lightly. When he became suspicious of Ebrahim KhaliPs activities, he
sought information about the khan's loyalty from the khan's second
son and a grandson, both of whom were eager to take power and ac-
cused the khan of treason. Lisanevich then attacked the khan's camp
at night, killing the khan, one of his wives, a young son, and most of
his entourage. Even Gudovich thought the killings improper and held
an inquiry. Lisanevich defended his actions on the grounds that Ebra-
him Khalil was a traitor. The major was exonerated and continued to
serve with distinction in the Caucasus until 1825, when he was killed
by a Caucasian he had insulted. Ebrahim KhaliPs second son was
made khan of Qarabagh on Gudovich's orders.^42
Shakki was the only khanate in which a long-standing struggle for
power worked to Russia's advantage, if only briefly. For years there
had been an often violent rivalry between the khan and a younger
brother, with the occasional intervention of Shirvan and, in 1795,
Iran. After Aqa Mohammad's death, the khan of Shirvan intervened
in Shakki to restore the previous ruler. Therefore, in 1804, Salim
tried to use the Russians as he had the Iranians, accusing his brother
of anti-Russian actions, offering to pay an immense sum in tribute,
and generally promoting Russia's interests. While Salim was out of
power, Tsitsianov had nothing good to say about him, but when an
attempted conquest by Shirvan created unrest and Salim seized power,
Tsitsianov welcomed him as a Russian vassal.^43
This symbiotic relationship might have continued had it not been
for the harshness of Russia's treatment of Caucasian Muslim rulers,
specifically, the murder in 1806 of Ebrahim Khalil and his wife, who
was Salim's sister. This needless act of violence was doubly horrify-
ing to Salim. If one khan who had submitted to Russia could be killed
in a surprise nighttime attack, no vassal khan was safe. Whether Salim,
who did not flinch from killing his eldest brother's seven children
after seizing power in 1795, felt any sorrow over his sister's fate for
her sake cannot be proven. However, his complaint that the Russians
killed her even though they knew she was his sister showed that he
interpreted her murder as a sign of contempt for him. As he explained
to the Russians:
After this occurrence where will your trustworthiness be accepted? I dishonored
and sullied myself in all Mohammedan places by submitting to Russia .... [Sa-
lim described his battles against Russia's enemies] but finally, in reward for my
services, they [the Russians] captured my sister alive and killed her even though
they recognized her, from which I saw your trustworthiness and learned.^4488 Russia's Conquest of the Eastern Caucasus