when President George H.W. With this significant historical document, the Azerbaijani people gained long-awaited freedom after years of oppression. Azerbaijan was proclaimed a secular republic, and its first parliament met on 5 December 1918. The Khurramites, led by Babak Khorramdin, staged a persistent revolt. of the Secretaries of State, Travels of However, as we have seen the Persians soon challenged Russia's rule in the area, resulting in a military disaster. gedei Khan sent 30,000 men under the command of Chormagan and the Khwarazmians were swept away by the new Mongol army. [2] [172], During the late 1830s, plans were made to replace the military rule with a civil administration. Azerbaijan, also spelled Azerbaidzhan, officially Azerbaijani Republic, Azerbaijani Azrbayjan Respublikasi, country of eastern Transcaucasia. Islamic History to 1941 Encyclopaedia Iranica", "Significant Earthquake Information AZERBAIJAN: GYZNDZHA", "The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Heart of Asia, by Francis Henry Skrine and Edward Denison Ross", "How Nizami Ganjavi became an Azerbaijani National Poet: Knowledge, Power and Persian Poetry in the 1930s Soviet Union", "Nizami Ganjavi The Greatest Epic Romantic Poet | Arabian Gazette", "Iran | History, Culture, People, Facts, Map, & Nuclear Deal", "Iran - INVASIONS OF THE MONGOLS AND TAMERLANE", "Outlines of the Mongolian supremacy in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus", "About the key political events in Azerbaijan in history", " XVIII ", "Fragile Frontiers: The Diminishing Domains of Qajar Iran", "Article about Azerbaijan first Republic in Muslim East", Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders, Human Rights Watch. [117][118][119], The Mongol invasions and conquests of Azerbaijan took place during the 13th and 14th centuries and involved large-scale raids. Two of Baku's 54 notable 1888 oil-extraction firms were owned by Azerbaijanis, who participated in greater numbers in small-scale extraction and refining operations; 73 of 162 oil refineries were Azerbaijani-owned, but all except seven of them employed fewer than 15 people. Exactly 30 years ago in 1991, after the adoption of the Constitutional Act, Azerbaijan gained freedom, having surmounted many challenges. Right after the museum was established, when . [citation needed], The Mesolithic, which lasted from approximately 12,000 to 8,000 BCE, is represented by caves in Gobustan National Park (near Baku) and Damjili (in Qazakh District). During the Soviet era economy of Azerbaijan experienced stability. An Arabian army led by Al-Jarrah ibn Abdallah drove the Khazars back across the Caucasus. Azerbaijan, a small post-Soviet republic located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, has outsized importance becaus of its strategic location at the corssroads of Europe and Asia, its oil resources, and [2][1][3] Azerbaijan retained its Iranian character even after the Arab conquest of Iran and the conversion of the area's inhabitants to Islam. [63], The absence of the sultan's name on the coins minted during the reign of his son Akhsitan I indicates that the Seljuk state was already weakened and the Shirvanshahs were independent.[105][35]. This beautiful country lived under the rule of the USSR for 70 years, but despite this, it preserved its culture and values," the message said. [15], In 2020, Canada's Niagara Falls were lit up in colours of Azerbaijani flag to mark Independence Day. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has denied reports that Tehran was intending to attack Saudi Arabia. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. A presidential election was held on 3 October 1993, which Heydar Aliyev won overwhelmingly. the Allies in January 1920, only to have independence terminated when the Red The name "Azerbaijan", adopted by the party for political reasons,[14][15] had been used to identify the adjacent region of northwestern Iran. The name "Azerbaijan", adopted by the ruling Musavat Party for political reasons,[14][15] had been used to identify the adjacent region of northwestern Iran. The Battle of Krtsanisi resulted in the sack of Tiflis and the reintegration of Georgia into Iran. ACGs output has brought Azerbaijan more than $158 billion in revenues from 2001 to 2022. After the Russo-Persian wars of 18041813 and 18261828, Qajar Iran was forced to cede its Caucasian territories to the Russian Empire; the treaties of Gulistan in 1813 and Turkmenchay in 1828 defined the border between Czarist Russia and Qajar Iran. Azerbaijan had the second-lowest rate of growth in productivity and economic output of the Soviet republics, ahead of Tajikistan. The first independence was achieved on 28 May, 1918. States. The United States recognized Azerbaijan's independence on December 25, 1991, when President George H.W. Javanshir established diplomatic relations with the caliphate to protect his country from invasion via the Caspian Sea, meeting with Muawiyah I in Damascus in 667 and 670, and Albania's taxes were reduced. The establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was announced on May 28, 1918, in . Palaces of the atabeg Eldiguz and the Shirvanshahs hosted distinguished guests, many of whom were Muslim artisans and scientists. Gray soils and saline solonchaks (aridisols) and, in higher regions, gray alkaline solonetz and chestnut soils (mollisols) prevail. In 