khanate · Caucasus
Talysh Khanate
Origins
Around 1747, after Nader Shah's death, Jamal al-Din Khan, called Qara Khan, made the Talysh district an independent khanate, with its capital first at Astara and then Lankaran on the Caspian shore. His family claimed descent from the Safavids. The district had earlier been governed for the shahs by local Talysh chiefs.
Rule and society
The khans ruled Talysh-speaking and Azerbaijani villages in fertile lowlands and forested mountains, producing rice, silk and fish for Caspian trade. Their small state survived by balancing the Quba Khanate, Qajar Iran and Russia. Mir Mustafa Khan, who ruled from 1786, sought Russian protection against the Qajars.
Decline and legacy
Russian forces stormed Lankaran on 1 January 1813, and the Treaty of Gulistan later that year confirmed Russian protection. After Persian reoccupation in 1826, the Treaty of Turkmenchay in 1828 split Talysh along the Astara river, and the Russian Empire annexed the northern part.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (3)
- Talysh Khanate was a vassal of Qajar Iran1795 CE – 1813 CE
- Talysh Khanate was a protectorate of Russian Empire1813 CE – 1826 CE
- Talysh Khanate was conquered by Russian Empire1826 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Talysh Khanate. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/talysh-khanate
- MLA
- “Talysh Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/talysh-khanate. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Talysh Khanate.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/talysh-khanate.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Talysh Khanate’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/talysh-khanate (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