Sultanate of Elisu
1604–1844
Map of the former Sultanate of Elisu. An illustration from the Collection of Information about the Caucasian Mountaineers. (in Russian, 1868–1881)
Status	Sultanate
Capital	Tsakhur (16-18th century) İlisu
Common languages	Tsakhur, Azerbaijani, Georgian.
Religion	Islam (majority) and Georgian Orthodox Church (minority)
Historical era	Early modern
• Shah Abbas I of Persia took these lands from the king of Kingdom of Kakheti and granted them to the Dagestani feudal clans	1604
• conquered by Russian Empire	1844
Preceded by Succeeded by Tsakhur Khanate Russian Empire
Today part of	Azerbaijan Georgia

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History of Azerbaijan
Prehistory Stone Age  • Bronze Age  • Iron Age Shulaveri–Shomu culture c.6000–c.4000 BC Chalcolithic culture of Nakhchivan c.4945–c.3800 BC Leyla-Tepe culture c.4350–c.4000 BC Kura–Araxes culture c.3400–c.2000 BC Nakhchivan culture c.3000–c.2000 BC Talish–Mughan culture c.1400–c.700 BC Khojaly–Gadabay culture c.1300–c.700 BC
Antiquity Kingdom of Iškuza c.700 BC–c.590s BC Achaemenid Empire 550 BC–330 BC       • Satrapy of Media c.550 BC – 323 BC Seleucid Empire 312 BC – 63 BC Parthian Empire 247 BC – AD 224 Caucasian Albania c.200 BC – c.AD 800 Roman Empire 27 BC – AD 395
Early Middle Ages Sasanian Empire 224–651       • Satrapy of Albania c.252–636 Khazar Khaganate c.650–969 Rashidun Caliphate 632–661       • Islamic conquest 633–654       • Arran c.650–705 Umayyad Caliphate 661–750       • Arran c.650–705       • Emirate of Arminiya 705–884 Abbasid Caliphate 750–1258       • Emirate of Arminiya 705–884 Shirvanshahs 861–1538 Sajids 889–929 Shaddadids 951–1199 Sallarid dynasty 919–1062
High Middle Ages Seljuk Empire 1037–1194 Khwarazmian Empire 1077–1231 Eldiguzids 1135–1225 Mongol Empire 1206–1368 Ilkhanate 1256–1335 Chobanids 1335–1357 Timurid Empire 1370–1507 Qara Qoyunlu 1374–1468 Aq Qoyunlu 1378–1503
Early modern history Safavid Iran 1501–1736       • Safavid Shirvan 1501–1736       • Safavid Karabakh 1501–1747       • Chokhur-e Sa'd 1502–1736 Ottoman Empire 1299–1922       • Shirvan Eyalet [az] 1578–1607       • Ganja-Qarabagh Eyalet (I) [az] 1588–1606       • Revan Eyalet (I) [az] 1583–1604           • Nakhchivan Sanjak (I) [az] 1583–1604       • Ganja-Qarabagh Eyalet (II) [az] 1725–1735       • Revan Eyalet (II) [az] 1724–1736           • Nakhchivan Sanjak (II) [az] 1724–1736       • Tiflis Eyalet (II) [az] 1723–1735           • Kazak Sanjak (II) [az] 1723–1735 Afsharid Iran 1736–1796       • Division of Afsharid Empire 1747 Khanates of the Caucasus 1604–1844       • Elisu Sultanate 1604–1844       • Kazakh sultanate 1605–1801       • Djaro-Belokani c.1600s–c.1800s       • Shaki Khanate 1743–1819       • Ganja Khanate 1747–1805       • Talysh Khanate 1747–1828       • Nakhichevan Khanate 1747–1828       • Qutqashen Sultanate 1747–1841       • Baku Khanate 1747–1806       • Shamshadil sultanate 1747–1801       • Quba Khanate 1747–1806       • Karabakh Khanate 1748–1822           • Treaty of Kurakchay 1805       • Shirvan Khanate 1748–1820 Zand dynasty 1751–1794 Qajar Iran 1789–1925       • Fourth Russo-Persian War 1804–1813           • Treaty of Gulistan 1813       • Fifth Russo-Persian War 1826–1828           • Treaty of Turkmenchay 1828 Russian Empire 1721–1917       • Second Russo-Persian War 1722–1723       • Caucasus Viceroyalty 1801–1917           • Baku Governorate 1846–1920           • Erivan Governorate 1849–1917           • Zakatal okrug 1859–1918           • Elizavetpol Governorate 1867–1920       • Special Transcaucasian Committee 1917
Modern history Transcaucasian Commissariat 1917–1918       • March Days 1918 Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic 1918 Baku Commune 1918 Centrocaspian Dictatorship 1918 Republic of Aras 1918–1919 Mughan Soviet Republic 1919 Azerbaijan Democratic Republic 1918 - 1920       • Armenian–Azerbaijani War 1918–1920           • Battle of Baku 1918       • Red Army invasion of Azerbaijan 1920 Azerbaijan Socialist Soviet Republic 1920–1922       • Treaty of Kars 1921 Soviet Union 1922–1991       • Transcaucasian SFSR 1922–1936           • Azerbaijan SSR 1922–1936       • Azerbaijan SSR 1936–1991           • World War II 1941–1945           • Black January 1990       • Republic of Azerbaijan 1991
Contemporary history Republic of Azerbaijan 1991–present       • I Nagorno-Karabakh War 1988–1994           • Bishkek Protocol 1994       • II Nagorno-Karabakh War 2020           • Ceasefire Agreement 2020
Topics Name Heads of state Genetic history Economic history Military history Jewish history Wars
Historical regions Sakasene Utik Arran Cambysene Gardman Shirvan Maskut Mughan Balasagan Caspiane Paytakaran
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The Sultanate of Elisu, also known as Elisou or Ilisu, was a sultanate in the 18th and 19th centuries.^[1]