1991, Azerbaijan re-established its status as an independent state on Oct. 18. The "Constitution Law" states that an independent Azerbaijan state is the successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which existed in 1917-1920. The first National Day is on May 28th, which marks the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan in 1918. Over 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, nearly 4,000 went missing, and one million were expelled from those lands in a brutal ethnic cleansing policy conducted by Armenia. F.P. Oil-rich Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 amid political turmoil and against a backdrop of violence in Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan became a part of the Soviet Union in 1920. Celebrations of this national holidayincluding parades, dancing, and singingare often moved to January 11 because of the heavy rains in August. [106][107][108], After the death of Shamsaddin Eldaniz in Nakhchivan in 1175, his son Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan succeeded him. The United States has paid special The dissolution of the Soviet Union gave . Transportation and shipping also developed as a result of the expanding oil market, and the number of vessels on the Caspian quadrupled between 1887 and 1899. 6.1 Independent Azerbaijan 6.2 Mutallibov presidency (1991-1992) 6.3 Elchibey presidency (1992-1993) 6.4 Heydar Aliyev presidency (1993-2003) 6.5 Ilham Aliyev presidency (2003-present) 7 See also 8 Notes 9 Further reading 10 External links Prehistory Azerbaijani prehistory includes the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Azerbaijan Independence Days May 28; October 18 Azerbaijan observes two independence days. [63][90][93], Shirvan was reportedly independent during two periods: under the legendary sultan Manuchehr and Akhsitan I (who built Baku), and under the 15th-century House of Derbent. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In the early Soviet period, the Azerbaijani national identity was finally forged. Unrest culminated in violent confrontation when Soviet troops killed 132 nationalist demonstrators in Baku on 20 January 1990. Dates for Gytepe and Hac Elemxanl Tepe, Azerbaijan", "Obsidian provenance analyses at Gytepe, Azerbaijan: Implications for understanding Neolithic socioeconomies in the southern Caucasus: Obsidian provenance analyses at Gytepe, Azerbaijan", "COPPER METALLURGY, TRADE AND THE URBANIZATION OF. Al-Jarrah fought his way north along the west Caspian coast, recovering Derbent and advancing with his army to the Khazar capital of Balanjar, captured the capital of the Khazar khanate and placed prisoners around Gabala. 31 years ago today, Azerbaijan regained its independence. This year, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Azerbaijan. SOUTHERN CANAAN IN THE CHALCOLITHIC AND EARLY BRONZE AGE 1", "ARCHEOLOGY viii. Delivering opening remarks, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Korea Ramzi . Constans II protected Javanshir, who defeated the Khazars near the Kura in 662. [200][201] Atrocities were committed by both sides; the 25 February 1992 Khojaly massacre of Azerbaijani civilians[202] was criticized for the government's inaction, and Azerbaijani troops killed and captured Armenian civilians in the Maraga massacre. Iranian rule of Georgia was short-lived; in 1799, the Russians marched into Tbilisi. The Shirvanshahs, on the other hand, became independent again in this process and strengthened their local governments. Report WASHINGTON: Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State has said that on behalf of the United States of America, I wish the people of Azerbaijan a happy Independence Day. Azerbaijans $70 billion gross domestic product (nominal) now makes it the strongest economy in the South Caucasus, placing it ahead of its regional neighbors Georgia and Armenia. The land has evidence of being one of the world's most ancient human dwellings and centres of culture and the most ancient traditions of statehood, doing back some 5,000 years. The federation was short-lived, and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was proclaimed on 28 May 1918 by the Musavat. Petroglyphs dating from 8,000 to 5,000 years ago depict long boats (similar to Viking ships), indicating a connection with Continental Europe and the Mediterranean Sea. The TSFSR was dissolved in 1936, and its three regions became republics of the USSR. By the end of military rule in Azerbaijan, Russian imperial law applied to all criminal and most civil matters; the jurisdiction of traditional religious courts and Qadis was reduced to family law. [144][145][146][147][148] The eunuch Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar turned to the restoration of the outlying Safavid and Afsharid provinces. Azerbaijan regained its independence on 18 October 1991, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of 'The restoration of Independence Day'. After the collapse of the USSR, Azerbaijan regained its independence. Ismail sacked Baku in 1501 and persecuted the Sunni Shirvanshahs. On the right was the king of the Albani, of equal rank, high in honour[69], After the 387 division of Armenia between Byzantium and Persia, the Albanian kings regained control of the provinces of Uti and Artsakh (south of the Kur) when the Sasanian kings rewarded them for their loyalty to Persia.