Ibrahim Khalil Khan

Ibrahim Khalil Khan Javanshir (, ; 1732–1806) was the second khan of the Karabakh Khanate from the Javanshir family. He was the son and successor of Panah-Ali khan Javanshir.

Early life He was born in c. 1732 in Karabakh. He was among deportees to Astarabad with his father Panah Ali Khan. He returned to Karabakh after Adil Shah issued a firman (decree) recognizing Panah Ali as the new khan. Participating in internal politics of his father, he was married with Hurizad, daughter of Armenian melik of Varanda - Shahnazar II, as a tool of marriage alliance. Panah Ali further wed him with Shahnisa, sister of Nazarali Khan Shahsevan of Ardabil and Tuti, daughter of Shahverdi Khan of Ganja in 1749. He was given as hostage to Fath-Ali Khan Afshar in 1759, who was defeated by Karim Khan Zand later. He was released by Karim Khan in 1759 and was allowed back to Karabakh.

Reign Sceptre of Ibrahim Khalil Khan, Museum of History of Azerbaijan. He had to contest the khanate with Mehr Ali Beg Javanshir, his younger brother who was left behind by his father Panah Ali Khan prior to his departure to Iran in 1759. Ibrahim Khalil emerged victorious thanks to aid by his new relative Umma Khan of Avar Khanate and forced his brother to flee the region. Later in his reign, Avar and Karabakh khanates coordinated against growing power of Fatali Khan of Quba. Despite their efforts, Shirvan Khanate was invaded by Fatali and Quba's power continued to grow. However, later in 1774, combined forces of Amir Hamza of Qaytaq, Muhammad Husayn Khan Mushtaq of Shaki, Muhammed Khan of Gazikumukh Khanate, Rustam of Tabasaran Principality, Ali Sultan of Dzhengutay and other Dagestan forces clashed with Fatali Khan in Battle of Gavdushan plains near Khudat. This was a heavy blow to Fatali Khan's ambitions, he fled scene wounded.

In the 1780s, Ibrahim Khalil Khan emerged as one of the most powerful rulers in the eastern Caucasus. He aspired to bring most of the Muslim-ruled territory from the Caucasus mountains as far south as Tabriz under his sway, but eventually he had to curb his efforts in the face of the rising Qajar power in Iran. He was then allied with the Georgian king Heraclius II of Kartli-Kakheti and the two interfered in the affairs of the Erivan khanate and made the Ganja Khanate their puppet. Muhammad of Ganja was soon arrested by Ibrahim Khalil together his family. However Fatali Khan invaded Karabakh in 1780 by crossing the Kura River, but then Heraclius II helped Ibrahimkhalil Khan by sending him a detachment under the command of princes George and David. In August of that year the khan of Quba undertook an unsuccessful campaign again, but in the beginning of 1781 he could penetrate deep into Karabakh and to captured some amount of peasants from there. The alliance waned after Heraclius accepted the Russian protectorate in the treaty of Georgievsk in 1783. Ibrahim maintained contact with the Russian authorities, but did not sign any formal treaty.

Campaigns against the Melikdoms Like his father, Ibrahim Khalil Khan also campaigned against Armenian meliks of Karabakh starting from 1775. Allying with the meliks of Varanda and Khachen, Ibrahim Khan campaigned against Melik Yesai of Dizak. In one of those battles, Melik Mirzakhan of Khachen was captured by Yesai and beheaded in 1775. However, after a long siege of Togh, Melik Yesai was captured and strangled in prison in summer of 1781. His nephew, Bakhtam was put in his place by the khan. As next step, Ibrahim sent two Armenian assassins, Misael bek and his son-in-law Hagop Yuzbashi, to kill Melik Mezhlum of Jraberd. However, the plot failed and they were captured and executed. Misael's brother Rustam fled the scene and joined Ibrahim Khan's court in Shusha. Being the son-in-law of Apres Agha, his wife Vard Khatun was a relative of Nerses V, who was based in Yerits Mankants Monastery and supported by Javad Khan and Ibrahim Khalil Khan as anti-catholicos. His successor, anti-Catholicos Israel (1728–1763) would also side with Ibrahim Khalil in future.

