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 (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 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 Antiquity, but different Chur ...

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 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 devastatio ...

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

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 Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the fragme ...

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 and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...

'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 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. 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. 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 (1828–32), Gamzat-bek (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 ...

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 transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

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 Year 1460 ( MCDLX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 1460th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 460th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th yea ...

—

1485 Year 1485 ( MCDLXXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * Spring – Multiple earthquakes occur near Taishan, China. * March 16 – A ...

), son of Ibrahim I * Bulach I (

— 1510) nephew of the previous one and son of Muhammad-Mirza * Amir-Khamza I ( 1510—before

1523 Year 1523 ( MDXXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 20 – Christian II is forced to abdicate as King of Denmark and Norway. ...

), son of Ummakhan, son of Bulach I * Shaban (mentioned in

1524 __NOTOC__ Year 1524 ( MDXXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 17 – Florentine explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, on board ''La ...

y), possibly the son of the previous one * Nutsal Khan I (

1540 Year 1540 ( MDXL) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 6 – King Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, his fourth Queen consort; the ma ...

—

1546 Year 1546 (Roman numerals, MDXLVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * May 19 – The Siege of Kawagoe Castle ends in defeat for the Uesugi cla ...

), possibly the son of Amir-Khamza * Andunik II (

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 Year 1569 ( MDLXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 11–May 6 – The first recorded lottery in England is performed nonstop, at the we ...

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

(mentioned in

1547 Year 1547 ( MDXLVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 8 – The first Lithuanian-language book, a ''Catechism'' (, Simple Words ...

1548 __NOTOC__ Year 1548 ( MDXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * February 14 – Battle of Uedahara: Firearms are used for the first time o ...

) or Barty I (

—

1570 __NOTOC__ Year 1570 ( MDLXX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January 8 – Ivan the Terrible begins the Massacre of Novgorod. * Janua ...

), 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 ri ...

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 __NOTOC__ In the Gregorian calendar, it was the last century leap year until the year 2000. Events January–June * January 1 – Scotland adopts January 1 as New Year's Day instead of March 25. * January ** Hugh O'Neill, 2nd Earl of T ...

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 Some have suggested that 1610 may mark the beginning of the Anthropocene, or the 'Age of Man', marking a fundamental change in the relationship between humans and the Earth system, but earlier starting dates (ca. 1000 C.E.) have received broa ...

and ap.

1614 Events January–June * February – King James I of England condemns duels, in his proclamation ''Against Private Challenges and Combats''. * April 5 – Pocahontas is forced into child marriage with English colonist John Rolfe in Ja ...

), possibly the son of Ibrahim 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. ...

1635 Events January–March * January 23 – 1635 Capture of Tortuga: The Spanish Navy captures the Caribbean island of Tortuga off of the coast of Haiti after a three-day battle against the English and French Navy. * January 25 ...

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

—

1646 It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+(-10(X)+50(L))+5(V)+1(I) = 1646). Events January–March * January 5 – The English House of Commons approves a bill to provide for Ireland ...

), son of Barti-Khilava, son of Muhammad-nutsal I * Muldar Mirza I (mentioned in 1650y) * Dugri I (mentioned in

1656 Events January–March * January 5 – The First War of Villmergen, a civil war in the Confederation of Switzerland pitting its Protestant and Roman Catholic cantons against each other, breaks out but is resolved by March 7. The ...

y — died in

1667 Events January–March * January 11 – Aurangzeb, monarch of the Mughal Empire, orders the removal of Rao Karan Singh as Maharaja of the Bikaner State (part of the modern-day Rajasthan state of India) because of Karan's dereli ...

1668 Events January–March * January 23 – The Triple Alliance of 1668 is formed between England, Sweden and the United Provinces of the Netherlands. * February 13 – In Lisbon, a peace treaty is established between Af ...

y), 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 (

—

1687 Events January–March * January 3 – With the end of latest of the Savoyard–Waldensian wars in the Duchy of Savoy between the Savoyard government and Protestant Italians known as the Waldensians, Victor Amadeus III, Duke ...

), son of the previous * Umma Khan II (

—

1698 Events January–March * January 1 – The Abenaki tribe and Massachusetts colonists sign a treaty, ending the conflict in New England. * January 4 – The Palace of Whitehall in London, England is destroyed by fire. * January 23 ...

), son of the previous * Andunik III, son of the previous * Dugry II (

—

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: The uprising by Bavaria ...

), brother of the previous * Umma Khan III (

—

1709 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Friday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – Battle of St. John's: The French capture St. John' ...

), son of Dugri II * Muhammad Nutsal III (

—

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ref ...

1725 Events January–March * January 15 – James Macrae, a former captain of a freighter for the British East India Company, is hired by the Company to administer the Madras Presidency (at the time, the "Presidency of Fort St. Geo ...

), brother of previous * Umma Khan IV (

—

1735 Events January–March * January 2 – Alexander Pope's poem '' Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot'' is published in London. * January 8 – George Frideric Handel's opera ''Ariodante'' is premièred at the Royal Opera House in Covent ...

), son of Elder Bulach, son of Dugri II * Khankalav (

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), a ...

—

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 (An ...

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

— 1744), son of Ummakhan III * Mahmud Khan I ( 1744 - ?) * 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 Events January–March * January 1 ** The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland is completed under the Act of Union 1800, bringing about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the abolition of the Parliament of I ...

), son of the previous * Gebek Khan I (

- January

1802 Events January–March * January 5 – Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, begins removal of the Elgin Marbles from the Parthenon in Athens, claiming they were at risk of destruction during the O ...

), brother of the previous * Sultan Ahmed Khan I (

—

1823 Events January–March * January 22 – By secret treaty signed at the Congress of Verona, the Quintuple Alliance gives France a mandate to invade Spain for the purpose of restoring Ferdinand VII (who has been captured by armed revolutio ...

), son of Ali Sultan of Mehtulin * Surkhay Khan I (

1818 Events January–March * January 1 ** Battle of Koregaon: Troops of the British East India Company score a decisive victory over the Maratha Empire. ** Mary Shelley's ''Frankenstein'' is published anonymously in London. * January 2 – ...

—

1834 Events January–March * January – The Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad is chartered in Wilmington, North Carolina. * January 1 – Zollverein (Germany): Customs charges are abolished at borders within its member states. * January 3 � ...

), son of Gebek Khan I. Khan was recognized only by the Russian administration. Power was in the hands of Sultan Ahmed Khan I (

—

) * 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, be ...

—

1828 Events January–March * January 4 – Jean Baptiste Gay, vicomte de Martignac succeeds the Comte de Villèle, as Prime Minister of France. * January 8 – The Democratic Party of the United States is organized. * January 22 – Arth ...

). Khan was recognized only by the Russian administration. Power was in the hands of Abu Sultan Khan I (

—

), son of Sultan Ahmed Khan I * Abu Sultan Khan I (

—

), son of Sultan Ahmed- Khan I * Bahu-bike I (

—

), daughter of

* Sultan Ahmed Khan II (

—

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, re ...

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

—

), again ** Nutsal-Aga I (

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

—

), 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 Dick ...

—

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final ...

- as part of the Imamat * Ibrahim Khan (

— 1864), 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