Shemakha by storm and chopped up the Russian people who traded there and stole their estates worth four million rubles.
Imprisonment
The Safavid authorities, in turn, took desperate measures to suppress the increasingly flared uprising. At the end of 1719, they even managed to capture Hadji-Dawud and imprison him in Derbent prison, from where he soon managed to escape. The experience of the first years of the fight against the Persians taught him to critically evaluate the successes achieved and carefully prepare military operations.
Second War against Shia
Hadji Dawud's anti-Safavid propaganda had its effect. Led by their elders, detachments arrived from Kyura, Tabasaran, Samur Valley, Tsakhur, Dzharo-Belokan, Sheki, Barda and a number of other places. Some Shirvan feudal lords were also drawn into the anti-Persian movement, in particular the Kutkashen melik Ibrahim, whose relatives were executed by order of the Shah.
In June 1720, Hadji Dawud's army besieged and took Shabran by storm. In July, Khudat was captured. Soon after these successes, Ahmed Khan of Kaitag and Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh arrived at Hadji-Dawud with their troops. In August, their united army besieged Shamakhi for the third time, but was unable to take it. However, Shemakha was plundered by the Dagestan rebel Daud-bek together with Khan of Kazykumyk.
At the end of autumn, Hadji-Dawud sent his troops north, intending to take Quba and Derbent. However, even here Hadji-Dawud failed. Naib of Derbent Imam-Kuli-bek managed to properly organize the defense of the fortress and repel all attacks. After several weeks of unsuccessful attempts to take the city, Hadji-Dawud was forced, taking into account the proximity of winter, to lift the siege and return to Mushkur.
Knowing about Russia's interests in the Caucasus, Hadji-Dawud intended to ask for help from Peter I. Since April 1721, Hadji-Dawud repeatedly appealed to representatives of the Russian authorities in Astrakhan. In a letter to I.V. Kikin, assistant to the Astrakhan governor A.P. Volynsky, Hadji-Dawud asked to allow Russian merchants to bring lead and iron to his possessions in exchange for raw silk. In response, Volynsky sent a letter to Hadji-Dawud, where he asked about his desire to accept Russian citizenship, after which he wrote to Peter I:
It also seems to me that Daud-bek (the Lezgin owner) is not needed for anything, he answers me that of course he wants to serve your majesty, however, so that you deign to send him your troops and a sufficient number of cannons, and he will take the cities from the Persians, and those that are convenient for him, he will keep for himself (namely Derbent and Shamakhi), and the rest he cedes to your Majesty, who are on the other side of the Kura River all the way to Isfahan, which will never be in his hands, and so he wants your work to be, and its benefits.
The Russian government did not provide assistance to Haji Dawood.
On August 10, 1721, Hadji-Dawud, together with Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh, Ali-Sultan of Tsakhur, Ibrahim Kutkashensky, the Kaitag people and other allies again besieged Shemakha, the main stronghold of the Safavids in Shirvan. On August 25, the city was taken by storm. The captured Shirvan beglerbek Hussein Khan was executed. The entire Shiite population was. But the rebels did not touch Armenians, Jews and foreigners, a fact recognized by Esai Hasan-Jalalyan and the English traveler Joans Hanway. But the rebels did not touch Armenians, Jews and foreigners, a fact recognized by Esai Hasan-Jalalyan and the English traveler Joans Hanway. However, 300 Russian merchants were robbed and, according to the testimony of Hanway, S.Avramov, the Russian ambassador to Persia, and I.I.Neplyuev, the Russian ambassador to Turkey, for harboring wealthy Shiites and resisting the rebels. In particular it says:
After the Lezgins, whose raids on the country during 1721 destroyed Russian warehouses and caused losses of one hundred and seventy thousand rubles to the merchant Evreinov alone.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the robbery of Russian merchants: most experts believe that this happened in 1721; but some, including contemporary of the events F.I.Soimonov, the historian of the 18th century I.I.Golikov, as well as the historians of the 19th century Abbas-Quli-aga Bakikhanov and P.G. Butkov believe that Russian merchants were robbed during the capture of Shamakhi in 1712. The news of the fall of Shamakhi reached Isfahan, the capital of the Safavids. However, Shah Soltan Hoseyn, in an environment of intensifying popular uprisings and political and economic decline, could not take any effective measures. Yesai Hasan-Jalalyan reports:
...the rulers of Ganja and Yerevan notified the Shah about this, declaring a protest, and they themselves set out with their entire army and came to the Agvan city of Partav on the banks of the Kura River. The Khan of Yerevan with all the rulers of the regions, the Khan of Ganja with all the nobility and the rest with a large army of up to 30,000 people gathered there. But there were no troops from the king (shah) and no help came to them, for he was very busy and preoccupied with the war in the regions of Kandahar. He only verbally and in writing ordered them to do everything they could.