The Armenian meliks soon wrote a secret letter to Catherine II on 22 January 1783, inviting her to invade Karabakh and if possible and establish an Armenian vassal state in the region. However the plot was uncovered thanks to Allahquli Hasan-Jalalyan, brother of Catholicos Hovhannes (1763–1786), who told Ibrahim Khan about the letters. Catholicos Israel meanwhile seized the letters on their way to Ganja, securing them for Ibrahim Khalil. Using this opportunity, Ibrahim Khan seized Melik Mezhlum of Jraberd, Melik Abov of Gulistan, Melik Bakhtam of Dizak and Catholicos Hovhannes (along with his brothers). Melik Bakhtam was given to Nazarali Khan Shahsevan, with whom he had a grievance, and Dizak was annexed to Karabakh. The rest of the meliks were released for a hefty ransom. Catholicos Hovhannes was killed during his imprisonment, leaving the See of Gandzasar vacant for eight years afterwards.

Family Ibrahim Khalil Khan had several legal wives and temporary wives (slave concubines or mut'ah): Bike (Bakhtika) khanum (b. c. 1744) — daughter of Muhammad-nutsal IV, khan of Avars Khanlar agha Javanshir (c. 1785–1832) — Colonel of Imperial Russian Army Ahmad agha Javanshir (c. 1793 or c. 1795-died not later than 1851) — Landed nobility Sultanat begüm (?-12 June 1806) — murdered together his father A daughter of Allahyar bey of Ungutlu tribe Muhammad Qasim agha Javanshir (? - before 1843) — Colonel of Imperial Russian Army Javahir Khanum (née Sofia Abashidze, m. 1783) — daughter of Eugenius Abashidze, granddaughter of Svimon Abashidze Abbasquli agha (c. 1795-12 June 1806) — murdered together his father Govhar agha (1790 - 1888) — married to Jafar Qoli Khan Donboli and later Khankishi bey Javanshir (son of Mehr Ali Beg Javanshir), funded Yukhari Govhar Agha Mosque and Ashaghi Govhar Agha Mosque Shahnisa Khanum — daughter of Badr khan Shahsevan of Ardabil Khanate Bakhshi Khanum — married to Farajulla khan Shahsevan, son of Nazarali Khan Shahsevan Tuti begüm — married to Salim Khan of Shaki Khanate, had an issue Kichik Khanum — married to Mirza Muhammad Khan, beylerbey of Tehran Murassah Khanum — daughter of Gulmali bey Sarijali Shahnisa Khanum — married to her second cousin Ali bey b. Mirza Ali, grandson of Behbud Ali bey (brother of Panah Ali Khan) Tubu Khanum — daughter of Muhammad Husayn Khan Mushtaq of Shaki Khanate Hurizad Khanum — daughter of Melik Shahnazar II of Varanda A daughter of Mirza Rabi, vizier of Heraclius II Azad or İzzet begüm (?-between 1839 and 1847) — married to Abra Khan, second son of Jafar Qoli Khan Donboli Khatay Khanum — daughter of Melik Bakhtam of Dizak Husseinquli agha Javanshir (?-before 1844) — Landed nobility Safiquli agha Javanshir (?-after 1862) — Landed nobility

Temporary wives:

Rugan Khanum — an Armenian girl from Nakhichevanik village Abulfat agha Javanshir (1766-1839) — poet, governor of Dizmar Khadija Khanum — an Azerbaijani girl from Bayramlu, Shamshaddil Sultanate Shaykh-Ali agha (?-after 1847) — Landed nobility Sona Khanum (d. after 1844) — an Armenian girl from Togh village Sulayman agha (?-before 1844) — Landed nobility Ana Khanum — daughter of Hajji Kerim from Shusha Fatali agha

In popular media

Portrayed by Fakhraddin Manafov in Fate of the Sovereign (2008)