khanate · Caucasus
Avar Khanate
Origins
After the decline of Christian Sarir, a ruling house of Avar nutsals emerged at Khunzakh around the 12th and 13th centuries. Islam spread into the region during the 13th to 15th centuries, and the nutsals came to rule as Muslim khans over the Avar communities of the highlands.
Rule and society
The khans held direct power over Khunzakh and nearby villages but relied on alliances with the self-governing Avar free communities, which had their own assemblies and customary law. Wealth came from herding, terraced farming and raiding. Umma Khan, who ruled from 1774, led raids deep into Georgia and Shirvan, and the khanate received subsidies from the Safavid Empire and later Russia.
Decline and legacy
In 1834 Hamzat Bek, imam of the Caucasian Imamate, massacred the khan's family at Khunzakh. The khanate then passed to rulers installed by Russia, was held by Shamil's forces from 1843 to 1859, and was abolished by the Russian Empire in 1864 and turned into the Avar district.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Avar Khanate was a vassal of Safavid Empire1578 CE – 1700 CE
- Avar Khanate was a protectorate of Russian Empire1803 CE – 1864 CE
- Avar Khanate was conquered by Caucasian Imamate1843 CE – 1859 CE
- Avar Khanate was conquered by Russian Empire1864 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Avar Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/avar-khanate
- MLA
- “Avar Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/avar-khanate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Avar Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/avar-khanate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Avar Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/avar-khanate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