Located mostly on the southern slope of the Caucasus Mountains in what is now northwest Azerbaijan, it extended from north of the mountain crest down to the Alazani River valley. Southeast in the lowlands was the Shirvan Khanate and northwest along the mountains were the Djaro-Belokani communities. Djaro-Belokan and Elisu were closely connected. The mountainous north was inhabited by Tsakhurs and the low country by Azerbaijanis and Ingiloys (Muslim Georgians). The upper class was Tsakhur. In local usage a Sultan was below a Khan and above a Bey. The Sultanate was partly hereditary and partly elected by a Jamaat or assembly of notables. He was often confirmed by the Persian Shah. In a few cases he was imposed by whoever had a large army nearby. For a few purposes the Sultan was almost a member of the Djaro-Belokani league.

The history of the Sultanate begins north of the mountains in the upper reaches of the Samur River (Rutulsky District) with the Tsakhur people – a western branch of the Lezgians. They formed Tsakhur Khanate and paid tribute to the Gazikumukh Shamkhalate. In the 15th century the Tsakhurs began moving to south over the mountain crest toward the Alazani River. They settled in the province of Hereti of Kakheti kingdom. In the early 17th century, Shah Abbas I of Persia took these lands from the king of Kakheti and granted them to the Dagestani feudal clans who enjoyed a degree of autonomy (Djar-Beylakan society, the sultanate of Ilisu). the area was an 'ulka' of the Shirvan Khanate. The rulers were also vassals of Persia and sometimes the Ottoman Empire, depending on the relative power of each. At the beginning of the 18th century, the capital moved south from the town of Tsakhur to İlisu and we now hear of the Elisu Sultanate. The Elisu Dynasty belonged to the Sunni Muslim denomination of Islam. The first ruler from was Sultan Adi Korklu Bey, who established the Elisu Sultanate on March 8, 1563. He was of Tsakhur. In 1711 there was a widespread anti-Persian movement which was partly a Sunni-Shia conflict. One of the leaders was Ali Sultan of Elisu. He captured a wide area and the Turks made him beylerbeg of Shaki. Nadir Shah drove the Turks out in 1735. When his army returned south Djaro-Belokani and Elisu rose again (1738). Nadir's brother was killed suppressing it and Ali-Sultan was forcibly replaced by his son. At some point Nadir himself entered Elisu and burned part of it. As soon as he left the Begs, who had fled to the mountains, returned and replaced his puppet Sultan.

The Russians took over Kartli-Kakheti kingdom in 1801 and in 1803-1806 Pavel Tsitsianov pushed east to the Caspian. In April General Gulyakov [ru] subdued the Djaro-Belokani area. They submitted and the Elisu Sultanate was included in their submission. In October the mountaineers rose again with the help of the Gazikumukh Khanate and were defeated. In January 1804 Gulyakov chased them deep into the mountains and was killed. The Djaris did not pay tribute, blamed the Sultan and in 1805 he was replaced by Akhmed Khan who went to Tiflis (Tbilisi) to offer submission. During the Persian War in 1826 Akhmed Khan was driven out by the Begs and replaced by Bala-Aga-Beg. The Russians returned, restored Akhmed and took Bala-Aga away in chains.

In 1830 the Djaris revolted and then submitted when troops approached. They were placed under the Djari Oblast with the Sultanate attached. The same year Daniyal Bek became Sultan. In 1842, when the Murid War was going poorly for the Russians, the Sultanate was placed under the Djaro-Belokani Military Okrug under General Schwartz. By 1844 Daniyal Sultan was either pushed or pulled into the arms of Shamil. Schwartz took Elisu by storm and the Sultanate was abolished. Daniyal fled and became one of Shamil's best officers. His daughter married Shamil's son. When Shamil's movement collapsed he submitted for a full pardon. This last Sultan of Elisu died in the Ottoman Empire in 1873 at Istanbul. His descendants live today in Azerbaijan, in the сities of Qakh, Shaki, Nəbiağalı, Goychay, Ganja, and Baku, and use the surname Sultanov as male and Sultanova as female. Descendants also live in Turkey, in the city of Istanbul.

• Jinli Castle

This was abstracted from the Russian and Azerbaijani Wikipedia, there being no obvious source in English.

• Bournoutian, George (2016). "Prelude to War: The Russian Siege and Storming of the Fortress of Ganjeh, 1803–4". Iranian Studies. 50 (1). Taylor & Francis: 107–124. doi:10.1080/00210862.2016.1159779. S2CID 163302882.
• Bournoutian, George (2021). From the Kur to the Aras: A Military History of Russia's Move into the South Caucasus and the First Russo-Iranian War, 1801–1813. Brill. ISBN 978-9004445154.