Garabagh* is a historical region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Situated at the southwest of the country, the area presents signs of its most ancient inhabited history imprinted in the Azykh cave. Discovered in the district of Fizuli, Azykh is considered to be a unique heritage of the human history.

Azykh explorations show that: the location was continuously inhabited since 2 million years ago; about 600 thousand years ago humans living here had learned to use fire; about 400 thousand years ago they obtained the primitive religious idea of a cave bear worshipping.

In 5th millenium BC they were involved here with growing grains, cattle breeding, producing crockery, keeping contacts with far countries.

In 4th millenium BC near the current location of the city of Aghdam there had appeared a proto-town named Leylatepesi - the oldest town-type settlement at the Caucasus. Its inhabitants were basically not involved with agriculture - they manufactured ceramics of high quality and marketed own production.

Between 2nd and 1st milleniums BC the region's local population were groups of the Nakh-Dagestani-Hurrit tribes, which had started to be formed as the future Albanian Union of Tribes. These tribes had established their sovereign Albanian state by the III century BC.

Jaw of Azykhantrop (paleolithic man)

Since I century BC the Albanian Union of Tribes was ruled by the Arshakids dynasty that originated from Parthia. By the II century AD almost all of the Caucasus became subordinated to Rome - only Albania continued to stay a sovereign kingdom. It is also remarkable that in the second half of III century AD only Albans had afforded to "refuse from receiving" of the message from Shapour I - the Sassani king of kings.

In 320 AD, the Albanian Church was adopted as an official state religion of the Caucasian Albania. This separate branch of Christianity kept its independence up to 1836.

During the latest Antic and early Medieval, the area was inhabited by the Albanian tribes of Outees, Qargars, Tsods, Caspies and newly arrived tribes of Hunns, Basills, Khazars. The language of Albans belonged to the Northeast Caucasian (Nakh-Dagestani) language group.

Unassailable for enemies, the ancient Albania was open to those who arrived with peace. So, emigrants from the lands of the disappeared Armenian Kingdom - originally located in Mesopotamia / Fore-Asia (Cilicia) and by these times totally lacerated by Roman legions - tried their fortune throughout the world and settled down well in Albania. So also were the Oghuz-Turks, who were nomads in the endless stream of tribes migrating from the expanses of Altay towards the Europe during the antic and early medieval centuries.

These times the current area of Garabagh was a territory of two provinces of Caucasian Albania. One of the most sufficient parts of their country Albans called "Artsakh" (the highland part of Garabagh along with a piece of the Mil steppe), while the lowland part of the current Garabagh they called "Outee".

In V century in Outee there was built a new capital of the country - Barda. It turned to be a residence of the Albanian kings and the Albanian Church heads. In Barda there lived Javanshir - a legendary king of Albania, who ruled during 636-679, struggling against Sassani, Byzantine, Khazar and Arabian armies while protecting independence of the country.

Only in 705, Albania lost its full independence and was included into the Arab Caliphate. The lowland Garabagh turned to be a part of the Arran province, while Albanians of Artsakh managed to save their religion and small principalities.

Albans of the lowland Garabagh embraced Islam, established more close cultural and business relations with all neighbors at Caucasus, started to identify themselves as Azerbaijanies. Gradually this turned true for more and more Albans not only of lowland, but highland Garabagh as well. Staying the most numerous population of the region they lived with their recent relatives - Alban-Christians - in a peaceful neighborhood.

	Coin used in ancient Caucasian Albania

For the first time the name of "Garabagh" had been mentioned in Mongolians' sources of XIII century. It is appropriate to note that XIII century was a period of renaissance for all of the South Caucasus, both Moslem khanats and Christian principalities. That times Hasan Jalal was a suzerain principal of Khachen and Artsakh. Hasan Jalal used to emphasize that his ruling power was a heritage of the Albanian kings. By his insist "The History of Albans" by Moses Kalankatuysky was continued and enriched. Due to his efforts, the Qandzasar cathedral - a masterpiece of Albanian medieval architectural monuments - was erected at the territory of the ancient Qandzasar monastery.

The Garabagh population experienced growing influence of Islam. Now the locals were mostly Moslem-Azerbaijanies, while all confessions including Islam, Albanian Church and Armenian-Gregorian Church were free to carry out their religious arrangements.

In XV century the Qaraqoyunlu monarch Jahanshah had granted the Malik (count) title to descendants of Hasan Jalal. (The last Malik of Albanian Jalalids was Allahverdi II, who lost his title along with the remains of autonomy for Khachen Malikate in 1813, resulted from the Russia's advent and strengthening in the region.)

In XVI century the name "Garabagh" turned to mean a "baylarbaylik" (province) within the state of Safavies, and in XVIII century here had appeared the Garabagh Khanate. It was established by Panah-khan. He had erected his capital - the fortress of Shusha - on the mountain slope. Later Shusha turned to be one of the biggest towns of Azerbaijan.

Panah-khan, followed by his son Ibrahim Khalil (ruled during 1760-1806) made their khanate one of the strongest in Azerbaijan. The known Azerbaijani poetess Khurshud Banu Natavan was a granddaughter of Ibrahim Khalil-khan, and the outstanding Azerbaijani poet Vagif was his vazir (a Prime Minister).

In 1806, the Garabagh Khanate had accepted protectorate of Russian Empire, and soon (in 1822) the khanate was abolished by the czar. Still in the second half of XIX century Shusha was considered to be the most developed town of Azerbaijan for its manufacturing and trading indicators, culture and population.

The czarist Russia arranging its south borders was involved with a severe competition against Turkish Sultanate, and gambling on "the Armenian question" - ethnic confrontation kindling. Immediately after joining the South Caucasus to the Empire, Russia had started to move here masses of Armenian population from other countries (basically from Iran and Turkey). By 1911, about 1 million Armenians had arrived to the South Caucasus from abroad, and many of them had received their new places of residence in Garabagh. What means a million of newcomers for the region statistics - it is obvious: Russia officials took a census in 1823, after one more arrival of Armenian families from abroad, and registered that the Garabagh population numbered as 15,729 Azerbaijanies and 4,366 Armenians.

Albans, as well as some other nations, didn't match regional prospects of the czarist Russia. In 1836, Albanian Church was abolished and subordinated to the Armenian-Gregorian one and a special order of the Most Saint Synod had "joined" the ancient Albanian monastery of Gandzasar to the Armenian-Gregorian Church, too.

Since that times and up to our days the history shows that the Russian czar ministers' anti-Turk design for the region met a firm ground and had a serious continuation.

After collapse of the Russian Empire, in 1918, Garabagh became a territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and its mountainous districts, where by this time lived many ethnic Armenians, were granted an autonomy within Azerbaijan.

Ancient bridge at Khudafarin, connecting people since XII c.

In 1988, Armenians of this autonomy started to manifest their desire to join the Highland Garabagh to Armenia, and this caused the armed ethnic conflict between them and local Azerbaijanies, and then the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Armenia managed to occupy almost all of the territory of both highland and lowland Garabagh. Since 1994, here is the cease-fire zone. In spite of all diplomatic efforts and many years of peace negotiations, so-called "Garabagh problem" still didn't find its solution. And the truth is that without this solution the further history of Garabagh is impossible.


* English wrighting versions: Qarabagh (the most correct one), Karabakh, Karabagh, Qarabakh, Karabah. etc