The Khanates of South Azerbaijan (18th-19th centuries)

After Nader Shah was killed in 1747, central power weakened and local lords across Azerbaijan set up khanates of their own. Just as Karabakh, Shaki, Quba and others arose north of the Aras, nine khanates appeared in the south. Most were ruled by chiefs of Turkic tribes.

The Afshars ruled Urmia and Zanjan, the Bayats ruled Maku, the Shahsevens Ardabil and the Qaradaghlu chiefs Karadagh, whose centre was Ahar. The Moqaddam family held Maragheh. A note on origin: Tabriz, Khoy and Sarab were ruled by Turkified Kurdish tribes, the Donboli in Tabriz and Khoy and the Shaqaqi in Sarab. Urmia was counted the strongest of them.

From the late 18th century the Qajars brought the khanates under their rule one by one. Ardabil and Karadagh lost their independence in 1808 and Zanjan in 1810. The khans of Maku, however, stayed on as semi-independent rulers inside the Qajar state until 1922.