Islamic Heritage - History of Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan is a landlocked country located on the boundary between West Asia and Eastern Europe. Iran borders it on the South, the Caspian Sea on the East, Russia on the North, Georgia on the Northwest, and Armenia on the West. Other basic information about the country are:

• Population size: 10 million
• Official language: Azerbaijani (Azeri)
• Religion: 97% Islam, 3% Christianity
• Total Area: 86,600 square km
• Currency: Azerbaijani manat (AZN)

Read on to find out about the fascinating history of Azerbaijan.

Ancient Civilizations and Early States

Research and History Chronicles show that people have been living in the Azerbaijan region since the Stone Age. The Scythians were predominant in the area in about 900 BC. The first centralized state to appear in the territory was Caucasian Albania, which covered modern-day Azerbaijan and Southern Dagestan. Caucasian Albania became a vassal state of the Sassanid empire in 252.

Islamic Influence and The Shirvanshahs

The power of Islamic influence over the Azerbaijani region arrived after the Arabs invaded in 700 AD though the regional power was Caucasian Albania. Thus, the Azerbaijani region voluntarily became the vassal of the Umayyad caliphate, although Juvanshar tried his best to prevent this. In about the middle of the 11th century, the country fell under the Turk's heel of the Seljuk empire.

The kingdom from that age somehow remembers the Shirvanshahs. This was a Persian dynasty of Arabic origin ruling in Shirvan, in what is now Azerbaijan, during the 9th to the 16th centuries.

The rulers of this period made Baku the focal point of innovations, culture, and trade. The royalties of Shirvan constructed a beautiful palace in Baku. That palace is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage today.

The Safavid Era and Russian Annexation

During the year 1501 the Safavids ousted the Shirvanshahs, then converting the people to Shiiete from Sunnies. Yet the Safavids assigned some power to the Shirvanshahs up to 1538 only.

According to the rising civil strife between the Safavids and the Ottomans, the Ottomans succeeded in dominating the Azerbaijan area. However, Abbas 1 was able to kick out the Ottomans. The land known as Azerbaijan remained under the Safavids until the 1700s.

After the Safavid empire collapsed, the Iranian Zands and Qajars took over the area successively. At the beginning of the 19th century, Russia attacked the Persians, which led to the Russo-Persian wars of 1804-1813 and 1826-1828.

The Russians won, and they annexed what is known as modern-day Azerbaijan. Qajar Iran had to surrender its Caucasus to the Russians, which included Azerbaijan. It was during the Russian control that the modern Azerbaijani national identity was forged.

At the end of World War 1, the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic declared its independence from Russia. The euphoria from this freedom was short-lived as the Soviets invaded the new country and occupied it.

Soviet Union and Modern Independence

Under the Soviet Union, the Azerbaijani territory supplied a large percentage of the country's oil on the Eastern Front during World War 2. Twenty percent of Azerbaijan's population fought during the war.

Eventually, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Azerbaijan became an independent Republic again in 1991. The first Nagorno-Karabakh war clouded the early years of independence of the Azerbaijani territory.

Also, there was a ceasefire in 1994. However, conflicts pop up from time to time between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Over the years after independence, Azerbaijan used the revenue from the oil and gas sector to develop roads and other infrastructure.

Conclusion

The history of Azerbaijan involves prehistoric settlements, medieval Arab progression, Persian dominion, Turkmen rule, and battles with Russians and Soviets. It has emerged as a modern nation, being able to harness cultural and natural endowment to fashion a brighter future although enduring contemporary challenges within this region of the world.