Lezgin Bekdoms
Lezgin Bekdoms | |||||||||||
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| 13th century–19th centuy | |||||||||||
 flag used by Lezgin Militaryman in the Samur valley according to artist Grigory Gagarin
.png) Coat of arms
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 Lezgin Bekdoms and unions in the Kurakh valley | |||||||||||
 Lezgin and Rutul Bekdoms and unions in upper course of the Samur river | |||||||||||
| Status | Decentralized hereditary rulers | ||||||||||
| Largest city | Akhty | ||||||||||
| Recognised national languages | Lezgian language Rutul language Aghul language Tsakhur language Tabasaran language | ||||||||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||||||||
| Demonyms | Lezgins Kyurins | ||||||||||
| Government | Malikates Bekdoms Free societies | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Gained independence from the disintegrating Kingdom of Lekia | 13th century | ||||||||||
• Absorbed into the Russian Empire | 19th centuy | ||||||||||
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| Today part of | Dagestan Azerbaijan | ||||||||||
The Lezgin Bekdoms were lordships and local political entities associated with Lezgic speaking communities in southern Dagestan and northeastern Azerbaijan. their rulers, known as Beks (also spelled as Beys or Begs), had authority over settlements or wider territories across south Dagestan and north Azerbaijan. These Lordships existed alongside other forms of local government, including the village unions and free societies. The Lezgin Bekdoms alongside with neighboring small Khanates federations and free societies were mostly located on the Shores of the Samur river but sometimes went beyond that, an example of that can be the Kura Khanate which was located at the north of the Samur river not bordering the river itself.
List of states
The Lezgin bekdoms, unions and societies formed after the disintegration of Lakzan were the following:
Bekdoms
- Akhtyn Bekdom (Centered around Akhty between mid-15th and the early 17th century) (The rulers might have also carried the title "Malik")
- Kakin Bekdom (Centered around Kaka between 18th and 19th century)
- Miskindzhin Bekdom (Centered around Miskindzha between 15th and 16th century)
- Rutul Bekdom (Centered around Rutul between 7th century and 1839)
- Gaptsakh Bekdom (centered around the Gaptsakh)
- Tselyagiun Bekdom (centered around Tselyagyun)
Free societies
- Kurakh Union (Centered around Kurakh between 14th century and 1812)
- Akhtypara Free Society (Divided into two autonomous entities between 1732 and 1839)
- Altypara Free Society (Centered around Karakyure and Mikrakh between 1630 and 1839)
- Dokuzpara Free Society (Centered around Dzhaba between 16th century and 1839)
- Tahircal Free Society (Centered around Tahircal between 7th century to 1839)
- Stal-Chile Union (Centered around Stal)
- Kabir Union (Centered around Kabir)
- Kartas Union (Centered around Kartas)
- Yarki Union (Centered around Yarki)
History
The appearance of the first Lezgin Bekdoms or free societies can be traced back to the 13th century during the slow collapse of the Kingdom of Lekia, one of the first Lezgin Bekdoms was Akhty, more bekdoms appeared after Lekia fully disintegrated.
The title Bek was used by hereditary nobles and local rulers in several parts of Dagestan and Azerbaijan. The authority of individual beks varied according to the territory, the strength of their ruling family and their relationships with surrounding communities. Some ruling families participated in regional diplomacy and military alliances, while others exercised authority.
The Bekdoms and free societies often engaged in small conflicts with each other but under the threat of a bigger power they often united to defend themselves.
One of the most powerful and influential of the Bekdoms was Akhtypara and the Kurakh union (later known as Kura Khanate)
Lekianoba
During the 16th to 18th Century The Lezgin Bekdoms often raided Goergia alongside with other Dagestani peoples, plundering and looting cities in their way. Lezgins often took captives in their raids and sold them into slavery to the neighboring Ottoman Empire. These raids severely devastated the kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti but after unification under the rule of king Eekele II the frequency of Lezgin raids significantly diminished. one of the successful campaigns of Lezgins during the Lekianoba was in 1724 against Kakheti, where Lezgins ravaged Kakheti to such extent that forced Constantine II to leave his country and give military access to the Lezgins.
Unification under Haji Davud
During the Lezgin campaign into Shirvan, Haji Davud managed to unite much of the Lezgin Bekdoms and free societies under his authority to unite arms against Persia and expand the influence of his short-lived Shirvan Khanate.
He first united the Bekdoms in the year 1720, many Beks swore loyalty to him and served as commanders in his campaign themselves helping Davud expand into Quba and Central Shirvan.
Russian imperial period
Russian expansion into the eastern Caucasus transformed the political organization of the region. Following the Russo-Persian War and the consolidation of Russian authority during the nineteenth century, local lordships and village unions increasingly came under imperial administration.
The Russian authorities reorganized territories previously governed by local khans, beks and community institutions. In the Kura region, the Kura Khanate was abolished in 1864 and its territory incorporated into the Kyurinsky district of Dagestan Oblast. These administrative changes brought the independent political existence of several traditional local authorities to an end.
References
- 1 2 3 "Lezgians". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 27 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Kelbekhanova, M. R.; Makhadov, A. K. (2025). "The political system of the free society of Akhty–para in the first half of the 19th century". Historical Bulletin. 8 (8): 199–203.
- 1 2 3 Aliev, B. G. "Сведения И.-Г. Гербера о лезгинских союзах сельских общин Самурской долины" [Information by I.-G. Gerber on the Lezgin Unions of Rural Communities in the Samur Valley]. История, археология и этнография Кавказа.
- 1 2 3 4 Aslanov, D. A. (2000). Социально-экономическое и политическое развитие Кюринского ханства в XIX веке [The Socio-Economic and Political Development of the Kyurinsky Khanate in the 19th Century] (Candidate of Historical Sciences dissertation abstract).
- ↑ Aliev, Bagomed Gadaevic (2024). "Dagestan's Unions of Rural Communities: Formation, Ethnic Structure, Governance System". History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Caucasus. 20 (3): 546. doi:10.32653/CH203544-554.
- 1 2 Освободительное движение народов Восточного Кавказа под руководством Хаджи-Дауда Мюшкюрского в первой трети XVIII века [The Liberation Movement of the Peoples of the Eastern Caucasus under the Leadership of Haji Davud Mushkurvi in the First Third of the 18th Century] (Candidate of Historical Sciences dissertation abstract). 2003.
- ↑ Tabuashvili, Apolon (2023). "The Measures of Erekle II for Suppression of "Lekianoba" and Its Results (1735–1783)". Proceedings of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University.
- 1 2 Çaycıoğlu, Serdar Oğuzhan (2014). Osmanlı Devleti’nin Lezgilerle İlişkileri (1700–1732) [The Ottoman Empire's Relations with the Lezgins (1700–1732)] (Master's thesis). Marmara University.
- ↑ Butkov, P. G. "Материалы для новой истории Кавказа с 1722 по 1803 год" [Materials for a New History of the Caucasus from 1722 to 1803] (in Russian).
- ↑ "О преобразовании состоящего в южном Дагестане Кюринского ханства в Кюринский военный округ" [On the Transformation of the Kyurinsky Khanate in Southern Dagestan into the Kyurinsky Military District]. Presidential Library of the Russian Federation. 1865.