The Avar Khanate, the Avar Nutsaldom ( av, Avar Nutsallhi; russian: Аварское ханство), also known as Khundzia or Avaria, was a long-lived Avar state, which controlled mountainous parts of

Dagestan Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...

(in the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...

) from the early 13th century to the 19th century.

History

Between the 5th and 12th centuries, Georgian

Orthodox Christianity Orthodoxy (from Ancient Greek, Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Late antiquity, A ...

was introduced to the Avar valleys. The fall of the Christian Kingdom of

Sarir Sarir or Serir was a medieval Christian state lasting from the 6th or 7th century to the 12th century in the mountainous regions of modern-day Dagestan. Its name is derived from the Arabic word for "throne" and refers to a golden throne that wa ...

in the early 12th century and later weakening of neighbouring

Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...

by the

Mongol invasions The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

, who made their first appearance in the Caucasus with approximately 20,000 warriors led by

Subutai Subutai (Classical Mongolian: ''Sübügätäi'' or ''Sübü'ätäi''; Modern Mongolian: Сүбээдэй, ''Sübeedei''. ; ; c. 1175–1248) was a Mongol general and the primary military strategist of Genghis Khan and Ögedei Khan. He directed m ...

and

Jebe Jebe (or Jebei, mn, Зэв, ''Zev''; birth name: Jirqo'adai (Modern Mongolian: Zurgadai), mn, Зургаадай, ) (death: approximately 1224) was one of the most prominent Noyans (generals) of Genghis Khan. He belonged to the Besud clan, ...

, terminated further Christian Georgian presence in this area. In fact, numerous traces of Christianity (crosses, chapels) are found within the Avar territory and it is now assumed that Christianity, penetrating from Georgia, survived among the Avars down to the 14th-15th centuries. After ravaging Georgia, the Mongols cut across the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains, : pronounced * hy, Կովկասյան լեռներ, : pronounced * az, Qafqaz dağları, pronounced * rus, Кавка́зские го́ры, Kavkázskiye góry, kɐfˈkasːkʲɪje ˈɡorɨ * tr, Kafkas Dağla ...

during the winter to get around the

Derbent Derbent (russian: Дербе́нт; lez, Кьвевар, Цал; az, Дәрбәнд, italic=no, Dərbənd; av, Дербенд; fa, دربند), formerly romanized as Derbend, is a city in Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea. It is ...

Pass. Although the Avars had pledged their support to

Muhammad II of Khwarezm Ala ad-Din Muhammad II ( Persian: علاءالدین محمد خوارزمشاه; full name: ''Ala ad-Dunya wa ad-Din Abul-Fath Muhammad Sanjar ibn Tekish'') was the Shah of the Khwarazmian Empire from 1200 to 1220. His ancestor was Anushtegin Gh ...

(reigned 1200-1220) in his struggle against the Mongols, there is no documentation for the Mongol invasion of the Avar lands. As historical clues are so scarce, it is probably fruitless to speculate whether the Avars were the agents of the Mongol influence in the Caucasus and whether they were entrusted with the task of levying tribute for the khan, as modern historian Murad Magomedov suggests. The

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as Ulug Ulus, 'Great State' in Turkic, was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fr ...

overran the region in 1241, but by the 14th century, the newly established Avar Khanate managed to maintain independence from the Mongols. The rise of the

Shamkhalate of Kazi-Kumukh "Gazikumukh Shamkhalate" is a term introduced in Russian-Dagestan historiography starting from the 1950s–60s to denote the Kumyk state that existed on the territory of present-day Dagestan in the period of the 8th to 17th centuries with the capi ...

following the disintegration of the Golden Horde in the 15th century was at once a symptom and a cause of the khans' diminished influence during the 15th and 16th centuries. The khanate was a loosely structured state, sometimes forced to seek the

Tsar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East Slavs, East and South Slavs, South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''Caesar (title), caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" i ...

