DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2789-6919/57/7-13
Elshan Aslanov
Baku State University
PhD in History
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3823-4350
elshanaslanov@bsu.edu.az
Demographic Changes in Karabakh at the Beginning of the XIX Century: in the Context of the Resettlement Policy of the Russian Empire
Abstract
This research study comprehensively examines the demographic changes that occurred in the Karabakh region at the beginning of the XIX century in the context of the resettlement policy implemented by the Russian Empire. The article shows that the new demographic situation that formed in the region was not only the result of migration, but also emerged as a result of the interaction of broader geopolitical and social processes.
The wars that took place in the late XVIII and early XIX centuries, especially the Russian-Iranian conflicts and internal instability, led to a sharp decrease in the population of Karabakh. The demographic gap that emerged as a result of this decrease was systematically used by the empire at a later stage and formed a favorable basis for the settlement of new populations to these territories.
The results of the study show that the changes that occurred were not limited to an increase in the population, but also led to radical changes in the ethnic composition of the region, the settlement pattern and the system of social relations. The newly formed demographic proportions also affected the economic life of the region, creating changes in the structure of trade and craft activities.
At the same time, the study shows that the resettlement policy was an integral part of the empire's long-term consolidation strategy in the South Caucasus. The demographic realities that emerged as a result of this process influenced the system of social and ethnic relations in subsequent periods and became one of the main factors determining the historical development trajectory of the region.
Keywords: Karabakh, resettlement policy, demographic changes, Turkmenchay Treaty, Russian Empire, migration, ethnic structure, XIX century