Lezgin campaign into Shirvan also known as Anti-Iranian uprising in Shirvan and Dagestan, was military campaign and conflict led by the Lezgin ruler and military commander Haji Davud Beg against Safavid rule in the Eastern Caucasus. The conflict started in 1707 and lasted until 1728

Cause of the uprising In the beginning of the 18th century Safavid Iran experienced uneasy times, and the Safavid leader Shah Sultan Huseyn kept running out of money, therefore he implemented tax reforms and relief on the people of the Southern Caucasus causing unrest amongst the local Sunni population.Yesai Hasan Jalalyan. A Brief History of the Albanian Country (1702-1722). Baku: Elm. 1989.

The unrest worsened in 1705 when the Qizilbash corp who were Shia massacred local Sunnis. The actions of the Qizilbash and the tax reform triggered the uprising that began in 1707 in Jar-Balakan. The rebels stormed Shamakhi and plundered its surroundings and assassinated the local ruler, Hasan-Ali-Khan, then returned home to the mountains.Letters and reports of Jesuits about Russia. St. Petersburg, 1904. P. 106

The results of the rebellion varied but it spread quickly. In 1711 it spread through lands of Tabasaran, Samur, and Shirvan at that time Haji Davud became leader of the rebellion.Guseinov FM On the history of the Tsakhurs. / Under the scientific editorship of prof. M.R. Gasanov. - Makhachkala, 1998.  

Early stages of the rebellion During the initial stages of the rebellion in 1711 Haji Davud allied with mountaineers, such as Ali Sultan of Elisu, Ahmed Khan of Kaitag, and Surkhay Khan of Gazikumukh and defeated Safavid garrisons in the eastern Caucasus and unsuccessfully besieged Shamakhi. He attempted to besiege Shamakhi again in 1712 with joint forces of Surkhay Khan of Gazikumukh. The leader of Shamakhi knew of the impending attack and led his army into the outskirts of the city to defeat Daud Beg in open-field combat. Haji Davuds forces prevailed and pursued the retreating Safavid forces as they tried to reach the gates of Shamakhi to enter the city themselves, but failed. Daud beg decided not to besiege the city as he was not confident with the strength of his forces, so the mountaineers left the city.Sbornik svi︠e︡di︠e︡nīĭ o Kavkazi︠e︡. — V tip. Glav. upr. Nami︠e︡stnika Kavkazskago, 1868. — 862 с.

Around the following years the ruler of Kakheti David II was disturbed by the raids and invasions of the Lezgins and decided to ally with the neighbouring king of Kartli Jesse, and march against the mountaineers, tho the march ended with a defeat for the Georgians as David II had failed to prevent the Lezgin expansion along the Kakhetian border.Mikaberidze, Alexander (2015). Historical Dictionary of Georgia (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 249.

Campaign into Shirvan

Capture of Shabran, Khudat and the sack of Shamakhi

In 1720 Haji Davud united Lezgic unions and Bekdoms and allied himself with Surkhay Khan of Gazikumukh, Ahmed Khan of Kaitag, and Ali Sultan of Elisu he amassed a large army and in June he captured the cities of Quba and Khudat. At the end of August 1720 almost all lands of the eastern Caucasus had been captured by the mountaineers, while the Safavid armies were concentrated in the cities of Derbent, Baku, and Shamakhi. After assessing the situation, Haji Davud abandoned the raiding tactic and decided to spread his control through towns and villages in the regions. In 1721 Daud Beg assembled an army of 15,000 Lezgin tribesman, and on 10 August began the siege of Shamakhi the capital of Safavid Shirvan, and already on 25 August the Lezgians stormed the city. The Lezgins sacked and looted the city killing 5,000 Shia and 300 merchants. In the Peter I used this as a causes beli against Persia. The Lezgins also executed the local leader Huseyn Khan. This battle expanded Haji Davud's influence and power throughout the Shirvan region.A Historical Essay on the Caucasian Wars from Their Beginning to the Annexation of Georgia . Accessed July 8, 2020. ArchivedZUBOV P. P. PICTURE OF THE CAUCASUS REGION BELONGING TO RUSSIA AND ITS ADJACENT LANDS; PART IV. 1835. Accessed June 27, 2023. Archived June 27, 2023.

Skirmish at Kura river and capture of Barda In the meantime the Khans of Ganja and Eirevan amassed a large army of 30,000 troops and made their way to the west of the Kura river, assembling a formidable army the rulers of Ganja and Eirevan were sure that Daud Beg would take his defence in the walls of Shamakhi, after reaching the Kura river the Safavids decided to set up camp to let the army rest and continue their way to Shamakhi after sunrise,

What they didn't know that Daud Beg had sent spies and they had already prepare to ambush the Safavid forces, the mountaineers awaited for night to come after which they silently crossed the river. The guards did not notice the mountaineers and were killed before they could alert the camp, after reaching the camp, the mountaineers began setting the tents on fire to lay panic amongst the Persian troops, the army of Lezgins caught the Safavids by surprise which did not allow them to Organize proper defence, the Safavid troops who did try to resist the Lezgins resisted the attack to allow the rest of the army to go into formation and prepare for a counterattack, but it was too late. The unexpected attack of the Lezgins became a reason of chaos in the camp of the Safavids and much of the army fled the battle, the troops who attempted to resist the mountaineers suffered heavy casualties and also began to retreat under heavy pressure. After the victory at Kura river Daud Beg captured the city of Barda.The Rebellion of Haji Daud and the Caucasian Campaign of Peter the Great (1720–1724) Elvin Abdurahmanov pages 52–58

Fatwa to the Ottoman Sultan While Daud beg was in Barda he began looking for allies, he tried to work with the Russian empire back in the beginning of the campaign but those attempts have failed, so he reached out for the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III, he leveraged share Sunni Islamic orientation and presented himself as the defender of Sunni Islam in a struggle against Shia Safavid Iran, to secure an official Ottoman alliance.Aliyev, F. M. (1975). Антииранские выступления и борьба против турецкой оккупации в Азербайджане в первой половине XVIII века. Baku: Elm. p. 77.

Occupation of Ganja After the victory at Kura and Barda Haji Davud did not waste any time and besieged the city of Ganja in the beginning everything was going according to plan for the Lezgis, up until the intervention of the King of Kartli Vakhtang VI the Army of Vakhtang began making their way to Ganja in aid of the defenders of the city. but Haji Davud did not want to end up in a awkward situation so he quickly left the city.Vadim N. Leviatov - Essays on the History of Azerbaijan in the 18th Century - Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR, Baku, 1948, p. 74.

Ottoman recognition and the Treaty of Constantinople In late December 1722 Ahmed III responded to Daud begs letter, he recognized Haji Davud as the rightful khan of Shirvan, Dagestan and Lezgistan under the protection of the Sublime Porte.Baş, Yaşar (2014). Şirvan Hanı Hacı Davud, Siyasi Mücadelesi, Sürgün Hayatı ve Ailesi. Vol. 18. pp. 629–646.

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