Ali Sultan of Elisu

Ali Sultan II was a Tsakhur ruler of the Elisu Sultanate in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He became one of the leaders of the anti-Safavid uprising in the eastern Caucasus in 1711. He subsequently entered the Ottoman sphere of influence and was appointed beylerbey of Shaki, with the Tsakhur sanjak attached to his jurisdiction.

Early life and rule

Ali Sultan belonged to the ruling family of the Tsakhur polity of Elisu. His surviving tombstone identifies him as the son of Muhammad Khan and Ali Bey, and as a descendant of Adi Korklu Bey the founder of the ruling dynasty.

The Elisu rulers maintained relations with both the Safavid and Ottoman states and received official documents confirming their authority over their hereditary territories. According to the surviving documentation, six firmans were issued in Ali Sultan's name: Safavid documents dated 1695, 1701 and 1710, followed by Ottoman documents dated 1722, 1729 and 1731.

Ali Sultan's position became increasingly important as Safavid authority weakened in the eastern Caucasus during the early 18th century. His later recognition by the Ottoman government transformed him from a local hereditary ruler into one of the principal Ottoman-aligned rulers of northwestern Azerbaijan.

Anti-Safavid uprising

In 1711, an anti-Safavid uprising broke out among several Sunni communities of the eastern Caucasus. The movement included the Jar-Balakan communities and the Elisu Sultanate. According to the account of Pünhan Əfəndiyev, the leaders, religious figures and elders of the Jar-Balakan communities, including Muxax, Tala, Çardaxlar and Sarıbaş, met near Muxax and decided to revolt against the Safavid-supported authorities. Ali Sultan was selected to lead the uprising.

In April 1711, the insurgents expelled Safavid forces from parts of the Qakh and Jar-Balakan areas before advancing toward Shaki. The rebels defeated Safavid forces in the Shaki region.

The uprising formed part of a wider movement against Safavid authority in eastern Transcaucasia. The conflict was influenced by political and fiscal opposition to Safavid administration as well as the religious differences between the predominantly Sunni communities of the region and the Shi'a Safavid state.

Alliance with Haji Davud

During the expansion of the anti-Safavid movement, Ali Sultan became an ally of Haji Davud, the Lezgin leader who emerged as the principal figures of the rebellion in Shirvan. The two rulers subsequently cooperated in military operations against Safavid forces.

In 1721, Ali Sultan participated in the campaign of Haji Davud and his allies in Shirvan. The rebels captured Shamakhi in August 1721 after defeating the forces defending the city.

The alliance continued after the Ottoman intervention in the Caucasus. The Ottoman government specifically instructed Ali Sultan to cooperate with Haji Davud when Ahmed III appointed him beylerbey of Shaki in 1723.

some sources attribute the status of the Elisu Sultantate under Ali Sultan II as dependant on the Lezgin Khanate, tho it was officially independent.

Ottoman recognition

Following the weakening of Safavid authority in northern Azerbaijan, Ali Sultan entered the Ottoman sphere of influence. On 3 August 1723, Sultan Ahmed III issued a firman appointing Ali Sultan as beylerbey of the Shaki province. The Tsakhur sanjak was attached to the Shaki province under his authority.

The Ottoman appointment was connected with Ali Sultan's earlier opposition to Safavid authority. According to Latifova, the Ottoman government regarded Ali Sultan as a reliable local ally and sought through his appointment to strengthen its position in northwestern Azerbaijan, as well as in the neighbouring territories of Kakheti, Kartli and Dagestan.

The Ottoman government continued to recognize Ali Sultan's authority during the following decade. Ottoman documents from 1729 and 1731 also refer to him and confirm his position as an Ottoman-aligned ruler.

Following the Treaty of Constantinople of 1724, the Ottoman administration reorganized its newly acquired territories in northern Azerbaijan. The Tsakhur sanjak remained attached to the Shaki administrative unit, while Ali Sultan continued to exercise authority as its beylerbey.

Death

Ali Sultan died in 1732 or 1733. His surviving tombstone gives the date as AH 1145, corresponding to 1732–33 CE. The inscription identifies him as Ali Pasha, describes him as the ruler of Shaki and Tsakhur, and states that he died in fighting against infidels.

The tombstone also gives his genealogy as Ali Pasha, son of Muhammad Khan and Ali Bey, and descendant of Adi Korklu Bey.

The precise circumstances of his death are uncertain. The tombstone states that he died as a martyr in battle, while later Azerbaijani accounts associate his death with fighting against Georgian forces. The surviving inscription does not itself specify the location of the battle.

Legacy

Ali Sultan's reign coincided with a major transformation in the political structure of the eastern Caucasus. He participated in the anti-Safavid movement of 1711 and subsequently became an important Ottoman-aligned ruler in northwestern Azerbaijan.

His alliance with Haji Davud connected the Elisu Sultanate with the wider anti-Safavid movement in Shirvan, while his appointment as beylerbey of Shaki placed the Tsakhur territories within the Ottoman administrative system.

His surviving tombstone at Elisu is an important epigraphic source for his genealogy, titles and date of death.

Ali Sultan of Elisu

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