Artsakh Liberation Struggle (1724–1731)
18th-century movement in Artsakh / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
From 1724 to 1731, an Armenian rebellion occurred in Karabakh (historically called Artsakh by Armenians) under the leadership of the Melikdoms of Karabakh. Initially directed against the collapsing Safavid state, it fought against the Ottoman invasion of Eastern Armenia. Chronologically, it coincided with the Syunik rebellion.[1]
The rebellion had its origins in Peter the Great's invasion of Iran in 1722. The Melikdoms of Karabakh and the Georgian kingdom of Kingdom of Kartli assembled their forces to support the Russian invasion, but Peter made peace with Iran in 1723, annexing only territories near the Caspian Sea. In the meantime, Safavid Iran descended into chaos, and the Ottoman Empire took advantage of the situation and invaded the South Caucasus. The Armenian forces of Karabakh were able to repel a number of Ottoman incursions, although the Ottomans eventually succeeded in occupying the region. The last centers of Armenian resistance in Karabakh were defeated in 1729–1731. Later, the Melikdoms of Karabakh assisted Nader Shah in expelling the Ottomans from the region and received recognition of their autonomy.