The Empire Of Azerbaijan: A Historical Origin Story

Azerbaijan is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and West Asia, with a rich history of empires and kingdoms. The territory of modern-day Azerbaijan was first ruled by Caucasian Albania and later by various Persian empires. In the 3rd century, it was occupied by the Iranian Sasanids, followed by the Arab Caliphate in the 7th century. The introduction of Islam in the 7th century was a pivotal moment, as it united the Turkic and non-Turkic peoples in the region under a common religious flag.

Over the centuries, several empires and kingdoms rose and fell in Azerbaijan, including the Manna, the Scythian Kingdom, Atropatena, and Albania. The adoption of Islam in the 7th century marked a significant shift, as Turkic languages became dominant, and the region's diverse peoples united under the banner of Islam. The subsequent emergence of local states, such as the Sajids, Shirvanshahs, Salarids, Ravvadids, and Shaddadids, further contributed to the evolution of a distinct Azerbaijani identity.

In the 19th century, the Russo-Persian Wars resulted in the Qajar Empire ceding its Caucasian territories, including modern-day Azerbaijan, to the Russian Empire. This marked a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's history, as it was divided between Northern and Southern regions, with Northern Azerbaijan becoming part of Russia and Southern Azerbaijan remaining under Iranian influence.

The modern Republic of Azerbaijan gained independence in 1991, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. However, it has faced ongoing territorial disputes, particularly regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which has led to conflicts with neighbouring Armenia.

The Achaemenid Empire conquered Azerbaijan in the 6th century BCE

The Achaemenid Empire, also known as the First Persian Empire, was founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BCE. It was the largest empire in the world at the time, spanning 5.5 million square kilometres.

In the 6th century BCE, the Achaemenid Empire conquered Azerbaijan, then known as Caucasian Albania. This conquest was part of a series of campaigns led by Cyrus the Great, which also saw the defeat of the Median Empire, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire.

The Achaemenid Empire was known for its centralised bureaucratic administration, multicultural policies, and complex infrastructure. It also implemented a successful model of governance that would later be adopted by various other empires.

The Achaemenid Empire's rule over Azerbaijan enabled the spread of Zoroastrianism and other Persian cultural influences. Many Caucasian Albanians became known as fire worshippers, a Zoroastrian practice.

The Achaemenid Empire's rule over Azerbaijan came to an end in 330 BCE when it was conquered by Alexander the Great.

Azerbaijan was ruled by Caucasian Albania in ancient times

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. The territory of what is now Azerbaijan was first ruled by Caucasian Albania and later various Persian empires.

Caucasian Albania was a state located in ancient times in the Caucasus, mostly in what is now Azerbaijan. The name Albania is derived from the Ancient Greek name "Ἀλβανία" and the Latin "Albanía". The prefix "Caucasian" is used to avoid confusion with the country of Albania in the Balkans. The modern endonyms for the area are Aghwank and Aluank, among the Udi people, who regard themselves as descended from the inhabitants of Caucasian Albania. The Udi language, which is now endangered, was likely the predecessor of the language spoken by the founders of Caucasian Albania.

The history of Caucasian Albania is shrouded in mystery, with little known about its prehistory or the origins of the state as a geographical and ethnolinguistic concept. It is believed that the kingdom emerged in the 2nd or 1st century BC and along with Georgia and Armenia, formed one of the three nations of the Southern Caucasus. In the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, the area south of the Greater Caucasus and north of the Lesser Caucasus was divided between Caucasian Albania in the east, Caucasian Iberia in the centre, Kolchis in the west, Armenia in the southwest, and Atropatene to the southeast.

In 252, Caucasian Albania acknowledged the suzerainty of the Sasanian Empire, and the kingdom remained an integral part of the empire until its fall. By the end of the 3rd century, the kings of Caucasian Albania were replaced with an Arsacid family, and in the 5th century AD, they were succeeded by another Iranian royal family, the Mihranids.

Caucasian Albania was a Christian kingdom, with King Urnayr officially adopting Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. However, starting from the 8th century, much of the local population converted to Islam, and by the 11th century, there were already conciliar mosques in Partaw, Qabala, and Shaki.

The last king of Caucasian Albania, Varaz-Tiridates II, was assassinated in 822, and the state gradually declined as Arab invaders moved in. There are multiple theories about what happened to the Caucasian Albanians, with some speculating that they were absorbed into the region's Armenian, Turkic, Georgian, or Iranian population. However, small remnants of this group continued to exist independently and are known today as the Udi people.

The history of Caucasian Albania has been a topic of revisionist theories in Azerbaijani historiography, with some scholars and statesmen claiming that anything that appears to be an Armenian church in Karabakh is actually of Albanian origin. These theories gained new relevance following Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 Second Karabakh War, as they now control several medieval sites that were previously claimed by Armenia.

In summary, Azerbaijan was ruled by Caucasian Albania in ancient times, and this period of their history has been the subject of ongoing academic and political debates.

