Shirvan 877182 225634430 2008-07-14T17:37:58Z TXiKiBoT 3171782 robot Adding: [[ka:შირვანი]] ''For the town in Iran see [[Shirvan (Iran)|Shirvan]]'' {{for|the place in Afghanistan|Shirvan, Afghanistan}} '''Shirvan''' ({{lang-az|Şirvan}}, {{lang-fa|شروان}}), also spelled as '''Shervan''' or '''Shirwan''', is a historical region in the [[Caucasus]] and part of present-day [[Republic of Azerbaijan]]. The region stretches between the western shores of the [[Caspian Sea]] and the [[Kura River]]. ==History== The name is first attested during the [[Sassanian]] epoch, when it was used to denote the northern part of [[Caucasian Albania]], or [[Arran (Azerbaijan)|Arran]]. After the Islamic conquest, it became a hereditary possession of the [[Khalif]]'s governors. Between 799 and 1538, the territory was ruled by the [[Shirvanshah]]s (a particular Persian title of the royal rank of [[Shah]]). It was there that the Persian poet [[Khaqani]] ([[Khaghani]]) was born. The capital of the Shirvanshahs was [[Shamakhi]]. In the 18th century, Shirvan was a [[khanate]] whose ruler paid homage to [[Persia]]. The Russians briefly overran it during the [[Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723]]. After the [[Treaty of Gulistan]] of [[1813]] the region was absorbed by [[Imperial Russia]]. The regions of Shirvan and [[Arran]] later formed the Republic of Azerbaijan. Shirvan is known for the quality of its [[Oriental rug|rugs]]. ==People== {{Merge|Shirvanis|date=December 2007}} {{see main|Shirvanis}} Shirvan's population consisted of [[Lezgian language|Lezgian]], [[Avar language|Avar]], [[Udi language|Udi]], [[Kryz language|Kryz]] and Iranian languages speaking Tats. This population was slowly Turkisized since the 11th century onward, yet some speakers of the Caucasian languages still live in the distant villages of [[Shamakha]], [[Shaki]], [[Qabala]], and [[Oguz]]. ==See also== *[[Shirvanshah]] *[[Arran (Azerbaijan)|Aran]] *[[Shirvan Khanate]] ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Azerbaijan.html#Shmakha WorldStatesmen- Azerbaijan] *[[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]], article on Shirvan [[Category:Geography of Azerbaijan]] [[Category:History of Azerbaijan]] [[Category:History of Iran]] [[Category:Caucasian Albania]] {{Azerbaijan-geo-stub}} [[de:Schirwan]] [[fa:شیروان]] [[ka:შირვანი]] [[pl:Szyrwan]] [[ro:Shirvan]] [[ru:Ширван]] [[tg:Шервон]]