[58][70]. [149][150][151] All were under nominal Persian suzerainty. [1] Some four centuries later, Oghuz Turkic tribes under the Seljuq dynasty entered the area, and Azerbaijan gained a large amount of Turkic inhabitants. [176] The region was further interconnected with new communications infrastructure; telegraph lines connected Baku to Tiflis via Elizavetpol in the 1860s, and a telephone system operated in Baku during the 1880s.[176]. The country's independence has been preserved through many difficulties and great achievements have been made in all spheres in a short period of time. Transparency International's latest corruption . [163][160] Although the 18041813 Russo-Persian War disrupted trade and agriculture in the Caucasus, the 18261828 war was primarily fought in Iran. Diplomatic Couriers, Guide to Country Recognition and [1] [2] [3] [4] Until 2021, it was marked as Independence Day. Russia made concerted efforts to control the application of Islamic law, and two ecclesiastical boards were created to oversee Islamic activity; it appointed a mufti for the Sunni board and a shaykh al-Islm for its Shia counterpart. and the Achaemenid Empire, until the coming of the Russians in the 19th century, the territories of the republic of Azerbaijan and Iran usually shared the same history. Azerbaijan was one of the first countries, which gained independence in those years. [78][full citation needed] Between the ninth and 10th centuries, Arab authors began calling the region between the Kura and Aras "Arran". As a result of its broken relief, drainage patterns, climatic differences, and sharply defined altitudinal zoning of vegetation, Azerbaijan is characterized by a wide variety of landscapes. With an estimated population of 9.6 million in 2015, it is divided into 66 regions, 13 urban districts and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. [218], Caucasian Albania, Parthians, and Sasanian conquest, End of Mongol rule and Kara Koyunlu-Aq Qoyunlu rivalry, 18th- and early 19th-century khanates and cession to Russia, Nevertheless, "despite being one of the chief vassals of Sasanian. Today, as an independent country, we are the successors of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. In the lowlands the animal life includes gazelles, jackals, and hyenas as well as reptile and rodent species. World Wide Diplomatic Archives The southeastern part of Azerbaijan is bordered by the Talish (Talysh) Mountains, consisting of three longitudinal ranges, with Mount Kyumyurkyoy as the highest peak (8,176 feet), and the Lnkran Lowland, along the Caspian coast. The ADR was the first Muslim republic in the world and lasted only two years, from 1918 to 1920, before the Soviet Red Army invaded Azerbaijan. "We owe independence to . Industry dominates the economy, and more-diversified pursuits have supplemented the exploitation of oil, of which Azerbaijan was the worlds leading producer at the beginning of the 20th century. Aliyev was re-elected in 2008 with 87 percent of the vote, however, as opposition parties boycotted the election. The Ottomans, Iran's neighbouring rival, recognized Iranian rights to Kartli and Kakheti for the first time in four centuries. New administrative borders ignored historic borders or ethnic composition. This march was organized by the order of the great Khan gedei against Jall ad-Dn Khwrazmshh, who was ruling these areas after putting an end to Atabeks power in Azerbaijanin 1225. They served in the army, the royal house and in civil administration, effectively killing the feudal Qizilbash; the converted Caucasians (known as ghulams) were loyal to the shah, not their tribal chiefs. Azerbaijan. Medieval Armenian historians such as Movses Khorenatsi and Movses Kaghankatvatsi wrote that the Albanians were converted to Christianity during the fourth century by Gregory the Illuminator of Armenia. Azerbaijan was an independent nation from 1918 to 1920 but was then incorporated into the Soviet Union. (Hg. Learn more Kindle $58.95 Hardcover $156.18 - $163.00 Paperback $32.88 Other Sellers from Buy used: $32.88 The state established in the areas of modern Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and parts of modern Iraq, Syria, Armenia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, was an attempt to repair of the damage of the previous Mongol invasions. The Day of Restoration of Independence (Azerbaijani: Azrbaycanda Mstqilliyin Brpas Gn) is the main state holiday in Azerbaijan. The occasion has been celebrated as Independence Day for 29 years since 1991. [7] Large scale celebrations also took place on the 10th anniversary in 2001. At the beginning of the eighth century, Azerbaijan was the centre of the caliphateKhazarByzantine wars. CW. Partav (now Barda) was the dynasty's administrative centre. Shirvan, under Ibrahim I of Shirvan, was also a vassal state of Timur and assisted him in his war with the Mongol ruler Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde. Omissions? THE YEAR OF SHUSHA; HEYDAR ALIYEV - 100; THE TURKIC WORLD; HOMEPAGE / CULTURE. National Independence Day Observances Holiday currently only shown for years 2006-2025. [37][36][38], Archaeologist Walter Crist of the American Museum of Natural History discovered a 4,000-year-old, Bronze Age version of hounds and jackals in Gobustan National Park in 2018. President: Ilham Aliyev, assisted by Prime