Government Absolute monarchy Disestablished 1747 Today part of Azerbaijan Capital Ganja | Established 1501 Preceded by Succeeded by Founded 1540 Date dissolved 1747 | |
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Karabakh Beylarbeylik was an administrative region within the Safavid dynasty of Iran. At the time of the Safavid Iran state, the entire territory of Arran was made up of three regions beylerbeydoms: Shirvan, Karabakh (or Ganja), Chukhursaad (or Iravan). These regions were headed by the shah’s governors-general, who were called beylerbeys, or at other times hakems.
The first Safavid governor of Karabakh (hakem) was Piri Beg Qajar, and was appointed as such in 1501. Shahverdi-Sultan, from the Ziyad-oglu clan of the Turkic Qajar tribe, was appointed by Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524-1576) in 1554. The nobility of the tribe was granted pastures and land plots in Karabakh. The power of the Karabakh beylarbeys covered a vast territory – from the Georgian border near “Sinig Korpu” Bridge (currently “Red Bridge”) to Khudafarin Bridges on the Aras River.