's protection against its powerful enemies, while many mountainous communities (''djamaats'') obtained a considerable degree of autonomy from the khan. In the 16th century the region was the center of a fierce struggle for control by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

and the

Safavids Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

. Under Turkish influence, in the 17th century the majority of the Avar tribes adopted

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

. The consolidation of Islam in Avaristan in the 18th century resulted in a series of religious wars against the Georgian states, these sporadic forays are also known as

Lekianoba Lekianoba ( ka, ლეკიანობა) was the name given to sporadic forays by Northeast Caucasian people into Georgia from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The term is derived from ''Leki'', by which the Georgians knew the Lezgin people, ...

in Georgian historiography. The references to these raids appear in the Epic poetry of Avars; the names of rulers who lead the most devastating attacks, Umma-Khan, Nursal-Bek, and Mallachi, are mentioned in Georgian sources. In the 18th century, the steady weakening of the Shamkhals fostered the ambitions of the Avar khans, whose greatest coup was the defeat of the 100,000-strong army of Nader Shah in September 1741 during his conquest of Dagestan. In the wake of this success, Avar sovereigns managed to expand their territory at the expense of free communities in Dagestan and

Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...

. The reign of Umma-Khan (from 1775 to 1801) marked the zenith of the Avar ascendancy in the Caucasus. Potentates who paid tribute to Umma-Khan included the rulers of Shaki,

Quba Quba () is a city and the administrative centre of the Quba District of Azerbaijan. The city lies on the north-eastern slopes of Shahdag mountain, at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level, on the right bank of the Kudyal river. It has a po ...

, and

Shirvan Shirvan (from fa, شروان, translit=Shirvān; az, Şirvan; Tat: ''Şirvan''), also spelled as Sharvān, Shirwan, Shervan, Sherwan and Šervān, is a historical Iranian region in the eastern Caucasus, known by this name in both pre-Islam ...

. Within two years after Umma-Khan's death, the khanate voluntarily submitted to Russian authority. Yet the Russian administration disappointed and embittered freedom-loving highlanders. The institution of heavy taxation, coupled with the expropriation of estates and the construction of fortresses, electrified the Avar population into rising under the aegis of the Muslim Imamate, led by

Ghazi Mohammed Qazi Mullah (Russian: Кази-Мулла, ''Kazi-Mulla'', 1793–1832) was an Islamic scholar and ascetic, who was the first Imam of the Caucasian Imamate (from 1828 to 1832). He was a staunch ally of Imam Shamil. He promoted the Sacred Law of ...

(1828–32),

Gamzat-bek Gamzat-bek ( Avar: ХIамзат Бек, Chechen: Хьамзат Бек, ''Гамзат-бек'' in Russian), Hamza-Bek, Hamza Bek ibn Ali Iskandar Bek al-Hutsali (1789 — October 1(September 19), 1834) was the second imam of the Caucasian Imama ...

(1832–34) and

Imam Shamil Imam Shamil ( av, Шейх Шамил, Şeyx Şamil; ar, الشيخ شامل; russian: Имам Шамиль; 26 June 1797 – 4 February 1871) was the political, military, and spiritual leader of North Caucasian resistance to Imperial Russia in ...

(1834–59). This

Caucasian War The Caucasian War (russian: Кавказская война; ''Kavkazskaya vojna'') or Caucasus War was a 19th century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the R ...

raged until 1864, when the Avar Khanate was abolished and the Avar District was instituted instead. Since 1864, the Avar Khanate has been annexed to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

List of rulers

* The first ruler by name - Avar (VI century) * unknown rulers * Abuhosro (mid-VIII century) * Khosro (it is not known exactly whether he ruled), the son of the previous * unknown rulers * Uruskhan (Aruskhan) * Khidirshah, son of the previous * Tarraz, son of the previous * Abbas, son of the previous * Safishah, son of the previous * Khavadshah, son of the previous * Firavn, son of the previous * Amir, son of the previous * Said, son of the previous * Tahmaz, son of the previous * Fardin (Perid), son of the previous * Bayar, son of the previous * Namrud, son of the previous * Kad (Bakir), son of the previous * Firudshah (Prussianshah), son of the previous * Toku son of Firuja (mid-11th century) * Ummakhan, son of Firudshah * Uruskhan (Aulkhan), son of the previous *

Saratan I Saratan I or Sirtan (11th-century) was a nutsal (ruler) of the state formation Avar Nutsaldom. Origin In the historical chronicle of Muhammad Rafi (XIV century) "Tarikhi Dagestan" a genealogy is given in which Sirtan is called the son of Uru ...

