The military and political role of Derbent in the history of the Caucasus on the eve of Mongol expansion in the region

Introduction. Derbent is widely known as the largest monument of the fortification on the northern borders of the Muslim world. In the XII – the first quarter of the XIII centuries. He was one of the most famous medieval states of the Caucasus, such as Azerbaijan, Georgia, Arran, Shirvan. The period of the 12th – first quarter of the 13th centuries, that is, the time preceding the Mongol invasion of the region, was marked by the expansion of the Seljuk empire into the Caucasus, and later the Khorezmshah state, which managed to spread its power and influence over almost the entire region. However, as the study has shown, the specifics of the emergence and development of Derbent allowed it to maintain its independence for a very long period in the 12th – first quarter of the 13th centuries, acting as one of the most significant and influential states of the Eastern and Northern Caucasus.

Materials and methods. The research was carried out on the basis of an interdisciplinary approach and generally accepted historical methods. For the first time in Russian and foreign Caucasian studies, the military and political role of Derbent in the history of the Caucasus on the eve of the Mongol invasion was investigated based on the analysis of medieval Arabic, Armenian, Georgian, Persian and Derbent written sources, numerous numismatic materials and data from extensive archaeological excavations conducted by A. Kudryavtsev in Derbent for more than a quarter of a century.

Analysis. In the 12th and first quarter of the 13th centuries, the Atabeg state of Azerbaijan, Christian Georgia, Arran, Shirvan, and the Derbent Emirate actively contested their leadership in the region, which was largely reserved for Georgia and Azerbaijan. During this period, the Derbent emirate began to play a special military and political role in the Eastern and Northern Caucasus, whose rulers systematically carried out campaigns against Shirvan, often involving Alans, Khazars, Rus and North Caucasian mountaineers. The Shirvanshahs were forced to seek support and protection from Georgia, whose kings, although they helped repel the attacks of the Derbent emirs, usually remained neutral in their relations with them, and sometimes even had close marital ties with the rulers of Derbent.

Results. The special military and political role of Derbent in the region and the leadership of its rulers in the Eastern and Northern Caucasus in the 12th – early 13th centuries are shown.

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