The Sasanian Empire conquered Azerbaijan in the 3rd century CE

The Sasanian Empire, also known as the Sasanid Empire, was the last pre-Islamic Iranian empire. It was named after the House of Sasan, and it endured for over four centuries, from 224 to 651 CE, making it the second-longest-lived Persian imperial dynasty. The Sasanian Empire conquered Caucasian Albania, which included the territories of modern-day Azerbaijan, in the 3rd century CE.

The Sasanian Empire was founded by Ardashir I, who rose to power as Parthia weakened amidst internal strife and the Roman-Persian Wars. After defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia in the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224, Ardashir's dynasty replaced that of the Arsacids. The Sasanian Empire was officially known as the Empire of the Iranians, and it was a complex and centralized government bureaucracy that revitalized Zoroastrianism as a legitimizing and unifying ideal.

Caucasian Albania became a vassal state of the Sasanian Empire in 252 CE, and it retained its monarchy, though the Sasanian marzban (military governor) held most civil, religious, and military authority. The Sasanian Empire's cultural influence extended far beyond the physical territory that it controlled, impacting regions as distant as Western Europe, Eastern Africa, and China and India.

The Sasanian Empire's rule over Caucasian Albania ended in 651 CE when it fell to the Rashidun Caliphate during the early Muslim conquests, which marked the beginning of a monumental societal shift by initiating the Islamization of Iran.

The Sasanian Empire turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state in 252 CE

The Sasanian Empire, also known as the Sasanid Empire, was the last pre-Islamic Iranian empire, named after the House of Sasan. It endured for over four centuries, from 224 to 651, making it the second-longest-lived Persian imperial dynasty. In 252 CE, the Sasanian king Shapur I conquered and annexed Caucasian Albania, along with Caucasian Iberia and Greater Armenia.

Caucasian Albania was a kingdom located in the Caucasus, mostly in what is now Azerbaijan. The Sasanian Empire turned it into a vassal state, meaning it was still ruled by its own king, but the Sasanian marzban (military governor) held most civil, religious, and military authority. The Sasanian Empire would go on to annex many other regions, including all of modern-day Iran and Iraq, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, the Levant, and parts of Central Asia and South Asia.

Caucasian Albania retained its monarchy under Sasanian rule, but the king had no real power. The Sasanian Empire allowed the Albanian king to remain in power as a figurehead, while the Sasanian marzban held the true authority in civil, religious, and military matters. This was a common practice for the Sasanian Empire, which allowed conquered regions to retain their monarchs as long as they submitted to Sasanian rule.

Caucasian Albania was a diverse kingdom, with as many as 26 different languages spoken by its various tribes. The Sasanian Empire's influence led to the spread of Zoroastrianism in the region, and the kingdom's population was largely Zoroastrian and Christian. The Sasanian Empire was known for its religious tolerance, and King Yazdegerd I even put a stop to the persecution of Christians and allowed them to practise their religion freely. However, his successor, Yazdegerd II, attempted to force Christians to convert to Zoroastrianism, leading to a rebellion.

Caucasian Albania remained a vassal state of the Sasanian Empire until the Sasanian defeat by the Rashidun Caliphate in the early Muslim conquests, which marked the beginning of the Islamization of Iran.

The Sasanian Empire fell in the 7th century CE, leading to Arab rule in Azerbaijan

The Sasanian Empire, also known as the Sasanid, Sassanian, Sassanid, or Neo-Persian Empire, was the last pre-Islamic Iranian empire. It was founded by Ardashir I, a ruler who rose to power as Parthia weakened amidst internal strife and the Roman-Persian Wars. The Sasanian Empire endured for over four centuries, from 224 to 651 CE, making it the second-longest-lived Persian imperial dynasty.

The Sasanian Empire was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate during the early Muslim conquests, which marked the beginning of a monumental societal shift by initiating the Islamization of Iran. The Sasanian Empire fell in the 7th century CE, leading to Arab rule in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a transcontinental country at the boundary of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia's republic of Dagestan to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia and Turkey to the west, and Iran to the south. Baku is the capital and largest city.

The territory of what is now Azerbaijan was first ruled by Caucasian Albania and later various Persian empires. Until the 19th century, it remained part of Qajar Iran, but the Russo-Persian wars of 1804–1813 and 1826–1828 forced the Qajar Empire to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire; the treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 defined the border between Russia and Iran. The region north of the Aras River was Iranian territory until Russia occupied it in the 19th century.

Azerbaijan retained its Iranian character even after the Arab conquest of Iran and the conversion of the area's inhabitants to Islam. Some four centuries later, Oghuz Turkic tribes under the Seljuq dynasty entered the area, and Azerbaijan gained a large number of Turkic inhabitants. Over the centuries, as the original population mingled with the immigrant Turkic nomads, the number of native Persian speakers gradually diminished, and a Turkic dialect nowadays known as Azerbaijani (or Azeri Turkic) gained hold.

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