The Impact of the Russian Occupation on the Ethno-Demographic Situation in the Gazakh Region of Azerbaijan
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to study the process of the occupation of the Gazakh and Shamshaddil regions of Azerbaijan by the Russian Empire and the changes in local governance, the economic life of the population, and especially in the ethno-demographic situation that occurred in the first decades after the occupation, as well as the consequences caused by these changes.
The scientific novelty of the study lies in a comprehensive analysis of the ethno-demographic changes that occurred during the annexation of the Gazakh and Shamshaddil regions to the Russian Empire and in the following decades, the abolition of traditional governance and the introduction of a military-colonial regime, the deterioration of the economic situation of the local population, as well as the ethno-demographic changes that occurred against the background of these events.
Conclusions. It has been established that the first 60 years of the 19th century saw radical changes in the administrative structure, socio-political, and socio-economic conditions of these territories, which had a profound impact on the lives of the population and the ethno-demographic processes in the region.
It has been demonstrated that during the occupation of the Gazakh and Shamshaddil regions of Azerbaijan by the Russian Empire and in the first decades thereafter, changes in local governance, the economic life of the population, and especially in the ethno-demographic situation were actively supported at the state level, primarily through legislative regulation.
It has been established that in the decades following the annexation of the Gazakh region to the Russian Empire, the government's targeted anti-Azerbaijani policy and the settlement of Armenian and Russian residents had a significant impact on the land supply and living conditions of the indigenous Azerbaijani population as a whole. This, in turn, led to significant changes in both population growth dynamics and the ethnic composition. This article examines these changes based on official statistical data and discusses their consequences.
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