In the fall of 1721, Haji-Dawud defeated a 30,000-strong army of Erivan and Ganja beglerbeks at the crossing of the Kura River. Yesai Hasan-Jalalyan reports:
...like experienced hunters, they came quietly and silently, gathered on the other side of the great river and in one night also silently crossed to the other bank... While they (the Persians) were slowly preparing, those (Lezgins), striking at them, defeated them, rushing after them, drove them to the foot of the Karabakh mountains to the Trdu River and to the valley of the Khachen River. Thus, the Persians were disgraced and deceived in their expectations, and the Lezgins, having taken the booty, returned joyfully to themselves. This happened in the fall of 1721.
After this victory, Hadji Dawud took Barda (Partav), the ancient capital of Caucasian Albania. Having not received Russian support, Hadji-Dawud, together with Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh, through the Crimean Khan, began negotiations with the Turkish Sultan. Back in September 1721, Volynsky wrote to Peter I:
...I am most afraid that he (Hadji-Dawud), of course, will seek protection from the Turks, I think there is a direct reason for this.
Hadji Dawud was looking for an ally. After the killing of Russian merchants in Shamakhi, the Russians were hostile to him. Seeing this, Hadji Dawud decided to approach the Ottomans.
The Russian Emperor instructed Neplyuev to demand from the Sultan a decision not to accept Hadji Dawud under his protection. From a letter from Peter I to Chancellor G.I. Golovkin :
Mister Chancellor! Just now we received a letter from Volynsky from Grebny that he had indeed received a message from Shamakhi that the rebel Daud-bek had sent to Turkish Sultan to accept him under his protection. Why should you send a courier to the Tsar City to the resident, so that he there suggests that he not be accepted under protection, declaring how much loss he has caused us. February 22, 1722. Peter.
On April 21, 1722, the Russian ambassador in Istanbul (Constantinople) Neplyuev visited the Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha and told him that the rebel Lezgins had attacked Russian merchants in Shemakha and ruined them, for which the Russian Tsar demanded satisfaction from the Shah. The Grand Vizier confirmed that, indeed, the rebels turned to the Porte for help. However, in response to the arguments presented by the Russian ambassador, he assured him:
...we will not defend them until your sovereign receives complete satisfaction.
In the spring of 1722, Hadji-Dawud besieged Ganja. The king of Kartli, Vakhtang VI, who benefited from the support of Russia, came to the aid of the city. Knowing this, Hadji-Dawud refrained from fighting the army of Vakhtang VI and raised the siege of Ganja on the twelfth day. Vakhtang VI did not pursue him despite repeatedly receiving orders from the Shah to advance towards Shamakhi, which had been the capital of the Hadji Dawud state.
On May 30, 1722, after a 17-day siege, Hadji Dawud took and plundered Ardabil.
In October, Hadji-Dawud, Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh and Ahmed Khan of Kaitag for a week besieged Derbent, occupied by the Russians during the Persian campaign, and ravaged the territory around it.
On December 31, 1722, the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III accepted Haji Dawud into Ottoman citizenship. Hadji Dawud received a letter of grant from the Sultan, according to which he was accepted into the citizenship of the Porte with the rights of a Crimean Khan. He was given the khan's title and power over Shirvan, Sheki, Lezgistan and Dagestan as the supreme ruler. Hadji Dawud also ruled over the noble people of Jar.
At the same time, Surkhay Khan I of Gazikumukh, who claimed power in Shirvan and Sheki, through the mediation of Adil-Girey of Tarki, entered into negotiations with Russia on December 12, 1722, and already in 1723 he began a war with Hadji Dawud, raiding his possessions.
At the end of 1722-1723. The anti-Safavid coalition of mountain feudal lords created by the efforts of Hadji Dawud practically collapsed. Among the great feudal lords, only Ali Sultan of Tsakhur continued to support him. After the collapse of the coalition against the Safavids, Hadji Dawud sometimes tried to attract other feudal rulers to his side with threats and raids. In particular, in 1722 and 1723, Tabasaran Maisumu's estates, including the latter's residence - the village of Khujni, were destroyed because he refused to oppose the Russian troops.