, son of the previous * Surakat I ( XII century), son of the previous *

Ahmad Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet. Etymology The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...

, usurper ( XII century) * Abu Muslim, usurper ( XII century) * Bayar ((XII century)), son of Surakat * Masum-bek ( XII century) * Sultan ibn Masum-bek ( XII century) * Chufan ibn Sultan (until 1185) * Amir-Ahmad ibn Chufan (since 1185) * Andunik (Amir-Sultan) (XII century), son of Bayar * Malik Saratan (second half of the 13th century) * unknown nucals * Surakat (1353/1354) (?) * unknown nucals * Shamkhal son of Alibek (possibly Nutsal, but this is not certain) (turn of the 14th-15th centuries) * Saratan III *

Dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...

, son of the previous * Ibrahim I * Muhammed-Mirza, son-in-law of the previous one and son of Duguna * Andunik I ( 1460— 1485), son of Ibrahim I * Bulach I ( 1485— 1510) nephew of the previous one and son of Muhammad-Mirza * Amir-Khamza I ( 1510—before 1523), son of Ummakhan, son of Bulach I * Shaban (mentioned in 1523/ 1524y), possibly the son of the previous one * Nutsal Khan I ( 1540— 1546), possibly the son of Amir-Khamza * Andunik II ( 1546 -

December December is the twelfth and final month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is also the last of seven months to have a length of 31 days. December got its name from the Latin word ''decem'' (meaning ten) because it was or ...

1569), the son of the previous one or possibly the son of Shaban *

(mentioned in 1547/ 1548) or Barty I ( 1569— 1570), sons of the previous * Muhammad-Shvankhal (before

1589 Events January–June * War of the Three Henrys: In France, the Catholic League is in rebellion against King Henry III, in revenge for his murder of Henry I, Duke of Guise in December 1588. The King makes peace with his old riv ...

a), son of Turarava, brother of Andunik II * Kanbuluk (most likely Ghann-Bulat av, Гъан-булат) (неизвестно),Айтберов Т. М. Источники по истории Аварии XVI—XVII вв. // Развитие феодальных отношений в Дагестане. Махачкала, 1980. стр. 191—192 son of the previous * Shvankhal-nutsal I (before 1596a), brother of the previous one, or the same person with Kanbuluk * Muhammad-nutsal I (late 16th century), son of Kushkanti-Khilav, son of Barti I * Ibrahim II (mentioned in 1600/

1601 This Epoch (reference date)#Computing, epoch is the beginning of the 400-year Gregorian leap-year cycle within which digital files first existed; the last year of any such cycle is the only leap year whose year number is divisible by 100. Jan ...

y), possibly the son of Shvankhal-nutsal I * Mahdi I (mentioned in 1610 and ap. 1614), possibly the son of

Ibrahim Ibrahim ( ar, إبراهيم, links=no ') is the Arabic name for Abraham, a Biblical patriarch and prophet in Islam. For the Islamic view of Ibrahim, see Abraham in Islam. Ibrahim may also refer to: * Ibrahim (name), a name (and list of people ...

or the son of Muhammed-Shvankhala * Umma Khan the Just (before

1634 Events January–March * January 12– After suspecting that he will be dismissed, Albrecht von Wallenstein, supreme commander of the Holy Roman Empire's Army, demands that his colonels sign a declaration of personal loyalty. ...

/ 1635a), son of Shvankhal-nutsala * Amir-Khamza II (

/ 1635— 1646), son of Barti-Khilava, son of Muhammad-nutsal I * Muldar Mirza I (mentioned in

1650 Events January–March * January 7 – Louis I, Prince of Anhalt-Köthen, dies after a reign of more than 63 years. The area is now part of the northeastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. * January 18 – Cardinal Jules Ma ...

y) * Dugri I (mentioned in 1656y — died in 1667/ 1668y), son of Andunik (Ummakhan),Магомедов Р. М. По аулам Дагестана. Махачкала, 1977. Ч. I. С. 63. the son of Umma Khan the Just or directly the son of Ummakhan * Muhammad-nutsal II ( 1667/ 1668— 1687), son of the previous * Umma Khan II ( 1687— 1698), son of the previous * Andunik III, son of the previous * Dugry II ( 1698—

1706 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Monday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 26 – War of Spanish Succession: Bavarian uprising of 1705 ...

