khanate · Caucasus

Mekhtuli Khanate

1600 CE – 1867 CE (approx.) · capital Dzhengutai

A small khanate of the Kumyk-Avar borderland in Dagestan, ruled by a branch of the shamkhal family until Russia abolished it.

Origins

The Mekhtuli Khanate formed around the 17th century in the foothills of central Dagestan, between the Kumyk plain and the Avar mountains, with its seat at Dzhengutai. Its rulers claimed descent from the shamkhals of the Kazikumukh Shamkhalate. Its early history is poorly documented.

Rule and society

The khans ruled Kumyk and Avar villages through nobles and customary law, and their position between the plains and the highlands gave them a role in regional alliances. Akhmed Khan led resistance to Russia in 1818 before submitting, and later khans held Russian military rank and pensions.

Decline and legacy

The khanate came under Russian protection in the 1820s and supported Russia during the wars of the Caucasian Imamate. In 1867 the Russian Empire abolished it and incorporated its lands into the Dagestan Oblast.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (2)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Mekhtuli Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mekhtuli-khanate
MLA
“Mekhtuli Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mekhtuli-khanate. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Mekhtuli Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mekhtuli-khanate.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Mekhtuli Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/mekhtuli-khanate (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