Minister: Ali Asadov, unitary multiparty republic with a single legislative house (National Assembly [125]), Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, dissolution of the Soviet Union, and presidency of Heydar Aliyev, https://www.britannica.com/place/Azerbaijan, Central Intelligence Agency - The World Factbook - Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Azerbaijan - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). [citation needed] Safavid Iran became a feudal theocracy during this period, and the shah was held to be the divinely-ordained head of the state and its religion. [199] The country was first recognized by Turkey, Israel, Romania and Pakistan, and the United States followed suit on 25 December. [46][47] The Arsacid dynasty of Armenia was a branch of the Parthian Empire, and Caucasian Albania (present-day Azerbaijan and Dagestan) was under Parthian rule for the next several centuries. In 1030, he organized an expedition against the Khazar khaganate. Holidays before and after Independence Day 2022 Azerbaijan. State. [174], Although oil had been discovered and exported from the region centuries before, the 1870s Azerbaijani oil rush led to prosperity and growth in the years leading to World War I and created huge disparities in wealth between the largely-European capitalists and the local Muslim workforce. He stressed that after the restoration of independence, Azerbaijan became a regional leader in a short time. Azerbaijani Turks were subject to Russian proselytizing. It was the second prominent achievement in the political history of our people. Then al-Jarrah returned to Sheki. [175] In the decades after the oil rush (and its foreign investment), other industries grew in Azerbaijan. Most businesses, stores, and shops as well as all schools, universities, and government offices remain open on this day. Azerbaijan celebrates Independence Day on October 18. (There will be no trickery with countries that touch the Equator.). The Kasranid dynasty ruled the state independently until 1066 when the Seljuk tribes came to the territory of Azerbaijan, Shirvanshah I Fariburz accepted dependence on them, preserving internal independence. [157] Heraclius appealed to Empress Catherine II of Russia for at least 3,000 Russian troops;[157] although he received no response (leaving Georgia to fend off Persia alone),[158] he rejected Agha Mohammad Khan's ultimatum. Trkiye was followed by Romania, Pakistan, Switzerland, Iran, Israel, the UK, China, France, the US and Russia. [8][9] In 2017, a military parade was held through the capital of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in honor of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the first military unit and 26th anniversary of the restoration of independence. [13] Azerbaijan remained under Soviet rule until the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, after which the independent Republic of Azerbaijan was proclaimed. Although Abu Bakr was able to resume his reign a year later, the Eldiguzids were only barely able to contain further Georgian forays. It is celebrated annually on October 18. On this day in 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a Constitutional Act on the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan. This led to the treaty of Gulistan in 1813, which gave Russia control over large territories that hitherto had been at least nominally Iranian, and moreover a say in Iranian succession politics. The capital of Azerbaijan is the ancient city of Baku (Bak), whose harbour is the best on the Caspian Sea. [205] Elchibey's program included opposition to Azerbaijan's membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States, closer relations with Turkey,[206] and a desire for improved links with the Iranian Azerbaijanis.[207]. The coalition, known as the Baku Commune, inspired (or tacitly condoned) the massacre of local Muslims by Dashnak-Armenian forces. [86], After Muhammad Jahan Pahlavan's death, his brother Qizil Arslan (11861191) ascended the throne. The Aq Qoyunlu became prominent under Uzun Hasan, overcoming Jahan Shah and the Qara Qoyunlu in 1468. The region north of the Aras was Iranian until it was occupied by Russia during the 19th century. Azerbaijan, a small post-Soviet republic located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, has outsized importance becaus of its strategic location at the corssr Azerbaijan Since Independence - 1st Edition - Svante E. Cornell - Rou This holiday is the second of two Independence Days in Azerbaijan. [123], Thus, the territories of Azerbaijan became a battleground between the Golden Horde and the Hulagu states. The Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan Azerbaijani people celebrate this holiday for the second time after 1991 as a victorious nation that has restored its territorial integrity. The mausoleums of Nakhichivan was nominated for the List of World Heritage Sites, UNESCO in 1998. The fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh turned in favour of Armenia, which seized about one-fifth of Azerbaijan's territory[208] and created over one million internally displaced persons. This early Persian rule enabled the rise of Zoroastrianism and other Persian cultural influences. As a result of the 44-day Patriotic War (between 27 September - 10 November 2020), Azerbaijan liberated the territories, occupied by Armenia