Iranian Empire and Caucasian Borderlands 19just as Russia and Iran renewed their claims to the eastern Caucasus.
Developments in Iranian Armenia bore a resemblance to develop-
ments north of the Kura in that established powers of earlier times
declined in importance while a former subject became strong. During
the Safavi era, Iranian Armenia was divided into two administrative
units, Yerevan (then called Chukur-e Sa'd) and Ganjeh. Nakhjavan
was part of the former, Qarabagh of the latter. Shifting fortunes of
the Iranian Empire as a whole led to the emergence of the two sub-
ject districts as independent khanates. In the case of Nakhjavan, im-
portant connections with its former master endured as the khanate
shared Yerevan's political stance and looked to it for protection. The
situation in Qarabagh was strikingly different. The death of Nader
Shah gave the leader of the locally powerful Javanshir tribe an oppor-
tunity to seize power. As Zand power weakened after 1779, Javan-
shir power grew rapidly. The khan, Ebrahim Khalil, improved his
position by making an alliance with King Erekle of Georgia. The two
rulers forced Ganjeh and Yerevan into submission, deposing khans
in the former, pillaging the latter, and extracting a heavy tribute from
both. Furthermore, Ebrahim Khalil opposed Qobbeh's aspirations,
claiming sovereignty over Shirvan, Shakki, Tabriz, Khoi, and the
Shahsavan tribe. According to some stories, he hoped to rule all of
Iran but was thwarted by the rise of the Qajars. To this is attributed
his determined hostility toward that dynasty's designs on the eastern
Caucasus.
4
Aqa Mohammad wanted to add the Caucasian borderlands to the
Iranian Empire he was trying to revive. His first campaign to the
northwestern frontier, in 1791, was a largely successful effort directed
at the lands south of the Aras and the Kura. In the course of the un-
dertaking, his troops raided Talesh and carried off much booty with-
out enforcing Qajar suzerainty. A second campaign, in 1795, was
aimed primarily at subduing the territories north of the two rivers,
including Georgia. All of the principalities, except Georgia, Qarabagh,
and Talesh, submitted, although some only did so after considerable
fighting. Local political rivalries played a significant role in several
khans' decisions. Baku looked to Aqa Mohammad for support against
Shirvan and Qobbeh. Ganjeh hoped not only for protection but also
for gains at Georgia's expense to make up for the losses suffered during
the 1780s. Therefore, the Ganjevis actively welcomed Aqa Mohammad
and participated in his attack on Georgia. In Shakki, a contender in
the long-standing dynastic feud turned the 1795 campaign to his own
advantage by obtaining Aqa Mohammad's support for a coup d'etat.