According to the Ottoman official Bedreddin Ali Bey, Hadji Dawud captured Tabriz, but was forced to retreat due to insufficient food supplies. Thus, in his work “Kaim” he writes:
Hadji Dawud, together with the Sunni warriors of Shirvan and the Lezgins, passed through the aforesaid Mughan desert and came to Tabriz, and when he captured [the city] by the permission of God Almighty, he decided to gather all his companions together and was ready to go to Ravan, Echmiadzin, that he had provisions in this prosperous year - famine in the surrounding regions. he had taken into account that they were satisfied with the verdict of fate and returned.
Treaty of Constantinople (1724)
On June 13, 1724, an agreement was signed in Istanbul (Constantinople) on the division of Transcaucasia between the Russian and Ottoman empires: the Ottoman Empire recognized the Russian Caspian provinces as voluntarily given to it by Iran; Russia recognized the rest of Transcaucasia as the Ottoman Empire. Hadji Dawud received the right of Crimean Khan, that is, the right of a vassal ruler within the Ottoman Empire. He was given a special decree of the sultan, the rank of pasha with double beads (first class), a flag with a tail, 30 thousand chervonets and money.
According to the second condition of the contract, Shamakhi, the residence of Shirvan Khan, was given the status of a special khanate. However, if the Shamakhi Khan refused to submit to the Ottoman state or the people of Shamakhi revolted, the Ottoman army was allowed to enter Shamakhi. However, before crossing the Kuru, the Ottoman army must report this to the command of the Russian armies.
Both empires officially recognized the state created by Dawud Khan as a separate khanate, granting it internal autonomy. But Hadji Dawud, who sought to unite all of Shirvan under his rule, including Derbent and Baku, which were under Russian control, did not recognize the terms of the treaty and opposed it.
Hadji Dawud as Shirvan Khan
Dawud Khan, who did not recognize the terms of the contract, had already started working independently. Fearing his desire for independence, the Ottomans deprived him of the position of Shirvan Khan and appointed Surkhay Khan of Kazikumukh in his place. Hadji Dawud, who fought with the Russians and Persians, has already started to fight with the Turks.
In all his actions, Dawud Khan relied on the broad support of the population, not only the Lezgins, but also other Sunni peoples of the Eastern Caucasus. But in a war-ravaged country, in conditions of devastation and poverty, the support of the population could not be endless. Haji Dawood understood this and did everything possible to alleviate the plight of the people. To do this, it was necessary to revive the country's economy, the basis of which was silk production: silk manufactories were restored; trade was revived, as evidenced by I. G. Gerber. But considerable difficulties stood in the way of the country’s economic revival: the eastern Caspian regions of Shirvan, along with such important trade and economic centers as Baku and Derbent, as well as grain-rich provinces such as Myushkur and Shabran, were occupied by Russian troops. The economic revival of the country was hampered by the constant intrigues of Turkey and raids by some Dagestan feudal lords.
In parallel with the restoration of the economy of Shirvan, Hadji-Dawud also took care of strengthening his political influence in the country. Sunnism was declared the state religion. Measures were taken to create new government structures. Russia, in the Caspian territories it occupied, pursued a pronounced anti-Sunni policy aimed at displacing the Sunni population from these areas: from Baku, Derbent, Mushkur, Salyan and other Shirvan provinces that were ceded to Russia, the Sunnis went to the western inner regions of Shirvan, which were under the rule of Haji-Dawood. In turn, Shiites and Armenians left the Shirvan Khanate and moved to areas occupied by Russia.
In 1727 Dawud Khan started negotiations with Russia for the second time. However, the Russians refused to support Hadji Dawud on the grounds that they still did not want to violate the agreement with Ottomans. Soon, under the command of General Rumyantsev, Russian troops attacked Tanga (Sabrum) fortress, founded by Hadji-Dawud in 1720, on the banks of the Belbele River, 40 versts from the Caspian Sea. The defense of the fortress was headed by Suleyman Bey, the son of Hadji Dawud.
In the same year, Shah Tahmasp II, through the Mugan Sultan, approached Dawud Khan with a proposal to enter into allied relations. Hadji Dawood, although he needed allies, refused the Shah. Soon the command of the Russian troops became aware of the Shah's attempt to win over Hadji Dawud to his side.
Imprisonment and exile
In May 1728, Hadji Dawud was invited by the Turkish Sultan to negotiations in Ganja. Hadji Dawud accepted this invitation and arrived there with his family, including four sons and two brothers, and his entourage. However, his desire for independence and uncontrollability frightened the Turkish authorities, so upon arrival in Ganja he was taken into custody and on October 5, along with his family and associates, taken to Turkey. He was initially exiled to Rhodes and then to Gelibolu. According to other sources, Hadji Dawud was exiled to Cyprus. He died around 1735-1736.
References
This article "Hadji-Dawud" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Hadji-Dawud. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
