Soon
after
Kerim
Khan's
death
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
ran
away
fromShiraz
and
appeared
among
his
tribesmen.
He
believed,
the
time
of
his
reign
had
alreadycome.
So
he
occupied
the
regions
of
Araq
and
in
1785/1201
came
to
the
throne
of
shahs
inTehran
and
made
it
the
seat
of
his
kingdom,
Dar-al-Khalafe.
Soon
afterwards
heattacked
Azerbaijan
and
occupied
the
territories
on
the
southern
bank
of
the
Arax.
Then
hecrossed
it
and
although
tried
hard
to
conquer
the
regions
of
Talish,
Lenkoran,
and
Erevan,
he
failed.
Meanwhile
he
sent
[Ibrahim
Khan]
khala't
and
a
sword
offering
himto
submit.
As
a
result,
formal
relations
were
established
between
them.
(93a)
The
same
year
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
returned
from
Azerbaijan
topunish
his
enemies:
to
suppress
the
rebellion
roused
in
Fars
and
Kerman.
This
was
the
time
when
hostility
was
opened
between
him
and
IbrahimKhan.
After
the
suppression
of
the
revolts
risen
in
those
regions
and
their
subjugation,
in
1793/1209
he
[Aqa
Muhammad]
again
invaded
Azerbaijan
with
an
innumerable
army
andconsiderable
preparations
to
conquer
Georgia,
Talish,
and
Erevan.
He
sent
his
brotherAli-qoli,
the
Commander-in-Chief
of
his
forces,
to
occupy
Erevan.
He
himself
withthe
troops
of
Araq,
Fars,
Khorasan
and
Azerbaijan,
came
to
the
fortress
Shushi
and
stoppedat
a
place
called
Nabat-khan
or
Yurt-shah,
which
is
located
between
[the
villages]Avetaranots
and
Shushikend.
He
made
fortifications
around
his
camp,
the
ruins
of
which
arestill
seen.
Then
laid
siege
to
the
fortress
Shushi.
Herakl,
the
Vali
of
Georgia,
Muhammad
Khan,
the
governor
ofErevan,
Mustoufi
Khan,
the
ruler
of
Talish
entered
into
alliance
with
Ibrahim
on
notsubmitting
to
the
rule
of
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
as
well
as
helping
one
another
to
fightagainst
him
in
case
of
need.
Shortly
afterwards,
Ibrahim
Khan
had
some
of
his
tribes
moved
toGeorgia
and
some
to
Shirvan,
to
Mustoufi
Khan.
Others,
with
the
Karabagh
countrymen,
sought
refuge
in
the
highlands
and
other
inaccessible
places.
A
part
of
them
settled
downin
the
fortress
[of
Shushi],
where
a
number
of
cavalry
and
infantry
warriors
with
theirpreparations
gathered
from
the
tribes
and
villages
ready
to
fight.
On
the
whole,
the
cruel
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
stayed
in
the
vicinity
ofShushi
with
his
army
for
33
days.
He
sent
messengers
and
mediators
to
Ibrahim
Khan
tryingto
persuade
him
and
the
inhabitants
of
Karabagh
to
obey
him.
However,
all
his
persuasionsand
dreadful
menaces
were
useless.
Aqa
Muhammad.
ordered
to
fire
from
his
flame-throws
and
cannons,
bombard
the
people
of
Shushi,
and
attack
it
from
four
sides.
They
started
a
fierce
battle.
Most
part
of
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan's
army
consisted
of
the
tofangchis
of
Mazandaran,
called
Karachukha.
Their
guns
were
without
steels,
they
had
only
a
flintand
a
slowmatch
fastened
to
it,
with
the
help
of
which
the
gun
fired.
The
battle
was
under
way
from
the
six
o'clock
in
the
morning
untilthe
sunset.
The
guns
and
cannons
fired
like
lightening,
and
nobody
deviated
from
thefight.
Hillocks
were
formed
from
the
heaps
of
dead
bodies
and
rivers
of
blood
flew.
TheKarabagh
inhabitants
both
Moslems
and
Armenians
stood
firmly
against
the
sea
of
[enemy]army
and
fought
courageously
accomplishing
feats
and
fearless
deeds.
A
great
number
ofpeople
both
men
and
women
were
slain
savagely
from
cannon
bombs.
There
were
innumerousdeaths
in
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan's
army
warriors,
too.
(94b)
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
saw,
that
in
spite
of
his
great
efforts,
thefire
of
Nemrut
caused
no
harm
to
Ibrahim
Khalil
Khan.
The
latter
like
Abraham
(Ibrahim)Khalil
[of
Bible]
was
not
afraid
of
its
conflagration
and
even
enjoyed
it,
fancying
thehot
coals
and
the
cannon
fire
a
nice
valley
for
him.
Though
he
tried
hard
and
did
hisutmost
in
fighting,
the
collapse
of
his
army
was
evident:
they
were
not
strong
enough
towithstand
the
hard
blows
and
brave
strikes
of
Karabagh
warriors.
Mostly
they
were
slain,
the
rest
depressed
and
defeated.
Karabagh
inhabitants
went
on
striking,
robing,
andskirmishing
with
them.
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
realized,
did
he
proceed
with
the
war,
his
army
wouldbe
dispersed
and
he
would
suffer
a
complete
defeat.
Therefore,
he
held
counsel
with
hisnoblemen
and
army
commanders,
afterwards
ordering
to
withdraw:
-Foreseeing
wisely
the
end
of
affairs,
we'd
better
stop
on
thehalfway
of
misfortune,
or
else
soon
nobody
will
remain
alive.
At
that
time
Javad
Khan
of
Ganje
and
Melik
Mejnun
of
Jraberd,
who
hadleft
Ibrahim
Khan
and
joined
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan,
said
to
him:
-You
hadn't
any
success
in
capturing
the
fortress
Shushi
and
ifyou
return
without
achieving
your
aim,
the
people
of
Iran
will
rebel
(95a)
and
youwon't
be
able
to
reign
any
more.
The
way
out
is
to
march
on
Tiflis,
plunder
it
andtake
a
great
number
of
prisoners
in
order
to
raise
the
spirit
of
the
army,
so
that
itcould
fight
when
needed.
Aqa
Muhammad
Khan
took
their
counsel
and
declared
about
his
newmilitary
operation
in
Tiflis,
Georgia.
