Konstantin Tarkhan-Mouravi

Konstantin Davidovich Tarkhan-Mouravi (1811–1869) was an Imperial Russian lieutenant general of Georgian noble origin who served as governor of Shamakhi and Baku (1857–1863).

Background Tarkhan-Mouravi was born in 1811 into a Georgian princely family of Tarkhan-Mouravi in Tiflis Governorate. His father was David Tarkhan Mouravi (1764–1839), his mother was Makrina Tsereteli (1790-1855).

19 January 1830: Order of St Anna, 4th class, "For Bravery" 16 June 1831: Order of St Anna, 3rd class with bow 27 July 1833: Order of St Vladimir, 4th class with bow

Following the dissolution of the Kherson Grenadier Regiment in 1834, its 1st Battalion, including Tarkhan-Mouravi, was transferred to the Georgian Grenadier Regiment. On 22 April 1838, he was promoted to lieutenant for distinction against the mountaineers of the Caucasus. On 2 March 1839, he received a gold sword inscribed "For Bravery". He was then promoted to staff captain and appointed governor of the town of Nukha in the Elisabethpol Governorate.

The conflict escalated in 1849 when Tarkhan-Mouravi accused Zakir of sheltering his fugitive relative, Behbud bey Javanshir, who was wanted by imperial authorities. Using this as a pretext, Tarkhan-Mouravi launched a raid on Zakir’s residence in the village of Xındırıstan with an armed detachment. Zakir’s son Najafgulu bey and nephew Iskandar bey were arrested on charges of aiding the fugitive and sent to prison in Shusha. Zakir and his entire household were also detained and imprisoned. Following the arrests, Tarkhan-Mouravi reportedly ordered the looting of Xındırıstan, leaving its residents in destitution. Behbud bey was later executed in prison. Despite Zakir’s repeated petitions to higher authorities protesting his unlawful detention, no official response was given. After spending nearly a year in Shusha prison without trial, Zakir was exiled to Baku. His relatives were sent further into internal exile, first to Tiflis, then to Voronezh and Kaluga.

Zakir continued to campaign for justice from Baku, appealing to allies within the bureaucracy such as Akhundov, Ismail bey Gutgashinli, and new Baku governor Mikhail Kolyubakin. These efforts eventually contributed to his release. The poet later referenced this persecution in his verse, naming Tarkhan-Mouravi among his chief tormentors.