), brother of the previous * Umma Khan III (

— 1709), son of Dugri II * Muhammad Nutsal III ( 1709— 1713or 1725), brother of previous * Umma Khan IV ( 1725— 1735), son of Elder Bulach, son of Dugri II * Khankalav ( 1722—

1730 Events January–March * January 30 (January 19 O.S.) – At dawn, Emperor Peter II of Russia dies of smallpox, aged 14 in Moscow, on the eve of his projected marriage. * February 26 (February 15 O.S.) – Anna of Russia (Ann ...

), co-ruler, brother of the previous * Nutsal Khan II ( 1735—

1744 Events January–March * January 6 – The Royal Navy ship ''Bacchus'' engages the Spanish Navy privateer ''Begona'', and sinks it; 90 of the 120 Spanish sailors die, but 30 of the crew are rescued. * January 24 – The Dag ...

), son of Ummakhan III * Mahmud Khan I (

- ?) * Muhammad-nutsal IV (? - 1774), son of Ummakhan IV *

Umma Khan V Umma Khan V (Omar Khan) Avar nicknamed Great liev B.G. General R.F.Rosen’s work “Description of Chechnya and Dagestan” https://caucasushistory.ru/2618-6772/article/view/19/19/ Bulletin of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of ...

( 1774 -

April April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian and Julian calendars. It is the first of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the second of five months to have a length of less than 31 days. April is commonly associated with ...

1801), son of the previous * Gebek Khan I ( 1801 -

January January is the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is also the first of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The first day of the month is known as New Year's Day. It is, on average, the coldest month of the ...

1802), brother of the previous * Sultan Ahmed Khan I ( 1802— 1823), son of Ali Sultan of Mehtulin * Surkhay Khan I ( 1818— 1834), son of Gebek Khan I. Khan was recognized only by the Russian administration. Power was in the hands of Sultan Ahmed Khan I ( 1802— 1823) * Aslan-Hussein Khan I (

1827 Events January–March * January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place on Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart. * January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...

— 1828). Khan was recognized only by the Russian administration. Power was in the hands of Abu Sultan Khan I ( 1823— 1834), son of Sultan Ahmed Khan I * Abu Sultan Khan I ( 1828— 1834), son of Sultan Ahmed- Khan I * Bahu-bike I ( 1834— 1834), daughter of

* Sultan Ahmed Khan II ( 1834—

1836 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Maria II of Portugal marries Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. * January 5 – Davy Crockett arrives in Texas. * January 12 ** , with Charles Darwin on board, r ...

), with him regents: ** Aslan-Hussein Khan I ( 1834—

), again ** Nutsal-Aga I (

), son of the previous ** Muhammad Mirza I ( 1834—

), brother of the previous * Ahmad Khan (

— 1843), ruler of the Mehtuli Khanate * Temporary rulers: ** foreman Aitber (1843) ** bek Himmat I (1843) ** Qadi Muhammad (1843) In

1837 Events January–March * January 1 – The destructive Galilee earthquake causes 6,000–7,000 casualties in Ottoman Syria. * January 26 – Michigan becomes the 26th state admitted to the United States. * February – Charles Dickens's ...

— 1859 - as part of the

Imamat {{expand Arabic, date=April 2021 The term imamate or ''imamah'' ( ar, إمامة, ''imāmah'') means "leadership" and refers to the office of an '' imam'' or a state ruled by an ''imam''. Theology *Imamate, in Sunni doctrine the caliphate :* Naqsh ...

* Ibrahim Khan ( 1859—

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

), son of Ahmad Khan of Mekhtulinsky

Bibliography

*''History of Dagestan'', vol. 1–4. Moscow, 1967–69.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avar Khanate History of Dagestan Former monarchies of Europe 1864 disestablishments States and territories established in the 13th century Khanates Khanates of the North Caucasus

History

List of rulers

See also

Bibliography

References