Shaykh Ali Khan

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Shaykh Ali Khan (1778–1822) was the last Khan of the Quba Khanate, ruling from 1791 to 1806. He was born in Quba to Fatali Khan and his Armenian wife Saharnaz. After his father’s death, Ali grew up amid the region’s constant conflicts and was entrusted with duties to restore his dynasty’s power.

Early life
- Born in 1778 in Quba, to Fatali Khan and Saharnaz.
- His father died in 1789, and Ali’s elder brother Ahmad Khan took charge briefly before Ali’s generation rose to power.
- In his youth he was sent to recapture Salyan, but the political situation remained unstable as his family’s hold on the region weakened.

Reign as Khan of Quba (1791–1806)
- Upon inheriting the throne, Ali tried to restore his father’s power in the South Caucasus.
- In 1793 he sent an envoy to Russian General Ivan Gudovich to seek an alliance with Russia, but he refused to sign the terms of subjection.
- He moved against rivals in the area, marching on the Baku Khanate in 1794 to reinstall Mirza Muhammad II.
- In 1796 the Russian army under Valerian Zubov besieged Derbent for two months; Ali hoped for help from the Ottoman Empire but Russia forced the town to surrender. He was briefly arrested but managed to escape.
- After Catherine the Great’s death in 1796, the Russian position in the Caucasus shifted. Ali’s position wavered as the Russians solidified control.
- In 1796–1797, Hasan Khan was installed as Derbent’s khan, and Paul I later recognized Ali as a subject of Russia with control over Quba, Derbent, Salyan, and Mushkur.
- In 1806, Derbent and Baku fell to Russian-backed forces. Ali’s forces could not hold the line, and the Russians annexed the Quba Khanate. He left Quba, and the Russians installed their own governor.

Guerilla warfare and later years
- After losing his throne, Ali did not give up. He lived in exile but remained active, calling for unity among Dagestani rulers to resist Russia.
- He formed alliances with Surkhay II and other regional powers and conducted raids and campaigns against Russian-backed forces.
- From 1809 onward, he and his allies attacked various districts and tried to reclaim former territories. He faced several defeats but kept up resistance through the 1810s.
- In 1811–1813 he fought Russian forces again, including battles near Rustov and in Akusha-Dargo Union territory. His forces and allies were often defeated or forced to retreat, but he continued to resist as best as he could.
- By the late 1810s, Ali had moved between villages and towns, including Akusha, Balakhani, Sumbatl, and Unchukatl, as Russian power expanded in the region.

Death and legacy
- There is no exact record of his death. Some sources say he died in 1821, others in 1822.
- He is remembered as the last Khan of Quba who fought to defend his realm against Russian conquest.
- Family: He had two wives, Zibunnisa Begüm and Mulayim Khanum, and a son, Sultan Ahmad (born 1807). His grandson Fatali Khan married a Qajar princess, and his descendants settled in Ardabil.

In short, Shaykh Ali Khan led the Quba Khanate through a turbulent period, resisted Russian domination for years, and left a legacy as a symbol of regional resistance in the South Caucasus.