Lankaran Uyezd

Lankaran Uyezd (originally, Talyshinsky Uyezd) (Russian: Ленкоранский уезд, Azerbaijani: Lənkəran qəzası) was an administrative unit within the Baku Governorate, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and Azerbaijan SSR until 1929. The center of the uyezd was Lankaran.[2][3][4]

Lankaran Uyezd

Ленкоранский уезд
Coat of arms
CountryRussian Empire
Political statusUyezd
RegionCaucasus
Established1840
Abolished1929
Area
 • Total5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi)
Population
 (1926)
 • Total208,479[1]

History

Talyshinsky uyezd was created in 10 April, 1840 on the basis of Talysh Khanate. The uyezd was included in the Caspian Oblast from 1841, until it was included in Shamakhi Governorate (which was renamed to Baku Governorate after its capital moved to Baku) in 1846.[3][4]

On April 10, 1840, the "Provisional Talysh Board" was abolished. In the same period, the Caspian region was formed on the territory of Transcaucasia, which consisted of 7 uyezds, one of which was the Talyshinsky district[3]. In 1846, on the basis of the “Regulations on the Division of the Transcaucasian Territory” dated December 14, 1845, the Talyshinsky district was renamed into Lenkoransky and became part of the newly formed Shemakha (since 1859 - Baku) province of the Russian Empire[4].

In 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, Azerbaijan gained brief independence. Bolshevik Baku Commune was in control of Baku at the time, and they were trying to spread their control over other places in Azerbaijan, such as Lankaran Uyezd. This led to the creation of the Mughan Soviet Republic in the territories of the Lankaran uyezd in 25 April, 1919, but the republic was short lived and it collapsed 3 months later, in 27 July, 1919. The uyezd then was integrated into Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.[5]

In 1920, after Red Army's invasion of Azerbaijan, Lankaran fell under Soviet rule and was kept as an administrative unit until 1929.

Population

According to the "Code of statistical data on the population of the Transcaucasian region" from 1886, the population of the Lenkoran district was 109,340 people, of which Talysh - 50,510 people (46.2%), Tatars (Azerbaijanis) - 50,887 people (46.5%), Russians - 7,634 people (6.9%), Armenians - 273 people (0.2%) Jews - 36 people (0.03%)[6].

According to the 1897 census, 130,987 people lived in the uyezd, of which 8,733 were in the city of Lankaran. The census recorded 84,725 native speakers of Azerbaijani (the census indicates “tatar”) as the native language and 34,991 Talysh.[7]

The significant share reduction of the Talysh population in comparison with the data of 1886 cannot be explained by natural demographic processes and is a consequence of the registration of Iranian-speaking Talysh as Azerbaijanis (“Caucasian Tatars”). After 1886, the Talysh did not move out and did not die out. It is clear that a significant part of the Talysh, on the basis of their language, are ranked among the azerbaijanis (“Caucasian Tatars”)[8].

The population rose to 208,479 people in the uyezd by 1926.[9]

Talyshinsky uyezd on the map of the Caucasian region in 1842

Ethnic Groups in 1897
Uyezd Azerbaijani Tatars
Talysh Russians Armenians
Lankaran 64,7% 26,7% 7,2% 0,37%

References
  1. "Population of Lankaran Uyezd". Demoskop Weekly.
  2. "Administrative Territorial Division" (PDF). preslib.az. p. 9.
  3. Исмаилов Э.Э. (2001). Генеология Талышинских-Талышхановых. Баку. p. 10. ISBN 5-87459-246-6.
  4. Чичкин А.А. (2013). Друзья и враги за Кавказским хребтом. Москва: Вече. p. 27. ISBN 978-5-4444-0737-0.
  5. Smele, Jonathan D. (2015). Historical Dictionary of the Russian Civil Wars, 1916-1926. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 771. ISBN 9781442252813.
  6. Закавказский статистический комитет. Свод статистических данных о населении Закавказскаго края, извлеченных из посемейных списков 1886 г. / Главноначальствующий гражданскою частию на Кавказе. — Тифлис: Тип. И. Мартиросиянца, 1893, 1893. — С. 337. — 487 с.
  7. "Первая всеобщая перепись населения Российской Империи 1897 г. Распределение населения по родному языку и уездам Российской Империи кроме губерний Европейской России" (in Russian). Демоскоп.
  8. Г.Ф.ЧУРСИН. ТАЛЫШИ. — Известия кавказского историко-археологического общества. ЭТНОГРАФИЧЕСКИЕ ЗАМЕТКИ.. — Тифлис, 1926. — С. 15-45.
  9. "Population of Lankaran Uyezd". Demoskop Weekly.
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