for 30 years, and restored its territorial integrity by implementing 4 UN Security Council . [96][68], In 943-944, the Russians organized a campaign to the Caspian region, which was many times more brutal than the 913/14 March. The occasion has been celebrated as Independence Day for 29 years since 1991. [13] After more than 80 years of being part of the Russian Empire in the Caucasus, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established in 1918. In 1880, an offshoot of the state bank opened in Baku. Azerbaijan - a secular nation with a majority-Turkic and majority-Shia Muslim population - was briefly independent (from 1918 to 1920) following the collapse of the Russian Empire; it was subsequently incorporated into the Soviet Union for seven decades. The mountain forest zone has a moderately cold climate, while an upland tundra climate characterizes elevations of 10,000 feet and above. The main holiday of independence for us is 28 May the day of the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. [19][20], The Paleolithic is divided into three periods: lower, middle, and upper. Key components of Musavat ideology were secularism, nationalism and federalism, or autonomy within a broader political structure. Caucasian Albanians may be the earliest known inhabitants of Azerbaijan. They were followed by the Seljuks, a western branch of the Oghuz Turks who conquered Iran and the Caucasus. It is celebrated annually on October 18. Taking advantage of the weakening of Sallarids, Muhammad ibn Shaddad took control over the city of Dvin and established his state. Members of the Azerbaijan Society of America remember when we first heard that great news in 1991, news we had been waiting to hear all ou In the ensuing period, in post-Iranian Russian-held East Caucasia, an Azerbaijani national identity emerged at the end of the 19th century. In 1968, Mammadali Huseynov discovered a 300,000-year-old partial jawbone of an early human in its Acheulean-age layer; it was the oldest human remains ever discovered in the Soviet Union. [107], The Eldiguzid atabeg Abu Bakr attempted to stem the Georgian advance, but suffered a defeat at the hands of David Soslan at the Battle of Shamkor and lost his capital to a Georgian protg in 1195. Russia reorganized the region's khanates into provinces, each governed by an army officer with a combination of local and Russian law. [167], In 1812 Russia ended a war with Turkey and went on the offensive against Iran. [216], On 27 September 2020, new clashes in the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resumed along the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact. A stamp celebrating the 15th anniversary of independence. The financial support of philanthropic millionaires such as Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev bolstered the rise of an Azeri middle class. Thus, the Mongols marched to the north, plundering Shirvanen route. [100], Fadl ibn Muhammad built the Khodaafarin Bridges along the Aras River to reconnect the territories between the north and south banks of Aras. Agha Mohammad Khan (like the Safavid kings and Nader Shah before him) viewed the region as no different from Iran, and his first objective after securing Iran was to reincorporate the Caucasus into it. Aliyev temporarily improved economic conditions and promoted alternative industries, such as cotton, to supplement the declining oil industry. 1836. This year Azerbaijan celebrated May 28 as Independence Day for the first time and accordingly October 18 is to be marked as the Day of Restoration of Independence. The Safavid rulers claimed to be descended from Ali and his wife, Fatimah (the daughter of Muhammad), through the seventh Imam Musa al-Kadhim. Influences and Creativity, Chico: 1982, 2740. In 1995, the military police were accused of plotting a coup and disbanded; the coup plotters were linked to right-wing Turkish nationalists. In addition to its variegated and often beautiful terrain, Azerbaijan offers a blend of traditions and modern development. In the three decades since Azerbaijan's independence, we have continued to work together in promoting energy security, combatting transnational threats, advancing bilateral trade and investment, and working to support . BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 18. The growth of Baku fostered the emergence of an Azeri nationalist intelligentsia influenced by European and Ottoman ideas. Azerbaijan regained its independence on 18 October 1991, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of 'The restoration of Independence Day'. On this day in 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan adopted a Constitutional Act on the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan. Part 2. Trade in the port of Baku increased from an average of 400,000 rubles during the 1830s to 500,000 in the 1840s and 700,000 to 900,000 rubles after the Crimean War. [16] That same year, a Turkish delegation led by Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Mustafa Sentop visited Baku to participate in the celebrations, in a show of support for Azerbaijan after the Ganja ballistic missile attacks.[17]. In 1174, Qizil Arslan captured Tabriz, which subsequently became his capital. J. Hummel conducted research from 1930 to 1941 in Goygol District and Karabakh at sites known as Barrows I and II and other late-Bronze Age sites.